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Compared with the obvious alternative of waiting for a cleaner bargain, £350 is right at the top end of the recent used market for this preamp, but still only slightly above the £336 median and just over the £351 75th percentile anchor you gave me. On those numbers, this reads as fair to mildly firm, not a steal and not overpriced in any alarming way.
The attraction here is that the 99-series preamp is a properly regarded bit of kit: musical, capable, and still very usable in a serious system if the rest of the chain is up to it. At this level, the upside is in getting a well-kept example with no missing bits and a seller who can confirm it powers up quietly, switches cleanly, and sounds healthy; if it checks out, it’s a sensible buy rather than a gamble.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Quad, the venerable British hi-fi brand, traces its origins to 1936 in London, when engineer Peter J. Walker founded S.P. Fidelity Sound Systems, soon renamed the Acoustical Manufacturing Company. Relocating to Huntingdon in 1941 after wartime bombing, the firm shifted from public address gear to domestic audio amid post-war demand for superior sound reproduction. Walker's pioneering ethos—prioritizing "the closest approach to the original sound"—defined Quad from its early QA12 amplifiers, adopted by the BBC, to the iconic Quad I of 1953.
The brand excels in amplifiers and electrostatic loudspeakers, revolutionizing both categories. The Quad II power amplifier of 1953 introduced cathode coupling for vanishingly low distortion, while the 1956 ESL 57 delivered the world's first full-range electrostatic speaker, employing a massless film diaphragm for unparalleled transparency and transient speed. Quad advanced into solid-state with the 1967 303 and transistor designs featuring innovative "Triples" output stages, later expanding to integrated amps like the 99 series, moving-coil speakers, and modern electrostatic models such as the ESL 988 and 989.
Today, under the International Audio Group since 1997, Quad holds a prestigious position in the high-end market, revered by audiophiles for its unyielding pursuit of accuracy over trends. Its heritage components command vintage collector status, yet contemporary offerings maintain a niche boutique appeal among discerning buyers seeking refined, distortion-free reproduction that honors Walker's legacy.
See all Quad listings on RADAR.
