Pre-owned Quad Vena Amplifier MK1

Good Condition

No box

The track sounds big, bold – even quite boisterous. There’s serious weight and power on show, as wave after wave of orchestral attack crashes down on the listener.

Stream a CD rip of Jay-Z’s Already Home and the Quad shows a superb sense of control. Faced with the meaty, concentrated bassline the Vena keeps a firm grip, offering depth and control in equal measure. The soundstage is wide but all the elements are held firmly in place. Strings sound explicit, the vocal focused and straight to the point.

Both Type A and Type B USB inputs are on the back: the former allows you to charge an iDevice and play music directly, the latter is the go-to socket for hooking up a computer. Optical and coaxial digital inputs and outputs complete the line up. Sample-rate support extends all the way to 24-bit/192kHz high-res files.

Bluetooth also gets the nod for added convenience and the fact there’s aptX support means you can take advantage of higher quality audio beamed from a compatible smartphone or tablet. Because of the aluminium chassis and the effect it has on a wireless signal, you need to use an external antennae – supplied in the box.