Newbie here. Restoring my vintage Pioneer "silver": SA-9800 integrated amp, TX-9800 tuner, CT-F1250 cassette deck, PL-630 turntable + BOSE 901 V speakers. Just wondering........is it possible to build a 4 channel system using 2 channel components? I.e. Using 2 integrated amps + 4 speakers OR 2 pre amps + 2 power amps + 4 speakers. Would the outputs from the other components (tuner / tape decks) need to be 4 channel as well?
2 channel into 4 channel
- Thread starter DJWorm
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So.....what you are saying is the source (tuner / tape decks) need to have 4 channel output?
I have seen older Pioneer silver quad QC-800A pre amp and QM-800 power amp. The pre amp has a stereo input for the turntable but quad inputs for Tape 1, Tape 2 and Aux. as does the power amp.
Is the pre amp acting as a decoder?
I have seen older Pioneer silver quad QC-800A pre amp and QM-800 power amp. The pre amp has a stereo input for the turntable but quad inputs for Tape 1, Tape 2 and Aux. as does the power amp.
Is the pre amp acting as a decoder?
robert_kc
Super Member
You'll need surround-sound recordings, such as some SACD and Blu-ray (audio and video). Or some sort of DSP-generated pseudo-surround-sound.
You don’t need an AVR (or pre-processor) to play multi-channel digital recordings (e.g., SACD, Blu-ray audio, and Blu-ray video). An Oppo universal player (e.g. UDP-205, BDP-105, or BDP-95) will decode any digital recording. The Oppo UDP-205 has built-in "pre-amp" functionality, including selectable downmixing (e.g., 7.1, 5.1, 5.0, 2.1, 2.0), bass management (i.e., configurable subwoofer crossover), and volume control. Additionally, you can combine the rear channels for 4.0 or 4.1.
The Oppo players have a setting called DTS Neo:6 Mode that will simulate 5.1 surround sound from a stereo recording (e.g., CD).
You can build a great surround sound system with two stereo amps and four speakers (i.e., 4.0 or 4.1 system). If you’re interested in experimenting with this, I suggest that you conduct a test by connecting a stereo amp and speakers to the Surround Left and Surround Right from an Oppo player, and listen for how much rear-channel content there is in your favorite recordings, and how much L vs. R distinction. Only you can decide if separate L&R rear channels are worthwhile. If L vs R distinction isn’t important to you for the rear channels, then combine the rear channel connections from the Oppo player into one via an RCA Y-cable. Connect one stereo amp for L&R, and a second stereo amp for center and rear.
Your cassette deck and turntable won't connect to the Oppo. If you want to simulate surround-sound for the cassette deck and turntable, presumably you'd need a surround-sound pre-processor - but I can't help you with that - I've never owned one.
FWIW, my recommendation is use an Oppo player for surround-sound SACDs and Blu-ray, and skip the psuedo-surround-sound for LPs and Cassettes (i.e., play them as stereo).
You don’t need an AVR (or pre-processor) to play multi-channel digital recordings (e.g., SACD, Blu-ray audio, and Blu-ray video). An Oppo universal player (e.g. UDP-205, BDP-105, or BDP-95) will decode any digital recording. The Oppo UDP-205 has built-in "pre-amp" functionality, including selectable downmixing (e.g., 7.1, 5.1, 5.0, 2.1, 2.0), bass management (i.e., configurable subwoofer crossover), and volume control. Additionally, you can combine the rear channels for 4.0 or 4.1.
The Oppo players have a setting called DTS Neo:6 Mode that will simulate 5.1 surround sound from a stereo recording (e.g., CD).
You can build a great surround sound system with two stereo amps and four speakers (i.e., 4.0 or 4.1 system). If you’re interested in experimenting with this, I suggest that you conduct a test by connecting a stereo amp and speakers to the Surround Left and Surround Right from an Oppo player, and listen for how much rear-channel content there is in your favorite recordings, and how much L vs. R distinction. Only you can decide if separate L&R rear channels are worthwhile. If L vs R distinction isn’t important to you for the rear channels, then combine the rear channel connections from the Oppo player into one via an RCA Y-cable. Connect one stereo amp for L&R, and a second stereo amp for center and rear.
Your cassette deck and turntable won't connect to the Oppo. If you want to simulate surround-sound for the cassette deck and turntable, presumably you'd need a surround-sound pre-processor - but I can't help you with that - I've never owned one.
FWIW, my recommendation is use an Oppo player for surround-sound SACDs and Blu-ray, and skip the psuedo-surround-sound for LPs and Cassettes (i.e., play them as stereo).
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JoeESP9
ESL's & tubes since 83
Yes, your sources need to have four channel output.
For four channel sound from LP's you need either a SQ/QS decoder or a CD-4 decoder (CD-4 LP's are few and far between). I don't know if your preamp has an SQ/QS decoder. I'm fairly certain it does not have a CD-4 decoder.
BTW: For proper playback of CD-4 LP's the cartridge needs to have response to +45KHz.
robert_kc
Super Member
As JoeESP9 points out, years ago there were quadraphonic recordings. I have no experience with this. You can read about this on the internet (e.g., wikipedia). My post #4 above deals with current surround-sound technology: SACD and Blu-ray. I listen to classical music and opera, and there are quite a few multi-channel SACDs and Blu-ray being released.
P.S. I'm assuming you want surround-sound, not playing stereo in 2 different rooms. That's a different discussion.
P.S. I'm assuming you want surround-sound, not playing stereo in 2 different rooms. That's a different discussion.
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HTWillie
Super Member
Yes. The source material must be recorded in 4-channel. In the early 1970's there were at least three competing encoding schemes (the SQ, QS and CD-4 mentioned above) used to produce 4-channel records and tapes.
The playback system must incorporate whatever decoder the source was encoded with. My dad's vintage 1972 Pioneer receiver has two decoders built in, and he had a third outboard decoder unit rigged up for the few recordings the Pioneer couldn't read.
robert_kc
Super Member
DJWorm: Have you inherited a large collection of 1970s quadraphonic recordings that you want to play in quadraphonic sound? If so, I suggest you pursue quadraphonic sound with gusto. If not ... I want to be careful what I say ... quadraphonic is probably an historical oddity, and I'm not sure why you'd want to start buying quadraphonic recordings today. With that said, people collect all sorts of things, and there are many quadraphonic LPs on eBay. (As an example of collecting oddities: There's a guy named "8-track Bob", who apparently has the world's largest collection of 8-track tape players ... and there's a guy in my city who has the world's largest collection of Pez candy dispensers ... to each their own ... )
My point is that surround-sound 5.1 is the standard today, and I said earlier, there are quite a few SACDs and Blu-ray being issued for classical music - and they can sound fabulous. I can't speak to other music genres.
I'll let the quadraphonic collectors explain why I'm wrong.
My point is that surround-sound 5.1 is the standard today, and I said earlier, there are quite a few SACDs and Blu-ray being issued for classical music - and they can sound fabulous. I can't speak to other music genres.
I'll let the quadraphonic collectors explain why I'm wrong.
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Welcome to AudioiKarma.
Yes, you can build a 4 channel system using two sets of ordinary two channel stereo components. It can work as well or even better than dedicated four channel components.
No, that is not required. One can connect a matrix decoder to your system that will take ordinary two channel stereo source material (tuner, tape deck, CD player, etc.) and it will generate four channel sound. One can find matrix decoders from the quadraphonic era or use a modern decoder like the Involve Audio Surround Master.
One can also use modern multi-channel formats, SACD, DVD-A, dts-CD, etc. with discrete outputs to feed your four channel system.
Pictured: Sony QSD-1000 SQ quadraphonic decoder with several SQ encoded quadraphonic records
