Klingon-Hifi made in USSR during the cold war

[screenersam]

fwiw...in his time in Russia L H Oswald worked at an electronics factory in Minsk

"Gorizont Electronics Factory, which produced radios, televisions, and military and space electronics."

any info on Gorizont?

 

[Trio]

Probably the best person to ask is the author of this site:
http://oldradio.onego.ru/foy.htm

It is interesting to see some of the radios he has on that site. A couple of them or models rather appear in some of the Soviet era movies of Gadai, mostly comedies, but what is interesting is that the colors and patterns of the main character of some of those movies- Shurik, reappeared within the past year or so as the hot colors and pattern.

The radios were not likely widespread, at least not the deluxe models, but they did import some from Germany/West Germany because in one Show series on Mir TV, there was a Saba in the background in one of the more commonly used stage sets.

I think the title, transilliterated is "Kuldavasya Lubova" I would think the odds to be fairly good if one other person outside of eastern Europe has seen it, they would likely be on this site.

However, regardless of the perspectives of the west in that era, to be sure there are many things that would suprise us. I remember people laughing at the long lines outside of Soviet era stores (and no doubt there were distribution issues) but look at the news when a new Iphone or new game system is about to be released- same long lines. Was/were/are our societies all that different? Probably not that much different when you look at details. Aestetics were definitely different, but then again that is true between US, Japan, China, Germany, Britain, you name it.

Did the Soviets care about audio quality? Yes they did actually. Art Blakey and his Blues Messengers had large followings in Europe and behind the iron curtain. Plus, let us not forget classical music.

 

[Sandy G]

My dad & I used to go to the big Sunbelt Agriculture Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, starting in the late Seventies, up thru '92 or '93... The Russians had a booth there, they were trying to break into the N. American tractor market, w/one tractor, the "Belarus"... The 1st year I saw them there was '79 or so.. The "Belarus" was VERY crude compared to Western tractors, but they got BETTER significantly over the years, altho the last Isaw of them, they were STILL behind Western designs..

 

[baco99]

More pictures of a turntable are here:

http://rw6ase.narod.ru/000/rez1/korwet003.html

Korvet with oil-damped suspension...

And a Corvette with oil-damped suspension...

Hmmmm....

 

[Trio]

A few things- a "Corvette" is actually little more than an ocean going tugboat with it's own cargo hold that would be hard pressed to do any better than 20 Knots. It predates the GM version which has an oxymoronic name- unless you consider the fact that the 1953, 1954 and early 1955 production had the 235 Stove bolt 6 for an engine. (it was saved by the Thunderbird).

And as for anyone thinking there might be some little metal plaque on or in the factory where Oswald may have worked for a time, there will not be. The USSR and Cuba had zero to gain from the JFK assasination. Regardless of the intrigues and disinfo that is still surrounding those events, JFK was more of a risk to the bankers and the CIA than anything or anyone else. Plus Little was or is made of the fact that John Hinkley Jr.- his parents were neighbors of George H.W. Bush- former CIA chief.

And an older Belarus tractor has a prominent role in a German TV series "Büttenwarder", which might not sell in the US in translation, but the show is entertaining.

We do lose site of the fact that the technology ban regarding the USSR did affect machining ability, which extended to cars trucks and farm tractors. The US made some significant metalforming improvements in the 1960's and well into the 1980's. Some of it was consumer driven to have "next year's model", and some of it was just progress. In that era too, micro-miniaturization was a bit beyond Soviet manufacturing capability and they found it easier to repurpose toys like the "speak and spell" to other applications because they could get them. But the USSR started out at a disadvantage because the Czars did not industrialize Russia unlike the countries of Europe. When the Bolsheviks won in 1917, the last "true" ideologue was Trotsky who came to his end with an axe in Mexico in 1924- the western banking interests made quick inroads into the USSR despite what we were told. But they (the banks) did hold back a great deal because they knew the profits of war, but they gave them "just enough".

Today, Russian Federation is still playing a little bit of "catch up"- but not nearly to the level they were, and it may not be too long before the US and Europe are playing "catch up" to Russia, India and China. Those countries are learning the power of conspicuous consumerism and just begining to apply them. But one thing that is going to hamper the west and to some extent Russia and India- that is the issue of crumbling infrastructure.

Lada and Trabbant were laughed at and ridiculed, but the shoe may be on the other foot as DKW is still around, and Lada is still around, and with the access to the technology they have had and the ethics they have had, their quality level is far better than it was in the Soviet era. People laughed at the late seventies Fiats- never paying attention to the earth moving Fiats, and with their acquisition of Chrysler, they are back in the US car market. No one has stood still- except perhaps US manufacturing (with only a handful of exceptions). It will not be long before China (who makes most of the semiconductors and components) rolls out some premier audio technology of it's own, and to some extent it already has.

We need to learn from history, we also need to recognize that the largest growing markets as well as the largest industrial growth countries are China, India, eastern Europe and the Russian Federation.

Could the Korwet appear at an audio store near you? Maybe, but could you afford it?

 

[gladiator335]

Soviet stereos

Oh that trip down memory lane....
Abovementioned Minsk is the city I was born in and lived for 40 years...

Here is what I started my "audio" journey with....

My parent's tube radio Rigonda:

First taste of rock-n-roll on SW!

Then it was tube reel to reel Kometa:

So Beatles from that radio were recorded on a tape....
Then came transistor radio Okean and color TV Gorizont (both were made by the same Gorizont were Oswald was working ):

Then it was newer reel to reel (solid state)-Kometa 212:

And this combo Melodia 103 (big mistake! sort of Soviet Yorx)

And later when I got into DIY and built my own amplifiers I bought this turntable (Vega 120):

and those speakers 35-AS1:

 

[guiller]

Oh that trip down memory lane....
Abovementioned Minsk is the city I was born in and lived for 40 years...

Thanks for sharing your trip!

 

[gladiator335]

It's interesting how this thread keep popping time after time....

 

[Pio1980]

Was there a major shift in consumer goods after Stalin? If so how?

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[gladiator335]

Soviet stereos

Was there a major shift in consumer goods after Stalin? If so how?

Hmm, that's the tuff one. First of all there was the war. Nobody cared then about consumer market for obvious reasons.
And after that half of the country was pretty much in ruins and the main proirity was to restore economy and infrastructure.
In general nobody in old USSR really cared about filling consumer market (I'm talking about country leadership). But Stalin was a very unique creature. I'd say monster and let's leave at that without falling into political abyss). And after he died (in 1953) internal policy shifted to what was called "warming". So more attention was paid to retail and consumables. Not as much as needed but more then before.
So probably the correct answer would be Yes - there was a major shift after Stalin died.

 

[Sandy G]

I think there is an almost universal "Fascination" w/things Soviet.. I remember the "Gun" market was FLOODED w/Russian/Soviet goods after the Wall fell...Ammo, guns, doohickeys, you name it, it was for sale.. I cabbaged on a 1955 arsenal-redone SKS Russian-made carbine for $150, when new Chinese copies were going for about half that.. Got a Makarov pistol for about the same price, & it came complete w/cleaning kit, leather holster, the whole 9 yards... And even though its about the equivalent of our .380, the damthing shoots UNBELIEVABLY "Hard".. More punishing, in a way, than some of our big Magnums.. The Soviets could come up w/almost anything we here in the West had.. But the LAST little "10/10s" of REFINEMENT, that's where they fell down, I think.. At least that's been MY observation w/Soviet goods... They're ALWAYS a lot cheaper than their Western counterparts.. But all the cleaning kits, leather holsters, etc, simply DOESN'T make up for the fact the pistol kicks like a damn mule, DOESN'T fit yr hand, & is not very pleasant to shoot at all..

 

[nailer]

Russian guns work just fine when doing their job. Those directing the fire don't care about the kick/fit.

 

[guiller]

The LP domain in the USSR had very good quality standards, at least during the 70's and 80's and in the classical music category. I've got maybe about 500 Melodiya LPs and the vast majority of them have superb quiet vinyl pressings. Recording quality in the USSR was fair and just adequate in the 50's but started to improve in the 60's to attain a very good quality standard, although I've never encountered recording quality at the level of Mercury Living Presence, RCA Living Stereo or Philips classics, for example.

 

[Pio1980]

During the 1920s and 1930s US manufacturing reps were brought over to set up production for the industrialization of the SU, Ford set up production for the Model 'T' in the 1920s under Fred Rockelman's direction IIRC, I think Leningrad, and RCA later set up mfgring facilities and tube mfgring. The Soviets consequently used the RCA octal tubeset and standard and later designed their own tubes for the octal base standard. After WW-II German engineering talent was appropriated by both sides and Soviet military commo gear started to take on a German design flavor with generally American style octal tubes. I have in my collection a Stalinist era Komsomolets 'peoples radio' crystal set that the awarded winner of a design competition for the most useful implementation for the 'new' germanium detector diode, the passive parts look like they came off 1930s RCA tooling.

 

[djduck]

Oh that trip down memory lane....
Abovementioned Minsk is the city I was born in and lived for 40 years...

Here is what I started my "audio" journey with....

My parent's tube radio Rigonda:

First taste of rock-n-roll on SW!

Then it was tube reel to reel Kometa:

So Beatles from that radio were recorded on a tape....
Then came transistor radio Okean and color TV Gorizont (both were made by the same Gorizont were Oswald was working ):

Then it was newer reel to reel (solid state)-Kometa 212:

And this combo Melodia 103 (big mistake! sort of Soviet Yorx)

And later when I got into DIY and built my own amplifiers I bought this turntable (Vega 120):

and those speakers 35-AS1:

We found one of those Rigondas in my friends basement. We wanted to restore it, but it was just in a horrible condition. I did manage to salvage some awesome tubes and transformers off of it. Thing was built like a tank.

That Melodia 103 had a pretty bog standard mechanism with a good tonearm. But the electronics were very unreliable. I had one of those, it worked for about a week and then died. Tried to fix it but just could not bother. I did save the TT mechanism. Those small speakers were pretty crappy too. I traded them for a pair of S30Bs. Those things were awesome. Very good sound and build quality.

I believe that my friend still has one of those suitcase reel to reels in his basement. Are they any good? We thought that we might fix it up and it would make for a nice piece of audio gear and a conversation piece. I think it also has some sentimental value to his family.

Now that i think about it, my Melodia was a B version with the GZM-005 1/2" cartridge. That is why I salvaged it.

 

[gladiator335]

Those old RTRs? It definitely would be a cool conversation piece if restored. Not that it had such a spectacular sound quality, but for example record level indicator was that "magic cat eye" tube. Pretty cool.
As far as I remember (and I was a kid back then ) this RTR used to work for a long time without any hickups until someone spilled the whole jar of jam inside it. I guess that person wasn't entirely sober....

 

[Trio]

Oh that trip down memory lane....
Abovementioned Minsk is the city I was born in and lived for 40 years...

Here is what I started my "audio" journey with....

My parent's tube radio Rigonda:
[
First taste of rock-n-roll on SW!

Then it was tube reel to reel Kometa:
[

So Beatles from that radio were recorded on a tape....
Then came transistor radio Okean and color TV Gorizont (both were made by the same Gorizont were Oswald was working ):

[

[

Then it was newer reel to reel (solid state)-Kometa 212:

[
And this combo Melodia 103 (big mistake! sort of Soviet Yorx)

[

And later when I got into DIY and built my own amplifiers I bought this turntable (Vega 120):

[

and those speakers 35-AS1:
[

It is fair to say that even with the "political" differences, the Soviet Union and US/western Europe were more alike than they were different. The language barrier being a big part of that plus the politicians of both countries trying to vilify the other. Which is in part the likely fascination with the vintage Soviet era electronics.

But the interesting things I noted while watching some Gadai movies, is I had to rewind and look at at some scenes again because my eye was drawn to the background, the city panorama's the interiors, etc.

Although it was a little odd with some of the scenes in "Briliantova Rucka" where the one huckster was dancing on the ship's upper deck- you saw in the background a missle launcher.:yes: (Stalin's organ pipe style). So you really developed an appreciation for the risks he and his actors took to make those movies. And I would think too, some of the political minutia you see in "Kidnapping Caucasian Style", (Not racist- it's set in the Caucasus mountains- hence the name), was somewhat realistic in the way it was portrayed in the movie- not the intrigues, but the day to day details of a traveller. The chase scene near the end of the movie itself was a classic and copied more than a few times by western movie makers. The movie also had some interesting radios, but sadly no real high end audio stuff and vehicles as well. And I think it safe to say even the Soviets appreciated the tail fins on cars. Even though the Packard/Zils were quite modest.

All in all, the vintage stuff is just very interesting because it does at times contradict some of the things we were led to believe in the 70's and 80's. Yet at the same time confirms the political neutrality of good music and an appreciation for it.

 

[Northwinds]

Stop it! It wasn't THAT expensive! And FYI there were no bears on streets...

You made me laugh, thank you for that! I love your sense of humor :thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp::thmbsp:

EDIT: This is one of the most enjoyable threads to read that I have seen in awhile

 

[Sandy G]

Most of you guys know that one of my interests is "Military Tube Shortwave receivers", I.E. "Boatanchors." I have a pretty fair collection of the Western types, R-390s, RA-17s, EK-07, etc. I wonder if the Soviets ever had a radio that was similar to the R-390 series, that tuned from roughly 500KC, to 30 MC ? Getting a WORKING example, if such a thing exists, would be a REAL feather in my cap.. R-390 lore states that the Soviets DID manage to procure an R-390 or R-390A at some point, sent it to Moscow, where it was examined by their Top Dawgs, & subsequently junked, because it was entirely TOO complicated for them. THAT scenario would seem to likely be untrue, given the overall level of development of the items displayed in THIS thread... They WERE Classified for quite awhile, but by 1968-69, military overruns were being offered for sale in ham journals.. The Soviets could have simply BOUGHT one, & learned of its secrets by perusing the rather detailed maintenance manuals... OTOH, there were aspects of the R-3XX's development that were STILL classified into the Eighties, simply because no one had ever asked if they could be "UN-classified"...However, apparently some of the cost figures remain classified to this day, for whatever reason...

 

[gladiator335]

Thanks.
But seriously it pisses me off when after learning that I'm from USSR people usually ask "It must be a lot of snow, cold and a lot of drinking..."
Sure...if you live in Northern Siberia.