SQ, QS, EV surround

Given today's Dolby Surround technology, I imagine it would be possible to do a much better job of decoding SQ and QS (and etc.) recordings than it was when they came out. I'm sure that modern surround receivers do a presentable job of playing them back, but I wonder if there is any current hardware that actually attempts to decode them according to spec.? That is, are there any modern surround receivers or processors that have settings specifically for properly decoding these SQ and QS and other old matrix-encoded recordings?

 

If you have a receiver or amp with 5.1 capability, you should be able to plug in any decoder(SQ, QS, CD-4, EV)and play back the vinyl through the front and rear speakers. But you need the decoders, and a setup so you can switch back and forth between them. I've occasionally hooked my old CD-4 demodulator that way, and it plays back discrete quads very well. But as I bought the system for 5.1 movies originally, then found use for it with SACD and DVD-A, I don't use it for Quad playback much anymore. It's true that Dolby Pro Logic I or II can give you some interesting effects, but it can't replicate the soundfield the same way, though with the 5.1 setup, you can get three-channel stereo in front, and some ambient and phase effects in the back.

ED

 

No. But including something like this would be WAY more valuable than the myriad "hall effect" type things we get now. I currently have my old Lafayette LR-5000 receiver with a full wavematching-logic SQ decoder hooked into my 5.1 inputs (actually only 4.0 of them), & it works great!

 

I had my Tate connected to the 5.1 ins of my DENON, and it actually played SQ records quite well.