Wireless High-Res Streaming and High-End Audio Made Easy: Quad Artera Solus Play Integrated Amplifier/CD Player Boasts Audiophile Circuitry and Construction, Includes Comprehensive Connectivity

High-end audio can get pretty complicated, but the Quad Artera Solus Play takes a completely different approach to delivering music you love (and the discoveries you've yet to make) in engrossing high-fidelity sound. Simply put, this multi-tasking component makes everything easy. An all-in-one integrated amplifier, CD player, and DAC, Artera Solus Play also invites you to wirelessly stream from an assortment of devices and brings the potential of multi-room audio to the mix. Want to listen to headphones? Artera Solus Play can make that happen, too.

Opting for subtlety via its sleek appearance, Artera Solus Play touts cutting-edge sophistication and audiophile build quality that extends all way to its balanced circuitry and large toroidal transformer. Its SABRE ES9018 DAC takes the form of an eight-channel hybrid multi-bit Delta-Sigma DAC chip. Music sources will sing when sent through this exceptional DAC via a range of digital inputs that handles up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD 256, ensuring you're covered when it comes to high-resolution playback.

For more clarity and pacing, and the opporunity to listen to old favorites on disc (not to mention all those titles that are not available on streaming services), Artera Solus Play includes a slot-loading CD mechanism that buffers data feeding it to the asynchronous DAC section. Four digital filter options enable you to tailor the sound from CDs and external digital sources, should you choose to experiment.

All this complements built-in Wi-Fi networking powered by DTS Play-Fi, an an app-controlled platform that enables whole-home wireless audio up to 24-bit/192kHz. Spotify users can connect directly from the Spotify app via Spotify Connect. You can also stream from smartphones and tablets without connecting to the local Wi-Fi network thanks to the presence of aptX Bluetooth.

Inside, Artera Solus Play checks all the boxes in terms of sonic-first construction and engineering. Its preamp and power amp stages incorporate balanced circuitry, short and direct signal paths, and top-tier components. Volume is adjusted in the analog domain under microprocessor control, outputting directly to a dual-mono Class AB power amp stage that delivers 75Wpc into eight ohms. To minimise distortion, the power supplies for the left and right channels are isolated from each other and from the rest of the system.

It's no exaggeration to state that Quad looked after every piece and wire involved in the design. To wit, the discrete power amp circuits' output stage uses CFB (Complementary Feedback) topology in combination with conventional emitter-follower circuitry. The CFB stage offers superior linearity and ensures excellent thermal stability, as the idle current is kept independent of the temperature of the output transistors. Using an emitter follower in combination with the CFB stage is an efficient way of increasing the current ability of the amplifier without compromising the advantages of the CFB circuit.

Flexibility in life is a must, and Artera Solus Play responds. Six digital inputs – two coaxial, two optical, USB Type B and Ethernet – cater to external digital sources (there's also a USB Type A socket for software updates) while a pair of RCA inputs handle analog sources. You get both single-ended RCA and balanced XLR analog outputs, as well as a four-channel volume control that preserves the balanced signal path from the DAC to the XLR output. A pair of high-quality speaker binding posts, optical and coaxial digital outputs, a 12V trigger output and a front-mounted jack coupled to a dedicated headphone amp circuit complete a truly comprehensive connectivity array.

Like what you see but want to know more? Give a Music Direct audio consultant a call at 312-433-0200 and we'll help you with any needs. 

More About the Emitter-Follower Circuitry
Having the emitter follower deliver additional current only when needed allows for a simpler current-limiting arrangement, which can be voltage-independent. Current limiting is under microprocessor control and programmed to allow the amplifier to supply high currents (+/- 15A) into complex loads, surpassing amplifiers that on paper are bigger and more powerful. A 300VA toroidal transformer supplies the two mono amplifiers using separate secondary windings, followed by 2x15000uF reservoir capacity per channel (60000uF in total).

DTS Play-Fi
Play-Fi supports a wide variety of file formats, including MP3, MP4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF. In standard mode, which is optimized for multi-room bandwidth, audio is streamed at up to 16-bit/48kHz. By engaging Play-Fi's Critical Listening Mode, high-res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz may be streamed to the Artera Solus Play over Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable without transcoding or down-sampling. Favorite playlists and radio stations can be assigned as shortcut presets within the app, while Works With Alexa support enables voice-controlled playback when the Artera Solus Play is paired with any Amazon Alexa-equipped device. All DTS Play-Fi products are seamlessly interoperable, so you can find the perfect speaker for every room, and know that they will all make beautiful music together. DTS Play-Fi sends audio from mobile devices to speakers throughout the home using proprietary streaming, synchronization, and authentication technology. Every single DTS Play-Fi product works perfectly with all the rest, regardless of brand.