Decoding IS considered a feature. What features are you in love with? They can be on Surround, Quad, Stereo or even Mono equipment. What feature made the piece sit on it's hind legs and do tricks? List your Five Fave (user)Friendly Features. Appropriately for QQ, call them 4F. Please confine your remarks to features that influence AUDIO, not video. Isn't QQ all about music and sound?
1-Surround synthesis on modern receivers/preamps. My B&K's Stereo 5, DTS Neo and Dolby Surround synthesis modes beat the VariMatrix on my Marantz for most things. Plus, I can switch them while sitting in the sweet spot. I can play mono through all 6 speakers without switching from synthesis, which didn't do much, if anything, in many quad synth modes. Old or new gear, Quad/Surround synthesis is priceless. We lament the glory days of Quad, yet the pundits were right: IT NEVER REALLY WENT AWAY!
2-It actually RECORDS in QUAD! What a concept! I believe that my Akai CR-80DSS is the ONLY Q8 recorder that RECORDS in Quad. If there is another, please let me know. Had a love affair with Columbia ConvertaQuad blanks. Mix Q8's for demos and the car! Never understood Q4's that only recorded in 2ch. I know it kept their cost down.
3-Variomatrix or VariMatrix. Though not the same things, the Sansui line, which I sold, but never owned, and the Marantz VariMatrix knob are heavenly! I want to get a Sansui decoder and a Tate, to revealing how good analog synthesis can be. And they decode great, too. I knew how these things worked, even before Dynaco and Electro-Voice decoders. Yet, I'm amazed when listening to stereo sources. Perhaps out of laziness, but I prefer the synthesis modes on modern gear. Either way, synthesis rocks! I have the option for both on 3 systems, modern synthesis only on the other two.
4-Dedicating different inputs, speaker switching & levels, eq curves, decoding and direct modes to inputs on modern equipment. Time consuming to set, but so easy to operate. The autosensing for DTS, DD and digital/analog input switching makes SACD & DVD-A advanced res and decoding modern software a breeze. The ability to have all your audio and decoding set for each input allows you to shove the software in and enjoy. No switching, turning knobs and fiddling, like in the old days. As an old fiddler, I prefer sitting down, enjoying, reading, posting on QQ or primping these days. All you fidlders will take solace knowing that 3 of my 5 systems have lots of decoders and analog gear attached to their digital offspring. Fiddling about.
5-Test tone oscillators on all of the three head cassette decks I've owned. Get the bias on the money, encode w/dbx II and you have something that beats reel-to-reel w/o NR, CD and most any other 2ch analog, except dbx LP. Sweet! Harman/Kardon CD-401 has been it for nearly 30 years! Prior to that, had a Sony for days that was a lemon. Had a Kenwood KX-1030 for 5 years before that. Sold it to a friend soon after I got the H/K. Still works.
I would have included Quad scopes, but my SH-3433 is a stand alone. Buit-in Hard Drives is an also ran killer feature.
Linda
Hangin' With Uncle Ernie
1-Surround synthesis on modern receivers/preamps. My B&K's Stereo 5, DTS Neo and Dolby Surround synthesis modes beat the VariMatrix on my Marantz for most things. Plus, I can switch them while sitting in the sweet spot. I can play mono through all 6 speakers without switching from synthesis, which didn't do much, if anything, in many quad synth modes. Old or new gear, Quad/Surround synthesis is priceless. We lament the glory days of Quad, yet the pundits were right: IT NEVER REALLY WENT AWAY!
2-It actually RECORDS in QUAD! What a concept! I believe that my Akai CR-80DSS is the ONLY Q8 recorder that RECORDS in Quad. If there is another, please let me know. Had a love affair with Columbia ConvertaQuad blanks. Mix Q8's for demos and the car! Never understood Q4's that only recorded in 2ch. I know it kept their cost down.
3-Variomatrix or VariMatrix. Though not the same things, the Sansui line, which I sold, but never owned, and the Marantz VariMatrix knob are heavenly! I want to get a Sansui decoder and a Tate, to revealing how good analog synthesis can be. And they decode great, too. I knew how these things worked, even before Dynaco and Electro-Voice decoders. Yet, I'm amazed when listening to stereo sources. Perhaps out of laziness, but I prefer the synthesis modes on modern gear. Either way, synthesis rocks! I have the option for both on 3 systems, modern synthesis only on the other two.
4-Dedicating different inputs, speaker switching & levels, eq curves, decoding and direct modes to inputs on modern equipment. Time consuming to set, but so easy to operate. The autosensing for DTS, DD and digital/analog input switching makes SACD & DVD-A advanced res and decoding modern software a breeze. The ability to have all your audio and decoding set for each input allows you to shove the software in and enjoy. No switching, turning knobs and fiddling, like in the old days. As an old fiddler, I prefer sitting down, enjoying, reading, posting on QQ or primping these days. All you fidlders will take solace knowing that 3 of my 5 systems have lots of decoders and analog gear attached to their digital offspring. Fiddling about.
5-Test tone oscillators on all of the three head cassette decks I've owned. Get the bias on the money, encode w/dbx II and you have something that beats reel-to-reel w/o NR, CD and most any other 2ch analog, except dbx LP. Sweet! Harman/Kardon CD-401 has been it for nearly 30 years! Prior to that, had a Sony for days that was a lemon. Had a Kenwood KX-1030 for 5 years before that. Sold it to a friend soon after I got the H/K. Still works.
I would have included Quad scopes, but my SH-3433 is a stand alone. Buit-in Hard Drives is an also ran killer feature.
Linda
Hangin' With Uncle Ernie