Help identifying my amp. (Identified as a Quad 77).

[gsc3po1]

Can anybody help me to identify this amplifier i bought at a car boot sale?
it has the name and serial numbers removed, ( although this would seem to be quite suspicious, the old gentleman i bought it from seemed to be quite trustworthy ).
it is very heavy so it suggests to me that it is not a cheap piece of equipment.
i am not looking to part with, just curious as to the manufacturer so that i can at least check its specifications.

[Martin Bush]

Have you tried looking inside? It's odd to see that sort of info being removed in my opinion.

I'd wonder if anything else has been done to it and whether plugging it in was wise.

[paulsherwin]

Take the cover off and have a look inside.

It doesn't look like a domestic hifi amp to me. My guess would be that it's been used in a pub or other commercial premises, maybe hooked up to a juke box or hard disk playback system. I don't recognise it though.

The removal of the maker and serial number does suggest that it's been nicked at some stage, though there are obviously other possible explanations.

[gsc3po1]

Hi Martin.

True, the removal of this information is quite odd. I have removed the cover and had a good look inside but not found any distinguishing marks suggesting the maker.

I had a friend with a good electrical background look inside it to assure me it was safe first. The amp sounds fantastic, it's just a mystery I am interested to solve.

[gsc3po1]

This is the inside

[paulsherwin]

It's certainly got a meaty mains transformer, though the heatsinking arrangements don't look substantial enough for a really massive output.

What appears on the front display when it's turned on?

My guess would still be that it's a commercial/industrial unit of some sort for professional use.

[wd40addict]

Looks like a Quad 77 with its badging removed.

[gsc3po1]

when turned on the front just displays a simple set of red digital numbers showing the volume

[sp10mk11]

Correct me if I am wrong but I cannot see a mains earth on the power in socket.
Gary

[Station X]

Originally Posted by wd40addict

Looks like a Quad 77 with its badging removed.

Spot on.

http://quad-hifi.info/viewphoto.php?...5&photoid=1676

http://quad-hifi.info/viewphoto.php?...5&photoid=1675

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by wd40addict

Looks like a Quad 77 with its badging removed.

Well spotted:
http://www.hi-fi-insight.com/quad-77...amplifier.html

Quite a car boot find. Now you only need to repair the cosmetic damage on the front, maybe simply by respraying it somehow or sticking something where the branding ought to be. Apparently these originally came with quite a sophisticated remote control, so you'll have to keep an eye open for one on your next boot sale trip.

[gsc3po1]

Thank you everyone for your help.
It seems it is indeed a Quad 77 amp. I had no idea it was that expensive. only cost me £5.
I am still going to keep it even though I have just seen one for sale online for £250!
Any ideas as to where I could find a replacement front panel?

[ms660]

It might have some smartwater on it..!

Lawrence.

[paulsherwin]

I can't see why a thief would obliterate the branding, as it would reduce the value quite a bit. Certainly a mystery.

[cmjones01]

Originally Posted by sp10mk11

Correct me if I am wrong but I cannot see a mains earth on the power in socket.

That's quite common for double-insulated appliances like hifi, where the presence of a mains earth could lead to hum loops. The connector is an IEC C17/C18 type, which is basically the same as the common C13/C14 but with the earth pin removed. I've had quite a few pieces of equipment over the years wired this way. It's handy because you can use a standard mains lead.

There was a different 2-pin connector, the C9/C10, which was common on Revox tape recorders among others. This did the same job as the C13/C14 but is only rated up to 6A rather than 10A as far as I know. The connectors are hard to find!

Chris

[dseymo1]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

I can't see why a thief would obliterate the branding, as it would reduce the value quite a bit. Certainly a mystery.

Possibly originally supplied as part of a background music package or similar. Some contractors don't like customers knowing the source of the equipment, although it's usually easy enough to identify, perhaps because of a generous markup!

[gsc3po1]

That is definitely a possibility.

I would like to have it look a little better though,
Any ideas how I could get the QUAD logo from somewhere? Or even a replacement front panel?

[Ted Kendall]

Why not ask Quad? Time was when their support was legendary...

[gsc3po1]

It's funny, with all the options of online shopping, second hand merchants, restorers and spare parts specialists, I didnt even think about going to the firm that actually made it.
Plumb.
Thanks for the ( blindingly obvious) tip.