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Quantum QRT QX4

Anyone wondering whats inside one of these for the almost $3000 Nordost is asking for them? Well I owned one and took it apart, and let me tell you I was shocked!! I have never seen cheaper parts and crappy little PCB than this. I think a total of about $20 was spent on the electronics, and I am being generous. The case is by far more expensive to make. They spent more effort into making the case heavy and out of billet and extruded aluminum to give it the appearance of high end and so they could somewhat justify the price tag. It is utterly shameful what Nordost has pulled on its consumers. Thats why they have the protective sealing sticker on the chassis so no one opens it up and voids the warranty. I bought mine directly from a dealer when the Nordost rep came for a demo.
The board looked like it was a factory R&D project. Scratches all over it, a cover on the board was removed at one point leaving behind the trace of it in the left over glue. I was fuming after I opened it and witnessed the biggest ripp off in audio history. I had a Symphony Pro years ago and it blew this piece of crap out the rack.
Needless to say, even though it did provide some enhancement, I no longer have it. But before I did get rid of it I happen to make a schematic and take plenty of pictures, even built one with much needed improvements.;)
The very robust case was actually heavily softening the effect and the one inch thick sides were directing some of the energy vertically. Anyway my new version of this guy has been a huge improvement to say the least, it has 6 times the power of the QX4. Thanks Nordost ;)
dcizmok
dcizmok OP
21 posts
 
Sabai

From what I recall the symphony had a wall wart power supply, the QX4 has a board mounted transformer. The rest of it was similar in design but different enough to accomodate larger parts and more of them. The parts are different but do the same job in the end.
sabai
2,027 posts
 
Dcizmok,
Thanks for your comments. Do you mean that one Symphony Pro does about the same job as one Qx4. Or would it be more realistic to say 2 Pros = 1 Qx4?
dcizmok OP
21 posts
 
Sabai
It would be more realistic to say 2 Symphony pros but the performance of one Symphony pro was way more obvious than one QX4 sadly. The QX4 when turned on is very subtle, one has to really observe the changes that are occurring. The one positive bonus the Qx4 has over the S pro is the it has a power out so you can attach it to other devices like a power conditioner like I did. This creates a secondary field effect through the AC path. But at end of the day I have say the Symphony pro was better at immediately providing its sonic benefits and more of them.
sabai
2,027 posts
 
Dcizmok,
Thanks very much for your detailed assessment. Greatly appreciated. I have 2 Symphony Pros in my system with a third one on the way. I also noted the immediate sonic benefits when each one was added to the system. Do you have a preferred placement for the Pros? I have one on each speaker with a Steinmusic Harmonizer and a Schumann resonance device -- a triple-decker sandwich that is very effective.
dcizmok OP
21 posts
 
Sabai
I didnt really have a sweetspot for the Pro. It seemed to work very well alsmost anywhere it was put but generally it was in the center area of the gear. I only had one of them so it seem most appropriate. Mind you there is a point to where adding more of these units will not gain any more benefit. Three is probably plenty.
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