CD4: JVC 4DD-5 Disc Demodulator (Decoder)

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Quadrockasaurus

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2010
Messages
238
Location
Melbourne - Australia
If you have any more photo's or comments to make on this Quadraphonic unit please feel free to post them in this thread....:)

JVC 4DD-5 Disc Demodulator (Decoder)


Rarity: COMMON
Average Sale Price: $100.00
The price above is a rough medium...I've seen them go for as low a $40 & close to $200. A recent (2010) sale of a pristine UK version with original box & manuals went for 65 pounds which is approx $105US & AU. In Australia one went for only $40 or so early in 2011.

Photo My Unit
JVC 4DD-5 CD4 Demod -1A.jpg

JVC 4DD-5 CD4 Demod -1B.jpg

JVC 4DD-5 CD4 Demod -1C.jpg

Just about the most common outboard vintage CD-4 Demodulator (decoder).

Rebadged as the Fisher DR-14, Sylvania DQ-3700, and the (European) Dual CD40...with cosmetic redesign and DIN connections replacing RCA's on the back....and I'm sure a few others as well.

Nice MM Phono stage built in.
 
For completeness, the JVC 4DD-5 circuit board was also use in the Marantz CD-400 (Not CD-400B !) and in the German Braun demodulator. The outer cases and external connections were different but the PCB was identical.

Malcolm
 
I have a 4DD-5 branded as Sylvania DQ-3700. Bought it for $50 new (accomodation) in 1974.

CD-4 is the REAL DEAL in Quad vinyl.

Linda
"Show Me Your Shibata Tip" - Audio-Technica buttons distributed at 1974 Summer CES in Chicago.
 
Since my original post, I'd like to add some info about this great little unit.

The JVC 4DD-5 has been my main phono stage for several years....I dunno....maybe I should be using something better??? However, every other stage I've tried doesn't quite have the balance of this unit, or maybe I've just gotten used to the sound of it. A U.K. hi-fi mag reviewing vintage stuff a few years back called it "...grey sounding" but overall I've found it more enjoyable than recent units I've tried such as The Cambridge 640P (...well reviewed but to me...horrible) and the Creek OBH-15 (...richer, fuller, and a nice phono stage...but a bit less balanced, and more opaque in some respects...I own one). It also seems to be superior to most of the built in Phono stages in most of my vintage stuff. Way superior to my QRX-6001 Stage, Less richer but less "thick" sounding than my Marantz 4400 (..which has potential with a re-cap), better than the slightly battered QA-7000 Sansui Integrated I got recently, also better than the stage in my stereo Pioneer SX-939. The only other Phono stage I like...other than this one, is the one in my QRX-6500...but that unit was modded before I got it, so I suspect that they did a bit of work in that area. I'm about to score (..with a bit of luck..) JVC's top Quad integrated from 1974 (4VR-990) and it'll be interesting to compare those two phono stages. .....oh, yea....did I mention the 4DD-5 been monumentally reliable in the 17 or so years I've had it. I guess I was really lucky to find it. To think I only paid $50 for it and I didn't (...and the shop owner didn't) even realize it had a phono stage built in..!!

Either way, if your looking for a nice, old Phono stage for Quad (...or Stereo...just about all my Quad stuff is on the blink now, so I'm using it mostly in Stereo) this is a pretty good (...and very cheap) Pickup.
 
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Thanks for your review and run down on this. I have given up on ever seeing lous new demodulator and have waited, passing up these outboard units. I think I will pick one up now.
 
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