Dynaco Quadaptor

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Javed Jafri, Nov 1, 2022.

  1. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I have attempted to play my original copy of the Beach Boy's Surf's Up album in Quad since the notes say it can be enjoyed in the format. Have tried the Hafner circuit but I did not have a volume control for the rear speakers and the volume on those was really low and I was not really able to discern any real 4 channel separation.

    I also read on the internet that if you play the album or even the CD through a HT system with Dolby surround it should be able to decode the quad mix. Tried that but the center channel seemed to be a problem. I disconnected the center and having done that I think what I heard was surround in 3.0. With the two rears having the same info. I could be wrong about this and may have to take a closer listen.

    Which brings to to the Dynaco Quadaptor which still turns up on eBay. I have a two part question:

    1. Will this bring out the original quad mix on both the original vinyl and newer CD ?


    2. How do you hook this up to a two channel amp. Do you just use speaker wires for the entire set up ? and how does the polarity work, are the terminals listed as C and GND ( ground) supposed to be the negative terminals ?
    [​IMG]
     
  2. Lord Hawthorne

    Lord Hawthorne Currently Untitled

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Are those push-clamp connectors? The Sheraton model uses RCA jacks.
     
  3. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    Not sure I took the pic off eBay.
     
  4. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 2, 2022
  5. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    okay so I ordered a Quadaptor on eBay. Have not received it yet but I ordered it for the Beach Boys Surf's Up and two tracks of their Sunflower album which were also supposedly recorded using the the system.

    I now remember however that BB engineer Stephen Desper had stated around 2016 that these recordings were in fact not recorded using Dynaco Quad and the Quad effect on them had to be achieved by using just two channels with a system such as his "Spatializer."

    I do have a few other Albums including the first CSN album ( which supposed had 3 tracks using the system), Let it Be and Bridge Over Troubled Waters where the system was utilized.

    Does anyone have other suggestions or recommendations on listening with the adapter to achieve the best 4 channel results ?
     
  6. RichPA

    RichPA Well-Known Member

    Location:
    16803
    I used a Quadaptor off and on for many years. For the best results, you need to have the rear speakers at least as far from your ears as the front speakers, and IME preferably a little farther. And be sure that your amp allows a common-ground hookup - I destroyed one amp by not realizing that. On some albums, the effect was remarkably close to true 4-channel sound - for example, "Fragile" by Yes, and quite a few classical albums. Now, I would just use Dolby Pro Logic on my HT processor for similar results.
     
    carrick doone likes this.
  7. BrentB

    BrentB Urban Angler

    Location:
    Midwestern US
    I'd be checking out those resistors with an ohmmeter before you do any serious listening. After 50+ years I almost one or more has drifted out of specs. It looks pretty simple to do and to replace them or upgrade them as well.
     
  8. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I tried the Surf's Up album via Dolby Prologic/HT by disconnecting the the center speaker but I don't think I achieved the original quad mix.
     
  9. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    You may want to pick up a vintage Quad receiver; Sansui, Kenwood, Fisher, Pioneer, etc from the 70s, that offered different options for decoding the different Quad formats popular then. The later qrx series Sansui’s are very popular among Quad enthusiasts.
     
    TarnishedEars likes this.
  10. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    I don’t really know much about quad, but why were you expecting sound from the center channel?
     
  11. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    actually the problem was that there was sound on the 5.1 system on the center channel and in quad there should not be. Should be 4.0 or 4.1 not 5.1. That's why I disconnected the center. It seemed to mess up the mix.
     
  12. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I am actually going to try it with a Vintage Marantz receiver that I have and I should be okay re common ground. Might also try on a vintage Pioneer.

    I saw the suggestion down thread of buying a vintage Quad receiver that has capabilities to decode all 4 systems and that would be great but right now I'm sticking with the least expensive option.
     
    fortherecord likes this.
  13. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Have fun with the Quadadapter!
     
  14. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    Decoding a quad LP is not something that the Halfer device can do. The Hafler device will do a so-so job of decoding Dolby surround off of a video tape, but that's about all.

    Buying a quad receiver is a pretty iffy proposition today as well because all of these are around 50 years old now and if they still work, they are on their last legs.

    Frankly, if you are really looking to do surround-sound today, then you should be considering using a (relatively) modern A-V receiver, and just buy the surround mixes you want on either DVD, Bluray, or SACD instead.
     
    Ampexed likes this.
  15. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I did not buy the Quadapeter to decode all Quad. I bought it specifically to decode the LP's done in "Dynaquad." I have a few LP's that were recorded with that format and so it should work.

    I only tried the my HT receiver ( 5.1) on some recordings that were originally recorded in quad because I have read that Dolby Prologic can somewhat decode the old quad formats. Did not work all that successfully for me though as the center channel seemed to mess things up and so I disconnected it but not sure if I got any thing close to the original and intended quad mix.

    The other thing is that the Dynaquad was supposed to be encoded on the original stereo LP's but that was not necessarily the case with the other 3 quad systems of the day and so If I play a stereo LP that also came out in the Columbia quad format not sure if the HT will extract anything beyond a fake quad.

    You are correct however about modern surround being my best option. I have a few titles in the format and hopefully will add more.
     
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  16. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    The Vanguard label had a good Dynaquad sampler album in early 70s .
     
  17. BillInGa

    BillInGa Forum Resident

    Location:
    Loganville GA
    I still have my original Quadaptor owner’s manual, which lists some recommended records- including Sunflower and Surf’s Up. Also recommended: front and rear speaker impedances should match as closely as possible. A matched set of Dynaco’s would be ideal!
    If using a HT receiver, Matrix surround is the mode which comes closest to the effect of the Hafler circuit.
    I enjoyed mine for many years, and wish I had a listening room to accommodate 4 speakers today.
     
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  18. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    I’ve read the Dolby Prologic II was the closest modern decoder for SQ Quad. Other matrix type encoding like QS and Dynaquad may also give very similar results when decoded with Prologic II. I’ve had better 4.0 results from vintage Quad gear though. Each of the matrix formats including Dolby’s are just different iterations of the original Haffler circuit. Some give more focus on separation between front and back or on the left and right channels.
     
  19. ls35a

    ls35a Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, Idaho
    I remember hearing the Quadaptor in a Bang & Olufson system in 1977. Sounded great, I always wondered why they weren't more popular.
     
  20. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I got the unit and have tried a few discs. Not sure how I got tipped off but I heard that some cuts on the Yardbird's Roger The Engineer may be some kind of quad and so I tried The Nazz are Blue and something is definitely happening as the vocals are most prominent on the right rear. Also tried that cut via various settings on my HT but could not achieve the same mix. This album also contains cuts which were actually never even released in true stereo so it may be the newer tracks at the time that were some sort of quad.

    Also tried Suite for Judy Blue Eyes and Wooden ships and both tracks sound nice.

    Have not tried the Beach Boys tracks yet as I remembered that Stephen Desper the BB engineer at the time had stated in 2016 that they were actually mixed to be enjoyed using a two channel system via something like his Spatilizer to achieve virtual quad. He insists that Dynaquad was not mentioned on the first pressings of the LP's and it was not for the two tracks on Sunflower that supposedly used the format. However I probably bought Surf's Up within the first week of release and sure enough right above Desper's name there is a reference to Dynaco 4 channel.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  21. fortherecord likes this.
  22. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Listened to both Surfs Up and Holland albums tonight and both seem to have been mixed in Quad with matrix encoding, which is odd as the were distributed by Warner Bros which were exclusively releasing Quad CD-4 lps at the time.
     
  23. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I have never actually seen Holland listed as having any kind of quad mix. I did see Carl and The Passions/So Tough on a quad list but I think that was an error.
     
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  24. fortherecord

    fortherecord Senior Member

    Location:
    Rochester, NY
    Yes, not sure about Holland, but playing it through an SQ decoder, it had very good surround effects.
     
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  25. Javed Jafri

    Javed Jafri Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Toronto
    I tried the stereo LP for Poco's Crazy Eyes and the title track. I believe the album was released in Columbia Quad. There is a note on the album which states that due to the mix if the title track is played in mono, the banjo and dobro may not be heard. I did try in mono and could hear the instruments at a low level but interestingly via the quadadapter the banjo played on the rear speakers.
     
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