Best looking quad gear?

[westgate]

i really think the gx heads and keeping them spotless has a lot to do with it.
and good quality tape, of course.

 

[phydo]

I owned a Marantz 4400 before trading it for a Sansui QRX-9001. I always thought the Marantz was the better looking receiver (the scope was flat out cool) but I was in the game for the sound and the Sansui beat the Marantz hands down.

Justin

 

[Quadrockasaurus]

Heathkit AN-2016 Quadraphonic Receiver (1975)......I don't know about best looking, but this unit certainly looks interesting. I just wish I had more info about whether it's any good!!

 

[westgate]

now that i've i gotten a camera (may '09) and started a slideshow at photobucket, i can now put up pix.
you'll see my 3 quad decks, and 2 quad pio amps, currently in getting recapped, etc. miss 'em!

 

[phydo]

Heathkit AN-2016 Quadraphonic Receiver (1975)......I don't know about best looking, but this unit certainly looks interesting. I just wish I had more info about whether it's any good!!

View attachment 2806

I have never before seen pictures of the HEATHKIT quad receiver. The digital readout tuner was very leading edge for the day. Thanks for sharing.

Justin

 

[mtgc]

I just placed a bid on one of these listed on Flea-Bay. It does look good.


MTGC (Michael)

 

[Quadrockasaurus]

I just placed a bid on one of these listed on Flea-Bay. It does look good.


MTGC (Michael)

If you end up winning it........pleeeeease let us all know what it sounds Like.

I have a thread "Obscure Quadraphonic Receivers & Amps" and it's screaming :yikes out for more hands on "how does it sound" info on these rare items.

 

[arnold_layne]

Best looking quad gear? To me the Sansui QRX-9001 is a thing of beauty.

 

[w.a.reid]

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-JVC-4VN...ctronics_Audio_Amplifiers?hash=item2eaaa11b32

thats pretty sweeeet looking.

w.a.reid

and heres one you dont see often

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fisher-514-1970...ptZVintage_Electronics_R2?hash=item19b99431f9

 

[Quadrockasaurus]

Sony's early 70's reel to reel range (ad below from 1972) had some really cool looking units.....with heaps of knobs and switches. (which was always a sure sign that a person on a typical income....like my dad.....couldn't afford it..)...
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[westgate]

Sony's early 70's reel to reel range (ad below from 1972) had some really cool looking units.....with heaps of knobs and switches. (which was always a sure sign that a person on a typical income....like my dad.....couldn't afford it..)...
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View attachment 2900​

my first real r2r was the tc 277-4, the cheapest sony quad (upper left in above pic), that i bought in jan '73 while in the u.s. army in tokyo. wish i had known about the better models cuz i could have gotten one of them instead.
but the 277-4 did its job pretty well. sounded good, worked good. course, i had nothing to compare it to, re r2rs.

 

[Quadrockasaurus]

Westgate, I wouldn't feel too bad about missing out on the big Sony R2R's, those mutha's cost serious money (...in adjusted $'s) back then, they were not on too many peoples radar as something they could afford to buy......

To put it into perspective for the young-uns, .....The top Sony on the Ad above (854-4S) cost $1595US (Listed $1795US in a Billboard Mag ad) new in '72. (nearly 5 times the price of your 277-4) A new 1972 Ford Pinto cost $2078US. (....I'd probably choose the Sony over the Pinto) You would have had to have been doin' REAL well back then to be spendin' that sort of money......plus at the end of it, you still have to get the rest of your hi-fi.....@:

 

[westgate]

i probably did see the 854-4 in the catalog and balked at the price. even tho gear was sold at discount in the military exchanges, a deck like the 854-4 would have still cost an arm and a leg.

 

[Quad Linda]

Here are my votes for the best looking Quad pieces. I sold, own or had owned all of them.

Marantz 4400. I had one of these, but graduated to more power and prefer the large separate scopes. Still, the 4400 may be the best looking Quad piece EVER. It's a shame they used the rectangular buttons, which often look crooked.


Technics SH-3433. I've had mine for 46 years.


JVC 4VR-5445. One of the first Quad pieces, designed in '71. A gutsy receiver with only proprietary decoding and no CD-4 built in. Still, it looks very sleek and cool.


Sansui QRX-9001. A Classic!


Marantz 2440, Quad adapter/rear channel amp. Bought mine new in '74 and still have it, wood case, SQA-2B and remote.


Akai CR-80DSS. First Quad piece I bought. Had it since early '73.


Technics/Panasonic RS-858 & RS 847. I had an 858, which may be better looking than the Akai. I still have my RS-847. Great looking and sound. The motor is the Achilles' Heel.


Crown CX-844 If it isn't the best Q4 Reel ever made or the prettiest, it is the most sturdy.


Pioneer RT-2044 modular reel. Shown with the RT-2022 as two channel.


Teac reels look great, as do the Sony, Akai, and Healthknit (lol!!) pieces depicted in previous posts.