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Right now this is a buyer’s market for this category: at A$225, this sits comfortably below the A$259 25th percentile and well under the A$292 median, so it reads as a solid deal rather than just “about right.” For a Quad control preamp, that’s a sensible entry point if you’ve been waiting for one to pop up.
The QC2 is a respected, listenable preamp with the sort of clean, neutral presentation Quad fans like—good transparency, good switching, and a properly grown-up phono-stage pedigree in many systems. At this price, the main upside is simply value: if it’s electrically healthy and the controls are quiet, you’re getting a serious piece of kit for less than typical used market levels. I’d just confirm the exact version, service history, and that all inputs/outputs work cleanly, since age-related switch or pot issues are the only real things that can dent the bargain.
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.
