Quadraphonic Set Up

Fatbrando
Fatbrando Posts: 275
edited October 2008 in 2 Channel Audio
Any one got an Old School Quad set up? I'm interested in hearing what the experts say is the best Receiver/Amp for the project. Also, can someone recommend a receiver that runs up to 400wpc? Or the best mono amps to run SDA's

Thanks,

FB
Harman Kardon HK 3490
Stanton STR8-100
Polk SDA SRS 2.3TL (Proud newbie owner!)
Post edited by Fatbrando on
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2008
    400 wpc receiver, mono amps, and SDA's in Quadphonic configuration? Ain't happenin!
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2008
    I seriously doubt you'll find a 70's discrete quad receiver that was more than 40wpc when used in discrete quad configuration. MAYBE one of the H-K + jobs. The TOTL Pioneer QX-949 was 40wpc in discrete quad, and 60 or so if you used it in straight stereo. It had a large black plug in the back that had to be removed and re-installed in a different fashion in order to strap all the power amps together for use in stereo mode. That receiver weighed a freakin' ton. Discrete quad sounded like a jungle. Chase something else.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited October 2008
    The Marantz 4400 was the most powerful quad receiver made, I think. Spec'd at 225 per channel in stereo mode, 90 watts continuous into 8 ohm in 'quad' mode.

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2008
    I'll bet UPS didn't want to deliver those.
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  • Fatbrando
    Fatbrando Posts: 275
    edited October 2008
    Wow! Thanks guys. Never amazes me the depth of knowledge and generosity afforded me here at club polk. Guess I'll settle for climbing up the SDA ladder of Sound!

    FB
    Harman Kardon HK 3490
    Stanton STR8-100
    Polk SDA SRS 2.3TL (Proud newbie owner!)
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,804
    edited October 2008
    or you can try the Hafler (Dynaquad) circuit for ambience recovery :-)
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited October 2008
    I've used a Dynaco Quadaptor for a few years when I ditched 5.1 HT. I liked it for ambient noise......better that Dolby PL, if you ask me. I've heard the Fosgate products could be pretty cool.

    That said, for real listening...stereo is where it's at. SDA and Carver Sonic Holography are better options than quadraphenia.


    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • BigMac
    BigMac Posts: 849
    edited October 2008
    Just spent the last hour learning about quad stuff. Looks like for sound quality and power the Sansui QRX-9001 is the best. For looks, the Marantz 4400 was the overall top pick on almost all boards I read. Also, every site said that if you are buying a quad receiver off of Ebay that most of them will have issues more than likely. The Sansui QRX-9001 modified by QuadBob is supposed to be the best of the best though. The pic with the multiple receivers looks like it has some Polk speakers in it and thought it looked kinda cool. Here are the specs for these two receivers.

    Marantz 4400:

    Specifications:
    Power Output: 125 Watts X2 or 50 Watts X4 RMS into 8 ohms.
    Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.15%classicaudio.com
    Power Bandwidth: 7Hz to 70kHz
    Damping Factor: 50 (8 ohms)

    FM Sensitivity: 1.8uV (30dB Quieting)
    FM THD: 0.2% Mono, 0.3% Stereo
    FM Stereo Separation: 42dB (at 1 kHz)
    DON'T CLICK THIS!!
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited October 2008
    You can find outboard quad processors and run them into the 5.1/7.1 input on any modern receiver or pre-pro. For awhile there I had a Quad setup with Adcom 565/LSi 25's on the front, Adcom 585/LSiFX's on the back.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • dkg999
    dkg999 Posts: 5,647
    edited October 2008
    I think the DSP's on any modern multi-channel AVR will do more than the old Quadraphonic setups. Although I remember that Deep Purple's Lazy was pretty good when played through a Marantz quad receiver and 4 large Advent speakers.
    DKG999
    HT System: LSi9, LSiCx2, LSiFX, LSi7, SVS 20-39 PC+, B&K 507.s2 AVR, B&K Ref 125.2, Tripplite LCR-2400, Cambridge 650BD, Signal Cable PC/SC, BJC IC, Samsung 55" LED

    Music System: Magnepan 1.6QR, SVS SB12+, ARC pre, Parasound HCA1500 vertically bi-amped, Jolida CDP, Pro-Ject RM5.1SE TT, Pro-Ject TubeBox SE phono pre, SBT, PS Audio DLIII DAC
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  • unc2701
    unc2701 Posts: 3,587
    edited October 2008
    dkg999 wrote: »
    I think the DSP's on any modern multi-channel AVR will do more than the old Quadraphonic setups. Although I remember that Deep Purple's Lazy was pretty good when played through a Marantz quad receiver and 4 large Advent speakers.

    Somewhat related- if you feed an SQ recording into Dolby Prologic, it'll be pretty close. I seem to recall that the matrix formulas are similar. You'll get somethign out the rear speakers, anyway.
    Gallo Ref 3.1 : Bryston 4b SST : Musical fidelity CD Pre : VPI HW-19
    Gallo Ref AV, Frankengallo Ref 3, LC60i : Bryston 9b SST : Meridian 565
    Jordan JX92s : MF X-T100 : Xray v8
    Backburner:Krell KAV-300i
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2008
    Dynaco Quadaptor. Best bang for the buck product in the history of audio.

    All those 70's "quad" things were nightmares and sounded like it, including all the TOTL receivers.
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  • HB27
    HB27 Posts: 1,518
    edited October 2008
    unc2701 wrote: »
    You can find outboard quad processors and run them into the 5.1/7.1 input on any modern receiver or pre-pro. For awhile there I had a Quad setup with Adcom 565/LSi 25's on the front, Adcom 585/LSiFX's on the back.
    I had to pull this out of the closet after reading this post. I'd forgot about until now. Quad is still cool in it's own right.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,804
    edited October 2008
    George Grand wrote: »
    Dynaco Quadaptor. Best bang for the buck product in the history of audio.

    oh, no... George must have me on 'ignore'.
    oh the ignominy.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2008
    I was trying to reinforce your argument. I love the Quadaptor. NOW I'm going to add you to the list.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,804
    edited October 2008
    oops. crap.
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  • George Grand
    George Grand Posts: 12,258
    edited October 2008
    That Sony decoder/amp from the 70's pictured is kind of cool in that it had onboard amps for the rear channels. I don't think you saw that too much, and if that piece is as pretty in person as it is in the picture, might fetch a nice dollar or two you-know-where.
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  • Fatbrando
    Fatbrando Posts: 275
    edited October 2008
    So there's no way to Run 2 sets of SDA's in a quad situation? Would they compete with each other? Would they just smash into each other. I envisioned being enveloped with sound like a deluge of warm water. I guess I just don't get it. oh well...
    Harman Kardon HK 3490
    Stanton STR8-100
    Polk SDA SRS 2.3TL (Proud newbie owner!)
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2008
    1 pair of properly set up SDA's will fill the front soundstage and wrap around the side walls.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • Fatbrando
    Fatbrando Posts: 275
    edited October 2008
    Copy that!

    FB
    Harman Kardon HK 3490
    Stanton STR8-100
    Polk SDA SRS 2.3TL (Proud newbie owner!)
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  • HB27
    HB27 Posts: 1,518
    edited October 2008
    George Grand wrote: »
    That Sony decoder/amp from the 70's pictured is kind of cool in that it had onboard amps for the rear channels. I don't think you saw that too much, and if that piece is as pretty in person as it is in the picture, might fetch a nice dollar or two you-know-where.
    I THINK I bought it in '73. In '74 I bought the Kenwood Kr-6340 w/KCD2 Demodulator from CMC Music here in Indy and traded it in a week later for the KR-9340 big quad. I had the Big Marantz and Sansui also but preferred the KR-9340 for overall power and sq.
    It's still in great shape. If you can call a used piece of gear "mint"I guess it might fall into that catagory.
    Thanks,
    Harry
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