RADAR is a price search engine. We link to the original listing — we never sell direct. Transactions happen on the source site.
At £240, this sits below the £282 median and comfortably under the £338 75th percentile, so it reads as a solid-to-strong buy rather than an ambitious ask. For a Quad 405, that’s a sensible place to be in the used market: not a steal, but clearly fair and a bit buyer-friendly.
The appeal here is the 405’s long-earned reputation for clean, muscular, unforced sound and its enduring value in serious vintage systems. If the unit is working properly, this is the sort of power amp that can anchor a setup for years; at this price, a tidy example with sensible care behind it is attractive. The main thing to confirm is basic service history and stable operation, since age matters more than cosmetics on an amp like this.
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.
