Anyone ever seen 1 of these? Clarion MD-7800
- Thread starter Ibemiked
- Start date
danj
modern primitive
I remember one of the local furniture stores selling those for a short time, along with some funky CD players and low-end speakers. Seemed decent enough for entry level but not at the prices the furniture store was asking. Said store got out of the audio gear business within about 6 months then closed their doors forever a few months later. Nobody misses them.
The deck looks like a BSR deck, so maybe they were the OEM.
The deck looks like a BSR deck, so maybe they were the OEM.
Ibemiked
Active Member
Well.. this was available (new) from 1977 to 79.. Defintelty NOT entry level.. and CD players weren't available until 1982 so it must of been something else you saw unless it was New old stock.. this UFO series stuff is high quality.. I found a complete 7800 series set (amp, tape deck, tuner) on eBay Australia for $750 BIN.. This stuff is actually pretty rare.. there were only 700-1000 individual units produced. I'd love to get my hands on the 7800 amp.. Super cool stuff.. the MD-7800 msrp was 94,800 yen which is about $870.00 in 1977! So this was definitely not "entry level" I found the ad here's a pic
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danj
modern primitive
I do recall Clarion's attempts to go upmarket in the late 1970s, an attempt that was unsuccessful because their brand name had a low-end car stereo connotation, even though the gear itself may have been perfectly good. They should have picked a more upscale sounding name for their new products. Anyway, the deck in the picture closely resembles what I remember from said furniture store. You may be correct in that they were NOS units. They do really look like some of the BSR and ADC units available for sale about that time and sold by Dixie Hi-Fi and others as well as mail order through DAK. I would be interested to see how they perform.
ducar
Active Member
Clarion low-end car stereo connotation?????
Clarion car sistems 1977
Udo series Nos Units?????
This series was projected by the clarion itself.
to compete with the big hi-fi brands
They did so in small numbers,
no more than 700 to 1,000 units.
There are other very interesting Clarion series aimed at the japan market.
I have a ufo series system, it is already the second, the first was in 1978
I have this double deck, maybe one of the first deck doubles
ducar
Active Member
'm referring to 70's car audio system.
Pioneer emerged later in the 80's.
Nakamichi, Alpine, and Kenwood in the mid-1980s.
summing up the Clarion in the 70's was at the level of jensen.
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That double deck, is too cool.
ducar
Active Member
Thank you
bshorey
Super Member
Definitely earlier than the early 80's:
"November 1975: Introduces the world’s first component car stereo."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pioneer_Corporation
bs
ducar
Active Member
Yes, you're right, sorry.
In 1977 had a very interesting car radios and systems , but systems with separate components "similar to Clarion" was in the year 1978-79, according to the brochures of the time.
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bshorey
Super Member
I'd like to see those brochures. I can't imagine any manufacturer advertising their product as being 'similar to somebody else'. Maybe a dealer, but not a manufacturer.
Regardless, the GM-120 amp dates back to at least 1979. I know, I had one. The GM-40 goes back a little further, and the GM-10 dates to 1977. Pioneer was selling component car stereo before 1980.
Fwiw, I had a decent Clarion stereo in one of my cars around the same time frame. I might still have it in a box somewhere. It was a very good unit, as I remember.
I think we're a bit off topic from the original post in this thread.
bs
