The QUAD Artera Pre draws on the company’s distinguished engineering heritage while delivering a thoroughly modern design. As the first dedicated analogue preamplifier in QUAD’s flagship Artera Series, it reintroduces one of the brand’s most distinctive innovations: the Tilt control.

First introduced in 1982 on the QUAD 34, the Tilt control was developed by founder Peter Walker as a refined alternative to conventional tone adjustment. Rather than altering bass and treble independently, it adjusts both simultaneously around a 700Hz محور, subtly shifting tonal balance in 1dB steps. This allows the sound to be made warmer or cooler without affecting perceived volume or introducing unwanted coloration.

Unique to QUAD, the Tilt control provides a precise and consistent means of compensating for differences in recordings and listening environments. Its return in the Quad Artera Pre reflects its enduring relevance and effectiveness. Complementing this, additional analogue bass filters offer further refinement, including a +4.5dB lift at 60Hz for enhancing smaller speakers and a -4.5dB cut to manage room resonances.

These controls can be combined and assigned per input, enabling tailored EQ profiles for individual sources. Real-time adjustment further enhances flexibility, allowing optimisation for specific recordings.

Beyond these features, the Quad Artera Pre is a thoroughly modern preamplifier designed for transparency and accuracy. It incorporates a low-noise, Class A MM/MC phono stage and a high-quality Class A headphone amplifier capable of driving demanding loads.

Connectivity includes three line-level RCA inputs, one phono input and a balanced XLR input, all of which can operate in direct mode to preserve signal purity. A four-channel volume control maintains full signal balance, while input gain can be finely adjusted in 0.5dB steps. One input may also be configured in AV bypass mode for integration with home cinema systems.

Outputs include balanced XLR, single-ended RCA and a fixed-level RCA output, alongside dual 12V triggers for system integration. Combining versatility, precision control and refined engineering, the Quad Artera Pre upholds QUAD’s longstanding commitment to musical accuracy and intelligent design.

Technical Specifications

Analogue Inputs: 3 x RCA (AUX1, 2 & 3), XLR, Phono MM/MC
Analogue Outputs: 1 x RCA (PRE OUT), 1 x RCA(AUX), 1 x XLR,1 x 6.35mm Headphone Jack
Gain (max.) , Volume = 100: +8dB (Line/XLR), +53.5dB (Phono MM), +73.5dB (Phono MC)
Input Sensitivity (Vol = 84, Vout = 0dBu): 775mV (Line/XLR), 4.1mV (Phono MM), 410uV (Phono MC)
Input Impedance: 10K (Line/XLR), 47K//100pF (Phono MM), 100R//1.7nF (Phono MC)
Max. Output Level (THD < 0.1%): 2.3Vrms (RCA), 4.6Vrms (XLR)
Input Headroom (THD < 0.1% , Vol = 50): 4.1Vrms (RCA), 8.2Vrms (XLR), 62mV (Phono MM) / 6.2mV (Phono MC) @ 1kHz
Frequency Response: 20Hz-20kHz (± 0.2dB)
Total Harmonic Distortion: <0.002% (20Hz-20kHz)
S/N Ratio (Vout = 0dBu): >110dB(A) (Line/XLR), >80dB(A) (Phono MM), >76dB(A) (Phono MC)
Channel Separation: >100dB (10kHz)
Output Impedance: 120 Ohms (RCA) 100 Ohms (XLR)
Standby Consumption: <0.5W
AC Mains Supply Requirement(Factory set): 230V ~ 50-60Hz
Dimensions (W×D×H): 320 x 320 x 105mm
Net Weight: 7.8kg