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Quad FM4

Dowser

Learning to bodge again..
Another tuner - I picked up a late model Quad FM4 recently for a decent price given its condition, and the fact that I love its looks and always wanted one. It came with original box and manual too, which is nice. Sound is good - it throws a very decent sound stage outside of speakers, and images well...but it somehow sounds fake. Candyfloss keeps coming to mind while I am listening, hard to explain; while it images well, the image seems lower resolution than the underlying lower registers which seem much better quality.

Has anyone tried recapping one? Any difference? I know about the bass issue into modern pre stages with lower impedance, but that really does not seem a problem into my Croft Micro II - bass is defined beautifully. Not sure whether to recap or not - if I still don't like it after, then it has to be resold - but if I recap it I will likely move away from the 200nF OP caps and fit 5-700nF Mullard Mustards...not sure if this will damage resale value? Not much modding information online on this tuner, outside of the lack of bass into lower impedance loads.

Photos;
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The only small blemish - not noticeable in rack, but shame it is on front panel;
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Seems very well engineered - first time I've seen a more recent Quad electronic unit;
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Thanks, Richard
 
What are you listening to/comparing against? Radio aside from R3 & R4 is appaling quality IMO, just shockingly bad. Even R3 is obviously compressed these days. If you are comparing it against another tuner then fair enough, but if it is against CD then on anything but the very best R3 live broadcast (Proms etc) it will fall a long way short, and even then it will have much of the dynamic range squashed out. Garbage in=garbage out.
 
Radio24.ch - popular music CH station, but one of the last with decent SQ. comparing it to a mono Troughline II and my modified A&R t21. Troughline is fantastic but still mono, T21 has less impressive imaging but I still prefer it overall. FM4 is a good tuner, but not as good as I expected perhaps.
 
Comparing any FM/VHF tuner with a mono Troughline is asking for trouble. It was the best when issued, and still can hold its place as one of the all time great music boxes ever marketed. It is so good that you would not miss stereo!

I have had two of them! Not the most reliable unless restored, but on the top line [performance-wise] still able to be so natural, and, somehow, “just right."

ATB from George
 
What are you listening to/comparing against? Radio aside from R3 & R4 is appaling quality IMO, just shockingly bad. Even R3 is obviously compressed these days.

Not worth spending a lot on an FM tuner these days as government are determined to phase it out to enable them to sell the airways for more mobile phone usage - it really bugs me when they broadcast those atrocious ads for DAB radio - should be prosecuted for claiming it is better quality. I think the FM4 technology is used in Quad's later FM models as I had a 99FM repaired some years ago & the parts were referenced FM4 which is the last Quad "freestanding" FM tuner as the 99FM has to powered from the 99 pre-amp. The Quad sales manager told me some years ago at the Manchester show that they would not develop another FM tuner but they may consider internet radio - but no sign of anything yet.

I have both a 99FM & an Arcam T32 which both can sound very good on live music & late at night on either Radio 3 or Classic FM but much of recorded music broadcast during day is not exceptional.
 
I’ve completely given up on FM much as I like a R3 concert. The iPlayer app is significantly better as it comes down uncompressed and with its dynamic range intact. You need to make sure you have the settings set to higher quality. Sadly much as we all may mourn its passing, the FM bird has flown.
 
Yes, much as it annoys me to admit it, the iPlayer app played via my Marantz SACD player’s DAC does beat my lovely vintage Sony ST-5150 in a very strong signal area. I still use the Sony most of the time as it looks so damn cool. Digital still can’t do a beautifully illuminated tuning scale and a big heavy weighted tuning knob!

PS I am convinced this is down to the BBC deliberately applying more compression to FM rather than an inherent limitation in the format. I’m good at spotting compression as I have in the past owned studio compressors and know their dirty tricks and tells!
 
Buy a small FM transmitter and broadcast your sources..... ;)
Sort of Wi-fi steaming

I sometimes connect my test FM modulator directly into the antenna input. That’s a great test of tuner quality with the variable quality of broadcast removed.

Good FM tuners able to DX still have a role if you enjoy listening to the small community stations and pirates.
The FM4 really isn’t good enough in this case (it’s a very pretty if average performing unit IME) and you want a good mid-high end Japanese unit from the golden era.
 
I have used a Quad FM4 a lot in my time. It's a great little tuner, for off-air monitoring and for recording concerts, although, today, I use a computer! Mine has a blemish in exactly the same place as yours! I came to rely on my FM4, and I was able to tell when things (from the transmitter) were not right. I had to ring the engineers about once a fortnight to tell them something was up, but they did sort it out, promptly!

Check that the battery is not leaking, can be terminal! The FM4 is not as good as my mono Troughline, but both require good aerials, as you would have found.
 
Compression is the problem. I hear the entire dynamic range being sucked out, I can’t bear it, the iPlayer app doesn’t. I’m sure that given an equal signal it could be much more a close run thing.
 
Compression is the problem. I hear the entire dynamic range being sucked out, I can’t bear it, the iPlayer app doesn’t. I’m sure that given an equal signal it could be much more a close run thing.

Can you point me in the right direction, are you referring to the Radio 3 HD iPlayer or the newer one which requires Firefox, or is there one I do not know about?
 
I use the iPlayer Radio App. There are flac streams, but the iPlayer app (when set to high quality) is very good indeed. It also lets you time-shift, hear concerts from other days, and listen to Radio 6 in a format that’s much better than DAB. I use a phone or iPad to send it to an Airport Express. Your solution may be different depending on your initial source. Tony connects his phone/ipad to a CD/SACD player that has a digital input. If you’re using a computer as a source, there may be different options. It’s complicated, but as I understand it if you set the iPlayer Radio app to high quality, that’s as good as the BBC gets.
 
The other beauty for me of the iPlayer app is you can obviously time-shift and catch up on things missed. I should really use it a lot more.
 
I'm listening now to R3 Clockwork Orange from iPlayer on iPad to the front USB port on my Marantz SA8005, sounds good, the Marantz won't accept the signal from my Samsung S7 though.
Was wondering if I can connect my Samsung phone to my Airport Express, anyone know ?
The Marantz has proved to be quite a versatile high quality unit.
 
I also have a Quad FM4 not plugged in due to not having a decent aerial. Would love to hear what it can do but wasn't that impressed with a ribbon aerial.
 
Another tip with the FM4 if working on it, is to replace the soldered battery on the PCB with a new battery - but more importantly one with a 'plastic guard mod', that prevents the battery leaking onto the PCB.
 
Does anybody know the standby drain current of the FM4? If low enough a Farad or so SuperCap type capacitor should work. NiCads are not easy to find these days and modern battery types don't like trickle charging
 
The Troughline seems to keep getting good things said about it but I must differ on this one (and i know many agree with me). I have about a dozen Troughlines and I have refurbed many but I don't rate them at all! Certainly the best UK valve tuner but that's where it ends for me... even a budget modern tuber will trounce a Troughline!!
The Leak Stereofetic is actually a pretty decent tuner and will easily beat the Troughline. These are available cheap still and the later Leak Delta is exactly the same tuner with different styling.
 
Agree ref the post above regarding the Troughline.

I had a completely refurbed one from a well respected expert, but to me it was nothing special at all.

Would say similar of three Naim Nat01s I owned too.
 


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