[Radio Wrangler]

The Quad 22 is generally considered not to be up to the standard of the Quad IIs. It's the same for Leak's equipment of the period.

No-one can give you any particularly good advice because most people choose these things for subjective reasons... the sound, the appearance and even bragging rights gets in a bit, if we're honest with ourselves.

Some people take extremist stances and want no semiconductors in their gear. This ties them to 'mechanical records' whether vinyl or shellac. No-one's made an entirely valve CD player or streamer yet (it would dwarf Colossus!), yet there are those with a token valve added on the end making them a bit of a joke. These people seem to treat semiconductors as the spawn of the devil.

Why not consider one of Quad's later preamps like the 45 or 34? They're sufficiently versatile. The slope and step tone controls work well, I find. There are several people on here using them and restoring them when needed. There are various other preamps. When I needed one, I just built one out of NE5534 opamp circuits. The NE5534 (NE5532 is the dual version) has been out for over 40 years and is still a hard act to beat.

Speaker advice is a bottomless chasm. Not all speakers suit all styles of music. Not all will work in all rooms.

In general, larger speakers have a quite unfair advantage over smaller ones. Plenty of advertisers, pundits, shamen will tell you that new technologies have brought bookshelf speakers up to great standards. This is, of course, twaddle. The physics behind distrusting this is easy: To make a given amount of sound level at a low frequency, you have to shift a certain volume of air. For a small speaker to do this, there has to be a lot more cone displacement (leading to distortion) and the pressures in the cabinet are greater. A larger unit built to the same standards will be much less strained.

If you have the space, floorstanders have advantages.

The Quad electrostatics are a bit limited in the bass and sound pressure levels they can create, but otherwise they have a remarkably clear and natural sound.... but they are large in area, and need a large volume of clear space behind and around them. Good if you have the space and aren't a rock or movies fan.

Another speaker choice off the beaten track are transmission line types... Radford, IMF, Cambridge Audio ones are out there to be found.

Tannoy dual-concentrics have been mentioned. These are a bit cultish, with the inevitable effect on prices, but can be very good.

Some people swear by Lowthers (very efficient horn loaded things with cartridge paper cones) some people won't touch them, most can't afford them.

Most modern speakers are designed with the assumption that you have an amplifier with more power available than the Quad II. Going this route may reduce your available volume level, but not by much.

If you buy second hand speakers and learn how to assess their condition, you can likely sell them to get your money back if you get something you don't get on with.

Beware of the 'grass is always greener' effect. There are people with hifi systems who sold something and bought whatever was touted in the magazines as the next great thing, only to profoundly regret the change and are left wanting what they once had. This is a very common source of remorse. What you don't have always sounds better in your imagination than what you currently have. Manufacturers and retailers rely on this and are skilled at leading you by your ego into poverty!

So ask around, listen to stuff when you get the chance, don't buy new. TRUST YOUR OWN EARS, ignore lifestyle advertising and reviews, remember to have fun and never forget that it's just a hobby

David