Bottlenecks
Shorting the switches, upgrading parts to better types and improving the supply is the minimum you should do to better your audio quality. Those are genuine bottlenecks.
Strange thing about the faint radio pickup you're having. I'm sure you tested it as coming from the RIAA preamp, did you?
Carlos
Shorting the switches, upgrading parts to better types and improving the supply is the minimum you should do to better your audio quality. Those are genuine bottlenecks.
Strange thing about the faint radio pickup you're having. I'm sure you tested it as coming from the RIAA preamp, did you?
Carlos
ACD
I do not critisize Zombie's work but Quads'
Many more millions listen to boom-boxes and i really don't care much about their sensitivities.Zombie
There is nothing drastically wrong with Quad's topology - if anything it has way too many stages for it's own good, unnecessary caps and very suspect form of switching in the shape of the 6066s. Why am i so negative about the sound? Because i've compared its phono against a very simple DIY clone of a NAD preamp and the comparison prompted the 34 owner to immediately sell it. That was about 20 years ago.
If you generally like the sound you may consider doing something similar but simpler: a single 637 el-cheapo riaa (Thorsten) followed by mechanical input switching, volume control pot and a 627 with/without Buf634 as line amp. PS using simple feedback-free emitter followers as regulators. Even if using passive components similar in quality to Quad's the sound will be much better.
What kind of instruments do you need? Even in SA you can buy wonderful wooden boxes in the local Home Warehouse which with the help of a drilling machine could make a passable preamp box. Cost - $3. Ok, i know some people will be digusted by the appearance
Assuming you have received the 637/627/634 as presents, the rest will hardly cost more than about $30 if you use non-audiophile passives.
Attachments
OK boys, take it easy No fighting in church!
My ideal would be as you say analogue_sa, simple and with as few components as possible. Only preamp would be the RIIA and maybe something to increase my tuner signal (100mV). All preferrably tubed, but but...building yourself is much easier if one has a little workshop with good tools.
As goes for the Quad 44, I have systematically stripped it of components, or replaced to better ones.
There are some newer, better 4066s made by Maxim, haven't tried them, but...
All signal-carrying cables could be substituted for smth better, the volume and balance pots pots could be replaced with smth better...etc etc
I know I could use the enery and time somewhere else, but hell, it's fun, too...tweaking it and see how far you can go...if smth better turns up, I'll use it as preamp in a second system or whatever...
My next thing to do would be to soup up my Quad 22, which probably means I will hazzle the appropriate forum. You have been warned!
Later would be to do smth about a pair of old MFB speakers...and there's a Thorens TD150 waiting for my TLC
Cheers and thank for the tips and tricks!
Tom
btw, jan, think I'll lift out the filter bit after all, seems it "clouds" the treble quite a bit...
No fighting in church!My ideal would be as you say analogue_sa, simple and with as few components as possible. Only preamp would be the RIIA and maybe something to increase my tuner signal (100mV). All preferrably tubed, but but...building yourself is much easier if one has a little workshop with good tools.
As goes for the Quad 44, I have systematically stripped it of components, or replaced to better ones.
There are some newer, better 4066s made by Maxim, haven't tried them, but...
All signal-carrying cables could be substituted for smth better, the volume and balance pots pots could be replaced with smth better...etc etc
I know I could use the enery and time somewhere else, but hell, it's fun, too...tweaking it and see how far you can go...if smth better turns up, I'll use it as preamp in a second system or whatever...
My next thing to do would be to soup up my Quad 22, which probably means I will hazzle the appropriate forum. You have been warned!
Later would be to do smth about a pair of old MFB speakers...and there's a Thorens TD150 waiting for my TLC
Cheers and thank for the tips and tricks!
Tom
btw, jan, think I'll lift out the filter bit after all, seems it "clouds" the treble quite a bit...
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