Help to set up Quad systems with QSD-1?

[convitcon]

Dear all quadrophiles

Firstly, I am sorry for my Poor English, I have tried to find informations concerning the setting up a Quad system in this forum but didn't found yet
You are kindly requested to help me, I've got a Sansui QSD-1 from my uncle but I have no experiences with Quad, and there are not any Quad fans in my country - Vietnam. I would be appreciated if you could help to set up a Quad system
Hereunder is my recent system, and if there are something i should get to build Quad, please tell me

Digital: Arcam Transport Delta 170 and Blackbox Dac
DVD: Quinsheng - China (not used for months)
Pre-amp: Yamaha C-2
Power: Yamaha B-3 V-fet
Speakers: Yamaha NS-1000 Monitor
Unused: Arcam DAB DT-81 and Sansui QSD-1

Looking forward to hearing from you soon

Warm Regards,

Convitcon - "Small Duck" in Vietnamese

 

[jaybird100]

To begin with, you need four amplifier channels. Two stereo power amps can do the job. You also need four speakers, preferably four that are exactly alike. You can use the output of your preamp into the QSD-1, and feed the four channel outputs from the QSD-1 to the power amps, so that one amp is running your front speakers, and the other is running the back ones. If the power amps have gain controls, use them to balance front to back. If they don't, what comes out of the QSD-1 should be good. Keep the bass and treble controls of your preamp (if it has them) at the flat (middle) position. You can use the volume control on the preamp to adjust the system volume. Set the volume control on the QSD-1 to about 3/4 of the way up and leave it there. This way, if your preamp has a remote control, you can still adjust volume with it.
If you can't find any QS encoded recordings in Vietnam, you will find the decoder can do a great job of creating surround from stereo recordings. It can also do a great job with Dolby Surround material as well.

 

[jaybird100]

One more thing... be sure you connect all of the speakers "in phase"; that is, from the amps to the speakers, positive to positive, negative to negative. If the speakers are out of phase, you won't actually damage anything, but it won't sound right. Easy way to do it: before connecting the QSD-1, connect the left output from your preamp into the left input of the front amp, and the right output to the left input of the back amp. Play something in mono, if you can. When the amplifiers are balanced, the sound should seem to be coming from a point in the middle between them. If it sounds diffuse and difficult to localize, reverse the wires on only one of the speakers. Then try the test again. Then repeat the same process on the other side. Once you have all speakers in phase, connect the QSD-1 and have fun.

 

[convitcon]

If you can't find any QS encoded recordings in Vietnam, you will find the decoder can do a great job of creating surround from stereo recordings. It can also do a great job with Dolby Surround material as well.

Thank you very much, it is very helpful with me, I are trying and have got another Poweramp, it is Pioneer M-22 pure class A, I may get an bookshelf named Audiodome - Germany made at the end of this week for the back, Otherwise, I can get a very nice masterpiece - Sansui QSD-1000 but just wonder as I can not finance it now, do you think it is expensive to purchase it at about US$1000, hereunder are its pictures

 

[jaybird100]

If the QSD-1000 is in mint condition, the price is reasonable. If not, stick with your QSD-1. I don't think there's much of a difference in performance between the two. I do know you'll enjoy the sound immersion that only surround sound can give you. Let me know how you fare out.

 

[Cai Campbell]

The QSD-1 is a tri-band unit while the QSD1000 is a single-band unit. However, the QSD1000 used premium parts. I've never heard a QSD1000 but people in the know say it compares favorably with a QSD-1. Presumably, a QSD-1 with premium capacitors would edge out the QSD1000.

 

[JonUrban]

QSD-1000's sure look pretty though!

 

[jaybird100]

Just curious, Cai, have you ever tried decoding QS via a Dolby ProLogic II decoder? I was amazed at how much separation there was, and how accurate the localizations were. Apparently the matrix processing is very similar.

 

[Cai Campbell]

Just curious, Cai, have you ever tried decoding QS via a Dolby ProLogic II decoder? I was amazed at how much separation there was, and how accurate the localizations were. Apparently the matrix processing is very similar.

Yep, DPLII decodes QS pretty near spot-on, as far as I can tell. You have to "dial in" the settings for optimal decoding. This thread talks some about this.