In article , Bob Latham wrote:
I've had a Quad FM4 since 1982. Its serial number is 1247 and I think it
is a pretty early one. It has had very little use indeed probably less
than 100 hours in total and often went years without being switched on.

Well, prompted by your article I just dug my own 1983-vintage Quad FM4
out of retirement (serial number Q014850) and made special arrangements to
listen to it in the current audio system (I won't explain unless pressed).

I've had a play with it a couple of times recently and been quite
horrified by it. It has no bass, none at all. I would estimate nothing
below 100Hz ever comes out of the thing. My only question is do other
people find this with the FM4 or is it FM tuners in general?

Compared to my current DTTV and DAB radio sources I can't agree that
it lacks much bass but I have nothing else with which to compare it.
However there's some reasonable mid-bass percussion in the Bartok
on tonight's R3 concert. I wonder if the 21/22-year old electrolytic
capacitors have dried out a bit with age and lack of bias. Remember that
electrolytics lose capacitance with age.

I have to say it is without doubt one of my least successful Hi-Fi
purchases and I can't remember what on earth convinced me to buy it.
Are they still thought anything of or are most of them in the bin by now
due to...

I enjoyed mine immensely from 1983 to 2003 when I last upgraded. It has
been exceptional value for what I paid for it (there's a story which,
again, I will omit). In fact on tonight's try-out it's as good as
I fondly remeber it and perhaps even better. At very low levels it's
possibly got a little more detail than DAB and on tonight's R3 broadcast
I can't hear the warmth/compression from the FM4 that I remember when
I last compared FM/R3 to DAB/R3.

1) It is a horrid brown colour with yellow buttons and huge LEDs.

A matter of taste of course. Mine's the "export" grey. I do think this
is a nicer colour than UK models.

2) Inadequate 7 presets.

I only listen to R3 and R4 most of the time so that's fine for me.

3) No phonos - Din sockets for goodness sake.

DIN sockets are probably better than RCA phonos in a number of ways but
inconvenient I agree. I have adaptor leads "in stock" from the old system.

4) Lower output level than anything else on the planet.

Yes. I think CD set the trend, just after the introduction of the FM4,
towards much higher levels.

5) Styling from the Ark, Did Noah have one?

Doesn't affect the sound but matters to some, I accept.

--
John Phillips

In article , John Phillips wrote:
In article , Bob Latham wrote:
I've had a play with it a couple of times recently and been quite
horrified by it. It has no bass, none at all. I would estimate nothing
below 100Hz ever comes out of the thing. My only question is do other
people find this with the FM4 or is it FM tuners in general?

Compared to my current DTTV and DAB radio sources I can't agree that
it lacks much bass but I have nothing else with which to compare it.
However there's some reasonable mid-bass percussion in the Bartok
on tonight's R3 concert. I wonder if the 21/22-year old electrolytic
capacitors have dried out a bit with age and lack of bias. Remember that
electrolytics lose capacitance with age.

However, on listening to the Strauss following the Bartok I have to
agree - the FM4's bass is somewhat light.

--
John Phillips