MF vs QUAD

[Drummerdave]

Hi all,

Has anyone compared a Music Fidelity system with a Quad set-up during an audition? I would be interested in hearing about an A/B test between MFA5 integrated amp and Quad 909 Power/99 Pre amp.

Any comments welcome.

DD

[gazza73]

Can't give you advice about the sound but I personally would not buy a MF product now following their recent market/sales campain and there constant 6 monthly product upgrades.

All their marketing crap about superchargers for speakers and nonsense about other manufactures amps being underpowered and thus rubbish just stinks.

[SonicHedgehog]

These were the two systems on my shopping list too. I was only able to try the A5s and they were terrific - miles ahead of the identically priced Primares recommended by What HiFi. I am still going to try and listen to the Quads before the Sevenoaks sale ends but I am very tight for time indeed. Interestingly the Sevenoaks branch I went to for a demo is going to lose the sale because they aren't open on Sundays...I wonder how many other people have been forced to look elsewhere due to this short-sighted decision?

[Thekop]

Originally Posted by Drummerdave

Hi all,

Has anyone compared a Music Fidelity system with a Quad set-up during an audition? I would be interested in hearing about an A/B test between MFA5 integrated amp and Quad 909 Power/99 Pre amp.

Any comments welcome.

DD

Hello Drummerdave.

I think the sensible suggestion here would be to try and book a demo at some dealers and hear the two systems if you can. I would also suggest listening to other brands i.e Naim, Primare, Roksan, and even a few valve based set ups, to get a broader knowledge and view of what's available with in your budget..

It's easy for people to have a biased view on hifi, me included ! but it really is down to personal preference at the end of the day..

I for instance, loves the Quad sound, especially in conjunction with my B&W 805S's... However as always, their are others who would prefer say Musical Fidelity or a Naim based set up..

If and when you like a system, it'll be even better if you can arrange a home demo as well.. Other factors like room acoustic, cables, leads etc, will also have an influence on the final sound...

Goodluck

Tim

[karkus30]

As ever.....try as many amps as you can, dont stick with the WHF five star rubbish, listen without prejudice..........Personally I would get a listen to LFD ( when I finally get someone to demo their amazing integrated amp, its going to become obvious why I have been recommending it at every opportunity, they also do several pre-powers, but the integrated is so good its hard to justify anything else, one of the most powerful amps I have heard and I run Naim 135 Mono Blocks) and Soneteer range of amplification, try Exposure, try Sugden, try Naim, try DNM if your rich.

[grimep]

Yeah, I did exactly that. Before making any comments, I'd advise to use your own ears, and I'll also point out to the brand-loyal out there that I'm just reporting what I heard... its all just my opinion.

I was starting out with PMC speakers, so just had to find amplification to suit. My test discs ranged from dense electronic compositions - Plaid Double Figure, Amon Tobin Supermodified, to acoustic folk - bert jansch/john renbourn, and others.

I started testing with a Plinius cd player and preamp, then tried primare's £1500 cd and integrated, and an MFA5, in all permutations. I used the integrated amps both standalone, and as preamps to the power amps I tried. I started with Flying Moles and ended up with the Quad 909.

My findings... the Quad 909 blew everything else away.. it had the most neutral, flat, musical character, and seemed to back up the claims that their amps just amplify and nothing more. I liked the Primare, it has a very neutral clean sound, and worked nicely as an expensive preamp. For me though the Primare was lacking in the lower frequencies, resulting in a slightly cold sound. But it gives such a clear sound you can't fail to get immersed in what you are listening to. I was least impressed with the MF - it sounded like there was heavy equalisation being applied to the signal, boosting the bass, dropping the mid range and making the highs too splashy. I wanted a HiFi that was approaching something that could be used for studio monitoring (hence the PMCs). However many people will swear by this amp, so use your own ears I guess.

My feeling throughout the demo was... yes, well, it sounds ok, but when you are spending 1000s you want to get a grin on your face when you play your music and I hadn't felt that so far. Then we plugged the 909 in and the wow factor was there. Its a slightly unfair comparison in that its integrated Vs pre/power, but as the Quad combo only costs a coupla £100 more than the MF or Primare (assuming you are paying RRP), then they are in the same ball park.

So I ended up with a 99/909/cdp-2. The 99 pre does have digital stepping control on the volume, as per many amps these days, and I often find 14 too quiet while 15 is getting a bit loud (it goes to 32...) so I woulda preferred a rotary control, but its a small niggle. The 3 components are handily integrated with Quadlink, so there's no need for pricey interconnects (I tested a few and found the Quadlink sounded best).

[Arcam_boy]

I demoed quite a few amps and fell in love with the Musical Fidelity A5 integrated over anything else I listened too even though I didn't have a listen to the QUAD stuff as it just didn't interest me I tried some cyrus stuff/arcam fmj/primare I30 and MF A5.

The A5 just won hands down for me even though some sounded a little sharper in some areas the A5 had a superb laid back sound and drove my 805s a treat. The only amp I would swap it for without a second thought is a classe CAP2100 but then this is a £4000 amp

As most people say its higly recommended you get a demo as it all depends on what sound you like really.

[Knyght_byte]

sadly I havnt heard Quad, i must admit i like the idea of their philosophy tho....

I have an MF A5, and compared to the amps i tested it up against (Primare, Arcam, Roksan, Chord) it was the best in its price range.....the Primare wasnt far away and perhaps if my music tastes leaned more in different directions I'd have considered it....the Arcams were ok but couldnt compare (A and FMJ series) the Roksans were left standing but then im not a massive rock fan these days and i have to say that was one area they shined but only with rock speakers like KEf.....as for the Chord, well, it was 3 times the price but the Chord was barely twice as good on more expensive speakers, on my GR10's it didnt really do any more, just had a slightly different family sound....

definitely get the MF A5 in a demo, but if you like the idea of the Quads then do a head to head and report back, im sure folks on here would like to know

oh, also helps if you mention what speakers you are considering, different combinations of amp and speaker change the sound remarkably sometimes...

[grimep]

I'd like to see how they stack up against a Rotel pre / power combo too

[SonicHedgehog]

Going to listen to the QUAD combo and MF A5/MA GS10/60 tomorrow. I almost don't want to like the QUAD gear as much as I am expecting to because I have been salivating over the MF/MA gear since my demo two weeks ago. Will let you know how I get on

[Dynaudio Desire]

Have you heard the Cyrus range? They really are incredible and the amount of upgrading they offer is just beyond belief!

I didnt like the MFsetup myself, far too lean I thought! Get a listen to Cyrus aswell!

I really want to hear the Quad setup too!

[SonicHedgehog]

OK, demo complete. I'll run you through my whole test so you can see how I arrived at my conclusions.

Primaire CD31/ID30/Spendor S5e in demo room - totally lifeless music. I kept waiting for something to happen, but it never did. A real surprise given the reviews of this equipment.

MF A5 CD/amp and MF GS60 in main showroom. Fantastic sound - clear, detailed and with real cohesion. A very musical system. I would have probably bought this if the sales team had been more interested in making me a happy customer.

MF A5 CD/amp and MFGS20 in main showroom. Very incoherant sound. Not just smaller scale than the GS60s. Big shock. Kef ref 201s were even worse and immediately discounted.

New shop 2 weeks later.

QUAD CD-P/909 Power amp and MA GS10s in an acoustically poor demo room. Exciting powerful sound with solid bass and a real sense of fun. Treble slightly lacking and a general feeling that the electronics could provide a deeper bass with bigger speakers.

Swap electronics for MF X-ray CD/DAC/amp. A lighter slightly more detailed sound. Treble was sharper, but at the expense of bass depth.

Despite the previous demo it was decided to try the MF X-ray with the MA GS20s to see if the larger speakers would improve the bass. Oddly there was no real change over the GS10s so the GS20s were tried with the QUAD electronics. Amazing. Bass was instantly tauter while treble became sharper . The sense of fun created by the QUAD combo remained.

So what did I buy? Well, despite the A5/GS60 combo being so good it needed more space to breathe than my living room could provide. It was technically and musically excellent, but lacked the sense of fun provided by the QUADS. They just didn't offer enough to justify the extra 50% in price over the QUAD/GS20 combo, despite Sevenoaks huge sale. So I bought the QUADS and the GS20s and pick them up later this week. Can't wait.

Just for information, the man responsible for the Sevenoaks sale is no longer with the company. Apparently he was a little liberal with his discounts and the management didn't notice until all the adverts had gone to press. If you want 25% off your speakers and some other excellent deals then you need to get to Sevenoaks tomorrow before the sale ends. You will not see these prices again.

[Knyght_byte]

hmm...that sounds more like they wanted you to buy there and then to me.....given its a large chain franchise operation there are too many people involved for it not to be noticed before going to press....

[SonicHedgehog]

Originally Posted by Knyght_byte

hmm...that sounds more like they wanted you to buy there and then to me.....given its a large chain franchise operation there are too many people involved for it not to be noticed before going to press....

Could be...it didn't influence my decision as I was already sold. Can't argue with 10% off the electronics, 25% off the speakers and 35% off cables. Great sound, looks and room friendly. One happy camper.

[Drummerdave]

Thanks guys for all your responses, glad to hear about the Quads being reviewed so favourably and indeed bought. A priority audition will be arranged asap.