3 biguns for under $100? Didn't think a streak like that was possible in 2018 with the way vintage gear has gotten such an obsessed following (and the effect of *that* auction site inflating prices wildly). I almost hate to admit it but I bought my first 9001 in 1996 for $25, not working due to the dreaded failure of the vias on the double sided quad board. This one even had the rivets.
Took me over a year to figure out what was wrong, and then only by mere accident: I was probing and pressing on the affected board with the unit on, when suddenly channels started ro return to working condition as I flexed the bad solder joints. And to think I was about to give up on that one.
1996-97 being the relative infancy of the civilian internet, there was almost nothing posted online about these at the time, save for a few sparse and scattered usenet postings. In the time I took me to find the problem myself, I bought two more, both for under $150 each, and both with the same problems. Fixed all three myself, then went on to buy and repair two more still and even later a QRX-999. Still have all but one of those in the "family collection".
Now,, information on these is ubiquitous, and guys like the late Jim Showker (QRXrestore) have elevated the restoration to a high art form. Everything one needs to know to repair these is well documented, if one is comfortable doing the work themselves. And, there are capable techs who took on the task of doing the work as well for the uninitiated.
The best part, in my mind, is that these ride again and are being enjoyed by many fans, old and new. We will never again see the likes of such hardware being made, so preserving what exists is the only way to continue the legacy of such exceptional audio technology.
