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Reviews (3)
08 May, 2011
Quad 405 & 405-2 Power Amplifier (by CQ)
6 of 8 found this helpful For those who might not know, Quad introduced the 405-2 back in 1982 to replace its predecessor the 405, which had been in production since 1975. Both models featured Quad's proprietary current-dumping technology, and were largely well-received at the time - although the opinion today is generally that their potential was compromised by the use certain less-than-top-quality electronic components. The 405 series' overall build quality and engineering on the other hand was remarkable, virtually to military standard, and its award-winning functional, minimalist design has dated little. Today, the 405 series can be seen as a true classic and something of a legend among pure class A amps.
The extra-sturdy and commonsense contruction has enabled gerations of enthusiasts many ways of upgrading the original models, from simply replacing the original electrolytic capacitors (now invariably past it) to replacing entire boards - available from several sources - with high-end, low-noise components, resulting in a range of improvements to perceived detail, sound-stage imagery, bottom- and top-end response. In many cases, these purport to substantially surpass the amps original performance without compromising the characteristic 'Quad sound' (transparent and slightly warm, echoing their slogan 'the closest approach to the original sound').
For those hankering after more power headroom than that afforded by the original 80 W/channel RMS into 8Ω, it's also relatively straightforward to convert a 405 or 405-2 to a 115 W RMS monobloc.
For all of these reasons, there appears to be a resurgence of interest in Quad 405s and 405-2s amongst those willing to invest a little care/money to own a great-sounding classic pure class A amp - as can be seen whenever one of these classics appears on eBay. I found two for myself this way early in 2011, and haven't looked back. Very few other high-end amps - and virtually none I can think of manufactured these days - can compete with the 405 series for ease of upgradeability, and I see no reason why they shouldn't still be performing sweetly in another forty years time.
25 Oct, 2017
A qualified recommendation...
2 of 2 found this helpful Having agreed that 1. I'd recommend it, 2. that it's good value, and 3. that it's good quality, let me qualify my recommendation:
No question, it's well designed and made - and great value for a solo coffee-maker, whether at home or on the move.
Personally, and having tried various amounts of both store-bought ground coffee and home-ground beans, I've found the resulting brews very smooth (and utterly grounds-free)... but somehow lacking er, what? Character?! I'm bound to sound pretentious here, but I love blends of coffee with slightly quirky flavour 'personalities'. Rather like red wines where there's essentially a balance between fruity berry flavours and tannins to provide structure, coffee that tastes simply rich or smooth lacks (cringe) character - some of which comes from a SLIGHT bitterness, or some other subtle but unusual note. I imagine the way the makers suggest you use the Aeropress, where the coffee's typically allowed to brew for 40 seconds (including pressing time), has a lot to do with it. I really want to like the Aeropress though (not least because it's MUCH easier to wash than any cafetière), and will try to update my review if I find how to get results I'm truly happy with.
A final note; don't be misled by any comparison of the plunger pressure with espresso machines of any kind. This machine makes very smooth filter-style coffee VERY quickly. That's its strong point; if you're looking for a similarly portable espresso machine, check out the Staresso; it's similarly inexpensive, but its results (even with the cheapest ready-ground supermarket blends) I find absolutely staggering. Naturally, that's just my (highly subjective) opinion - but I hope you find it helpful.
08 May, 2011
Quad 405 Stereo Power Amplifier
17 of 17 found this helpful For those who might not know, Quad introduced the 405-2 back in 1982 to replace its predecessor the 405, which had been in production since 1975. Both models featured Quads proprietary current-dumping technology, and were largely well-received at the time - although the opinion today is generally that their potential was compromised by the use certain less-than-top-quality electronic components. The overall build quality and engineering of the 405 series on the other hand was remarkable, virtually to military standard, and its award-winning functional, minimalist design has dated little. Today, the 405 series can be seen as a true classic and something of a legend among pure class A amps.
The extra-sturdy and commonsense contruction has enabled gerations of enthusiasts many ways of upgrading the original models, from simply replacing the original electrolytic capacitors (now invariably past it) to replacing entire boards - available from several sources - with high-end, low-noise components, resulting in a range of improvements to perceived detail, sound-stage projection, bottom- and top-end response. In many cases, these purport to substantially surpass the amps original performance without compromising the characteristic Quad sound (transparent and slightly warm, reflecting their famous slogan, THE CLOSEST APPROACH TO THE ORIGINAL SOUND).
For those hankering after more power headroom than that afforded by the original 80 W/channel RMS into 8Ω, its also relatively straightforward to convert a 405 or 405-2 to a 115 W RMS monobloc.
For all of these reasons, there appears to be a resurgence of interest in Quad 405s and 405-2s amongst those willing to invest a little care/money to own a great-sounding classic pure class A amp - as can be seen whenever one of these classics appears on eBay. I found two for myself this way early in 2011, and havent looked back. Very few other high-end amps - and virtually none I can think of manufactured these days - can compete with the 405 series for ease of upgradeability, and I see no reason why they shouldnt still be performing sweetly in another forty years time.