Newbie here with a SMv3

[QuadTodd]

Hello y’all, I’ve been a fan of quad sound from a Sansui Qrx 7500a I bought a few years ago, the sound had some intermittent distortion.. but when it worked right, it was great. I planned to figure out how to fix it.. on my path to learning vintage gear repair, I bought a Sansui AU 555a and a AU505 and restored both of them, with some mods, courtesy of the folks at Audiokarma.
So I wanted a better quad decoder than buying a QRX 9001, so I decided on this SMv3. Right now, I have source audio going into the input, L&R front to the 555a and L&R rear to the 505. Both running 2 sets of Polk RTI a 3’s.
It’s my first day in, and I’m still trying to get used to it. I have a bunch of SQ vinyl to try, but for now I’ve been checking out involve 4.1. With a Oppo BDP105 and various SACD’s and CD’s. Im finding I have to crank the rear to 4 0’clock to get it to match my front. I still need to to some more tweaking to do. Any advice on set ups and what not would be appreciated. I look forward to this excursion and I’m looking forward to being a part of this community!

Thanks QT

 

[chucky3042]

Hello y’all, I’ve been a fan of quad sound from a Sansui Qrx 7500a I bought a few years ago, the sound had some intermittent distortion.. but when it worked right, it was great. I planned to figure out how to fix it.. on my path to learning vintage gear repair, I bought a Sansui AU 555a and a AU505 and restored both of them, with some mods, courtesy of the folks at Audiokarma.
So I wanted a better quad decoder than buying a QRX 9001, so I decided on this SMv3. Right now, I have source audio going into the input, L&R front to the 555a and L&R rear to the 505. Both running 2 sets of Polk RTI a 3’s.
It’s my first day in, and I’m still trying to get used to it. I have a bunch of SQ vinyl to try, but for now I’ve been checking out involve 4.1. With a Oppo BDP105 and various SACD’s and CD’s. Im finding I have to crank the rear to 4 0’clock to get it to match my front. I still need to to some more tweaking to do. Any advice on set ups and what not would be appreciated. I look forward to this excursion and I’m looking forward to being a part of this community!

Thanks QT

Thanks for buying our product. It sounds like your rear speakers are a different model/ brand to your fronts or your room has some character. Not a lot of advice except turn the input knob as high as possible before the clipping light glows red. Adjust all the others to your preference.

Here are some interesting demos we have on youtube


And here is a bunch of other stuff:

Involve Music Examples 2021 - this includes a DOC file with listening notes on the tracks.

Involve Music Examples 2021

Dark Side of the Moon - encoded in Involve Smart

DSOTM - Involve SMART Encode

Dark Side of the Moon - encoded in Involve

DSOTM - Involve Encode

Involve music examples (Pre-involve - used for RTA and Immersion / Whise / Winovate)

Involve Music Examples (2012)

Involve - demo video clips - includes short clips from Xmen and Groundhog day, as well as Roy Orbison, Phantom Menace and the trailer and first 5 minutes of Moonfall.

Involve Audio - Video Demos

Spotify playlists

Stuff that sounds good, including tracks from previous demo discs, including Suzanne Ciani - Quadraphonic! Live.
Stuff that customers have suggested
Spooky Sounds
Cheeky playlist while we're in lockdown.

Involve Audio

 

[QuadTodd]

Thanks for this. The rear speakers are the same. I was messing around with it and the rear channels are back at 12 O'clock. I think having the input knob at a level right before clipping helps. I’ll chime in again soon after some more listenings!

 

[QuadTodd]

Hello again,
After a bunch of listening and testing, I am pleased with sound the SM v3! Great listening experience!! My only qualm is that I wish there was two more inputs w/ a selector switch so I wouldn’t have to reconnect all the time. My set up is: source, (Oppo 105, turntable preamp out, auxiliary) which I have to keep unplugging and reconnecting > input SM 3> front LR to Sansui AU555a > Polk RTI a3 and rear LR to Sansui AU505> Polk RTI a3.

 

[chucky3042]

Hello again,
After a bunch of listening and testing, I am pleased with sound the SM v3! Great listening experience!! My only qualm is that I wish there was two more inputs w/ a selector switch so I wouldn’t have to reconnect all the time. My set up is: source, (Oppo 105, turntable preamp out, auxiliary) which I have to keep unplugging and reconnecting > input SM 3> front LR to Sansui AU555a > Polk RTI a3 and rear LR to Sansui AU505> Polk RTI a3.

We are working on a super surround preamp with all those features but it will come after we finish our mini preamp

 

[QuadTodd]

We are working on a super surround preamp with all those features but it will come after we finish our mini preamp

Aye… bummer!… I wish I waited… that seems like it would be the one.

 

[chucky3042]

Aye… bummer!… I wish I waited… that seems like it would be the one.

You could use our new mini preamp when its available later this year (it will also remove clicks and pops from vinyl) with your existing SM

 

[QuadTodd]

You could use our new mini preamp when its available later this year (it will also remove clicks and pops from vinyl) with your existing SM

I’m sorry, I spent enough on the SM3 already and I’m not interested in another preamp.

 

[gvl_guy]

As an SM newbie, too, I have a question that I'm curious about. I'm using the SM in a vintage setup, so the tape outputs of my quad receiver are connected into the SM and then the 4 outputs are plugged back in using the 4channel tape monitor. Flick a switch and it's engaged.

I've noticed that, depending on the album I'm playing, I have to tinker quite a bit with the "level" knob. (The mode selector stays pretty much in the 4.0 position all the time.) Is this normal? Shouldn't the receiver output be pretty much the same all the time?

It's not a big deal. I'm just curious.

 

[QuadTodd]

As an SM newbie, too, I have a question that I'm curious about. I'm using the SM in a vintage setup, so the tape outputs of my quad receiver are connected into the SM and then the 4 outputs are plugged back in using the 4channel tape monitor. Flick a switch and it's engaged.

I've noticed that, depending on the album I'm playing, I have to tinker quite a bit with the "level" knob. (The mode selector stays pretty much in the 4.0 position all the time.) Is this normal? Shouldn't the receiver output be pretty much the same all the time?

It's not a big deal. I'm just curious.

I think it’s normal… the mastering levels vary.

 

[audiomaster]

We are working on a super surround preamp with all those features but it will come after we finish our mini preamp

I hope it includes a phono input with CD-4 so it is a complete quad solution. And maybe a 4ch analog pass thru input for r-r tape.