10-01-2021, 12:45 PM
Ah, yes, quadraphonic sound. I remember when the craze hit the audio stores in my hometown back in the early-1970s.
Some recordings sounded good and some had audible artifacts. For a while it was all gonzo stuff, like the 3D movies of the 1950s, made more for the wow factor than for an improved consumer experience.
The open-reel 4-track tape approach was clearly superior to the matrix-encoded LPs but tape recorders were more expensive than turntables and cartridges (not to mention harder to maintain) and the tapes weren't exactly cheap either. That market didn't last long.
Then there was the requirement for twice as many decent speakers and amplifiers and, for the audiophiles who weren't divorced yet, a spousal agreement that this extra gear could be shoved into the home listening room.
Regards,
Kent
Some recordings sounded good and some had audible artifacts. For a while it was all gonzo stuff, like the 3D movies of the 1950s, made more for the wow factor than for an improved consumer experience.
The open-reel 4-track tape approach was clearly superior to the matrix-encoded LPs but tape recorders were more expensive than turntables and cartridges (not to mention harder to maintain) and the tapes weren't exactly cheap either. That market didn't last long.
Then there was the requirement for twice as many decent speakers and amplifiers and, for the audiophiles who weren't divorced yet, a spousal agreement that this extra gear could be shoved into the home listening room.
Regards,
Kent
