There has been some interest in the Legacy MultiChannel Sound & Systems section and on the board in general lately in vintage gear. Folks have mention a wide variety of gear over the last couple of months, some of it good, some not so good. Some seem poised to travel the well traveled road that can be very bumpy.
Some want to re-own that quad gear they had back when, their sentimental favorite and some see some thing on eBay that catches their eye. It may look cool or hold a special place in your heart but that doesn’t mean it’s what you should get if you want to get the best surround experience.
Ok so what kind of Legacy or vintage gear should you get?
Well from a decoding, demodulating or source playback aspect which is what it’s all about, here’s what I think is a decent list to go by. Opinions will vary and this is by no means a complete list of quad gear. If some thing you have or are interested in is omitted here it may be for a good reason then again maybe I just forgot to mention it.
Let’s start with …
Synthesizing quad from Stereo.
1. Is the Variomatrix created by Iso Itoh for Sansui. Stand alone units that have been
modified by QuadBob. Like the QSD-1, QSD-1000 ( I will let you all decide which
should come first, D-1000 or D-1) and the QSD-2. For receivers this
would include the QRX-9001 (999), 8001, 7001(777), 6001 and the 5001.
2. Tate 101a/Space and Image Composer set to surround mode.
3. Unmodified Sansui gear mentioned above.
4. Lafayette receivers/amps with built in decoders and Sansui QRX- 7500A/6500A/5500A.
5. The Rest. (Sony, Kenwood, Marantz, Pioneer, JVC, Sansui’s QR & QS stuff so on)
QS
1. Sansui D1000, D-1 and D-2 and the Sansui “01” units and their euro versions (mentioned above).
2. Tate’s in cinema mode.
3. The rest of the regular matrix equipt gear.
SQ
1. Tate 101A/Space and Image composer
2. Lafayette SQW
3. Sansui “01” units, Lafayette SQL
4. Sony full logic SQD-2020
3. Marantz SQA-2B, SQA-2 and the rest of the Sony’s
5. Marantz SQA-1
6. The Rest.
CD-4 Demodulators
This could be dicey!!! Most CD-4 demods are basically the same stuff just laid out differently by the various manufacturers all based on JVC‘s design and lisenced by them for manufacture. I will let you all hack out who’s best to date! Here’s a likely list.
1. JVC CD4-1000
2. QuadBob’s Holly Gail. (cause of the tweaks and cal) , JVC CD4-50
3. Technics SH-400 Lou’s baby, Marantz CD400 and CD400B
2, Lesser Technics units (model #’s escape me right now), Pioneer, JVC, Panasonic and
others. There are some different models made by some of these makers, the owners of
those units can debate where they should fall in the order.
CD-4 Turntables
Well some of you know that I am in the dedicated CD-4 gear camp, meaning low capacitance wiring. Servo or quartz drive is probably better than belt drive. Straight or curved tone arm can be debated. Dual and Sansui had quite a few models.
I don’t know of any Linear tracking tables with low capacitance wiring.
CD-4 Carts
Again I’m in the dedicated gear camp, 100k ohm, high frequency carts with Shibata type styli are what the demodulators are made to work on, this just can’t be argued away!
The AudioTechnica AT20 SLA should head the list followed by the AT 15 and 14 (JVC-4MD20) AT 12. All JVC CD-4 carts were badged AT carts.
Stanton and Pickering also made some good carts that I have played with.
I’m sure there are others that can be added here.
Q-8 decks
1. Akai CR-80D-SS because it will play any thing, built like tanks
2. Technics RS858-US (blue meter), Best looks and output controls for each channel But
they have trouble with some carts. Some think it sounds better than the Akai, I
wouldn’t know since I have never owned an Akai.
3. Technics green meter. Sounds as good as the blue meter but doesn’t hold carts as well.
4. Don’t know much about the rest. Owners of the less used Q8 decks chime in!
Q-4
I’m not going to put an order to this as there could be as much debate as there is for CD-4. Some would say the Akai’s like the GX-400, GX-630, GX-280 are great due to the glass heads. The Teac’s are very popular and built like tanks Tascam 34B , Teac A-3440, A-3340S and the A-2340R. I have a Sansui QD5500 and a Sansui QD5050.There are many others that are good. Any three head or better deck should do well!
I am not commenting on the sound of your gear. You may love the sound of the preamp/amps in your quad system, I am just talking about the ability to obtain the highest level of surround separation and sound quality from your multi channel sources.
Ok so now your headed down the well traveled road but there are still bumps! This stuff is nearly 40 years old and most of it needs to be restored but the $ you saved from not buying the wrong quad gear can go towards pursuing and fixing the good stuff. I prefer well functioning Legacy gear with caps and wires and the warm dynamic sound that comes with them to modern “neutral” IC driven multi channel equipment of today!
Quad gear I have owned over the years includes Marantz, Kenwood, Technics, Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Fosgate, Technics, DBX, Pioneer, Oppo, Outlaw and of course SANSUI!
Comments, additions and corrections welcome!
Some want to re-own that quad gear they had back when, their sentimental favorite and some see some thing on eBay that catches their eye. It may look cool or hold a special place in your heart but that doesn’t mean it’s what you should get if you want to get the best surround experience.
Ok so what kind of Legacy or vintage gear should you get?
Well from a decoding, demodulating or source playback aspect which is what it’s all about, here’s what I think is a decent list to go by. Opinions will vary and this is by no means a complete list of quad gear. If some thing you have or are interested in is omitted here it may be for a good reason then again maybe I just forgot to mention it.
Let’s start with …
Synthesizing quad from Stereo.
1. Is the Variomatrix created by Iso Itoh for Sansui. Stand alone units that have been
modified by QuadBob. Like the QSD-1, QSD-1000 ( I will let you all decide which
should come first, D-1000 or D-1) and the QSD-2. For receivers this
would include the QRX-9001 (999), 8001, 7001(777), 6001 and the 5001.
2. Tate 101a/Space and Image Composer set to surround mode.
3. Unmodified Sansui gear mentioned above.
4. Lafayette receivers/amps with built in decoders and Sansui QRX- 7500A/6500A/5500A.
5. The Rest. (Sony, Kenwood, Marantz, Pioneer, JVC, Sansui’s QR & QS stuff so on)
QS
1. Sansui D1000, D-1 and D-2 and the Sansui “01” units and their euro versions (mentioned above).
2. Tate’s in cinema mode.
3. The rest of the regular matrix equipt gear.
SQ
1. Tate 101A/Space and Image composer
2. Lafayette SQW
3. Sansui “01” units, Lafayette SQL
4. Sony full logic SQD-2020
3. Marantz SQA-2B, SQA-2 and the rest of the Sony’s
5. Marantz SQA-1
6. The Rest.
CD-4 Demodulators
This could be dicey!!! Most CD-4 demods are basically the same stuff just laid out differently by the various manufacturers all based on JVC‘s design and lisenced by them for manufacture. I will let you all hack out who’s best to date! Here’s a likely list.
1. JVC CD4-1000
2. QuadBob’s Holly Gail. (cause of the tweaks and cal) , JVC CD4-50
3. Technics SH-400 Lou’s baby, Marantz CD400 and CD400B
2, Lesser Technics units (model #’s escape me right now), Pioneer, JVC, Panasonic and
others. There are some different models made by some of these makers, the owners of
those units can debate where they should fall in the order.
CD-4 Turntables
Well some of you know that I am in the dedicated CD-4 gear camp, meaning low capacitance wiring. Servo or quartz drive is probably better than belt drive. Straight or curved tone arm can be debated. Dual and Sansui had quite a few models.
I don’t know of any Linear tracking tables with low capacitance wiring.
CD-4 Carts
Again I’m in the dedicated gear camp, 100k ohm, high frequency carts with Shibata type styli are what the demodulators are made to work on, this just can’t be argued away!
The AudioTechnica AT20 SLA should head the list followed by the AT 15 and 14 (JVC-4MD20) AT 12. All JVC CD-4 carts were badged AT carts.
Stanton and Pickering also made some good carts that I have played with.
I’m sure there are others that can be added here.
Q-8 decks
1. Akai CR-80D-SS because it will play any thing, built like tanks
2. Technics RS858-US (blue meter), Best looks and output controls for each channel But
they have trouble with some carts. Some think it sounds better than the Akai, I
wouldn’t know since I have never owned an Akai.
3. Technics green meter. Sounds as good as the blue meter but doesn’t hold carts as well.
4. Don’t know much about the rest. Owners of the less used Q8 decks chime in!
Q-4
I’m not going to put an order to this as there could be as much debate as there is for CD-4. Some would say the Akai’s like the GX-400, GX-630, GX-280 are great due to the glass heads. The Teac’s are very popular and built like tanks Tascam 34B , Teac A-3440, A-3340S and the A-2340R. I have a Sansui QD5500 and a Sansui QD5050.There are many others that are good. Any three head or better deck should do well!
I am not commenting on the sound of your gear. You may love the sound of the preamp/amps in your quad system, I am just talking about the ability to obtain the highest level of surround separation and sound quality from your multi channel sources.
Ok so now your headed down the well traveled road but there are still bumps! This stuff is nearly 40 years old and most of it needs to be restored but the $ you saved from not buying the wrong quad gear can go towards pursuing and fixing the good stuff. I prefer well functioning Legacy gear with caps and wires and the warm dynamic sound that comes with them to modern “neutral” IC driven multi channel equipment of today!
Quad gear I have owned over the years includes Marantz, Kenwood, Technics, Sony, Panasonic, JVC, Fosgate, Technics, DBX, Pioneer, Oppo, Outlaw and of course SANSUI!
Comments, additions and corrections welcome!
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