MERIDIAN AUDIO Artera Series Overview data

Artera

Classics For The Modern Age

uad gave its team of designers and engineers a specific brief for Artera: combine the qualities that have made Quad

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one of Britain’s most revered hi-fi marques for many decades with fresh industrial design and the very latest high­performance audio technologies. To this end, Quad enlisted the help of Rodney Mead, the man responsible for the styling
of many classic Quad products in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, to brainstorm design concepts that would lead to Artera – a
Quad component range fit for 2015 and beyond.

Artera’s crisp, clean aesthetic both evokes Quad’s past and looks forward to the future, with a textured aluminium front
panel, thick glass top and CNC-routed heat sinks on either side. The housing provides a rugged structure that resists
interference from external vibrations, and the Artera Play’s fascia incorporates an intuitive touch-sensitive control that
contributes greatly to its sleek design.

Quad Artera Play & classic Quad 405 Power amp from 1975 - then and now.

Hi-Res Compatability

espite their attractive simplicity, both Artera components deliver exceptional sophistication beneath the skin. At

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the heart of the Artera Play nestles the ESS Sabre32 9018; a 32-bit, eight-channel hybrid multi-bit Delta-Sigma
DAC considered by many to be the finest D/A converter chip available for stereo sound. This is Quad’s first component
to utilise the ESS Sabre DAC, and external digital sources can benefit from its exceptional quality via a range of digital
inputs. These include USB, with support for PCM data up to 32-bit/384kHz and also DSD64/128/256, ensuring
the Artera Play is fully equipped to make the most of today’s hi-res music formats, as well as future advances in ultra­highdefinition digital sound.

Filters To Suit Every Ear

or CD replay, a new slot-loading mechanism buffers data from the disc before feeding it asynchronously (in order to

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minimise time domain errors known as ‘jitter’) to the DAC section. Four digital filter options enable users to tailor
the Artera Play’s sound, with both CDs and external digital sources, to suit personal taste and the nature of the source
material.

The Artera Play’s preamp section boasts a balanced Class A output stage. Two coaxial and two optical inputs cater for
external digital sources alongside the USB input, with a pair of RCA phono inputs handling analogue sources. Analogue
outputs are supplied in both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR varieties; a pair of digital outputs (optical and coaxial)
and a 12V trigger output complete a comprehensive array of connectivity options.

Iconic Amplifi er Technology

he inclusion of full analogue/digital preamp functionality means the Artera Play can be connected directly to a

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power amplifier, and its perfect partner in this regard is the Artera Stereo. This compact yet potent power amp sports
the latest iteration of Quad’s famous Current Dumping topology, first introduced in the legendary Quad 405 – one of
the most lauded British audio components of all time and still the only amp design to have earned a Queen’s Award for
Technological Achievement.

Current Dumping is essentially a method of marrying the superior sonic purity of Class A amplification with the greater
efficiency of Class AB. An extremely high-quality, low-power Class A amplifier provides the signal quality, while a
highpower current dumping section delivers the muscle to keep the speakers under control. These two amp circuits are
combined via a precision network to perfectly impose the finesse of the Class A output onto the power of the current
dumper. The result is a relatively compact and cool-running power amp capable of delivering a captivating combination of
dynamic power, vice-like grip and sumptuous sonic detail.

Drive The Most Demanding
Loudspeakers

he Artera Stereo’s power output is conservatively rated at 140W per channel into eight ohms and 250W into

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four ohms, ensuring any speakers – including Quad’s classic ESL electrostatic designs – can be driven with ease.
Connectivity options comprise single-ended RCA and balanced XLR inputs, a 12V trigger input and high-quality speaker
binding posts. Simple, solid and classy on the outside and devilishly clever within, the Artera Stereo maintains Quad’s
traditional place at the forefront of modern amplifier design.

“Lush, gorgeous – choose whatever adjectives you like:

The Artera duet respects the music.”

Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News (November 2015)

“The traditional spirit of Quad has always been to cater for the latest developments in music storage and
playback, whilst continually striving to meet the standards inherent in the company’s motto, ‘the closest
approach to the original sound’. Thus, the Artera series of components includes full digital and analogue
playback capabilities with the resolution and accuracy to replay all current and future high-resolution audio
sources with the most musical presentation.

However, today’s consumers are often bewildered and confused by the multiplicity of inputs and controls
on modern hi-fi equipment. At Quad, we have never believed that you have to be a ‘hi-fi geek’ to be able
to play music at the highest performance level. Artera therefore simplifies the user interface, leaving an
uncluttered appearance that is welcoming to all users as well as looking beautiful in the home.”

- Peter Comeau, Acoustic Director

DESIGNER

SIGNATURE

Combining the assurance of tradition with the buzz of innovation, Quad Artera is the lifeblood of
highperformance audio entertainment for modern music lovers. The Artera Play and Artera Stereo are
available now, with a choice of black or silver front panels.

Specifi cations

Model Artera Play

General Description CD Player & DAC

D/A Converter ESS ES9018 32bit DAC

Output Level (1kHz)

L/R Channel Difference ±0.02dB (1kHz)
Frequency Response -0.2dB (20Hz-20kHz, 1kHz)
Total Harmonic Distortion <0.001% (20Hz-20kHz)
Linearity ±0.01dB (20Hz-20kHz)

Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N)

Channel Separation >100dB (1kHz)
USB Input 1 × USB (Support HID)

USB Input Sampling Rates

USB DSD DSD64, DSD128, DSD256

Digital Audio Inputs

Digital Audio Outputs

Digital Inputs & outputs Sampling Rates 44.1 - 192kHz
Analogue Inputs 2 × RCA(AUX1, AUX2)
Analogue Outputs 2 x XLR, RCA (PRE)
Dimension (W x D x H) 320 x 320 x 105mm
Weight 8.5 kg

0 - 2.5 Vrms (PRE Outputs)
0 - 5 Vrms (Balanced Outputs)

>110dB (1kHz)
>118dB (Weighted, 1kHz)

44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz,
384kHz

2 × Optical TOSlink
2 × RCA (DIG1, DIG2)
1 × Optical TOSlink
1 ×RCA (DIG)

Model Artera Stereo

General Description Power Amplifier

Rated Output Power 140W 8 ohm (<1% THD,1kHz)

Total Harmonic Distortion

Frequency Response

Input Sensitivity 980mV(RCA line in)

Input Impedance

Signal to Noise Ration(S/N) 115dB (A weighted, ref. 140W)
Maximum Power Consumption 750W
Inputs 2 x XLR, RCA
Outputs Speaker A+B
Standby Power Consumption <0.5W
Dimensions (W x H x D) 320 x 158 x 338mm
Weight 15kg

<0.003% (100W, 1kHz)
<0.03% (100W, 20Hz-20kHz)

-0.5dB (20Hz-20kHz, ref. 1kHz)

-3dB (20Hz-70kHz, ref. 1kHz)

10kohm (Balanced)
15kohm (Unbalanced)

IAG House, 13/14 Glebe Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 7DL, UK

Tel: [phone] Web: www.quad-hifi.co.uk