INVOLVE - Y4 surround sound system reviews

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chucky3042

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Dear All

Finally we have supplied our first Y4 surround sound system - to one of our indiegogo campaign customers (I admit it he is the father of our Product designer Chris).

As you will know we are now nearly ready to supply, the only thing holding things ip is the styrofoam shock absorbing fillers in the packaging. We Supplied this customer unboxed as he lives in Melbourne Australia.

He kindly sent me a quick review tonight and I asked for permission to publish. Here goes:

Y4 WOOHOO!

G’day Charlie,

We’ve had the privilege of having the first Y4 set up at home.
Yesterday I had a Dark Side of The Moon session and WOOHOO it is amazing! The clarity, hearing sounds I’d vaguely heard clearly for the first time in literally decades of listening, the sweet spot anywhere in our lounge, the surround depth was/ is inspiring, moving and wonderful. I’m here with Chris listening to Dave Brubeck and again the clarity and depth is moving. Thanks for your creativity and persistence to bring the Y4 into being. I encourage you and the team to get it out there for more people to enjoy. Please pass on my thanks and congratulations to the whole team.

Peace, Robert Coller



I note he made mention of our SST (Sweet Spot Technology) that eliminates the sweet spot in the room even with electrostatic speakers - IT WORKS!! Gotta say I still prefer its original name "Total Perspective" as it maintains a consistant sound stage perspective from all points in the room. What would I know.

Regards

Chucky
 

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Here is a review from Rustyandi, moved from general discussion. Only correction is the amplifiers are 68 Watts per channel:

First of this unit was developed for converting Stereo into Surround
Although it has a Involve (QS) decoder in it
And is the best decoder for QS encode records and CDs
When I first talked to Charlie I asked did he want me to mention that it is a QS Quadraphonic Decoder
As the word Quad was a dirty word
He said go ahead
I have played all my Stereo LPs/CDs/Radio with my QS1 then QSD1 And now Involve since about 1971
So Stereo Surround is not new to me

The Y4 Amp. as you may have seen pictures of it
Not a large unit but has a lot of weight to it
There is 10 channels at 58 RMS per channel
2 channels per speaker plus 2 channels for Sub.
The Speakers are small and would fit into the Décor of many homes
Without too much interference from The little woman

A fellow audio friend and I had a demonstration at Involve HQ.
There was a 5 inch Subwoofer also set up with it
As you may know each of the speakers has 2 power amps.to it each at a different time delay
To give a sweet spot anywhere within the surround field
And to ears it does a very good job
The sound is very clean and clear and if you want volume you can have it
Also the Sub. Has a very good thump and there is a bigger one if you want more
The music we played like anyone who has a Involve or a QS decoder
Depends on the phasing on the disc but just about any music will be enhanced
It may Surround you or give a depth of field
Just the thing for anyone to start moving past Stereo
 
Hi All

Forgot about this review we got a month ago from an old friend I worked with 38 years ago....Ray Wright

"I managed to get all the components home safely and checked it was all there - Paul did a good job. The first few days were spent shifting the speaker positions around trying to figure out the most suitable arrangement for the room - bits of furniture everywhere. Once that was fairly settled, all the speaker cables were connected and the system powered up. I have been playing CDs with different types of music - Irish with a big drum- James Last big band- live concerts with pianos and guitars- classical including a choir, solo instrumentals and of course the 1812 overture which rattled the windows with cannons. The only DVD played so far was, Brassed Off, which centres on a brass band at the time your good friend Maggie Thatcher closed the coal mines.

All came up with excellent presence and on many occasions, there were noises not heard before. The piano and guitar sounded like they were in the room and the live clapping seemed to move around the room - even had someone yell out over me shoulder. Sounds from the orchestra and bands made it feel as though I was sitting inside the group. I think it has taken some time to understand just what the system can do and fully appreciate it - had a real work out at the weekend.

The electrostatics give the occasional pop and one started to hum (think it was the French Marsailles!) but a careful clean with a hand held vac has solved that. I guess the high voltage attracts dust, similar to a TV screen."
 
Dear All Ray wrote the below supplemental review now having lived with the system for a month or so.............................

This is a revised version of an email sent to Chuck on 10 July which may be used as a review if you so wish - selected parts or whole.

Having recently purchased the Involve Y4-1 system I was interested to see how well it performed. The first few days were spent shifting the speaker positions around trying to figure out the most suitable arrangement for the room. Once that was fairly settled, all the speaker cables were connected, which proved to be relatively straight forward, and the system powered up. I have been playing CDs with different types of music, including - Irish, James Last big band, live concerts with pianos and guitars- classical including a choir, solo instrumentals and of course the 1812 overture. A couple of DVDs have also been viewed - one involving brass bands - the other a documentary on the Battle of Britain.

All the music came with excellent presence and on many occasions, sounds appeared which had not been apparent before. The piano and guitar sounded like they were in the room and the clapping from a live audience seemed to move around the room - even had someone yell out over my left shoulder. Sounds from the orchestra and bands made it feel as though I was sitting inside the group. The Battle of Britain documentary centred mainly around the Spitfire - the sound of a Merlin engine moving between speakers, then a small period recorded from the cockpit where the chop of the propeller could be clearly heard, was most impressive.

I think it has taken some time to fully appreciate what the system can do, but well worth it.

Yours mostly sincerely,


Fred Nurck

(A customer)
 
Today I had the pleasure of visiting Charlie (chuky3042) and listening to some of what is working on. (Please note that I am not technically minded and consequently not a great contributor to this site, but I have kept checking on the happenings through the years. The reason being, is that I have very much liked the Involve technology and I listen to it in stereo mode. I have pair of Nakamichi Dragon electrostatic speakers developed by these guys and use HD downloads through a DAC. The Involve technology brings out a level of detail and a central feel of the musicians which has always made it a must use. I also have been amazed by the lack of true negative feedbacks from this site, it is the opposite, the feedbacks are always very positive and supportive.)
Charlie showed me around, introduced me to the staff and Dave (Overture), we also had a look at the factory downstairs including all the Y4 packaging which apparently arrived.
I listened Suzanne Ciani’s Live Quadraphonic in Dave’s office sitting at his desk. I like classical music and did not know too much how this piece of music should sound. After listening, I unquestionably thoroughly enjoyed the play around between the speakers with clarity and specially the atmospheric nature of the music. This listening experience was something incomparable. I certainly felt in a completely different and far superior space.
We proceeded to listen to the Y4 with a CD player attached. We listened to Pink Floyd’s Money and another piece of rock music played in a pub. I like Pink Floyd. The Y4 are real, they pushed the music with strength, accuracy and even greater depth and presence as a I tried to describe above. With the piece of rock, you could really feel being in the pub with the voices from the crowd around you. I also moved around the room and the listening experience was excellent (no fixation on the sweet spot). It all got me thinking. My current set up works well for chamber music, but could it be better and what about the concert hall feel, how much could it be improved?
I can see the Y4 are certainly adding a new dimension to music listening, especially when one can use existing recordings and transform them for such a greater experience.
 
Dear All

The Y4 system will be on Public show at the International HiFi show Melbourne at:

Pullman Mercure Hotel
65 Queens Road
Albert Park
Melbourne, VIC 3004
Australia

We are in room 1203 starting Friday 12/ 10/ 2018 finishing Sunday

I will be there in Saturday, Dave (Overture) on Sunday

Hope to see some surround nuts there as it really is a Stereo show.

Regards

Chucky
 
Dear All

The Y4 system will be on Public show at the International HiFi show Melbourne at:

Pullman Mercure Hotel
65 Queens Road
Albert Park
Melbourne, VIC 3004
Australia

We are in room 1203 starting Friday 12/ 10/ 2018 finishing Sunday

I will be there in Saturday, Dave (Overture) on Sunday

Hope to see some surround nuts there as it really is a Stereo show.

Regards

Chucky

Would love to join you - unfortunately I'm on the opposite side of the planet!
 
Would love to join you - unfortunately I'm on the opposite side of the planet!

Also stranded so far away from the action over here on the other side of planet earth.

I wish you were going to exhibit at the New York Audio Show in the Park Lane Hotel, going on 9-11 November 2018.
I just got an email from them stating that there are still rooms and booth spaces available.
 
What's wrong with you guys, to lazy to take a short row across the drink to visit lil ol me in Melbourne!

OK, I will be at the NAM show in Los Angeles in January in a combined stand with Sound Hush, you poms will just have to take a short flight across the USA to get there
 
Hi gang

We scored the "best innovation " prize at the stereonet international hifi show 2018. This site is VERY stereo - so I am happy to get the award!

View attachment 36071

Shown in the picture is our Y4 quad surround system and the "lovely" Paul Johns or master of marketing.

Regards

Chucky
Congratulations!
 
Hi gang

We scored the "best innovation " prize at the stereonet international hifi show 2018. This site is VERY stereo - so I am happy to get the award!

View attachment 36071

Shown in the picture is our Y4 quad surround system and the "lovely" Paul Johns or master of marketing.

Regards

Chucky

And very well deserved.

Exciting to see such recognition going where it makes so much sense.
I remember being surprised reading that the term stereo is from the Greek word for solid. So I guess in HiFi it doesn't mean two channels, but to render what is flat into something with depth and substance, so this award actually is appropriate too!
 
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