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Retro Hi End Trivia Question

Does anyone remember the "Quatre Gain Cell" amplifier?

While thinking about various configurations for my latest "new" system, I found myself daydreaming about the "high end" room of my local dealer when I was still in school:

as I recall, a Thorens turntable with an Infinity black widow arm, the Apt Holman preamp, and Dahlquist DQ 10s and Dahlquist subwoofer driven by the mysterious "Quatre Gain Cell".

It sounded great -- the type of sound and music and fun that got me into this addiction where I am still unsuccessfully chasing the first high....

I would be interested in buying one of these amps for fun to put in a bedroom, but I never see or hear about them.
cwlondon
cwlondon OP
1,210 posts
 
Michael Elliott -- Thanks. Yes, it was with a Grado. Or occasionally the old Denon (103?) moving coil. That must have been a popular set up. Exotic, inspiring and musical.

Perhaps I am just being sentimental and nostalgic but I would still swear that in many ways audio has gotten worse in the last 25 years. And I'm only 37. Not just trying to be an old stick in the mud or anything.

Let's hear more nostalgia!
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elgordo
530 posts
 
How about the Dunlap-Clarke amp? And the Koss electostatic speakers (NOT headphones - these things were huge), Dayton-Wright electrostatics, Watson Labs speakers from Canada, AEA amp & preamp from Winter Park, Florida.
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ivanj
35 posts
 
I believe the Koss Electrostats were designed in part by Dr. West of Sound Lab fame. As I remember they were pretty good speakers - didn't they have a "wall wart" sort of powersupply? Dunlap Clarkes liked to combust, also. They either worked well and sounded good or flamed out...
ariaaudio
9 posts
 
Nope -- the Switching Class-D amp (or "SWAMP" as it was called in-house)predated the HCA by a couple years. It did fail spontaneously and the reason why was never learned despite considerable research. I think that model had just gone out of production when I came onboard at Infinity, and I helped the electronics department package the HCA for production.

Mike Elliott
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