Marantz 4100 Quadrial question.

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NYMo

NYMo

Senior Member
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Joined
Feb 17, 2021
Messages
290
Location
Queensland Australia
Hi there...new to this hardware.
Is it possible to play a stereo source and it will come out of the four speakers out and be seen in the metering as four channel?
( it doesn't have the demodulator)
Is it just a matter of pushing the vari-matrix selector or how is it achieved ?
What does the dimension control do ?
( don't have it physically here and users manual impossible to find !)
Cheers
 
Last edited:
NYMo said:
Hi there...new to this hardware.
Is it possible to play a stereo source and it will come out of the four speakers out and be seen in the metering as four channel?
( it doesn't have the demodulator)
Is it just a matter of pushing the vari-matrix selector or how is it achieved ?
What does the dimension control do ?
( don't have it physically here and users manual impossible to find !)
Cheers
Click to expand...
Yes push the vari-matrix button to get sound from all four speakers. The vari matrix in the Marantz is a simple decoder like Dyna-Quad the effect is adjustable via the Dimension control.

I don't see a copy of the manual available online but you could look at other similar models for information.

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/marantz/4140.shtml
 
Last edited:
NYMo, you don't need a special cartridge or stylus for SQ (or synthesized quad, vari-matrix or others). Only CD-4 needs the special cartridge and stylus. Watch Ebay for the SQA-1 and SQA-2 plug-in decoders, but be aware that they sometimes are pricey due to their rarity. Neither of those decoders are especially good at SQ decoding. A cheaper way to go would be to add a Lafayette SQ-W or SQ-L to your system with the Marantz. The W is a better decoder, the L about the same as the Marantz decoders, plus with either the W or L you would gain two more methods of creating synthesized quad from stereo with their Composer A & B circuits.
 
Thanks Wagonmaster_9 ....you've set me on the right path !
I was originally thinking about Cd4, but now I think I'll go SQ.
I have a few albums in the collection, so once I get the Layfayette W, I'll start experimenting.
Going through the Columbia quad albums I noticed that Santana Lotus CD has SQ embedded, so there
are cd's as well !
 
NYMo; i too have a Marantz 4100 with 2 - that's right - 2 SQA 2 decoders, $125 plus shipping. I suggest the Santana, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and 10 Years After albums in SQ all have real good sonics
 
NYMo said:
Thanx par4ken...is it possible to find the plug in demodulator for it or they just don't exist anymore ?
Cheers
Click to expand...
You often see Marantz SQ decoders for sale on eBay but they are quite expensive. I agree with the other posters that they are not very good, they are high priced because of the Marantz name. Marantz also made a standalone CD-4 demodulator. I have the CD-400B it works well.

Years ago I purchased an SQA-2B decoder from electronics surplus dealer Etco. I didn't have a Marantz Receiver at the time but was able to hook power to it to give it a try. I felt that the Heathkit board that I was using at the time worked better. The Heathkit decoder had vari-blend the Marantz does not. The Heathkit used the Motorola IC's The Marantz used the Sony ones.

Years latter a friend gave me a Marantz 4230 with a blown output channel. I repaired the amplifier and used it for a bit in my bedroom, after installing the SQA-2B of course. When I have the time I'll pull it out of the shed and re-cap it. Marantz Receivers certainly have "curb appeal"!
 
par4ken said:
You often see Marantz SQ decoders for sale on eBay but they are quite expensive. I agree with the other posters that they are not very good, they are high priced because of the Marantz name. Marantz also made a standalone CD-4 demodulator. I have the CD-400B it works well.

Years ago I purchased an SQA-2B decoder from electronics surplus dealer Etco. I didn't have a Marantz Receiver at the time but was able to hook power to it to give it a try. I felt that the Heathkit board that I was using at the time worked better. The Heathkit decoder had vari-blend the Marantz does not. The Heathkit used the Motorola IC's The Marantz used the Sony ones.

Years latter a friend gave me a Marantz 4230 with a blown output channel. I repaired the amplifier and used it for a bit in my bedroom, after installing the SQA-2B of course. When I have the time I'll pull it out of the shed and re-cap it. Marantz Receivers certainly have "curb appeal"!
Click to expand...
What is the difference between the SQA-2 and the B version?
 
Correction, I have the SQA-2 which uses the Sony chips. The SQA-2B uses the Motorola chips for the logic control but retains the Sony decoder chip!

Also the SQA-1 has front to back logic only.
 
A day of disappointment....
Well, it arrived today and I just set it up for testing and dragged some of the spare gear in ( Jbl 4311b for the fronts and a pair of custom Vifa transmission lines for the rear) plugged my Oppo 95 into the aux input.
Music appeared....went to fiddle with the front rear balance but the slider was really dirty and so was the volume control ( there is a lot of gain...I'm running it on 2/10 )
Changed volume and left front dropped out and other misdemeanours...balanced rear dropped out etc.
Wrote to the guy on EBay bout the condition ( spent 20 minutes doing that ) then took the pause off the Oppo to take a video of the problems to send to the guy....No Sound at all ! Lights on ..nobodies home !
Tried turning it off, unplugging it and then waited 10 minutes...lights on ..still no sound....changed inputs ( from aux to tuner) still nothing . Swapped to another CD player ..still nothing.
There is now no noise whatsoever ( main/ remote speakers checked, tape monitor not on etc it's easy to get around this thing )
But no amp noise, meters aren't reading any input...it's like the pre and power amps have stopped working.
I'm going to leave it off for a couple of hours to see if it's heat related ( it's winter here)
Anyone have any ideas ? I'm not technically minded at all but can operate a screw driver !
These things are pretty rare in Australia, so I really don't want to send it back unless I must.
Wish the guy on Ebay had told me about the scratchy pots and faders..I may not have bought it.
Grrrrr
 
Scratchy pots & faders are the easiest thing to fix/clean. Grab that screwdriver & a can of Deoxit & have at it.

But no sound at all is pretty scary. Cleaning the pots won't fix that! Good luck & keep us informed as this goes along.
 
Bummer! Here's a possibility: You stated the pots are scratchy, so the contacts on the switches and mode selectors probably are, too. They also could all probably use a squirt of contact cleaner. Try working all the buttons - on & off - and selector switches - back & forth through their settings.
Worth a try. Good luck.
 
I recall a tutorial on dis-assembling and cleaning the push button switches on those '70s silver face Marantz units over on audiokarma.org
I cleaned the switches on a 2240B I have and it did help restore functionality. Be careful of the springs inside the switches though.
 
bill114 said:
I'm sure everyone would like to see pics of the amp in question...:geek:
Click to expand...
It's already in the gear junk room where nothing ever comes out !
( there are reasons I can't get repairs where I live and personal reasons as well )
I just had the transformer of an Aronov L 960i valve amp die this week too...hasn't been a good gear week !
20C368FE-2E71-446E-ABB3-BCAF199D8AA1.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Sorry you're not getting any sound. Hope you get it resolved. I have a 4100 as my main amp. Had it serviced by Chris Ready and it's rock solid. The SQA-2 card in Varimatrix mode is interesting, a lot of pumping, I generally prefer the smoother sound of my Sansui QSD-2. If you get it going, and outboard decoder through a tape loop is a good idea,
 
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