Brit hi-fi specialist Quad has announced its first ever integrated valve amp, the Quad II Classic.

The new machine was designed by Quad founder Peter Walker and is based on the company’s 57-year-old Quad II mono power amplifier, which was itself recently updated as the Quad II Classic, recreating the original with modern build quality and aesthetics.

The new integrated amp takes the concept a stage further, combining stereo preamp, power and phono amplification in a single package. Circuitry is designed by Quad’s resident valve expert Tim de Paravicini, who said: “The amp section had to be more powerful, and it had to be compact enough and user-friendly enough to attract new customers. The output valves are run more conservatively, yet it produces a genuine 25 watts per channel. It goes loud without going to pieces. The HT is increased but the critical-voltage-to-screen grid is lowered to enhance reliability.”

The Quad II Classic integrated measures 20 x 21×38cm (HxWxD) and pumps out 25 watts per channel into eight ohms via a combination of ten different valves. It has three line-level inputs as well as a MM/MC phono stage and a tape monitor.

The Quad II Classic Integrated is available now, priced at £4,500.