Late Tube Era Radios with push-pull

A

anden

Active Member
In the 1930's and 40's it seems that there were quite a few table radios with push pull audio, but by the 1950's and 60's, very few. Some of the big German sets had p/p output, but American table radios of the 50s & 60's with p/p seem to be far and few between. The two I can think of is the 13 tube rca orthophonic with twin 6v6GT output and the KLH model 8 from the early 60's.

Any other sets from the 50's 60s with p/p ?
 
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cademan said:
Stereo took over!
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i dont think thats what the original poster is talking about.most tabletop radios were mono so i think he is talking about the topology . there was single ended,triode, and pushpull .single ended meant one tube performing the output amplification and if there were 2 it was push pull.(basically but not in all cases)
 
Yes, most console sets had push-pull in the 1930s-40s and most table sets which had tube counts of 8 to 12 would have also been p/p giving real "guts" to the audio. Years ago I had a 1941 AM/SW Silvertone tabletop with an 8 inch speaker and 6K6's for output. It had very impressive audio. Of course consoles through the 1960s also kept p/p for big sound & power.

KLH's model eight is an enigma being so late in the tube era, a fully transformed sub shoe box size and they managed to get high fidelity sound from only 7 tubes - 3 IF stages for FM 7 and p/p output. The result was truly amazing....really nice sound.

High end Zenith's of the 50s and 60s had changed to AC/DC, single ended output. They retained great sound through contoured audio - boosting low frequencies. This along with an 8 inch main speaker + electrostatic tweeters gave really nice room filling sound.

It seems that to a degree, we gave the high end tabletop market to Germany, making few radios in the high fidelity class, aside from models mentioned above. RCA even had Graetz make a high end set in the 50s and put the RCA label on it. I can't remember the model, but Curtis-Mathis made a high end, three speaker tabletop that really put out some sound....don't know if was p/p though.

I obviously like big sound in a radio!
 
Diversification was going on between the 30's and the 60's. Yes, there were still table radios to be had. But people that wanted (and could afford), MORE, BIGGER, LOUDER were starting to buy the larger hi-fi's console and separate components, some which did have radios. Or, at least radios (as tuners) which could be added to separates easily. As floor model and tombstone AM radios started disappearing the really big improvements in audio output were going to the bigger hi-fi console systems.

So, I agree, no. Your average AM table radio was not improving in sound quality during said period. I believe they were actually becoming more compact. The emphasis on sound quality was being given to the larger components/consoles.
 
The consoles and component systems pushed table radios into the back corner as the chief source of entertainment. A single-ender with its standard-issue 4" speaker and teensy output transformer would do in a pinch if one just wanted to catch the news while working in the kitchen or waking up to a clock radio of similr output design at bedside.

Also people got in the habit of stringing extension speakers all over their house from the livingroom console.

The higher-end German radios and others such as KLH and Curtis Mathes tended to command a pretty high price-tag for a table radio, driving most people towards GE, Motorola, Emerson....and lots of dept store brands that were far less expensive.
 
Back in 1937 my Dad bought a Northern Electric 5-band floor standing set that had PP 6V6-GT and a bass reflex enclosed 10" speaker.
 
Agreed, consumer tastes evolved in all kinds of new directions in the 50s & 60s - transistor, components, and unfortunately the inexpensive radio from Japan which would be used for 5 years then tossed. Up until the late 50's Zenith ruled in sales of FM radios, having 50% of the market in 1955...their deluxe models were about $100. I think U.S. manufacturers decided they would never be able to engineer and produce a set to compete with the big German models and make a profit. I believe German radios accounted for 8% U.S. of dollars spent on consumer electronics in 1960 (many were $150-$250....that was a lot of money back then.

It's kind of ironic that KLH's model eight was such an odd duck that was expensive ($160.), but it set the standard for mini high fidelity desk sets which followed in the late 60s into the 80s which became a huge segment of the market. By 1970, there were quite a few FM only hi-fi table sets out there...Realistics concertmaster, Scott model 100 and KLH's own model 21 solid state....all in the $80. to $120. range.

I've drifted way off the push pull topic, but quality radio's are an interesting part of the history.
 
I have a ridiculously large 1958 Magnavox table-top radio with PP 6AQ5. It houses the same chassis that was used in some of the pre-stereo Magnasonic consoles. The size and weight of a PP chassis would seem to limit their application in more reasonably sized table-top radios.
 
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