The Quad VA One is a compact and stylish integrated valve amplifier, that produces beautiful music and has exceptional sonic performances. It is a valve amp that comes with many features to cope with the demands of modern-day music listening. The power output is not as ample as a solid-state amp, and because of that, it is not as easy to find matching speakers.
Still, there are speakers out in the market that can match nicely with the Quad VA One amp, and to find the right ones, we will need to learn more about this integrated valve amplifier. By further understanding their sonic characteristics and finding out the important specifications. If you are looking for matching speakers to pair with your Quad VA One, do continue to read on as after collecting the data, we will be sharing with you the best speakers to match with the Quad VA One amplifier.
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Sonic Characteristics and Important Specifications of Quad VA One
As mentioned earlier, the Quad VA One is an integrated valve amp with plenty of features for modern usage. The built-in DAC is very handy for high-resolution audio files playback, then there is the Bluetooth connectivity with aptX encoding to provide you with high-quality music streaming. There is also a headphone amplifier that you can use and the 1/4″ jack is conveniently located at the front. The size of the amp and its small footprints make it an ideal desktop amplifier as well as a dedicated headphone amplifier. The sleek and minimalistic design allows the Quad VA One to blend in nicely with your speakers. Fits right in with most home interiors too.
The power output of the Quad VA One valve amplifier is at 12 Watts into 8/4 Ohms and 15 Watts into 6 Ohms per channel. Difficult to drive speakers will be out of the picture, we can only look at efficient loudspeakers with high speaker sensitivity. Still, this does limit us from a lot of potential speaker choices. Furthermore, there is no subwoofer output and we can only rely on the integrated amp’s power to produce the full frequency spectrum. The frequency response of VA One is 20Hz-20kHz (+/-1dB) which is okay. Their total harmonic distortion is at 0.5% @ 1 kHz. There is no MM phono input though.
The bass performance is not as deep and weighty, likely due to the limited power that the Quad VA One has. It is still very well-controlled, providing us with a musical low-frequency performance instead of powerful and impactful bass reproduction. Due to this, the bass blends in cohesively with the rest of the frequencies without overwhelming them. The Quad VA One is more than capable of projecting a large sound stage with impressive depth. The stereo imaging is equally impressive but not enough to really hold a 3D-like music performance.
The overall sound reproduction sounded natural with realism, the fluid music presentation provide us with that smooth and mellow ride, ever pleasing to our ears and never sounding cringe. The pacing of the Quad VA One is impeccable, it handles the various music transients with confidence and agility, delivering engaging and exciting musical moments from time to time. The vocals are beautiful sounding, not to mention, with a touch of warmth. It is really enjoyable to listen to the Quad VA One, the sweet and smooth sound quality will make a relaxing music listening session for most people.
With the features and specs, the VA One does make a fine amplifier for a desktop sound system and will be excellent for nearfield listening. It also comes with a remote control which is very convenient. They are definitely capable of filling a small-sized room with music and should perform efficiently in a mid-sized listening room. Is a pity that the Quad VA One doesn’t have a subwoofer output or pre-outs to connect to external power amps. All in all, it is a musical-sounding valve amp and if you love the Quad house sound then VA One is definitely for you. We have the information we need, it is time to start sharing with you the best speakers to match with your Quad VA One valve amplifier.
Quad VA One Specifications
- Power Outputs: 12 Watts into 8/4 Ohms, 15 Watts into 6 Ohms per channel
- Frequency Response: 20Hz– 20kHz (+/- 1dB)
- DAC: 24-bit/192kHz
- Total harmonic distortion: 0.5% @ 1 kHz
- Inputs: 1 USB (Type B), 1 optical (S/PDIF), 1 coaxial (S/PDIF), RCA, Bluetooth connectivity (aptX)
- Outputs: 1/4″ headphone jack
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 179mm x 180mm x 330mm (7″ x 7″ x 13″)
- Weight: 10.8kg (23.8lbs)
Best Speakers to pair with Quad VA One
The Quad VA One will do well with speakers that are highly efficient and have very high speaker sensitivity. This is why the Omega Super Alnico Monitor is a fantastic speaker choice to match with your Quad VA One. These highly efficient speakers can be driven with as little as 2 Watts and their frequency response is well within 20Hz-20kHz. The Omega Super Alnico flagship monitors are capable of producing realistic playbacks with impeccable timings. They really excel in playing back concert and live performance music sources. The mid-bass has a weight that is unexpected from a speaker this size.
Klipsch Heritage Forte III will be another highly efficient speaker that is well-matched with the Quad VA One. Klipsch speakers usually do very well with valve tube amplifiers and the Forte III is no exception. Due to the high speaker sensitivity of the Klipsch Heritage Forte III, which allows the Quad VA One to have enough power to drive them. The lively sound reproduction complements the valve amp warmth really well, delivering a dynamic and exciting music presentation of your favorite tunes. The clarity and bass control of these heritage speakers are superb as well. It is recommended to have an audition with them first.
More Details at Amazon – Klipsch Forte III Heritage Series Tower Speakers
The Omega Speakers System has plenty of highly efficient loudspeakers, the Super 3 High Output floor-standing speaker is definitely one of them. With a speaker sensitivity of 97.5dB (6 Ohms) and be driven with little as 2 Watts, which the Quad VA One has enough to power them. These tower speakers have amazing speed and pacing with their unique 1.5-way speaker design, allowing them to handle sophisticated and complex music with ease. With its slim built and elegant design, it looks nice when matching aesthetically with the Quad VA One valve tube amplifier.
If your budget is tight and wants to go for a highly efficient floor-standing speaker without breaking your wallet then the Klipsch RP-8000F will be an ideal choice for you. The Quad VA One has enough power to drive the RP-8000F, as these speakers have a whooping 98dB speaker sensitivity. It is still recommended to play at moderate volume. And also the clarity of these tower speakers are astonishing, even at low volume, you can still hear them clearly. Furthermore, Klipsch RP-8000F works well with a valve tube amplifier as it smoothens off some of their hard-sounding edges.
More Information at Amazon – Klipsch RP-8000F Floorstanding Speaker
For a desktop and nearfield listening sound system playing at moderate volume, the Quad S-1 will be an ideal speaker choice to match your Quad VA One. Since both are from the same company, they are more than likely to share similar sonic characteristics which will match well with each other. The sonic performance of the Quad S-1 speakers is quite similar to the VA One as well. But if you are looking for deep and powerful bass performance, this is not the speaker & amp for you. Still, the overall low-frequency performance is definitely great for music playbacks. As a desktop sound system, both the Quad S-1 and VA One are really ideal choices, thanks to their compact sizes.
More Information at Amazon – Quad S-1
Finding loudspeakers with high speakers sensitivity and are inexpensive is pretty rare. In order to fit the price range of the Quad VA One, Klipsch, and Omega loudspeakers are the top choices. We will recommend going with Omega loudspeakers if the music listening experience is very important for you and to go with Klipsch when you need an all-rounder speaker. Both brands have entry-level speakers but Klipsch has the most affordable model. The Omega loudspeakers provide a longer warranty for parts and labor for workmanship defects though.
To Sum It Up
It is really a bummer that the Quad VA One doesn’t have a subwoofer output, and if it has slightly higher power, it would have helped immensely too. We are still fortunate that there are loudspeakers such as the ones listed here which can still be driven by VA One with matching sonic characteristics and without breaking the bank. You should audition the speakers first before making a decision. You may even want to use them as references when listening to other speakers which are less efficient or have lower speaker sensitivity.
