Category Archives Quadraphonic

1973 AKAI AS-980 – High End Quadraphonic Receiver

March 3, 2015 · admin

Original 1973 MSRP $USD > $830.00
Inflation Adjusted 2015 MSRP $USD > $4,400.00

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Akai’s 1973 product catalogue is one of my favourites. It’s exuberant, colourful and full of beautifully designed and crafted audio gear. This is, of course, one of those pieces…

The AS-980 is Akai’s top-of-the-line Quad-Monster Receiver for 1973 through 1975. I decided to introduce the term Quad-Monster to differentiate these beasts from the top-end Receivers of the Receiver Wars while still awarding them the title of Monster. Why? Most of the high-end Quadraphonic Receivers are typically physically impressive Beasts that possess huge dimensions needed to house the four separate amplifiers required. And the AS-980 is no exception, being the widest Receiver I have seen to date enter my collection it measures 66cm or 26″ wide – this is a full 10cm wider than my Pioneer SX-1980 Stereo Monster Receiver in my collection! I placed a coke can into some of the above shots to better enable the viewer to appreciate the dimensions of this Beastie!

I love the early 1970’s adverts for HiFi gear. They are playful, sometimes naughty, and free from Orwellian Newspeak otherwise known as Political Correctness.

The early 1970s saw the major manufacturers embrace 4-channel Quadraphonic sound seeing it as the next big thing. Decades before Dolby Digital Surround was introduced Quadraphonic sound saw a battlefield full of formats and the consumers of the time must have been a little bewildered and confused about just which quadraphonic format to choose. Akai’s solution to this quandary – pun intended – was to pack their high-end Receiver with every Quadraphonic Decoder available!

As such the sheer size of the unit was also necessary to house all the controls and displays necessary for both stereo sound reproduction and the quadraphonic settings.

You might think that you would need a Pilot’s license to operate this Beast, so I thought it might be fun to take a journey across the fascia. Moving from left to right the controls for mains power, speaker selection and the 2-channel or 4-channel mode selector. This Receiver accommodates up to 3 pairs of speakers allowing you to select a 2 pair combination for playback at any time. And in Quadraphonic this actually translates into 6 pairs of speakers in total with up to 4 pairs of speakers operating at any one time. So this amplifier while operating in a Quadraphonic mode could have 8 speakers pumping at once!

Akai’s Flagship Quadraphonic Receiver the AS-980 paired with their top-end Quad Reel-to-Reel

The 2/4 channel mode selector switch is such a great feature because many other manufacturers placed these on the BACK of their Receivers and Amplifiers, and some even involved changing or rotating a plug that needed the use of a screwdriver! On this side of the display are the dual tuner controls representing tuning and signal strength. The next section incorporates independent Bass, Treble and Left and Right Balance controls for the Front and Rear channels. It also features independent Loudness controls for each of these channels, this is the only model I have come across to have this feature! Next to this is a linear potentiator for controlling Front and Rear Balance.

The centre of the fascia is dominated by two large and important looking knobs that are for Main Volume, Balance and Tuning. One unique feature is a Volume Limiter device placed around the volume knob. I’ve never come across this anywhere else to date! It surrounds the volume knob and allows you to rotate it to set a desired maximum limit, the device will stop the volume knob from rotating beyond it without a fair bit of effort. A great idea to protect the unit from kid and teenager abuse

Around these are placed some push button controls for Muting and High and Low Filters and a DIN plug for an external remote control, the Akai RC-4. I have been looking around for this remote, will let you know if I come across it. Directly above this the display features and attractive blue-lit tuner dial and illuminated pointer.

The next section offers two dials. One gives the user a generous selection of inputs or music sources to choose from, including my favourite being two turntable inputs, as well as a MIC and an AUX option. Below this is a 4-channel mode selector offering options for Mono, Stereo, Discreet, SQ and Matrix. Right next to this is the CD-4 decoder controls. Again Akai was on the ball and thoughtfully placed the CD-4 separation controls on the Front Panel (many other manufacturers would place these on the rear of their units).

Situated directly above the CD-4 controls is an FM Muting push button and Meter Level Controls to ensure no matter what volume you are listening to your music the VU meters are satisfyingly dancing away. The 4 VU Meters are on display directly above this. If your listening in 2 Channel – only 2 VU meters are lit up and on display, while in 4 channel modes all 4 light up Next to these is also the attractive 4 channel mode light to let you know that the amplifier is operating in 4-Channel mode.

Finally we complete our journey and have finally reached the far right of the fascia where we discover the selectors for 3 Tape Monitors giving you even more input sources with output as well. Perfect for connecting into your PC or Mac. And a front panel MIC and DUBBING inputs. And lastly but a very important feature that should not be overlooked is that this unit came with a multi-voltage selector, meaning you can take this unit with you wherever you wish to travel and with a small adjustment you can operate it on any power-grid around the world!

All up that’s a heck of a lot of features! BTW the Exam will be held at 08:00 hours sharp tomorrow. So now that you have your Pilot’s license let’s take a look at whats under the hood…

This beauty is jam packed full of amplifiers, decoder and equaliser boards, every square inch of space has been fully utilised here. Everything is built upon its own separate board.

The amplifiers consists of a direct-connected pre-amplifier and a double-push-pull Darlington configured SEPP-ITL-OTL Power Amplifier. In stereo mode this setup produces 50 Watts RMS per channel at 8 ohms while in Quadraphonic Mode it generates 32 Watts RMS per channel at 8 ohms.

This unit is powered by a dual +/- power supply consisting of a large laminate-core transformer. In this configuration only a single large smoothing capacitor is directly integrated to the power supply circuit while other smoothing capacitors are built into the power amplifier boards directly.

An advert for a complete Akai Quadraphonic System with a debonair Bond like character with a martini. If only I’d known sooner that the secret to success with women was a 4 Channel Akai HiFi! Or perhaps this advert is trying to say that listening to an Akai 4-Channel system feels like the warm embrace of 4 lovely ladies?

It is finished with a genuine wood veneer case and dark brushed aluminium fascia and all up weighs an hefty 20.5kg!

What doesn’t translate with the technical specs is it’s sound. Warm, silky and detailed sound with heaps of low end is what you can expect from this Receiver. You will want a large room to play this Monster in so you can enjoy it in it’s full glory.

It’s decoders are excellent and you can achieve brilliant channel separation in it’s various Quadraphonic modes. Many quad amps suffer from lack of power, but not this bad boy, it is the second most powerful Quadraphonic amplifier in my collection, and I am almost certain this was the most powerful quadraphonic Receiver in 1973.

Mine admittedly get’s most use in Stereo playback, but with just a flick of a switch it’s ready to play quadraphonic! This unit would also be fun to setup for 4-track recording either to digital or reel-to-reel.

It is seriously is one of my favourite Receivers (for both Quad & Stereo) for it’s unique styling and sheer size and I just love its character, warmth and power and I currently prefer it over any Sansui I have auditioned to date! I am currently restoring Pioneer’s King Quad the QX-949A, when I am finished I am looking forward to running these two head-to-head!

Specifications:

Power Output:
2-Channel Mode: 50 Watts (x2) Continuous Power Output @ 8 ohms.
4-Channel Mode: 30 Watts (x4) Continuous Power Output @ 8 ohms.
Frequency Response: 10Hz – 60kHz at 8 ohms (-3dB)
Harmonic Distortion: 0.5% at Rated Power Output, 0.05% at 20 Watts
Input sensitivity: 3mV (mic), 3mV (MM), 170mV (DIN), 170mV (line)
Signal to noise ratio: 35dB (mic), 35dB (MM), 40dB (DIN), 35dB (line)
Output: 170mV (line), 34mV (DIN)
Dimensions: 650 x 168 x 426mm / 25.6 x 6.6 x 16.8″ / (W) x (H) x (D)
Weight: 20.5kg / 45.1 lbs

The NAD Model 300 – Early NAD Glam!

January 10, 2014 · admin

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Original RRP (1975 USD): $995.00
Inflation Adjusted RRP (USD): $4,308.00

NAD Electronics (New Acoustic Dimensions) is a world renowned audiophile brand originally founded by Dr. Martin L. Borish in England and is now headquartered in Ontario Canada. NAD focuses on the concept of “effective power” and its amplifiers have been known for delivering generous headroom, meaning that they can deliver dynamic power bursts far in excess of their rated RMS power. NAD’s core philosophy is to only incorporate genuinely useful features for aesthetically understated designs, but this wasn’t always the case…

NAD Brochure2 In the 1970s NAD produced some stunningly designed audio components that had flare, elegance and style, none of which could by any stretch of the imagination be considered understated. The Model 300 is one of NAD’s original creations. This was their top-of-the-line monster receiver produced between 1975 and 1978, an aesthetically and acoustically stunning unit it featured a beautifully brushed aluminium display featuring a brilliant blue tuner dial with a red illuminated indicator and an impressive battery of buttons, switches and knobs, the chassis is well built and weighs a solid 22kg.

m300-insides-SM An historic piece this unit was positioned at the pinnacle of NAD’s very first product line. Developed by Bjorn Erik Edvardsen under the founder Dr. Martin L. Borish the Model 300 was manufactured by Foster
Electric in Japan using only the finest available components.

Looking under the hood of this unit you can tell that some serious love went into the design. Everything is well laid out and it appears obvious that no expense was spared. The entire front section containing the AM/FM receiver and separate Dolby module has been shielded.

m300-powersupply-SM The next thing that hits you is the size of the power supply. The transformer is generously sized and is accompanied by two large 18,000uf filter capacitors. For instance the 1978 Marantz Model 2600 boasting 300 Watts RMS per channel output was being powered with less capacitance than the Model 300! I guess this is what NAD is talking about when they say “effective power”. It’s great to see a company taking their mission statement seriously! The sound is rich, abundant and detailed with a velvet feel backed by effortless power, it the rare kind of sound that you can ‘hear’ with your heart. One of my audiophile friends could not hide his disbelief at hearing this unit perform, his jaw dropped and his mouth remained open for quite some time!!

Aside from seriously excellent sound the unit is packed with features. Firstly this is the first unit I have come across with a built in Dolby processor which can be applied to both FM and an input device such as a tape deck.

Furthermore this is also a Quadraphonic receiver as well! Which would make it one of the most powerful and high quality quadraphonic receivers I have come across. There are many quadraphonic receivers out there, but most can’t come close to the power and fidelity of this unit by a country mile. While it doesn’t offer a plethora of Quad options it offers one of the most popular formats known as ‘Quadro’ format, which I believe was commonly referred to as SQ in the US, Canada and Australia and Quadro in Europe. I believe this is the case because many European SQ encoded records are labelled QUADRO. I have not listened to this unit in this mode as I do not have a turntable set up for quad sound right now.

Notes on the Quadro Option

I have yet to test this the Quad mode on this unit.

After chatting with a Quadrophile there may be doubt as to what this QUAD mode is for. Perhaps it is for an external quad decoder or it could possibly be an internal decoder, or some even a simple effects processor – if it is quad it would be for turntables only. Here is the response I got from NAD:

Thank you for your recent inquiry on the NAD model 300.
The Model 300, we do have limited documentation on does not have a QUADRO option, just speakers Main and Remote. That said, the option could have been for the North American market where Quadraphonic was adopted by audiophiles. This option is similar to Enhanced Stereo today, for the surround speakers.

We hope this information is helpful,

As you can see this unit DOES have a Quadro option on the Speaker Selector and NAD themselves could not shed much light on this. If you are specifically after Quadraphonic Amp, you will need to do your own research on this. (until I get a turntable setup for SQ of course!)

There are a decent number of controls to tailor the sound with channel independent Treble and Bass controls, Muting, Mono, Subsonic, High Filter, High Blend and Loudness, and that’s without including the Dolby processing options. Also conveniently positioned on the front panel is a second Tape input (or iPod, iPad, iPhone etc), a second microphone input and a headphone jack

SPECIFICATIONS:

Tuning range: FM, MW
Power output RMS: 85 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz
Total harmonic distortion: 0.03%
Input sensitivity: 2.2mV (mic), 3mV (MM), 200mV (DIN), 200mV (line)
Signal to noise ratio: 63dB (MM), 85dB (line)
Channel separation: 50dB (line)
Output: 200mV (line), 30mV (DIN)
Dimensions: 508 x 400 x 145mm
Weight: 22kg

1977 Pioneer QX-949A KingQuad

February 26, 2013 · admin

1977 QX-949A Original RRP: $750.00USD
2014 Inflation Adjusted RRP: $2,908.00

I currently have one of these beauties in my workshop. Will share the process of it’s restoration shortly! Check back soon

This is it! Pioneers TOTL Quadraphonic Receiver in its most advanced incarnation, a full featured Quadraphonic amplifier supporting all Quad formats! I have to admit vintage Pioneer is my favorite gear, and this unit demonstrates so many of reasons why.

Many Quad Amps and Receiver’s suffered from a common problem, lack of power. Not so with the QX-949A, one of the most powerful Quadraphonic Receivers ever made featuring 40 Watts RMS Per Channel @ 8 ohms (40×4) in Quad Mode or 60 Watts RMS Per Channel @ 8 ohms in Stereo Mode.

The dual power +/- supply is very beefy consisting of a heavy transformer and 40,000uf worth of capacitance for dynamic power. This fuels an All-Stage Direct Coupled OCL Power Output Circuit and a 3-Stage Direct-Coupled Equaliser Circuit.

Aesthetically the first thing that hit me about this unit was its size, it was a lot bigger than I expected it to be when I first laid eyes on it. It measures 55cm Wide 44cm Deep and 16cm High. It also has one of the most attractive controls and front panel displays Pioneer ever developed, IMHO of course!

Its styling is a cross between NASA’s Apollo Program meets the Marlboro Man with its shining brushed aluminium, plentiful array of important looking knobs and buttons, a battery of lights surrounding the glowing blue tuner dial that are so distinctly mid 1970s Pioneer. The scope display can also be used to program Inter-Continental-Ballistic-Missiles upon multiple targets and also interfaces with the Star Wars Defense Initiative…. well that last one may be stretching the imagination a little too far

What it does have is the upgraded CD-4 and SQ Matrix decoder units which were a great improvement over the earlier QX-949, along with a regular Matrix decoder as well. Other features include separate Bass and Treble Tone Controls for the Front and Rear channels, Low and High filters, Front and Rear CD-4 Separation Controls, 3 Tape Inputs including 2x 4-Channel and 1x 2-Channel, and an option to add a Dolby Noise Reduction Processor.

One of my favourite features is the input for two turntables, thus allowing you to enjoy different setups and makes for easy DJ’ing at parties!

The Specs:

60 Watts RMS 2 Channel
40 Watts RMS 4 Channel
T.H.D 0.3%
Weight: 49lbs (22.4kg)
2 x Phono Inputs
1 x Aux Input
1 x 2Ch Tape Input
2 x 4CH Tape Input
Dolby NR Adapter
Low & High Filters
Provision for up to 8 Speakers

Sanyo (Fisher) Quad Receiver 3100k

February 23, 2013 · admin

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Sanyo is not considered a sexy brand today with its corporate focus in components, solar cells and batteries. However in the 1970’s Sanyo produced some very impressive HiFi gear, the brand is considered as a sleeper amongst the vintage HiFi enthusiasts, meaning that the brand isn’t recognised widely but the components perform well, so well in fact there are vintage models you would pay hundreds of dollars more for that wouldn’t perform as well as these.

Sanyo purchased Fisher (the brand that created component HiFi) in 1975 and it was Fisher that produced many of the 1970s HiFi gear for Sanyo in the US. In Japan Sanyo produced many high-end units under the brand name OTTO and sometimes Sanyo-OTTO.

I have not been able to find any reliable information on this model in terms of specifications. This particular unit was a Sanyo/Fisher model produced around 1975/76 and is a Quadraphonic receiver with built in support for Discreet, SQ and Matrix sound with an external adapter available for CD-4.

While this is not a top-of-the-line model, I like it for it’s distinctive look and particularly warm sound. It features inputs for Auxiliary, Phono, FM, FM Stereo and AM, 4 Channel AUX and 4 Channel Tape and DIN.

The sound is has that warm associated with valve amps and is accompanied with a surprising bass response even at low volumes. While this unit isn’t a powerhouse designed to rock your foundations, it performs well at moderate levels. My personal unit is operating in 2-Channel mode driving a pair of 100W RMS Jensen SPX-5 series speakers which it powers effortlessly at volumes which I find comfortable in my living room.

I invited a friend of mine who is a recently signed recording artist down to my holiday shack where this unit is located and she sanyo-post1 attached (to the Sanyo) her personal ZOOM Pro Digital Recorder which she had taken into some of her studio sessions. Now, the ZOOM was just her personal recordings of her sessions and not the actual studio recordings, anyway this Sanyo’s sound blew her away, her own words were “My voice has never sounded so good!“
She asked me where she could find one of these units and my reply was “Good luck!” at the time I only had this one unit and I was definitely not parting with it!

The Pioneer Prelude-4000A Vintage Receiver (1975-1976)

January 27, 2013 · admin

And you thought glowing blue electronic devices were only a new millennium thing! Back in the 1970s Pioneer produced some stunning gear, however when piecing together a complete HiFi from their component catalogue the combined price could easily exceed that of a new car! Surprisingly in 1970s America a lot of people were happy to pay that as well!

So for the folks in the more impoverished countries like Australia who could just not afford to blow that kind dough, Pioneer put together some complete systems designed to be sold together as a package at a fraction of the price of their component gear.

The Complete Pioneer Prelude System

A friend of mine who is an accomplished jazz musician was amazed when he saw my Prelude, he had purchased the complete system back in the 1970s brand new. He had many fond memories of this unit and supplied the above picture of him and his HiFi.

This Receiver Model is not to be compared to Pioneer’s high-end QX range of Quadraphonic Receivers or their high-end SX range of Stereo Receivers. Sadly I have seen some unscrupulous sellers on eBay try to pass off these units as part of the QX range!

Budget models such as the Rondo and Prelude ranges saw many cost-saving measures taken which included the use of small transformers and the use of only a single small filter capacitor in the power supply.

That said the unit does have very good build quality, especially in the wood vinyl case, and doesn’t suffer from vinyl peel that afflicted even high models from various manufacturers in the late 70s. It looks great and would suit a small apartment or space in which huge amounts of power is not needed either as a stereo unit or as an introduction into the realms of Quadraphonica.

Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon Quadraphonic SQ Release

Quadraphonic Amplifiers & Receivers were not merely 4 speaker stereos, these were the original surround sound processes of the era. Quadraphonic suffered from a format war the likes of which has never been encountered since with a myriad of competing formats and devices such as reel-to-reel, 8-track and vinyl.

This model supports both Discreet (for 4 track sources) and SQ Quadraphonic for Vinyl, with SQ being one of the most available media formats. Incidentally these units can also be adapted for modern home theater use as the discreet component option allows for four independent sound channels.

Specifications: