Notes on Vintage Gear

  • We're still updating pictures. If you want more pictures, just text us with the model number you're looking for (616-369-8366)
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Sansui

Sansui QR-500

Sansui QR-500

$600.00 USD
$600.00 USD
Sale Sold out

Overview

The Sansui QR-500 is an early four-channel receiver built around the company’s own QS matrix approach to quadraphonic sound. Rather than being a conventional stereo receiver with extra speaker terminals, it was designed to decode compatible matrix recordings, synthesize four-channel sound from ordinary stereo sources, and reproduce discrete four-channel tape sources.

In four-channel operation, the QR-500 is rated at 8 watts per channel into 4 ohms. Its output is modest by later receiver standards, but raw wattage is not the main attraction. The appeal lies in its place at the beginning of the 1970s quadraphonic era and in Sansui’s distinctive attempt to make immersive home audio practical using both encoded and conventional program material.

Why This Model Matters

Sansui was one of the central companies in the development and promotion of matrix quadraphonic playback. The QR-500 incorporated a Sansui-designed QS synthesizer/decoder that could derive four-channel ambience from two-channel records while also handling QS-encoded material. That makes it an interesting artifact from a period when manufacturers were actively experimenting with what home surround sound could become.

The QR-500 is especially appealing today because it is more than a curiosity: it can still function as a compact four-channel system, a stereo receiver, or a way to explore matrix and discrete quadraphonic sources.

Highlights

  • Four-channel receiver with Sansui QS synthesis and decoding
  • 8 watts per channel into 4 ohms in quadraphonic operation
  • Playback for QS matrix records and synthesized stereo sources
  • Inputs for discrete four-channel tape equipment
  • Separate front and rear level controls
  • Built-in AM/FM tuner
  • Distinctive early-1970s quadraphonic design

Who It’s For

The QR-500 is for the listener interested in the history of surround sound, Sansui’s quadraphonic engineering, or building a period-correct four-speaker system. It is less about brute-force amplification and more about experiencing one of hi-fi’s most fascinating experimental chapters.
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