Playboy Mansion hifi 1967: Marantz, Rek-O-Kut and what?

KentTeffeteller said:
I see a Marantz Model 7 preamplifier, an Ampex 351-2 open reel and it's electronics, an HH Scott FM tuner, a Garrard Laboratory Series A 70 changer, a Rek-O-Kut Rondine turntable with an S 120 tonearm. And in nice custom furniture.
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The Scott is an FM-AM unit. Two dials. Since it has the "nipple" knobs and isn't a 333, it has to be a 330D.


sheltie dave said:
I have the ROK and the two Leak preamps, and bill has most everything. He sold the ampex and the Scott decades ago.
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I'm assuming that the Precedent that made an appearance at a gathering a few years ago was that unit?
 
So, I guy takes a camera to the Playboy Mansion and takes photos of stereo gear. What's wrong with this picture!
 
Nothing. Hugh had all the bunnies in his bedroom , singing "My Favorite Things."

Yes, Sam, that is the REL from the bunny manse.
 
cyclotronic said:
I recently picked up this great original photo from the archives of the Chicago Tribune:

playboy_hifi_zpsalulfwh6.jpg


It's stamped Sep 30 1967 on back, and a blurb pasted on back says:

The stereo control center in the main room of the Playboy Mansion, Editor-Publisher Hugh M. Hefner's private residence on Chicago's plush North State Parkway, controls sound in all the main areas of the House, including the swimming pool, underwater bar and game room.

2nd turntable from the bottom is obviously a Rek-O-Kut B12H (?) with S-120 arm. And above that is a Marantz 7. I'd like help figuring out the rest. Bottom turntable is a changer. The things with the VU meters look very familiar, but strike me more as professional studio or theater equipment versus what would usually be installed in a home.
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The system was just shown briefly in the new Playboy documentary on Amazon Video in episode 3.
 
An example of what in part drove the hi-fi business model during the 50's-60-s. Being a young guy with a lot of cash hi-fi was the best release. And those women. Just a side bar to all the audio goodness seen in playboy every month.
I dream't about hi-fi during those days.
 
The stereo control center in the main room of the Playboy Mansion, Editor-Publisher Hugh M. Hefner's private residence on Chicago's plush North State Parkway, controls sound in all the main areas of the House, including the swimming pool, underwater bar and game room.
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????
 
There was a picture of the set up with the model 7 centered in the photo showing the entire set up and room with guests in one of the playboy mag issues as I remember. I don't remember the built in speakers. And yes its an Ampex 351-2 professional R2R. I wish I had kept my 300-4. But the thing was humongous and no place to put it. The 1/2 " tapes are long gone with the better ones mixed to 2 trk and eventually dubbed to CD.
 
Here is the ROK from the second bedroom. It smelled kinda funky and the old plinth was knackered, so we went with a more flexible plinth arrangement, while still retaining the "I'm pimping" attitude.

 
DougMac said:
So, I guy takes a camera to the Playboy Mansion and takes photos of stereo gear. What's wrong with this picture!
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Hey, the Tribune is a family newspaper :). I'll tell my wife I need to watch the documentary "for the hifi gear".
 
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