partially updated list as of 4/30/01

Intro:  This page is sort-of a mix between a virtual muesum and a buyers
guide to quad equipment.  I've found myself getting some good information
here and there from different people or sources, just to forget what it
was or where I read it.  Unfortunatly, even though comerically quad was
short lived, I've found there was a wide variety of odd equipment out
there, more than I can keep track of.  Because of this, I'm limiting this
list to the more popular and higher end equipment, as well as equipment
that I own.  For items I own, I can include more details on the
functionality/design of the equipment, for other items, descriptions are
going to be limited to a list of features and performance.  The list is
divided by equpment type, and then listed alphabeticly.

Recievers, Amps, and Combo units:

-Lafayette LR-440

I think they thought of everything.  This reciever has 4 inputs, all are
4ch: tape loop, both mag and cer phono, aux1, and aux2.  There are 3 tape
outs, one in back, one in front (in the form of 2 1/4" phone jacks), and a
special one in back that runs through the built in SQ decoder.  The mode
selector is very well set up giving 2ch options of F, R, or F+R, as well
as a standard 4ch and 4ch reverse (F and R swapped).  There is a seperate
mono/stereo switch as well.  The tuner offers fm muting as well as a light
to indicate when a station is locked in.  There are 4 main and 4 remote
speakers, at a total of 25 watts per channel RMS w/ a total of 8 ohms per
channel.  There are even lights to indicate the selected input.

-Panasonic RE-7880 quad reciever

This is a fairly nice smaller quad reciever, it has a nice lighted dial as
well as lights for the various controls.  It has 4 volume controls like
many of the other Panasonic recievers listed here.  It has both a 2
channel ceramic phono input as well as a magnetic phono in, a 4 channel
aux/tape input, and a 2 channel record output.  There are also 4 RCA
connectors for 8 ohm speakers.  There is a remote ballance connector
in back (as described better in the RE-8190's desciption).  There are also
two headphone jacks for 4ch headphones.  There's a switch for "Q'plex/2ch
parallel/stereo" and a selector switch with possitions for AM, FM, Phono,
Tape, and Aux.  I leave the selector switch for last for a reason.  Note
there are possitions for tape and aux, but only one input for both on the
back.  I finally made some sence out of this after looking at the RE-8585
(below).  It looks like "tape" is to be used if you have a 2 channel
component, and "aux" is for a 4 channel component, so using the "tape"
input puts the audio from the front two inputs into the front and rear
outputs.  Well, the RE-8585 is labeled a little better in back, with
"tape" indicating a box surrounding the front two aux inputs.  That unit
also lacks any 2/4 channel mode switch as well as matrix decoders.  On
this reciever, I fail to see why the user wouldn't simply use the "2ch
parallel" (or Q'plex, which I assume is a matrix decoder) switch setting
for 2 channel inputs.  This reciever may very well end up on the
workbench, having a second 4 channel input added to it!  All in all, it
seems to be a good sounding reciever, if you don't mind 4 volume controls.

-Panasonic RE-8190 quad reciever w/ built in quad 8 track player

This is my first quad reciever.  While it leaves much to be desired, it is
an interesting unit, there are 2 dials for am and fm, both are cylinder
that turn when tuned, and have a fixed pointer in front.  This reciever
also has a jack for a "remote ballance", though I don't have one, I did
trace the wires and found that 4 pins connect to each channel, the fifth
is a ground.  To ballance sound, it simply puts resistance between the a
given channel and ground to reduce volume.  This is probably very handy,
as the unit has 4 volume controls!  There are 2 inputs, a 4ch aux, and 2ch
mag phono, as well as a 2ch record out.  This reciever claims to want 4
16ohm speakers as well.  There are no built in decoders.  Includes quad
phone jacks.

-Panasonic RE-8585 quad reciever w/ built in quad 8 track player

This seems to be a mid-range combo unit, it has the build in 8 track deck
and smaller size, but also looks to have a couple more inputs and maybe
nicer all around quality than other units (the face is all metal and has a
fairly nice radio dail).  This unit has a 4 channel "aux/cd-4" input, with
the front two channels also labeled as 2 channel tape inputs (is gets
important later) as well.  There a 2ch phono in and 2ch record
outs.  There's also RCAs for 8 ohm speaker outputs.  There are 2 headphone
jacks for 4ch headphones as well.  This reciever has 4 volume controlls
and the remote ballance as described above.  As I mentioned in the
RE-7880's description, this unit has the usual selector positions,
AM/FM/8-track, but there is also one labeled "tape" and one labeled
"aux/CD-4".  I looked at it funny for a while, then figured it out.  This
reciever completely lacks any mode switch for 4ch/2ch/mono as well as any
interal matrix decoder.  Then I figured it out.  "Tape" is to be used if
you have a 2 channel component hooked to the aux input, and "aux/cd-4" is
to be used for a 4 channel component.  I can at least say that this makes
sence :)

-Panasonic SA 504 quad reciever

This is another somewhat strange reciever.  It has two speakers built into
the sides of the cabinet, which I assume are for the front channels and
get shut of when external speakers are connected, as there's no switch for
them.  There's 4 RCA connectors in back for speakers.  This reciever has a
2ch phono input, a 4 ch aux in, and a 4 ch tape loop.  The switching on
this reciever is interesting as well.  The power switch has
"off/phones/norm/rev" as it's settings.  Now, how exactly to you
"reverse" 4 channels?  Left to right?  Front to rear?  180 degrees?  I
still have yet to determine what this reciever does.  There is a selector
for AM FM and stereo phono, as well as a "mode" switch with "4ch tape, 4ch
aux, source, stereo tape" possitions.  This looks to be a flaw in the
design, in my opinion.  With a tape loop, you'd want the tape output to
get the source selected for the speakers, unless the tape/source switch
was switched to the tape possition, where you could monitor what was being
recorded.  With this reciever, you may want the tape outputs to get the
4ch aux signal or the signal from the source selector, but when the mode
switch is in one of the tape possitions, what determines what's going to
the record outs?  I haven't yet determined how the reciever actually
routes signals.  There's another mystery too.  This reciever has two
fairly neat looking round dials.  One is the radio tuner dial, the other
contains 3 lights, one for FM stereo, one for 4 ch discrete, and one for 4
ch matrix.  The problem is, there's no switch to select rather you want
discrete or matrixed or anything else!  I have yet to look into how
exactly this works (ie when the light lights up).  All in all, this is
definetly a neat reciever, I'm planning to use if for something like
computer sound due to the compact size w/ speakers, and a small pair of
speakers can be included for rear channel sound.

-Pioneer QX-8000

I'd have to say that this is one of the better quad recievers that I've
come acrost.  It's very well build, and I think it has every option I
could think of, short of built in CD-4.  It has of course the AM/FM stereo
tuner with an easy to tune analog dial, two tape loops, two aux inputs,
and two phono inputs.  There are even indicator lights on the front for
the active input.  Except for the phono inputs, every input and output
on this reciever is 4 channel.  There are front and rear headphone jacks,
and pre-amp outs and main ins.  The mode selection is one of the best I've
seen, with selections for L ch mono, R ch mono, 2 ch stereo, 4 ch
descrete, and "quadralizer".  The quadralizer is controlled by another
switch which has "matrix" and "phase shift" setting, which I believe are
simply SQ and QS decoding.  This model does not have logic decoding (the
QX-8000A does though) but does have the best sounding decoders of any
non-logic ones I've heard.  There is one set of 4 speaker outputs, which
have easy to connect terminals.  Finally, there are 3 ballance knobs, L-R
front, L-R back, and front-rear.  This allows you to boost the level on
just one speaker, something that can't be done with a simple joystick
style ballance (because the opisite speaker gets reduced).  One final
comment, if I recall, I believe the built in decoders do *not* get passed
to the record out jacks.  Again, all in all, a very nice reciever.

-Sanyo DXL 5486

While this is by no means comparible to a nicer reciever, this is a very
well designed compact system.  It has a simple built in 8-track deck, with
just a program change button.  There are 4 mode buttons, 2ch, SQ, Matrix,
and 4ch.  For some reason, it's designed such that the 2ch button doesn't
put sound into the rear speakers, I would have assumed that it would put
the front and rear channels in parallel, but in reality it just enables
the front speakers.  I find this option kinda useless, a two channel input
goes to the front only in 4ch mode, a quad input has the rear channels
disabled, which isn't of much use IMHO.  The system is nice in that it has
both 4 channel record outs (which run though the decoders) as well as a 4
channel aux in.  There is also a phono input, but for a ceramic cart, 
not magnetic.  There are also 4 channel headphone jacks.  All in all,
while this isn't the best machine out there, it has everything you'd need
for playing quad tapes or listening to matrixed sources all built into one
package.  Here are some specs from Sany Fisher Customer Relations, that a 
fellow DXL 5486 owner e-mailed me:
Year: 1973
Power Source: AC 117V, 60Hz
Power Output: 2.5W/channel

-Scott StereoMaster 499 4 channel amp

This is an interesting amp, it is designed as though it were 2 stereos in
one box, with matching front and rear controls for all but volume.  All
inputs are 4 channel, even magnetic phono.  This is just an amp, no tuner.  
I believe this is the first consumer surround amplifier.

-Sony SQP 400A quad reciever w/ phono

This reciever has a 2 channel tape loop, a 4 channel
"discrete" input.  There are 4 RCA jacks for speakers as well.  I had
trouble with poor connections to the speaker jacks, I suspect that the
jacks aren't great quality.  There is a built in BSR phono changer, as
well as a covered over connection in back for a phono input.  It looks as
though there was another model which didn't include the record
changer.  There are two sliders for ballance, one vertical, one
horisontal, which move an indicator light along a display on the
front.  There are push buttons for the mode and input selection.  I didn't
realize it until after getting the reciever but it has a 2 channel
font-end/pre-amp with a quad final amp.  There's a "mode" section with
2ch, 2->4ch, sq, r-mtx, and discrete.  The "discrete" setting lets the
input in back connect directly to the amp, disconnecting the signal from
the pre-amp.  This is really a lot like many of the newer surround
recievers, where the 5 ch input bypasses many of the front
controlls.  I'll be selling this reciever after some repairs are
completed.

-Soundesign 6438 w/ quad 8 track

Despite what you might expect from Soundesign, this reciever is really one
of the better reciever/8 track combo's that I've seen.  While many
companies skimpted, making some inputs or outputs 2ch, they didn't.  There
is a 4ch "phono/aux" input, for ceremic phono or other 4ch input, a 4ch
record out (handy for hooking the tape deck to a bigger reciever), as well
as 4ch phone jacks.  There are push buttons for "descrete" or "matrix" in
front.  I assume matrix is QS, but the decoder isn't fancy enough to do a
whole lot (QS is a little more forgiving though).  The only drawback of
the unit is the use of 4 volume controls.  I'm selling this reciever for
$20 plus postage.

-SuperScope QR-450 quad reciever w/ built in SQ decoder

I have used this reciever for some time now, and beyond dirty controls and
a couple burnt out dial lamps, it has worked flawlessly.  The reciever has
a 2ch phono in, a tape loop w/ 4ch in and rec out, a 4ch tape 2 in, and
4ch aux.  There is a SQ decoder, but without logic it's fairly useless.
There is a neet lit "2" or "4" to tell you if the reciever is in 2ch mode
or SQ / descrete mode (or both off for mono).  There is a joystick
ballance, a very good mono/stereo/descrete/sq switching system, and 4ch
phone jacks.

-Sylvania RQ 4746 Reciever

This looks to be a well built reciever.  It has both 4 main and remote
speakers, 4ch headphone jacks, joystick ballance, seperate am and fm
signal strength meters.  The inputs include a 4ch tape monitor loop w/ 4ch
record outs, a 2ch phono input and a 2 ch cd-4 input as the reciever has a
built in cd-4 decoder.  Note that the record out jacks are before the
built in SQ decoder (built in decoder can't be used for making 4ch tape
recording).  Mode switching is well layed out with mono, 2ch stereo, 4ch
discrete, and SQ as options.

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Quad 8-track players:

-Akai 1800D-SS : See below (Quad open reel)

-Akai CR-80D-SS

One of the few Q8 recorders.

-Panasonic RS855US quad 8 track player/ stereo recorder

Sorry, this one won't record in quad, just 2 channel stereo.  I even
looked under the cover hoping that 2 channels of record circuit were
"left out", but it simply had everthing in one board, and there are 2
"chunks" that serve as record circuits and 4 that are for playback.  This
is one of those decks where the level controls work as volume controls on
playback.  The 2 VU meters also work on playback, for front channels
only! The deck has FF and auto eject.  Another interesting thing is that
is has a 2/4 channel selector button, doesn't look for that notch in the
tape.  While this tends to take away from the novilty, it does due away
with a problem I've seen on other decks: when a 2ch tape is being played
on some quad players, the power will turn on before the 2/4ch switch
triggers, and if on program 3 or 4, the deck will switch to prog. 1 for
you.  The deck has 2 mic. jacks and a 2ch phone jack.  There are 4
outputs, and 2 rec in's.

-Panasonic/Technics RS-858US

Another of the few Q8 recorders.  Presumably a fancier version of the
model mentioned above?

-SuperScope TD-48 quad 8 track player 

This unit is fairly simply, yet seems to have very good fidelity
and also has worked flawlessly, despite being rained on before me
getting it.  It matches the QR-450 reciever, has a FF and program repeat,
as well as built in audio cables.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Quad Open Reel recorders:

-Akai: To the best of my knowledge, the D-SS in the model designates
"Surround Sound" and seperates them from their two channel
counterparts.  The GX prefex in place of DX indicates glass heads.

-Akai 1730D-SS

-Akai 1800D-SS

Like above, but with Q8 player built in.  I believe the Q8 records as
well.

-Akai 202D-SS

-Akai 270D-SS

-Akai 280D-SS

-Dokodor 1140

-Dokodor 7140

Professional, has 10" reels and higher speed.

-Dokodor 8140

As above

-Sansui QD7500S

-Sony: I believe the "-4" in the model indicates a quad deck

-Sony TC277-4

-Teac 2340

-Teac 3340

Professional, has 10" reels and higher tape speed

-Teac 3440

As above.




equipment wanted:

Q8 recorder
"Q4" 4 channel open reel recorder/player

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