Listen to Quad's new electrostatic speakers and retro-revived 33/303 amps at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show

Quad 33 303 pre power amps in living room

(Image credit: Quad)

If you've been in two minds about getting tickets to this year's Bristol Hi-Fi Show, then this exciting hi-fi news should seal the deal.

Quad and Wharfedale will be demoing three of its biggest recent product launches at the show, treating us to two tantalising and exclusive stereo combinations every day. First up is the Quad 33/303 pre/power combination, a reimagined version of the distinctive 33/303 amps from the 1960s that boasts all-new circuitry, a specially developed low-noise toroidal transformer, 50W of Class A/B power and all-analogue inputs. We first glimpsed these gorgeous space-age-looking retro revivals at High End Munich last year and haven't been able to stop thinking about them.

The new 33 preamplifier and a pair of 303s in bridged-mono mode will be powering a pair of Wharfedale Super Linton speakers, which launched last November and are furnished with extensive upgrades across the board to their cabinet, crossover and drive units. We are big fans of the five-star Wharfedale Linton speakers from 2019 (we called them "undeniably superb"), and can't wait to hear their bigger, elevated siblings in action.

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This Quad 33/303 and Wharfedale Super Linton system will be on demo every morning at the Bristol Show, at The Old Vic Suite on the Lower Ground floor.

Quad 33 preamp and 303 power amp on display — Reimagined 2024 versions of the Quad 33/303 amplifiers at High End Munich 2024. (Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

For the afternoon demo, Quad has a real treat for showgoers. On demo for the first time – and ahead of their official summer launch – will be a pair of new Quad ESL-2912X electrostatic speakers. It's the first Quad electrostatic speaker released since 2012, so it's certainly cause for celebration.

A prototype of the ESL-2912X was on demo during High End Munich 2024, but the ones at the Bristol Show next month will be the production-ready samples, so you'll be the first to hear exactly what Quad has in store for us with its latest cutting-edge electrostatic design.

The current ESL-2812 and ESL-2912 models will carry on, with the upcoming flagship ESL-2912X model featuring a host of updates throughout – we don't know exactly what these upgrades are yet, but we will bring you the full details as we get closer to the official launch. The Quad ESL-2912X speakers will be powered by the 33/303 amplifiers during the afternoon sessions in The Old Vic Suite on the Lower Ground floor at the show.

We'll be bringing you all the news, highlights and first impressions from the Bristol Show next month, and hearing this trio of products in action is at the top of our list. So don't miss out, grab your tickets early, and see you there!

Super Lintons on stands — Wharfedale Super Lintons aim to deliver even more of the super-popular Linton's performance. (Image credit: Wharfedale)

MORE:

Read our Quad ESL-2812 review

Check out our Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2025 preview for all the details

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Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand 13 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.