Picked up Quad Cartridge - Pioneer PC-Q1 - opinions?

[dlaloum]

Hi Folks

amongst a batch of random stylus-less cartridges I just picked up, was a Pioneer PC-Q1...

A bit of research told me that it was a Pioneer Quad cartridge from the 70's and intended to be mounted with a shibata stylus....

Styli are available from a couple of places for it, with prices ranging from $50 (Turntableneedles.com)

What is this cartridge like?
Any good?
Worth anything? - Worth the cost of recommissioning it?

I have tested the cartridge with a multimeter and the 2 channels come up 386 / 382 ohm - low impedance is I believe typical of the Quad genre... and the tight tolerances (specs very close between two channels) seem to indicate a good quality cartridge...

Your opinions valued

thanks

David

P.S. I am not a CD4 listener / user - my Vinyl interest is in stereo, but some of the Quad cartridges have historically been amongst the very best stereo cartridges...

 

[duncan_england]

Hello David down under!!
I'm surprised nobody has replied to you yet on this thread. I am building a 1970s quad system for CD-4 vinyl. Recently I purchased in the UK, an Audio Technica AT12sa cartidge with a Shibata nude elliptical diamond stylus. The cartridge is 2nd hand but the shibata tip is new. This all cost me UK £98.50 on Ebay.
What you say is correct. If you've got a quad cartridge it should be fitted with a diamond shibata stylus to read both left and right walls of the record groove. They are expensive but when fitted to the cartridge, effectively they would be worth much more together. It depends if you want to use it or sell it as a working quadraphonic cartridge with stylus.
Good luck with it
Duncan

 

[dlaloum]

Thanks Duncan....

I am interested in Quad cartridges as I believe they may be a very very good way of listening to Stereo.... the low inductance they usually have, means very extended and linear frequency response- not that uncommon - along with very extended and linear phase response .... much less common.

They tend to have inductance in the same range as TOTL cartridges like the Shure V15V (330mH)....

So I was wondering if anyone has one of these, and could venture an opinion/review on the sound...

I have also since discovered that the same cartridge was also used by JVC under another name...

 

[duncan_england]

Hi David.
Yep sounds right. I would think that using a quad stylus for stereo would give you a better sound. But you would be wearing out an expensive quad stylus just for listening to 2 channels.
I'm not technically minded really, I get my advice from this website. You could always try posting the same question in another section of the forum. There's some really helpful people on this site who could give you better advice than me!!!
Duncan

 

[mtgc]

David,

Welcome to the Forum and the wonderful world of Quadraphonic Sound Reproduction! (How's that for an intro!!!). I have to agree with Duncan that using a quad cartridge for stereo is a waste of a very valuable resource, ie the Shibata stylus which you are finding out can be quite expensive. You can get any number of great stereo cartridges for very reasonable prices to listen to all your stereo AND SQ, QS, EV-4 etc Quad encoded records and save the Shibata for CD-4 playback only. You will, sooner or later, get the full Quadraphonic bug and since you already have the set-up for CD-4 playback, you will be that much ahead of the game.

Good luck on all your ventures into this wonderful world and remember that this Forum is filled with members with a vast knowledge base of all things Quadraphonic.

MTGC
Michael

 

[soesbeout]

That model cartridge was the OEM cartridge that came with the Pioneer PL-55DX TT I bought in the military in 75,the PL-55DX TT was made for CD-4 playback with it's low cap wireing and cables,the cartridge performed well for me but I eventually replaced it with an AT331LP.

 

[dlaloum]

Would you mind my asking what it was that drove the change to the AT331LP?
The AT331LP is still available new under the guise of the LPGear V series - with either Shibata or LC stylus...

I can apparently get a shibata stylus for the PC-Q1 for circa $25 (which seems exceptionally cheap for a shibata!)

 

[Quadmaker]

I have the PC-Q1 in my PL-55DX and it works good. When I put a discrete LP on the CD4 light comes on as soon as the stylus is in the groove. If I start at the very beginning of an LP it stays dark so I know it's doing the decoding right and I do get full L-R F-R separation. In fact, I want to get another as a back-up.

 

[dlaloum]

Thanks for the response - I've been holding onto the cart. debating whether to get the stylus or not.... I think I will!