Dynaco Quadaptor

TroyD

I know George has....but has anyone else used one of these?

I'm really gung ho about going 2ch and ditching surround in the living room. However, I do like ambient music for parties and the lovely Wendi likes some sort of surround from movies.

Just curious if anyone has tried one of these, hell, for 30 bucks, I'll pick one up just because...

BDT

madmax

I'm not sure if this is the same thing but I have a friend who has this box which passively recreates surround. He raves about it. Says it is more "real" than surround sound whatever that means. I'll have to ask him who makes it again. I do know it is a vintage piece but it wasn't made by Dynaco. I've been wanting it from his description but he won't let it go.
madmax

Danny Tse

Just buy the QD-2 directly from Dynaco.com.

madmax

That is exactly what I've been looking for... almost. The thing is I want one that operates on the line level signals, not the speaker output. I might get one just to see exactly what they are doing.
madmax

TroyD

If you pick one up, let me know what you think....

BDT

George Grand

It's not as good as the original Quadaptor because:

1. This $29.99 QD-2 which started out life as the $99.99 QD-1 Series II has UNDEFEATABLE impedance protection. The original Quadaptor (QD-1) had no such protection. YOU were the impedance protection.

2. This model has spring connectors which will not accept anything much larger than 16 gauge. The original had binding posts with knurled knobs. Much better.

3. The original has the "null" switch which allows for absolute perfect balance between channels (right and left).

I have one of each, and they both sound okay. Not selling either one. The original for obvious reasons, and the QD-1 Series II that I have I acquired from the late audio reviewer Len Feldman.

The product Max seeks I have heard of (working at line-level not speaker level) but I can't remeber the name. Audio engineer and reviewer John Sunier uses/used one and loved it.

Something you need to watch out for is, EVERY knock-off I have seen uses RCA type speaker connectors instead of posts or spring connectors. This could potentially lead someone to believe he was purchasing something that operated at line-level, when in fact it doesn't. Lafayette, Radio Shack, Archer, Sheraton (a virtual knock-off of the original Quadaptor but with RCA type speaker connectors.

Troy, if you want to try dicking around with one of those, I have at least one of every name I mentioned in the last sentence. They all work exactly like the original, sound just as good, but you need to fabricate speaker cables with one end bare, and the other end RCA terminated. You'll need 6 of those. The positive and negative lead for each BOTH have to fit into one RCA barrel. Parts Express has some whose barrels might accept up to two strands of 14 gauge. Rat Shack too.

There was a very unflattering article about Charleston in today's newspaper. It seems you have far too many rich people.


George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

TroyD

George,

Thanks for your kind offer and if you don't mind, I'd LOVE to take you up on it. I have a buddy who is quite handy and I'm sure if I ply him with some cheap booze (I'm assuming you have consumed all the good stuff) can fashion some speaker cables that will work.

Good, maybe it will keep the tourists away.

Just slip it under the pillow, eh?

BDT

TroyD

Here is an article on how to make your own passive surround decoder...

http://www.sound.westhost.com/project18.htm

Looks pretty interesting.

BDT

madmax

I've done that and it does sound impressive. If you ever try it listen to ZZ Top Degualo (sp) or Alice Cooper Goes to Hell. Of course a lot of other stuff does the same thing. If you put the speakers to the far front left and right it sounds very close to SDA.
madmax

madmax

Troy,
If you want a quick sample just hook one speaker up to an amp with the + speaker wire going to left + out of the amp and the - speaker wire going to the right + out of the amp. Leave the two negative terminals on the amp disconnected.
Chuck

TroyD

I'm really pretty jazzed about the whole idea of this. I've been doing some reading about the Hafler matrix, and it's so simple and yet makes (to me) so much sense. I'm jazzed about trying the quadaptor because it's a passive device.

BDT

George Grand

You can do it with just speaker cable and a second set of speakers.

Connect the left rear speakers "+" input to the same amplifier output terminal as the left front speaker.

Do the exact same thing with the right rear speaker and right amplifier "+" output terminal.

Now the last thing you do is connect the " - " speaker input terminals together (like the umbilical cord for SDA's).

The only thing you won't have is SEPARATE control over the front and rears, but you'll have Hafler DynaQuad.

George Grand (of the Jersey Grands)

TroyD

As I see it from that article, all the quadaptor itself does is simplify the connections and adds a passive volume control.....really cool.

BDT

madmax

Just do it. It will take 10 minutes max to wire up the speakers and you will sit there for hours with a smile on your face. I found this trick when an old car cassette player crapped out on me. The center ground came loose inside the player. I enjoyed the sound so much I kept digging and digging until I found out why. Years later I found an article explaing what I had already found. It is Sooo cool!
madmax

TroyD

Ok, lemme run this scenario by you. Ok, let's say that I don't want anything in the way of my main speakers just because I'm anal.

Could I use two amps? Hook amp one up to the mains like normal. On amp two, run the wires from the amp to the quadaptor and then run the wire to the rears but not back out to the mains. That would work, right? So if I didn't want the rear channels, just don't turn that amp on, right?? That way, I've got the surround without really having the adaptor in the link to my main speakers, right?

Just curious if that would work.

BDT

madmax

That would work with a SS amp with no problem. Now, if the amp has gain controls there is absolutely no need for the quadaptor, just hook the back speakers in series then the speaker wires to the two plusses on the amp.

Edit: You know, after being reminded of this I may just forget about multi-channel sound all together and sell my processor. This is truely a passive setup, and with a separate amp you really have the best of both an audiophile setup and surround.

TroyD

ok, what a minute, I'm confused a bit.

On the rear speakers should only the + wires are connected to the speaker and the - wires are tied together. Is this just at the speaker end or the amp end?

BDT

madmax

No, not at all. I'll run you through it in series.

+ of left channel amp to - of left rear speaker
+ of left rear speaker to - of right rear speaker
+ of right rear speaker to + of right channel amp

Those are the three connections. You can tie the two grounds of the amp together but they should be tied internally assuming it is a common ground amp. (which you must use).

madmax

TroyD

ok, ok, NOW I got it....

Sorry about that, little dense here.

BDT

TroyD

...OR...I could just hook up this neat little box and maybe not have to crawl through the attic pulling and reconnecting wires....hmmmmmm.

BDT

madmax

Not trying to oversimplify or anything. You will want to play with this before designing your setup though. The speakers really work much better at the left right position towards the front of the room rather than the back. Play with it first.
madmax

madmax

Originally posted by TroyD
...OR...I could just hook up this neat little box and maybe not have to crawl through the attic pulling and reconnecting wires....hmmmmmm.

BDT

Oh, it just hit me, you already have the speaker wires run. Well just disconnect the wires at the amp, connect the plus of one speaker to the minus of the other and wire the two remaining wires to the L+ and R+ of the amp.

TroyD

As some of you know; I am finally ditching the Dolby Digital surround rig for high tone tubes.

I DID just bag an original Dynaco Quadaptor on ebay for 27 bones. It just LOOOKS cool.

GG/MM - the line level unit that you spoke of, could it be the Fosgate unit from the 70's ??

BDT