A friend of mine still swears by two sets of speakers running from the same stereo amp. I know quad set-ups were popular in the 80's, but with the quality of modern amps and speakers is it still viable - or simply a waste of money?
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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
Quadrophonic - pros and cons?
- Thread starter plastic penguin
- Start date
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
The modern equivalent has already been here in the form of multi-channel SACD and DVD-Audio, giving us exciting possibilities regarding surrund sound music, but it has failed to grab our attention.
I'd say spending what you would spend on two sets of speakers and effectively two sets of amplification, you'd be better off getting an amp and speaker combination that's twice the price. It';s surprising how much of a three dimensional image you can get from a well matched, high quality 2 speaker system.
I'd say spending what you would spend on two sets of speakers and effectively two sets of amplification, you'd be better off getting an amp and speaker combination that's twice the price. It';s surprising how much of a three dimensional image you can get from a well matched, high quality 2 speaker system.
And of courseplastic penguin:two sets of speakers running from the same stereo ampisn't actually quadrophonic...
Andrew Everard:
And of courseplastic penguin:two sets of speakers running from the same stereo ampisn't actually quadrophonic...
Yup, to my ears the sound is very woolly, and doesn't have the detail that my system has - but he reckons it's proper quad sound.
And of courseplastic penguin:two sets of speakers running from the same stereo ampisn't actually quadrophonic...
Yup, to my ears the sound is very woolly, and doesn't have the detail that my system has - but he reckons it's proper quad sound.
as far as I am aware, to have true quadrophonic sound, you need a quadrophonic amp
... and the cd/lp's have to be recorded in quadrophonic format ... and to my knowledge, there are not many around ... I may be wrong?
... and the cd/lp's have to be recorded in quadrophonic format ... and to my knowledge, there are not many around ... I may be wrong?
Surely it's only quadrophonic if you have a source with 4 separate channels of audio at the source and likewise through the amplification. And I'm guessing your choice of material would be pretty limited!
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
Correct. Quadrophonic is 4 discreet channels of audio, rather than just running A and B speakers. Obviously this requires doubling up on the same quality amplification, and also buying a second set of the same speakers again - an expensive option when you're already running a £5k system!
quadrophonic music sources were available only in vinyl, reel-to-reel tapes and eight-track tapes. nobody makes them anymore though you may still get some from the second-hand market.
you would also need a quadrophonic amp. the various quadrophonic formats is another story.
using two sets of speakers with a stereo amp and source is not quadrophonic. it is stereo played on four speakers.
did your friend place the speakers at four corners of the room? if he did, he was trying to emulate quadrophonic but alas failing to do so. he would be better off listening to sensurround.
did your friend stack the speakers? then he is only listening to stereo with "larger" speakers. the sound may go louder and the soundstage may become bigger, but you will lose out in imaging and details.
stacking speakers is great for rock concerts though.
in conclusion, a good amp with only two good speakers will be able to recreate the magic of a live performance.
you would also need a quadrophonic amp. the various quadrophonic formats is another story.
using two sets of speakers with a stereo amp and source is not quadrophonic. it is stereo played on four speakers.
did your friend place the speakers at four corners of the room? if he did, he was trying to emulate quadrophonic but alas failing to do so. he would be better off listening to sensurround.
did your friend stack the speakers? then he is only listening to stereo with "larger" speakers. the sound may go louder and the soundstage may become bigger, but you will lose out in imaging and details.
stacking speakers is great for rock concerts though.
in conclusion, a good amp with only two good speakers will be able to recreate the magic of a live performance.
FrankHarveyHiFi:
Correct. Quadrophonic is 4 discreet channels of audio, rather than just running A and B speakers. Obviously this requires doubling up on the same quality amplification, and also buying a second set of the same speakers again - an expensive option when you're already running a £5k system!
I've known him for 30 years and he's nice chap. He also plays in a band, but he has no concept, it seems, what makes a good audio set-up. I've also warned him on many occasions about overheating too.
Some people just don't listen!
Correct. Quadrophonic is 4 discreet channels of audio, rather than just running A and B speakers. Obviously this requires doubling up on the same quality amplification, and also buying a second set of the same speakers again - an expensive option when you're already running a £5k system!
I've known him for 30 years and he's nice chap. He also plays in a band, but he has no concept, it seems, what makes a good audio set-up. I've also warned him on many occasions about overheating too.
Some people just don't listen!
Tonya
Well-known member
There was quite a lot of albums released in Quadraphonic in the old days on vinyl, using amongst others, a system called QS. But it was of limited quality as there just wasn't enough separation available when using the old mechanical record/stylus combo.
Albums were also released in Quad on the trusty 8-track cartridge format for those who remember (!) and some even available on reel to reel tape.
I've always been a fan of multichannel audio as the sound field is so much better IMHO when engineers have 5.1 or 7.1 channels to mix down to instead of cramming everything into one left and one right speaker.
Anyone who has a modern surround sound system supporting DTS and a DVD or BluRay player can enjoy multichannel audio albums that are available in most shops in Europe or at the very least on the ElectricInterWebThingy by simply seaching for them.
Although a few of the very old titles are merely transfers of the original Quad tapes that were made in the 70's / 80's, a few artists have taken the time to go back to the original multitrack tapes and remastered them again using state of the art equipment.
I've probably got around 50 or 60 of these DTS albums lying around and trust me when I tell you that if you sit and listen to something like Elton John's early albums in DTS, then it's like hearing them for the first time.
You can hear instruments and subtle phrases that were previously buried in a standard two channel mixdown.
Some of my favourites include Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, The Carpenters, Nightwish, the list goes on.
If you want at least one amazing audio experience in 2010, then make an effort to buy or at least audition one of these DTS remastered albums.
You'll be amazed just how many are available out there waiting to be discovered . . . .
After all, remixing classic albums in surround, if done properly, is indeed an audio revelation and record companies are not slow to realize that they can sell some great back catalogue stuff all over again without a huge investment.
On an historical note, as a kid I connected a third loudspeaker to my first stereo system by wiring it across the left positive and right positive terminals of the front speakers which resulted in a strange echo type effect that really brought out stuff like background vocals and stuff that was common to both left and right channels.
I though I'd invented something new and was highly disappointed when I found out that it was a well known trick known as The Haffler Effect.
Still works though!
And finally, Happy New Year to all the WHF staff and members here, may I wish you all good health, good luck and good listening in 2010 !
Albums were also released in Quad on the trusty 8-track cartridge format for those who remember (!) and some even available on reel to reel tape.
I've always been a fan of multichannel audio as the sound field is so much better IMHO when engineers have 5.1 or 7.1 channels to mix down to instead of cramming everything into one left and one right speaker.
Anyone who has a modern surround sound system supporting DTS and a DVD or BluRay player can enjoy multichannel audio albums that are available in most shops in Europe or at the very least on the ElectricInterWebThingy by simply seaching for them.
Although a few of the very old titles are merely transfers of the original Quad tapes that were made in the 70's / 80's, a few artists have taken the time to go back to the original multitrack tapes and remastered them again using state of the art equipment.
I've probably got around 50 or 60 of these DTS albums lying around and trust me when I tell you that if you sit and listen to something like Elton John's early albums in DTS, then it's like hearing them for the first time.
You can hear instruments and subtle phrases that were previously buried in a standard two channel mixdown.
Some of my favourites include Alan Parsons, Pink Floyd, The Carpenters, Nightwish, the list goes on.
If you want at least one amazing audio experience in 2010, then make an effort to buy or at least audition one of these DTS remastered albums.
You'll be amazed just how many are available out there waiting to be discovered . . . .
After all, remixing classic albums in surround, if done properly, is indeed an audio revelation and record companies are not slow to realize that they can sell some great back catalogue stuff all over again without a huge investment.
On an historical note, as a kid I connected a third loudspeaker to my first stereo system by wiring it across the left positive and right positive terminals of the front speakers which resulted in a strange echo type effect that really brought out stuff like background vocals and stuff that was common to both left and right channels.
I though I'd invented something new and was highly disappointed when I found out that it was a well known trick known as The Haffler Effect.
Still works though!
And finally, Happy New Year to all the WHF staff and members here, may I wish you all good health, good luck and good listening in 2010 !
Thanks for that - I know it's a bit of a
type of thread, no retailer has ever mentioned it - or referred to it as an alternative. Not surprising really, just wondered what your take is on the quad/connecting 2 sets of speakers to a two-channel set-up.....oh, I'll just go away.
Happy New year to you Tonya.
Happy New year to you Tonya.
Tonya is right ....there are some crackin' Surround Sound discs out there ...I have particularly enjoyed Porcupine Tree's DVD-A releases and there is an excellent DTS version of Wing's "Band On The Run" available ...although it (and similar DTS/DVD-A discs) can be difficult to find and VERY expensive now.
The Who's "Tommy" sounds wonderful in it's surround mode!
Steely Dan have released some great multi-channel discs + all of Donald Fagen's solo stuff is also available ....they sound frankly awesome!
The Who's "Tommy" sounds wonderful in it's surround mode!
Steely Dan have released some great multi-channel discs + all of Donald Fagen's solo stuff is also available ....they sound frankly awesome!
Tonya
Well-known member
Ahh yes JetJohnson, how could I have forgot to mention Porcupine Tree?
Saw them live at a festival in Turku, Finland two years back and their sound just blew me away so I tracked down all their surround releases - excellent dynamic stuff.
As you mentioned, Wing's BOTR also is an audio delight, such an enveloping sound field.
Have to admit I was expecting more from "Tommy" but maybe that's just my particular take.
The Robbie Williams Greatest Hits on DTS was rather a hit & miss affair as well with some tracks sounding good but others rather harsh and brittle to my lugholes.
Steely Dan always sounds great as they resisted the temptation to compress their session tapes with industry standard Dolby and went with the Dbx system which in my opinion gave better dynamics without the "breathing effect" that old Dolby had.
I even had a Technics dBX cassette player that gave excellent results.
My wishlist for 2010 surround discs currently includes Earth Wind & Fire, ELP and ELO.
Their original two channel mixdowns had so much going on in them that I know it's going to be a revelation to hear them set free in surround.
My favourite surround disc at the moment, which coincidentally was one of the hardest to track down due to it's limited pressing, is the Muse "Resistance" album
The standard CD in itself is a masterpiece of performance and audio recording, but the surround version is simply jaw dropping astonishing.
There is a small company here in Norway that specialize in newly recorded surround sound material, Andrew E has mentioned them in another thread, whoose work is so good that I believe they are actually Grammy nominated.
It's still a mystery to me why more people haven't caught on to surround discs, seems at the moment that it's rather a niche group that are enjoying these in secret.
When you consider that everyone is so impressed with surround sound on DVD and BluRay with bullets whizzing past your ears and helicopters flying over your head, you'd think that surround audio would be a natural progression from that, as most people already have the set up to enjoy it.
If you bought the latest blockbuster movie on DVD or BluRay only to find it was 2 channel stereo you'd probably return it, yet people readily accept CD's two channel format as de facto state of the art!
Still, it just means that there are millions of people that have a treat in store . . . .
Saw them live at a festival in Turku, Finland two years back and their sound just blew me away so I tracked down all their surround releases - excellent dynamic stuff.
As you mentioned, Wing's BOTR also is an audio delight, such an enveloping sound field.
Have to admit I was expecting more from "Tommy" but maybe that's just my particular take.
The Robbie Williams Greatest Hits on DTS was rather a hit & miss affair as well with some tracks sounding good but others rather harsh and brittle to my lugholes.
Steely Dan always sounds great as they resisted the temptation to compress their session tapes with industry standard Dolby and went with the Dbx system which in my opinion gave better dynamics without the "breathing effect" that old Dolby had.
I even had a Technics dBX cassette player that gave excellent results.
My wishlist for 2010 surround discs currently includes Earth Wind & Fire, ELP and ELO.
Their original two channel mixdowns had so much going on in them that I know it's going to be a revelation to hear them set free in surround.
My favourite surround disc at the moment, which coincidentally was one of the hardest to track down due to it's limited pressing, is the Muse "Resistance" album
The standard CD in itself is a masterpiece of performance and audio recording, but the surround version is simply jaw dropping astonishing.
There is a small company here in Norway that specialize in newly recorded surround sound material, Andrew E has mentioned them in another thread, whoose work is so good that I believe they are actually Grammy nominated.
It's still a mystery to me why more people haven't caught on to surround discs, seems at the moment that it's rather a niche group that are enjoying these in secret.
When you consider that everyone is so impressed with surround sound on DVD and BluRay with bullets whizzing past your ears and helicopters flying over your head, you'd think that surround audio would be a natural progression from that, as most people already have the set up to enjoy it.
If you bought the latest blockbuster movie on DVD or BluRay only to find it was 2 channel stereo you'd probably return it, yet people readily accept CD's two channel format as de facto state of the art!
Still, it just means that there are millions of people that have a treat in store . . . .
...."My wishlist for 2010 surround discs currently includes Earth Wind & Fire",
As far as I know Tonya (I have copies of them) There have been at least 3 Surround versions of Earth Wind and Fire material .."Spirit" & "That's the Way Of The World" were released on Vinyl as Quad versions (SQ I think) and the mostly Live album "Gratitude" was released in SACD.
... "Gratitude" was recorded live on their 74-75 USA tour and sounds excellent.
As far as I know Tonya (I have copies of them) There have been at least 3 Surround versions of Earth Wind and Fire material .."Spirit" & "That's the Way Of The World" were released on Vinyl as Quad versions (SQ I think) and the mostly Live album "Gratitude" was released in SACD.
... "Gratitude" was recorded live on their 74-75 USA tour and sounds excellent.
Actually I still got one of those Quadrophonic LP's. Despite the cover says that it might be played with a stereo cartridge, the sound is a total disaster.
Joe10155
Well-known member
The only time I have listened to Quadraphonic was in the mid/late 1970's. I knew someone (slightly) that worked in the Sansui showroom just off of Tottenham Court Road in the centre of London and was going out for a meal with her after she finished work.
I arrived just as the shop was shuting and was asked to sit on a stool in the middle of the room and then I was treated to the fantastic sound of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". I was blown away with the whole effect; the clocks were everywhere! truly amazing experience (but well outside my price range at the time).
I arrived just as the shop was shuting and was asked to sit on a stool in the middle of the room and then I was treated to the fantastic sound of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". I was blown away with the whole effect; the clocks were everywhere! truly amazing experience (but well outside my price range at the time).
Tonya
Well-known member
Yep, Joe10155, hearing THAT album in surround is quite freaky.
Even now, the soundfield still envelops you in a very "out of your head" way, a tribute to engineer Alan Parsons who won the Grammy for best engineered sound on an album, way back in '73 when "digital" meant "fingers".
It was Alan's brilliant 4.0 quad mix that was used for the 8-track quad release, some say it still remains the best emotional mix of this masterpiece.
When it comes to the offical 5.1 SACD release seven year ago, the album was remixed again from the original multitrack tapes by James Guthrie.
This version is sonically quite different from Alan's mix, but it's something you have to hear for yourselves rather than read an explanation of what the differences are.
Whatever version you prefer, it's probably THE defining multichannel outing of all time.
Most people will remember where they where when they heard DSOTM (or Tubular Bells for that matter) for the first time, even if it was on some rubbish record player in student digs.
It was a revelation, a journey, a real milestone in time.
When you got to hear it in stereo for the first time, it opened up a whole new aural vista.
Now if you haven't heard it in multichannel before . . . . it's another one of those moments.
Forget about the slight hiss, ignore the occasional distortion.
It's all about the music.
Get the wife/husband/kids/pets out of the house and turn down the lights.
Relax for 42:59 and let it wash over you from all sides
I've always liked Alan Parson's attention to detail and relentless pursuit of audio perfection which shows in any project he's involved with.
The fact that he's been a staunch supported of multichannel is a Godsend for all SurroundHeads everywhere.
Even now, the soundfield still envelops you in a very "out of your head" way, a tribute to engineer Alan Parsons who won the Grammy for best engineered sound on an album, way back in '73 when "digital" meant "fingers".
It was Alan's brilliant 4.0 quad mix that was used for the 8-track quad release, some say it still remains the best emotional mix of this masterpiece.
When it comes to the offical 5.1 SACD release seven year ago, the album was remixed again from the original multitrack tapes by James Guthrie.
This version is sonically quite different from Alan's mix, but it's something you have to hear for yourselves rather than read an explanation of what the differences are.
Whatever version you prefer, it's probably THE defining multichannel outing of all time.
Most people will remember where they where when they heard DSOTM (or Tubular Bells for that matter) for the first time, even if it was on some rubbish record player in student digs.
It was a revelation, a journey, a real milestone in time.
When you got to hear it in stereo for the first time, it opened up a whole new aural vista.
Now if you haven't heard it in multichannel before . . . . it's another one of those moments.
Forget about the slight hiss, ignore the occasional distortion.
It's all about the music.
Get the wife/husband/kids/pets out of the house and turn down the lights.
Relax for 42:59 and let it wash over you from all sides
I've always liked Alan Parson's attention to detail and relentless pursuit of audio perfection which shows in any project he's involved with.
The fact that he's been a staunch supported of multichannel is a Godsend for all SurroundHeads everywhere.
Tonya
Well-known member
QUOTE : ".... and the mostly Live album "Gratitude" was released in SACD".
Where did you score the EWF album may I ask?
Where did you score the EWF album may I ask?
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