QRX 5500

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Marcsten

500 Club - QQ All-Star
Since 2002/2003
Joined
Sep 24, 2002
Messages
585
Location
Seattle
I saw a Sansui QRX 5500 on ebay the other day, adn I can't remember if this unit was a Vario-Matrix unit or not. I seem to recall that only the QRX receivers had this, but now I can't recall if the XX00s did or only the Xoo1s. Anyone remember?
Marc
 
I bought a QRX-6500 a few months back, and I was under the impression that it does have the Variomatrix decoder ... a "version A" versus the "version B" in the x001 models. Is this not correct. I seem to recall a reference to the variomatrix circuitry in the manual, but I recently moved and I can't find it right now. In practical terms though, it does a much better job with QS LPs and rechannelled stereo sources than my QS-1 does.

While we are on the topic of QS, I also recently acquired a Rocktron 5.2.5 Circle Surround decoder that does a great job with QS sources as well as stereo CDs ... especially remastered ones. My thoughts are that the Dolby Labs machine has cloned the CS format for PL II, but that is just a guess. The similarities are quite compelling when you think of it though.

If anyone can tell me exactly what QS decoder is in my QRX-6500 I would be greatly appreciated. Also, what is the best Tate setting for QS?

Thanks, Mike.
 
The consensus seems to be as you describe - better than a simple qs decoder but not approaching the "big boy" vario matrix.
I have a Space and Image Composer, and I had been told by one of the enfineers at Audionics back when named Steve Kennedy that the correct setting was about 1:00 on the Stereo Enhance. I recently got a qs test record, and discovered that the best position is about 11:00. Its still not right, and things are slightly shifted in positions, but its fairly close.
Marc
 
I RUN A QRX 5500 IN MY BEDROOM SYSTEM AND IT IS A TRANSISTION VERSION OF THE VARIOMATRIX SYSTEM.ITS' NOT THE DISCRETE VARIOMATRIX OF THE QRX 6500/QRX4500 NOR IS IT THE ALL IC VERSION OF THE QRX 001 SERIES OF RECEIVERS! IT AND THE QRX 3500 ARE A HYBRID OF SORTS USING BOTH DISCRETE AND SOME OF THE ICS' THAT LATER WENT INTO THE QRX?OO1 SERIES OF RECEIVERS,DECODERS AND INTEGRATED AMPS. NOW THIS WAS NOT THE IDEAL SITUATION FOR IF YOU GOT A UNSTABLE INPUT, I.E. A MISALIGNED HEAD ON A TAPE DECK,OR CARTRIDGE ON A TURNTABLE,THE QS SURROUND SETTING WOULD GIVE YOU A PUMPING KIND OF SOUND IN THE REAR CHANNELS AND THE BALANCE WOULD TEND TO BE MORE REAR DOMINATED AS SHOWN ON THE HANDY VU METERS ON THIS MODEL!THESE VU METERS ARE NOT PWR METERS LIKE MOST OTHER QUAD EQUIPMENT,THEY COME OFF THE BACKSIDE OF THE DECODER AND IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU SET THE LEVEL SET CONTROL SO THAT THESE DO NOT PIN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME. I HAD A FRIEND WHO HAD ONE FROM NEW,AND ONE WILD PARTY WITH THESE PINNED TOO LONG TOOK OUT THE DECODER!!LUCKY FOR HIM THIS WAS 1975 AND WARRANTY COVERED HIM FOR A NEW BOARD.
 
So Quadnuts the 3500 and 5500 you referred to are "A" models? As far as I have been able to determine the 7500 and the QRX-?500"A" models are the 2 ic hybred models.

To complete the list from above.
QRX-4001, 5001, 6001, 7001, 8001, 9001, 777 and 999, D-1 and D-2 are the 3 ic units

Dave
 
HMM...DAVE I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A QRX4001?BUT YEAH,THE REST WERE BUILT AROUND THE ALL IC VERSION,OR WHAT SANSUI CALLED THE "NEW TYPE A CIRCUITRY" BILL:)
 
All caps is hard to read, especially us old guys whose vision works about as well as 35 yeard old caps on a decoder board!!!!!!
 
Last night I had to catch up on all the message posts in the last 3 weeks since I've been away on business travel. As you may have read, I didn't think there was much difference between SQ and QS until I posted my “Okay Convince Me…” message in the Matrix LP section of this site. But after reading this thread, I got very intrigued about QS that I revisited and read VERY CAREFULLY 8o Tab’s and Quad Bob’s discussions and anything else I could find on QRX 7001, 8001 and 9001 and the Vario-Matrix decoder.

I think Tab has one of these and either Quad Bob or somebody else has at least 20 of them. That person said that in his opinion these models were the best quad receivers, bar none. They were built like a tank. Okay, on expert advice, I HAD TO HAVE ONE!

Afterwards I was focused and determined, as many of you guys have been, to find that yet another elusive quad component, in this case a QRX 7001, 8001 or 9001, not caring which one I found since I just wanted it for its Vario-Matrix decoder.

When I finished work this afternoon, I decided to make some rounds of local thrift stores, pawn shops and a nearby record store (where I found Jim Croce’s Greatest Hits CD-4 album for $8 in darn good condition) to scope for anything “Quad”.

The second pawn shop I entered had all your prerequisite used cheapo TVs, DVD and CD players and other crap-o-la stuff. This store was a mess. Well after looking around I started to go out the door and the sales guy asked me what I was looking for and I said without expecting him to understand what it was “Oh just some 70s quad stuff”. “Oh,” he said “did you see this thing over here?” Then he moved this thrashed tall planar speaker aside and after he did I recognized a Sansui-looking receiver sitting behind it. After approaching it I noticed it was a QXR-7001. OH HAPPY DAY! They wanted $100 for it. YES!

It was very dusty, but nothing soap and water couldn’t clean up. No noticeable scratches, just lightly worn silver paint around the faceplate. What was good was that all the lights and knobs were in tact and worked. Then the salesman looked for two unmatched cheapo speakers because he said I just had to hear the bass output of this thing. He connected the speakers to the speaker terminals and another couple of speaker wires to the FM posts in the back to simulate an FM antenna and turned it back on. NO SOUND. We clicked and turned all the knobs and buttons and still no sound. Then I asked if we could connect a CD player to it or something to see if that worked. But he insisted that I wouldn’t be interested if the FM or AM radio didn’t work. Disappointed I asked how much they wanted for a non-working unit knowing that I may have to send it to a repairman with mega bucks. They said that I could have it for $50 so I took it.

I took it home. This thing weighs more than my car! It cleaned up pretty nice. I connected a couple of speakers and a CD player with a SQ-encoded CD in it. VIOLA, this wonderful sound came out! I connected a real FM antenna, and VIOLA, FM stations. So what is that horizontal pole in the back for?? If it isn’t a FM antenna, what is it?

I haven’t really done real testing but QS, SQ seem to work (and wasn't surprised that its SQ didn't work quite as nice as my Tate II). All four channels worked perfectly too. I haven’t connected a turntable to test CD-4 yet, but I think I may like my Marantz 400B better. This weekend I plan to give it a workout.

I think I had a pretty good day.:rollin:
 
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