Sometimes, it is best to walk away from trouble.
Sometimes, you have to stand up and defend yourself and your livelihood.

Many year ago, I sent an OLD version of of our EL34 Silver (with 2 silver mica capacitors).

Our NEW UKP 700 version has 3 times more silver Mica capacitors and even bigger mains transformers,
and sound even better !

Many years ago, Richard Black of Hi Fi Choice wrote an unprofessional review,
that has cost our company a lot of money.

I kept hoping that the world will forget the Richard Black's unprofessional review,
but Hi Fi Choice insist on publishing Richard Black's unprofessional review on their website,
even though I have half page advertisements in their magazine for a year.

Hi Fi Choice magazine have a funny way of encouraging people to advertise in their magazine.

Even now, I still get people annoying me about Richard Black unprofessional review,
and this is costing me lost sales and MONEY !

I told Tim Bowen (the review editor at that time) NOT to use electrostatic speakers with our amplifier.

Mr Bowen assured me that Hi Fi Choice will NOT use electrostatic speakers.

I was extremely annoyed,
when Richard Black of Hi Fi Choice did MOST of the listening test with Quad 57 electrostatic speakers.

Even if Tim Bowen did not pass my message on to Richard Black,
Richard Black could have telephone me and ask me what speakers do I recommend.

I expect a professional reviewer to ask
"What speakers do the Hi Fi company recommend for use with their VALVE amplifier ?"

About 30% of our customers, ask me about what speakers do I recommend.

How can a PROFESSIONAL reviewer
NOT ask this BASIC SIMPLE question,
that 30% of our customers ask ?

We own a pair of Quad 57,
so we know its' strength and its' weakness.

The second hand price of Quad 57 is UKP 250 to UKP 350,
so it is NOT that good.

( The second hand price of our Yamaha NS-1000M is UKP 800, )
( and they are snapped up almost immediately ! )
( Many of our customers complain that they cannot buy second hand Yamaha NS-1000M ! )

Richard Black used Quad 57 speakers for MOST of the listening test.
 
 

Does the amplifier sounds harsh ?
It is stupid to use Quad 57 to check if the amplifier sounds harsh.

( Quad 57 loses about 5 dB above 10 kiloHertz, )
( so how can you tell if the amplifier sounds harsh ? )

( Quad 57 sound bright, )
( but loses a lot of HIGH treble, )
( and cymbals disappear into the background ! )

( Quad 57 will tame a BRIGHT transistor amplifier, by losing a fair amount of treble ! )
( This is NOT my idea of HIgh FIdelity ! )
( Maybe Richard Black likes listening to 5 dB cut of the treble above 10 kiloHertz,)
( but many people do NOT. )
( Some people are even suggesting that you need tweeters that go up to 40 kiloHertz ! )

( SWEET sounding amplifiers will sound as though )
( it does NOT have enough treble, )
( because the Quad 57 has lost a lot of treble. )
 
 

Does the amplifier have a powerful bass slam ?
It is stupid to use Quad 57 to check if the amplifier has a powerful bass slam.
( Quad 57 does NOT have DEEP bass, and CANNOT handle LOUD bass notes ! )
 
 

How well does the amplifier drive a NORMAL loudspeaker ?
Quad 57 has a lot of capacitance, so it is NOT typical of a NORMAL speaker.
This large amount of capacitance will make lesser amplifier "unstable" and oscillate !

The impedance of Quad 57 drops dramatically at high frequency.
The impedance of NORMAL speakers increases at high frequency.
So the Quad 57 is NOT typical of a NORMAL speaker.

Can Richard Black explain why did he use this
NON TYPICAL speaker to do MOST of the listening test ?
 

Quad 57 will make BRIGHT sounding amplifier with REDUCED bass
sound better than
SWEET sounding amplifiers with PLENTY OF BASS !

Our SWEET sound valve amplifier will sound TOO MELLOW on the Quad 57,
(because the Quad 57 loses 5 dB of treble above 10 kiloHertz.)
(We actually have special EXTRA BRIGHT versions for Quad 57 and Quad 63.)

Our MASSIVE output transformer, with MORE BASS than MOST transistor amplifier
will OVERLOAD the Quad 57 bass panel.
 

When you review a UKP 600 VALVE amplifier,
one of the points a professional reviewer will mention is
"How does this UKP 600 VALVE amplifier compare with UKP 600 TRANSISTOR amplifier ?"

Surely, this is a question that many readers of Hi Fi Choice would like to know.

It is amazing that Richard Black managed to AVOID THIS FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION ?

Can you think of a reason
why Richard Black DELIBERATELY AVOIDED THIS VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION ?

Over 90% of our customers prefers our "old valve" sound to their transistor amplifiers.
Our customers have voted with their wallets !

It is worrying that Richard Black seems to have such a different opinion to 90% of our customers.

If Richard Black's taste is so "non standard",
when compared to 90% our customers,
is his opinion worth anything ?
 
 

Click here to go back to the  MAIN  PAGE  at  http://www.affordablevalvecompany.com