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Quad VA-One + Tube Amp
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Quad VA-One + Tube Amp
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7 Sold
Product Description
Achieving an old-school sound with modern hardware, the Quad VA-One + tube amp delivers a vintage audio experience worthy of today’s most demanding audiophiles. Inside, seven vacuum tubes comprise an analog preamp that delivers a warm, natural tone Read More
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keyboard_arrow_downJamieIAG
77
Mar 31, 2020
Dear Mass Drop Customers,
This is an unofficial listing for QUAD products and is not supplied by QUAD’s official distribution channel.
This sale;
1) does not meet USA mains power certification
2) does not include a QUAD warranty and will not be serviceable by QUAD or official representatives
3) comes from a currently unknown source, located outside of the USA and 100% is not an official QUAD distribution, service or support channel.
This listing is against Mass Drop’s own policy of selling authorised products from official sources and previous agreement for QUAD and Mass Drop to protect you, the customers, from such unwarranted and compliance violating sales.
Your safety, protection and customer experience is imperative. QUAD will always support all of our dedicated and loyal customers but in order to do this, we need to make sure you have access to purchase products that offer you best performance, reliability, trust worthy supply and follow-up service options. We cannot do this when the units are sold against many safety, compliance, and therefore legal rules, of electronics products sale and distribution.
Official Notice of this situation has been sent to Mass Drop from an official source at QUAD. This listing exists in spite of this notice and as yet no reply.
If you would like further information or support please contact us via the QUAD social media pages, website or via our local North American distribution - MOFI Distribution.
Yours faithfully,
Jamie O’Callaghan
Head of International Operations
IAG Group Ltd (QUAD Electroacoustics)
(Edited)
JamieIAG
77
Mar 31, 2020
Hi gents,
The issue we raise is that the items are not specified for sale in the US market. QUAD products have region specific PSUs. This is for optimum performance on regional grids and voltages. These units are 100% not US spec. Therefore, it must be an aftermarket specification or import spec - neither would have passed a US safety test and definitely not an electroacoustic test by QUAD.
QUAD is a British brand. We don’t have MAP or MSRP in the UK. Price is not the objection.
In all honesty dealers can and do offer great bundle prices on our products, value is in the eye of the purchaser.
What we really don’t want is poor quality QUAD experiences tainting the market or end-customer experiences. That is far more damaging, to everyone, than a few ‘00 USD savings.
A bad review on here is damaging to the brand. A bad review is likely if unit hums, buzzes or fails due to a poor quality PSU or other electrical compliance issue.
There is no recommendation against purchasing. It is a free market. But there is a strong underlining of what is for sale here - potentially compromised, grey imported goods, sold without legal warranty, with likely incorrect PSUs of questionable origin.
Feel free to reach out to us for any further comment or support. Full transparency is guaranteed from us.
Jamie
IAG
ElectronicVices
2937
Mar 31, 2020
JamieIAGI appreciate you not using hyperbole and scare tactics in your reply, other entities may not have responded in like-kind.
RayF
22220
Mar 28, 2020
Interesting idea--suggesting that those folks willing to dive head first into this combo Amp and Headphone drop will be rewarded with sixteen hundred bucks worth of "old-school sound."
The obvious question potential buyers should be asking then is: "Says who?"
Well since MD wrote it, MD must be making the claim. Yet I have it on good authority that most of MDs staff are years and years away from collecting their Social Security and or Medicare payments. I say that because the generally accepted criteria for the Millennial Generation are those born between '81 and '96--meaning those folks who are now between the ages of 24 and 39. And assuming these people suddenly became musically aware audiophiles somewhere in their teens (say 15 for arguments sake), that would mean the oldest musically aware memories of the group come from 1996 (AD?!).
In other words, old-school is anything prior to 1996? Yet the golden age of tube amplified sound (because nothing else was available, mind you) was abandoned (with great joy, by the way), in in the early 1960s, so how would this group know? Could they legitimately make such a claim?
My suggestion is that we solicit the opinion of a more qualified individual, say the great, great grandparent of one of these young MD whipper-snappers, and sit that old codger down with this amp and cans and have him give a listen to something he might have enjoyed back in 1953, when he was fifteen. Of course that would make him 82 at this point, and one's hearing does begin to fade with the years--but still, if he actually did agree that this amp absolutely, positively does sound like the amps he listed to back in 1953, I'd say only a millennial would be dumb enough to shell out sixteen hundred bucks for it!
It's Great Grandpa approved!
It's Great Grandpa approved!
(Edited)
RayF
22220
Mar 28, 2020
Well that's to be expected because as @ozpomfromhell points out I'm only a "teenager trying to make himself look smart!"
--I probably wasn't even alive back then ;- )
Southerly
0
Feb 28, 2021
RayFIn 1987 and before I got into putting together a quality sound system I met someone who introduced me to an amazing 'shop' that specialised in repairing and selling all the famous old British valve amps. This shop was a converted shed on the down platform at Worthing railway station in Sussex, England. It had an appropriate name of Station Sounds. The owner was one of the most knowledgeable on valve technology. He had racks full of of Quad, Radford, Leak, you name it they were there. People came from Germany,The Netherlands from all over western Europe to buy them.
I listened to them all and I well remember my friend and the owner Mike being shocked that I didn't like the sound. I found them all to be too soft, too rounded, not at all like real music. If this is what you like, fine but I think that modern designed valve amps sound a lot better - you pays your money!
Fayne
2587
Mar 28, 2020
Hey, it comes with Bluetooth 3.0! I’ve always wanted an overpriced el84 tube amp with an 11 year old (deprecated) wireless audio interface.
LS35a
34
Mar 28, 2020
Remember that time they tried to sell some Quad cans and it turned out to be some gray market B.S. and they ended up cancelling it? I emailed Quad about that and they said, 'this is NOT authorized'. Is this authorized with the Quad importer? Or is this, one more time, some gray market B.S.?
LS35a
34
Mar 29, 2020
There was an earlier model, the VA-One, this is the VA-ONE+. This is most definitely a current model and NOT discontinued.
dac2800
9
Mar 31, 2020
LS35aI reached out to Quad, they (per their US distributor Mofi) confirmed that Drop is NOT an authorized dealer and any items bought from Drop will get NO warranty coverage or support from Quad. Now that doesn't mean these aren't genuine units, or that this isn't a good deal - just be aware what you are walking into.
(Edited)
CCD1
55
Feb 27, 2021
I do not have any background on how this product came to Drop, but matters should have been addressed so that we do not see a comment like the ones below from the manufacturer. I would not touch this product given the comments from Quad.
LS35a
34
Mar 30, 2020
There's an awful lot of speculation and pure B.S. in this thread so I thought I'd set the record straight. I've owned the previous model of this, the VA-One for a couple of years.
As a headphone amp it is freaking amazing and a stone cold bargain at $1200.
As a speaker amp it is freaking amazing and a stone cold bargain at $1200 (if you match it with the right speakers). It makes my Proac's (which go nuts on tubes) sound like Quads. It makes my Quad 57's sound as good as I've ever heard them (and I've had them eight years and heard a lot of gear on them).
You want to know what is an absolutely insane combination? This amp and a pair of $400 PSB Alpha Fives. It's killer combination - makes those inexpensive speakers sound like Spendors. It's a system I could live with permanently and be very happy with.
If you want a headphone amp or a low power speaker amp this deal is the bomb at $1200. I'll take an EL84 amp over a KT88 or EL34 amp any day of the week - EL84's are my favorite power tube.
I just want to know if this is an authorized sale from Quad and the importer or this is more gray market nonsense. I've asked Drop and they said it might take three days to get an answer. Not overwhelmed with the customer support there.
(Edited)
irvgm11
6
Apr 13, 2020
Am I missing something or has Drop not replied to the underline issue. I work in the electronics field and can attest to the fact the gray market and clones are very much an issue. Was a unit sent to Quad for inspection, or serial number sent so that they can conduct a supply chain inspection. I joined Drop because they work with the manufacturer to get its customers the best deal on community buys. Not to source grey marker or clones. I have ebay for that. At this time I will be canceling my membership as I can no longer ensure that the products I buy from Drop will not harm my children, myself or home. Would Drop be responsible it one of the units cough fire and at a minimum burn a home down or even worse hurt someone. Unacceptable!
Jamie_IAG
3
Mar 2, 2021
Dear Mass Drop Customers,
This is an unofficial listing for QUAD products and is not supplied by QUAD’s official distribution channel.
This sale;
1) does not meet USA mains power certification
2) does not include a QUAD warranty and will not be serviceable by QUAD or official representatives
3) comes from a currently unknown source, located outside of the USA and 100% is not an official QUAD distribution, service or support channel.
This listing is against Mass Drop’s own policy of selling authorised products from official sources and previous agreement for QUAD and Mass Drop to protect you, the customers, from such unwarranted and compliance violating sales.
Your safety, protection and customer experience is imperative. QUAD will always support all of our dedicated and loyal customers but in order to do this, we need to make sure you have access to purchase products that offer you best performance, reliability, trust worthy supply and follow-up service options. We cannot do this when the units are sold against many safety, compliance, and therefore legal rules, of electronics products sale and distribution. Official Notice of this situation has been sent to Mass Drop from an official source at QUAD.
This listing exists in spite of this notice.
If you would like further information or support please contact us via the QUAD social media pages, website or via our local North American distribution - MOFI Distribution.
Yours faithfully,
Jamie O’Callaghan
Head of International Operations
IAG Group LTD (QUAD Electroacoustics)
MichaelAnda
111
Mar 16, 2021
Jamie_IAGDrop "support" states they are unwilling to say who the vendor of this product is. They also state that I cannot cancel this order. Where do you suppose these units are coming from? This does not seem like a good way for Drop, or anyone for that matter, to try and mak a dollar. I'm told Drop limits their liability for customer satisfaction to 30 days. I am not pleased with how this is going.
Fayne
2587
Feb 27, 2021
Big 'ol nope on a rope for this one. If I'm going to spend two grand on a Quad, I'm going to do it from a vendor that will support me if something fizzles and/or pops. Plus the price puts it firmly in the territory of better stuff, like a New Primaluna EVO 100 or a used Primaluna Prologue 1,2,3,4, or 5.
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