Quad VA-One+
The Quad VA-One+ pairs fluid valve warmth with surprising speed and inner detail, making voices, piano and bass lines feel vividly musical. The Ear highlights its emotional expression, controlled rhythmic bass and handsome compact design, while USB, optical, coaxial and aptX Bluetooth bring modern flexibility. With efficient speakers and a quality analogue source, this petite integrated is an especially engaging listen.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
86/100
Build Quality
80/100
Features Connectivity
91/100
Value for Money
88/100
Pros
Expressive, emotionally involving valve presentation with speed, inner detail and fluid musical timing.
Well-controlled, musical bass lines and a forgiving treble character despite the compact low-power design.
Versatile integrated feature set includes onboard DAC, USB, optical, coaxial, aptX Bluetooth and tube-driven headphone output.
Cons
Modest 12W output demands efficient, easy-to-drive speakers and limits large-scale dynamics.
Bass depth, low-end grip and image depth trail more powerful solid-state alternatives.
USB and coaxial inputs are adequate rather than highly revealing, with analogue sources offering stronger performance.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 86/100
The VA-One+ is presented as a musically expressive small-scale valve amplifier, with good speed, inner detail and a forgiving touch in the treble. Its low-power output limits bass authority, dynamic scale and speaker matching, but the reviewer found it emotionally communicative and rhythmically engaging with suitable loudspeakers.
Transparency Resolution
86/100
The review reports a lovely sense of speed and good levels of inner detail, particularly when the amplifier is used with an analogue source. Its USB input is described as adequate rather than especially revealing, while coaxial digital playback was also said to fall short of bypassing the internal DAC.
Tonal Balance Musicality
91/100
Musical communication is the VA-One+'s clear strength. The reviewer says it conveys the emotional message of music effectively and praises its ability to smooth less-polished treble without losing the power of a performance.
Dynamics
81/100
With 12 watts per channel into 8 ohms, the VA-One+ needs sensitive loudspeakers with benign impedance characteristics. It lacked dynamics with the 89dB Rega RX3 and cannot offer the low-end grip of larger amplifiers, although its speed, timing and controlled rounded bass remain appealing within its limits.
Soundstage Imaging
84/100
The reviewer found image depth good, giving the amplifier a credible sense of dimensionality. However, the presentation is described as small-scale and image depth does not reach exceptional levels.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Build Quality
80/100
The review characterises the compact amplifier as visually charming, but offers little direct comment on chassis construction, internal parts quality, thermal behaviour or long-term durability. The supplied specification does indicate a compact valve design, but the review does not provide further construction evidence.
Features Connectivity
91/100
Despite its compact format, the VA-One+ includes an onboard DAC with USB-B, coaxial and optical digital inputs, plus aptX Bluetooth. It also provides RCA input, speaker terminals, RCA phono output and 6.3mm headphone connectivity, making it notably more flexible than a strictly analogue valve integrated amplifier.
Value for Money
88/100
At $1,299, The Ear calls the VA-One+ “a lovely piece of kit for the money,” reflecting a clearly positive view of its combination of valve character, DAC functionality and compact design. The review does not directly compare it with competing integrated amplifiers at this price, so its value case rests on that positive appraisal rather than a detailed peer comparison.
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Specifications
- Model
- VA-One+
- General description
- Integrated amplifier
- Rated power output
- 2 x 15W RMS (6¾) 2 x 12W RMS (8¾ / 4¾)
- Frequency Response
- 20Hz - 50kHz (-3dB)
- Total harmonic distortion
- 0.50%
- Signal-to-noise ration (S/N)
- 90dB
- Input Impedance
- 50K¾
- Inputs
- 1 x RCA, 1 x OPT, 1 x COAX, 1 x USB B, Bluetooth (aptX)
- Outputs
- 1 x Speaker Terminal,1 x 6.3mm Jack Headpone
- Valves
- 1 x ECC83, 2 x ECC82, 4 x EL84EH
- Net weight
- 10.8kg
- Outputs
- 2 x 6.3mm Jack headphone socket, RCA Phono
- Digital Resolution
- 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176kHz, 192kHz
- Valves
- 2 x 66SL7, 2 x 6SN7, 1 x EZ81
- Size (W x D x H)
- 180mm x 284.5mm x 163.5mm
- Net Weight
- 7.5kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
- 90 x 220 x 300mm
Manufacturer's Description — Quad
Classic hi-fi for modern music lovers
Build quality is impeccable both inside and out, as one expects of QUAD. Internal components have been painstakingly selected to ensure the VA-One maintains the company's traditional dictum of "the closest approach to the original sound", while external styling is classically QUAD, finished in traditional 'Lancaster Grey'. The amp's front panel sports a smooth-acting volume control incorporating a motorised potentiometer, allowing precise adjustment via the supplied remote control, together with a high-quality headphone output and controls for input selection and Bluetooth pairing.
It all adds up to the ideal compact amplifier for modern music lovers who crave the mellifluous sound quality and delicious retro appeal of valves, whilst listening to music from all manner of modern devices, like smartphones, tablets and computers.
Design
A combination of 7 pre and power-amp valves
The VA-One boasts an impressive complement of valves for such a compact device (seven in all). The preamp section incorporates an ECC83 high-impedance triode, feeding an ECC82 twin triode driver and phase splitter stage. The output stage uses two EL84 pentodes per channel in a push-pull configuration, delivering 2x15W – sufficient power to drive efficient modern speakers to high volume levels, whilst maintaining the sumptuous sound quality derived from the amp's valve-based topology.
As well as providing the fluid, immersive sonic performance associated with classic valve amplification, the VA-One delivers lashings of musical detail without the unwanted colouration often associated with inferior valve-based products, thanks to the highly specified output transformers.
Technology
Modern digital convenience, including USB and Bluetooth connectivity
Three digital audio inputs – optical, coaxial and asynchronous USB – support data up to 24-bit/192kHz, and an RCA-phono input gives the option to connect an analogue source like a CD player or a turntable (when used with a suitable phono stage).
In addition, those who enjoy the freedom of wireless connectivity can pair smartphones, tablets and computers via Bluetooth, with support for the sonically superior aptX codec.
With a footprint measuring just 18 x 33cm, the VA-One is conveniently compact for a valve amp – sufficiently small to sit comfortably on a desk, table or shelf. Yet it packs in a wealth of high-performance audio technology: a hi-res DAC (Digital-to-Analogue Converter) joins valve-based preamp and power amp circuits to deliver sumptuous sound quality from a multitude of playback devices – from smartphones and tablets, to PCs and Macs, to hi-fi source components.
"The VA-One might not be terribly big, but it is extremely clever." ~ Hi-Fi Choice, October 2016
Verified Dealers
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Authorized dealers for Quad VA-One+
- Holt Hill — online and in-store — Andover, Massachusetts, United States (website)
- Acoustic Technologies — online and in-store — Montréal, Québec, Canada (website)
- Acton Gate Audio — online and in-store — Cymru, United Kingdom (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Alma Music & Audio — online and in-store — San Diego, California, United States (website)
- Alpha Audio Pte — online and in-store — Singapore, Singapore (website)
- Analogue Seduction — online and in-store — Whittlesey, England, United Kingdom (website)
- Area Hifi — online and in-store — L'Eixample, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Aris Audio — in-store — Salt Lake City, Utah, United States (website)
- Art & Voice — online (website)
and 102 more verified dealers