Surround Master V3 has landed (news, discounts etc)

[chucky3042]

That cheap little "Daveco" RIAA preamp was used so that I could update my ceramic cartridge to a magnetic one, the Shure M3D. Back then I was blown away by the difference in the sound quality. I was so impressed that when I got a new turntable I stuck with the (lowly) M3D. I think that the cartridge sold for $10 at that time as well!

Records aren't noisy at all unless unless you scratch the heck out of them. The odd tick goes relatively unnoticed. I remember noticing the tape hiss at the start of many record tracks, more bothersome than ticks!

Modern software can remove ticks and pop's without affecting or losing any of the highs.

Just a note/ reminder. Dave the ***** is currently working our mini pre amp that will include MM and MC cartridge AND have real time de click and de pop option built in. RIAA is actually going to happen in DSP software and as such will be highly accurate.

Just sayin

 

[Owen Smith]

RIAA is actually going to happen in DSP software and as such will be highly accurate.

Great, a long overdue development. I've despaired for years that RIAA continued to be done in the analogue domain, even in equipment that then digitised the output and did everything else digitally. Talk about nuts, or pandering to the "analogue is best" brigade.

 

[audiomaster]

What about us guys that have a lot of CD-4 discs? My Bose 4401 gives me SQ and CD-4, an ultra clean preamp (now that I had it "restored" and a pair of 4ch line "tape monitor" inputs.
So then I would have to replug my TT between the Bose and the SM every time I changed formats.
Maybe SM V4 needs a 4ch switchable line input for 4ch reel to reel decks and CD-4 or better yet a state of the art CD-4 preamp/decoder.
Let me know when it's ready. I'll hold your beer.

 

[par4ken]

What about us guys that have a lot of CD-4 discs? My Bose 4401 gives me SQ and CD-4, an ultra clean preamp (now that I had it "restored" and a pair of 4ch line "tape monitor" inputs.
So then I would have to replug my TT between the Bose and the SM every time I changed formats.
Maybe SM V4 needs a 4ch switchable line input for 4ch reel to reel decks and CD-4 or better yet a state of the art CD-4 preamp/decoder.
Let me know when it's ready. I'll hold your beer.

Switchable discrete input are what people have been clamouring for. I think that Chucky said that it's a possible feature for Involves planned super preamp.

 

[MidiMagic]

Can I plug a Turntable directly into the Surround Master V3 RCA IN left & right without any preamp/amp and send Front & Rear 4 speakers to 4 Yamaha H8 powered monitor speakers? I’m interested in playing 70’s SQ Quadraphonic 12” LP’s this way using your Involve / SQ / 4.0 / 4.1 Setup.

This actually depends on what pickup is in the turntable.

A magnetic pickup needs a phono preamp. The preamp has the RIAA de-emphasis built into it.

A ceramic pickup outputs a line level signal, so no preamp is needed. And the RIAA de-emphasis is built into every ceramic pickup.

Magnetic pickups are much kinder to records than ceramic pickups.

What about us guys that have a lot of CD-4 discs? My Bose 4401 gives me SQ and CD-4, an ultra clean preamp (now that I had it "restored" and a pair of 4ch line "tape monitor" inputs.
So then I would have to replug my TT between the Bose and the SM every time I changed formats.
Maybe SM V4 needs a 4ch switchable line input for 4ch reel to reel decks and CD-4 or better yet a state of the art CD-4 preamp/decoder.
Let me know when it's ready. I'll hold your beer.

You can put a 4-channel switcher (or two stereo switchers) after the SM to connect discrete inputs before the amp. I just bought two 4-input switchers at WalMart.

And many CD-4 demodulators have a 2-ch pickup output so you can use your magnetic preamp for stereo or matrix.

You can connect the SM to a 2-channel tape out and a 4-channel tape monitor.

 

[jaybird100]

This actually depends on what pickup is in the turntable.

A magnetic pickup needs a phono preamp. The preamp has the RIAA de-emphasis built into it.

A ceramic pickup outputs a line level signal, so no preamp is needed. And the RIAA de-emphasis is built into every ceramic pickup.

Magnetic pickups are much kinder to records than ceramic pickups.



You can put a 4-channel switcher (or two stereo switchers) after the SM to connect discrete inputs before the amp. I just bought two 4-input switchers at WalMart.

And many CD-4 demodulators have a 2-ch pickup output so you can use your magnetic preamp for stereo or matrix.

You can connect the SM to a 2-channel tape out and a 4-channel tape monitor.

If you have a turntable that's fitted with a magnetic cartridge, and also has a built-in preamp, you can connect it directly to the SM, as long as the preamp is turned on.

 

[Aging quadie]

I'm holding back purchasing on SM V3 until I learn more about Involve's long-awaited pre-amp. Between SQ, QS, dts, SACD, DVD-A, Blu-Ray, quad R2R and Q8s I have a cabling quagmire. And I haven't successfully played back my many CD-4s in a half-century -- not that they ever played back particularly well.

 

[chucky3042]

I'm holding back purchasing on SM V3 until I learn more about Involve's long-awaited pre-amp. Between SQ, QS, dts, SACD, DVD-A, Blu-Ray, quad R2R and Q8s I have a cabling quagmire. And I haven't successfully played back my many CD-4s in a half-century -- not that they ever played back particularly well.

Here is the back panel of the mini pre amp

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Here is the back panel of the mini pre amp
View attachment 76348

I am perplexed why you place left/right inputs vertically instead of side by side. You know, actually left and right? Is this common in AU gear?

Will the optical out just be 2 ch pass through of the input?

But it does look nice with phono & two line inputs. I will consider popping for another one if it has proper wrap around synth mode a la Sansui.

Edit: oh I see now. This is indeed strictly a pre-amp intended to go between source and Surround Master.

 

[Soundfield]

I am perplexed why you place left/right inputs vertically instead of side by side. You know, actually left and right? Is this common in AU gear?

Interesting question. I'd never given the disposition of sockets any thought. So I did a quick check of the five preamps and integrated amps I can readily get to the back of (they are variously made by Octave, Cambridge, Copland, Luxman and Quad) and found that they all had their socket pairs arranged vertically as per Chucky's design. So on a random sample, not entirely uncommon!

 

[GOS]

Interesting question. I'd never given the disposition of sockets any thought. So I did a quick check of the five preamps and integrated amps I can readily get to the back of (they are variously made by Octave, Cambridge, Copland, Luxman and Quad) and found that they all had their socket pairs arranged vertically as per Chucky's design. So on a random sample, not entirely uncommon!

I just looked at my Parasound pre-amp, they are vertical as well.

 

[par4ken]

Most equipment places the jacks vertically. I've become used to that "standard" set up, left is always on top and right on the bottom. It becomes confusing with some mostly vintage equipment when the jacks are horizontal. Those horizontal jacks don't always go left to right, sometimes right to left and It depends if you look from the front or the back! The outputs on the S&IC are confusing as they go horizontally Lf, Rf, Rb,Lb, you would expect the backs to follow the same L to R order as the fronts!

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Most equipment places the jacks vertically. I've become used to that "standard" set up, left is always on top and right on the bottom. It becomes confusing with some mostly vintage equipment when the jacks are horizontal. Those horizontal jacks don't always go left to right, sometimes right to left and It depends if you look from the front or the back! The outputs on the S&IC are confusing as they go horizontally Lf, Rf, Rb,Lb, you would expect the backs to follow the same L to R order as the fronts!

Of all my equipment the only piece of gear that has a vertical arrangement is the Surround Master v2. So much for my little brain to process.... top = left, bottom = right.

Obviously paired cable lays or routes smoother (just a bit) when horizontal rather than twist sideways from vert to horiz & twist back to vert when connecting.

But to more important stuff. Has Chucky said anything about what that WiFi'ish antenna at top right is for?

 

[Soundfield]

But to more important stuff. Has Chucky said anything about what that WiFi'ish antenna at top right is for?

Bluetooth

 

[jaybird100]

Here is the back panel of the mini pre amp
View attachment 76348

So this is a stereo preamp, which could then be used to feed into a SM v. whatever. What this still doesn't solve is how one could switch between the SM and another, discrete, multichannel source, such as a DVD-A/SACD player. I got around this by using a switchbox that was actually designed to select between two component input/stereo audio sources, and using the tape output jacks on my receiver to feed the SM. It works quite well, and the sound is glorious.

 

[jaybird100]

Interesting question. I'd never given the disposition of sockets any thought. So I did a quick check of the five preamps and integrated amps I can readily get to the back of (they are variously made by Octave, Cambridge, Copland, Luxman and Quad) and found that they all had their socket pairs arranged vertically as per Chucky's design. So on a random sample, not entirely uncommon!

Just wondering, why does it matter? As long as it works, I don't see it as a big deal whether they're side-by-side or one above the other.

 

[Soundfield]

Just wondering, why does it matter? As long as it works, I don't see it as a big deal whether they're side-by-side or one above the other.

It doesn't matter.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Here is the back panel of the mini pre amp
View attachment 76348

I’m interested in it for the real time De-Click aspect, and shouldn’t this have its own thread?

And I forget, did we get an image for the front panel yet? I’d like to know what controls it has. My current pre-amp doesn’t always give me much amplitude going into my SMv2 to MOTU to computer for conversions, with the cart and certain LP’s.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

And I forget, did we get an image for the front panel yet? I’d like to know what controls it has.

Yes:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/coming-mini-black-box-pre-amp-master.31261/

 

[atrocity]

And the RIAA de-emphasis is built into every ceramic pickup.

Don't ceramic cartridges pre-date RIAA EQ?