Quad Help!

[Beechwoods]

You may find the levels coming from your CDP are too high for the inputs on the 33. The easiest solution is to use the 'Tape' input. You can remove the 'Tape' board and set the two 'Replay' screws to the medium ('M') position. This may already have been done - it's easy to check. See the left side of this pic.



Likewise, have you checked the 'Disc' adapter board is set to match the output of your Turntable? Most cartridges will be high output ones, and will work with the Disc board in the MC2 position. Some, like the Denon 103, will be low output, which will need the Disc board in the MC1 position. You select the position of the Disc board by rotating it and inserting the right side into the Quad. If you have a low-output cart going into the MC2 positioned board, you won't hear much if anything out of the Quad.

[Primalsea]

Well done on getting it working, it's a real pisser when things just dont work but usually for me its nearly always been a simple thing. The simple things going wrong often have the most disasterous looking faults.

As Jasper Carrot said "We all make mistakes, said the dalek as he climbed off the dustbin"

[symon]

Well, I thought I would begin today by going back a step and putting my old amp into the equation. The idea was to test what the speakers sound like with the bi-wire jumpers in, and to make sure the tt worked.
And the result is that the speakers sound fine and the tt works.
Which means the problems are all related to how the 33 and 405 are set up.
So, to restate the problems:
1. no sound from the tt
2. the sound from the speakers when playing a cd is completely wrong. Sound is coming out, but vocals are very quiet and the overall volume is very low.

So, time to connect the speakers, tt, and cdp back to the 33.

[DSJR]

make sure that pins 3 and 5 of the din plug are used for playback, as low level often means the signal's going into the record circuits instead (been there, done that).

[The Grand Wazoo]

Why don't you see if you can connect the tape output of your old amp to the Quad power amp inputs? This way the old amp will act as a pre & that might help you isolate the problem to the Quad pre or power.

[DSJR]

Is the tape-out variable? if not, you may blow the speakers up...

[symon]

Ok - now here's a weird thing. There are 5 inputs on the back of the 33 - 1 for tt, 2 for tape, 2 for radio.
If I put the cdp through the proper tape input, it sounds wrong. However, if I put the cdp through the Radio 1 (FM, stereo) input and press in the two mono buttons (rather than the stero button) I get proper sound at a decent volume

So, does that mean I'm listening to a stereo source through a mono output?

Does this make any sense to anyone? I'm very confused.

[symon]

So, to add further info, I put on whole lotta love - and the solo that comes in at the end of the experimental bit just isn't there - well, it's a faint echo in the background. So, there's something odd going on between the cdp, the 33, the 405 and the speakers.

[spendorman]

While you are still having problems it may be wise to put in the voltage / power limiter resistors in the 405 so as to reduce the chance of blowing speakers.

They may be in already.

In 1976 when I got my 405, virtually the first thing I did was to blow a KEF B200.

[symon]

I think I almost blew them just now! I had a button pushed in and the volume up. I pushed the button out and the speakers farted very very loudly!!! I don't think I've broken anything though.