What do you think of the Quad 909?

I am currrently "test driving" a Quad 909 on loan from a local dealer. I have Kef Reference Model Twos, Audible Illusions Modulus 3A pre, and Rotel RCD-971 CD player. I am basically very impressed with the Quad. Superb and controlled bass punch, very fast, and detailed. I've tried it with a couple of different IC's so far, a set of Harmonic Technology cables loaned me by the dealer and my own Kimber Heros. The exquisite detailing capability of the amp really comes through with the Heros, which obstruct nothing. That's the good news. The bad news is that the upper mid-range and highs are a little harsh and fatiguing. The HT cables soften and take the edge off this brightness and open up the vertical soundstage a bit...but you can tell that you've lost something - in both the high and low end.

I would sum up by saying that if you are inclined to buy new, the Quad 909 at $1,399 is a real value. Be prepared to spend a little time (and money) to tune it with the right cables.

I have not decided yet on whether to go with the Quad or keep looking, but it is definitely a contender.

This is an addendum to my earlier reply: right after demo-ing the Quad, I demo-ed an Audio Research 150.2 for three days. The harshness I heard in the Quad 909 was revealed to be even greater because the ARC is just so neutral...amazing clarity, quickness, detail in the bass and great extension, but silky in the mids and upper. Lots of air and soundstage. I didn't purchase the 150.2 because of two reasons: (1) it's $2,500 price new and (2) the highs seemed to roll off just a bit. For example, the sounds of cymbals seemed a bit dampened. Since giving it back, I have been comparing ICs and think that a silver streak type IC might alleviate that roll-off. I've since replaced the Rotel RCD-971 with an Audio Aero Prima and the sonic smoothness of my system has noticeably improved. Am currently using my '91 vintage Audible Illusions S-120 amp, but am still on an amp hunt to improve bass detail and extension (on a budget <$2K). This is a long way of getting at my real comment relevent to this thread: I retract my earlier endorsement of the Quad 909 as a contender for me, as it was too much 'in your face'.