Quad Artera Stereo Review: Extremely powerful Power Amplifier

Quad Artera Stereo is part of Artera’s progressive and innovative series, which uses modern technology and guarantees Hi-Res format support. The model was created literally from scratch. The company’s engineers were faced with the task of developing a device that is characterized by high power, stability and impressive musical talents.

The amplifier is capable of delivering 140 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load. The patented proprietary Current Dumping technology allows you to combine two parallel amplification circuits in each channel of the ending. One of them belongs to the A-class and allows you to get an exceptionally clean musical sound filled with nuances and details, and the second works in class B, provides high efficiency and reliable speaker control, copes with signals that have a large amplitude, and also delivers a large current in load.

Both schemes are coordinated with each other with the help of additional circuits. As a result, it is possible to get rid of the distortions characteristic of the usual AB-class and get a powerful dynamic sound with timbre accuracy, purity and excellent microdynamics.

Special attention deserves a strict industrial design of the case with an aluminum textured front panel and an unusual removable glass cover installed on its top platform. Precision-machined ribbed sidewalls of the amplifier act as heat sinks, and also increase the rigidity of the entire structure and eliminate resonances. The exit from the standby mode and the readiness of the Quad Artera Stereo to work is reminded by a stylish narrow indicator built into the center of the facade.

Directly behind the facade of the amplifier is a large toroidal power supply transformer, behind which are four high-capacity electrolytic capacitors. The boards of each channel are separated and fixed on opposite walls of the case to avoid mutual interference. There are two inputs at the rear of the speaker – regular RCA and balanced XLR. A button switch installed next to them is used as an input selector. Two pairs of screw terminals are provided for connecting acoustic systems.

The Quad Artera Stereo driver provides a high signal-to-noise ratio and is the perfect match for the Quad Artera Play CD player/preamp. The components of this bundle complement each other perfectly. Nevertheless, this “assistant” is a universal device that will work perfectly with virtually any high-quality signal source.

Specifications:

• Power amplifier THD less than 1%, 1 kHz)
• Harmonic distortion 0.003% (100 W, 1 kHz), 0.03% (100 W, 20 Hz – 20 kHz)
• Frequency response 20 Hz – 20 kHz (- 0.5 dB), 20 Hz – 70 kHz (- 3 dB )
• Input sensitivity 980 mV (RCA)
• Input impedance 10 kΩ (XLR), 15 kΩ (RCA)
• Signal-to-noise ratio 115 dB (A-weighted, 140 W)
• Inputs balanced XLR, unbalanced RCA
• Other switching trigger input
• Speaker outputs 2 pairs screw terminals
• Power supply large toroidal transformer, four high-capacity capacitors
• Power consumption 750 W (maximum), less than 0.5 W (standby)
• Dimensions (WxHxD) 320x158x338 mm
• Weight 15 kg