Overview & Features

From the transformer to the input terminals, each section of the Artera has been engineered from the ground up to ensure power, musicality and stability. The Artera Stereo produces 140 Watts RMS per channel – ample power for driving first-class loudspeakers, unfaltering even under high dynamic and transient conditions thanks to the patented Current Dumping technology. Special attention has also been paid to the newly developed balanced XLR inputs. The robust connections are yet another string to the Artera Stereo's bow, with an incomparable signal to noise ratio.

Classics For The Modern Age

The Artera range combines the qualities that have made Quad one of Britain’s most revered hi-fi marques for many decades with fresh industrial design and the very latest high-performance audio technologies.

Artera’s crisp, clean aesthetic both evokes Quad’s past and looks forward to the future, with a textured aluminium front panel, thick glass top and CNC-routed heat sinks on either side. The housing provides a rugged structure that resists interference from external vibrations, while the facia of each player incorporates an intuitive touch-sensitive control, contributing greatly to its sleek design.

Iconic Amplifier Technology

The inclusion of full analogue/digital preamp functionality means that the Artera Play can be connected directly to a power amplifier, and its perfect partner in this regard is the Artera Stereo. This compact yet potent power amp sports the latest iteration of Quad’s famous Current Dumping topology, first introduced in the legendary Quad 405 – one of the most lauded British audio components of all time and still the only amp design to have earned a Queen’s Award for Technological Achievement.

Current Dumping is essentially a method of marrying the superior sonic purity of Class A amplification with the greater efficiency of Class AB. An extremely high-quality, low-power Class A amplifier provides the signal quality, while a high-power current dumping section delivers the muscle to keep the speakers under control. These two amp circuits are combined via a precision network to perfectly impose the finesse of the Class A output onto the power of the current dumper. The result is a relatively compact and cool-running power amp capable of delivering a captivating combination of dynamic power, vice-like grip and sumptuous sonic detail.

For those seeking the huge connectivity options of Artera’s players in an all-in-one solution, the Artera Solus fills that niche, not only with a built in pre-amplifier but also housing a substantial power amplifier, CD player, DAC and bluetooth technology.