Integrated Amp Reviews

Manufacturer's Comment

Editor: Regarding digital filters, Herb says in the review that offering listeners multiple filter options is "evidence that digital is designed by numbers, not by listening." Quad's director of acoustic design, Peter Comeau, and Jan Ertner, the principal engineer of the Artera Solus, spent a lot of time listening to filter characteristics and worked hard at getting the best out of the Sabre DAC. They included four filters because people's preference for filter type is often dependent on personal choice and accompanying equipment. And from a purely technical perspective, different sources often require optimization using the specific character of the filters. For example, a DSD file might sound better with the Fast filter, as it has a slow roll-off characteristic. We're glad to give Herb and customers the choice that suits them best.

JA mentions a "suspected coding error" in the measurements of the Narrow filter. The Narrow filter bandwidth on S/PDIF (being different from USB) originated as a way of dealing with low-quality sources, such as the optical output of a Chromecast Audio or original AirPort Express. The "low-quality sources" with Artera Solus are now best dealt with by changing the digital phase-lock-loop bandwidth. There is a pending firmware update (which is user upgradable) that will take care of this. This will be available from the Quad site imminently.

When you get to play with big gear like the epic Pass Labs integrated that Herb references, who wants to own an all-in-one integrated amp with a built-in DAC and CD transport? Herb's knack for putting himself in other people's shoes nails it in the summary: The Quad Artera Solus is for a "music-first audiophile" who wants a simple system with "engaging" sound quality, and they want to play their CDs. That describes a lot of people who might shy away from massive separates but want a much better experience than a popular table radio can provide.—Jonathan Derda, MoFi Distribution