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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
 
Jafant

Well being at a demo its always difficult to judge whats happening. I knew a dealer that had a room setup with some pretty high end gear. We would use it as a reference to test cables and other gear brought in. Hearing it many times I knew what the new piece of gear changed in sound as soon as something was swapped. One thing he never revealed to me until I got to know him very well was the fact that he had put 4 Quantum Symphony Pros in the room. One day we were listening to a new CD and I said something didnt sound the same. He told me he deliberately turned off all of them. I was shocked by how much they had added to the sense of dimension and without them how flat everything became. Never had that experience with the QX4.
dcizmok OP
21 posts
 
KennyB

I know you are eager to see one of these on the inside like everyone is. As for pics I am not sure there is a place I could post them to?

As for the star ground, you should do your homework and read their website. Its the first thing they even say, HELLO! Second, you should study what star ground means.

All of these types of devices are based on the Schumann resonance theory. Have a read, pretty interesting stuff. Oh yes you don't do that very much.

Thats the problem with the QX4, you have to place it right by the equipment. You didnt have to with the Symphony Pro. Although Nordost claims there unit is twice as powerful it certainly doesn't perform that way. There is no doubt it does enhance the listening experience as I said, but at almost $3K it still cant beat a $500 dollar Symphony Pro. No wonder they are to find, no one wants to sell them!

The bottom line is Nordost has been designing their gear with cost is the object guidelines but at cost is no object prices. Thats B.S., and I wont stand for it. You will never see a Nordost product in my system again. Its about their business ethics and the lack of them.

I spent a grand total of $30 dollars my cost, not the huge discounts manufacturers get when they buy thousands of bits at a time, and built one of my one.
ldworet
48 posts
 
Dcizmok, why not take a video and post it on youtube? Would be even better if you filmed your making your version. thanks.
ldworet
48 posts
 
Dcizmok, I have an Acoustic Revive 77 Schumann Resonance Generator and 4 Kemp SR (Schumann generators) and certainly they increase the sound stage tremendously.

Have you had a chance to look inside a Schumann with a PCB and see if it's similar to the QX4?

That would be very helpful to know. As you say, you can pick up Schumann units for a couple hundred that work great. The AR 77 has a plastic box (maybe better than the metal of the Qx4) and has to be placed up high -- above 1.5 m or so. Nothing in the instructions about placing it close to gear.

Those who have the Symphony and the Schumann may want to comment on the differences.
agear
1,362 posts
 
Dcizmok, I was speaking metaphorically in that this is endemic to "hi end" audio. There are more extreme examples to be had highlighting an inverse relationship between parts quality and cost. An engineering pedigree does not necessarily safeguard against this phenomena but paradoxically often aggravates it since parts are parts, wire is wire, etc.
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