I have a lots of experience with older Quad Eights. I own the Pacifica, which is a 1976/77 era console, the type The Wall was mixed on. It is very similar to an API, but cleaner, less colored. The EQs are quite similar (designed by the same API guys), but less powerful, more for gentle adjustment. That being said, the EQ's NEVER sound bad at any setting.
The Pre's are warm and smooth, but not sizzly bright. Overall, I'd say it does not sound as "wide" as a Neve (like the API more bandwidth limited in a nice musical way) but I prefer the subtle smoothness in the Quad 8 to Neve.
I have not recapped most of my board (1977), only a few on the Main Stereo Bus. Why? Because I cannot imagine a console that sounds any better than this. Seriously. If you offered me a Neve 8078 or old API in trade I would turn it down. This console (Pacifica) is warm and clear, punchy like an API, but smooth like a Neve. The transformers are all Dean Jensen-created to go in there, and they are LARGE, physically as big as they could possibly be and still fit in the console. Excellnt quality Bourns pots are used throughout, the only issues I ever have with my 30-year old console is dirty switches, sometimes.
Older Quad 8 (as mentioned before) are astounding sounding modules, but you're unlikely to find any console with more than 8 or 16 channels, as it was "that era". The later 80's consoles (Mitsubishi/Westar) are good sounding, but not in the same league as the older stuff. Considering you can get a 70's Qaud Eight for between 15 and 30 thousand, it's unbelievable.
Quad Eight was the desk for most of Capitol Tower, Motown LA, Producer's Workshop, many more... Certainly, as people say, "as good as API or Neve".