advertisement


Cheap cosmetic upgrade for the Quad 405

U

UKSwede

pfm Member
All of you who have a 405, why not swap the power LED from RED to GREEN, looks much softer...:) and maybe dim the intensity down by increasing the series resistor...

The RED makes it look like a lab instrument

No improvement in sound though...
 
If it's an early 405-1, changing the op amps is easier than changing the LED, will cost peanuts for TL-071's, and will improve the sound.
 
UKSwede said:
All of you who have a 405, why not swap the power LED from RED to GREEN, looks much softer...:) and maybe dim the intensity down by increasing the series resistor...

The RED makes it look like a lab instrument

No improvement in sound though...
Click to expand...

Only if you promise that you don't tell anyone.
You must have a lot of time on your hands.

Louballoo
 
I used a 405 for years and still have one as a spare in case all goes wrong. I like the red LED. It does make it look like it came out of a lab but the 44 REALLY looks like a lab instrument.
 
Although I moved on from them a while ago the 405s are still an iconic design in my eyes. Their "industrial fan heater" anti-style should not be messed about with by so-called cosmetic improvements IMHO.

Pete
 
stevec67 said:
I used a 405 for years and still have one as a spare in case all goes wrong. I like the red LED. It does make it look like it came out of a lab but the 44 REALLY looks like a lab instrument.
Click to expand...
Not as much as the 33-303 did. ;)
 
stevec67 said:
I used a 405 for years and still have one as a spare in case all goes wrong. I like the red LED. It does make it look like it came out of a lab but the 44 REALLY looks like a lab instrument.
Click to expand...

At college (in the 70's) we used a 303 in the lab to drive a small vibration rig.
 
Pete The Cat said:
Although I moved on from them a while ago the 405s are still an iconic design in my eyes. Their "industrial fan heater" anti-style should not be messed about with by so-called cosmetic improvements IMHO.

Pete
Click to expand...

yes but there are loads around and my free 405-2 has six holes in the top and the free 405 has two different pcbs......Both are a bit scratched and shitty and they both hummed for england before I bodged them. the fact that either works at all gives me license to change an led.
 
Certainly agree Mudlark. It's not a museum piece. If we were talking about Hendrix's Marshall or Fabgio's racing car then sure, keep it as is with fag burns, but one of a million 405s, especially one that has been brought back from the dead, you can do as you like with.
 
UKSwede said:
Can you see the op-amps from the outside:) Dada do a kit to update the whole 405 for not much money :)
Click to expand...

The price of TL071 is about 25p+VAT each. Two are needed for a 405-1. Into most speakers (unless they are a particularly awkward load), a 405-1 with these op amps will give close to 405-2 sound.

All 405-1 boards that I have come across have sockets for the op amps, so changing them is just a matter of pulling the old ones out and putting the new ones in. The right way round of course.

There may be 405-1 boards that have op amps soldered in, but I've not come across any.

Although good value, I suspect that Dada kits would cost more.
 
my 405s have the netaudio upgrades. the 405 is standrad and the 405-2 has dual power supply and the input sensitivity thingy done. After the latter it works quite well with a 32.5 naim preamp. (SPECIAL CABLE REQUIRED)
 
mudlark said:
yes but there are loads around and my free 405-2 has six holes in the top and the free 405 has two different pcbs......Both are a bit scratched and shitty and they both hummed for england before I bodged them. the fact that either works at all gives me license to change an led.
Click to expand...

I defend your god-given right to do whatever you feel like ! Internal mods definitely work wonders with 405s. My point was about when people take original 405s in good condition and try to update them cosmetically, and they end up looking like a veteran Mercedes that has spoilers added. I think they’re a strong fashion statement because they're at odds with all today’s sleek shiny boxes. However if the case is b------d then why not.

Pete
 
mudlark said:
my 405s have the netaudio upgrades. the 405 is standrad and the 405-2 has dual power supply and the input sensitivity thingy done. After the latter it works quite well with a 32.5 naim preamp. (SPECIAL CABLE REQUIRED)
Click to expand...


I am about to use a borrowed 405 with my 32.5 and hicap until i can find a nap 110. What special cable will i need?
 
The input cable on the Quad which is a 4 pin DIN is not compatible with the naim four pin DIN. (Don't try it)

Flashback sales are the people who get good reports.
 
mudlark said:
The input cable on the Quad which is a 4 pin DIN is not compatible with the naim four pin DIN. (Don't try it)

Flashback sales are the people who get good reports.
Click to expand...

Sugar, thanks for that, would have hurt to have my new purchase hurt in any way. Would you suggest to leave well alone until i locate a naim power amp?
 
nirvanah said:
Sugar, thanks for that, would have hurt to have my new purchase hurt in any way. Would you suggest to leave well alone until i locate a naim power amp?
Click to expand...

personally I wouldn't use a borrowed amp with non standard cables. It's easy to change the wires round in the plug, but if you bugger up the job......

I have several bits of custom cable including phono to din for quad and naim power amps........the chance of a bad decision is great.

my Quad 405s are living on borrowed time due to me recovering them from the tip so i don't worry about blowing things up.

the worst situation would be putting the power supply form the naim equipment into the signal input on the quad. I'm no expert, but if the amp survived the speaker could go bang very quickly. I may be wrong about the consequences of getting the cables wrong, you might just get silence. You might get the wrong type of silence...

If you are using non standard cables use a test on the output first before connecting speakers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top