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Oldest review of hifi gear?

RichPA

RichPA

Don't drive angry
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I don't recall seeing this addressed here, but for some reason I got to wondering when the first review of hifi equipment was published. The earliest I could find was in High Fidelity in their third issue in 1951 (https://www.americanradiohistory.co...gh-Fidelity/50s/High-Fidelity-1951-Winter.pdf). The first issue in Spring 1951 doesn't seem to have equipment reviews, though the editorial is an interesting read - it's about "what is an audiophile?" Very nice archive to be found here https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/High-Fidelity-Magazine.htm

I'm guessing that there were reviews published earlier in magazines (or maybe newspapers?) not specifically dedicated to the hobby. Anybody know of something earlier?
 
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^ That was the best I could come up with. I'll be interested to see what other information comes forward as I liking reading old reviews
 
The mid to late 40s was very hit and miss in terms of recording quality. But man there were some very impressive recordings made during this time.

No not perfect by future standards but not bad at all.

I cant imagine there was nothing written about the achievements then. Just it may not have survived the passage of time.

I bet there were some impressive offerings in terms of speakers by the late 40s also.

To me that era represents the birth of hifi as it became known.
 
Yeah. Not to get too far off the subject here but somebody showing off their accumulated vocabulary is not my idea of an equipment review and about the only sound and vision combination I like is showing a band or orchestra on stage playing their music, not somebody else's "imaginative" music video.

I have seen early reviews of equipment but I believe they were all from the early fifties.

Doug
 
1951 High Fidelity volume 1 is the oldest mag I have here. No reviews but a decent article by PWK to start things out on page 10.
 

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Dont get me started on the old audio magazines from the 40's ,50's and 60's.
I went down that rabbit hole years ago buying,audio,and high fidelity magazines off eBay way before American radio history came on board.i loved the reviews and even the ads from the manufactures of gear.i even took it one-step further buying books on audio gear..I have one called hifi kits which was dedicated to just the amplifiers ,tuners etc, that were available at the time.i also have hardbound books of high fidelity which contain 1 full year of said magazines.
I'll dig them out and take a picture .
 
Doug G. said:
20+ years on, I STILL miss those magazines.

Doug
Click to expand...

Hell, I miss MAGAZINES.

As a kid, I would kneel in front of the magazine rack, and I'm talking as long as my parents would let me. I think it is why I have some varicose veins in my legs, no kidding.
So, as a sorta successful young adult, I subscribed to most anything I liked.
Like my audio thang, it quickly got out of hand.
 
onwardjames said:
Hell, I miss MAGAZINES.
Click to expand...

This. We always had magazines around the house. I think my parents subscribed to 50 or 60. From a very young age, I read Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report, Scientific American, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and more. When I got a little older, I subscribed to pretty much all the stereo and science fiction magazines I could find. Still do, but there are far fewer.
 
hifi audio aside i was also spending lot of money back in the 90's on pop com , monotoring times and various other shortwave radio magazizine along with classic car mags as well.the prices add up thats for sure when you have more than 1 interest.
 
Even Sam's phofact put out different volumes of amplifers s and associated gearsgear with volume one .here's one of mine. I have them all but only 2 the rest are on pdf.
IMG_20200531_131112.jpg
 
Your National Radio radio reminds me of my old Hallicrafters multi-band radio I have that was my late father-in-law's. I restored it back in the seventies and need to re-restore it as it sat in his damp basement for many years.

Doug
 
motorstereo said:
1951 High Fidelity volume 1 is the oldest mag I have here. No reviews but a decent article by PWK to start things out on page 10.
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gotta read that one and see if its available on american radio history.
page 40 sounds interesting as newcomb by todays standards is a under the radar mfg that many dont know about.there are many said companies from back in the 50's jumping into the hi fi market and trying to cash in.Some survied a few years and some to this day.
 
Doug G. said:
Your National Radio radio reminds me of my old Hallicrafters multi-band radio I have that was my late father-in-law's. I restored it back in the seventies and need to re-restore it as it sat in his damp basement for many years.

Doug
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which hallicrafter?
Besides audio gear the old shorwave receivers are also a addiction for me.
unfortunately i sold the national 183d years ago and regret it..
 
It's an S-76 and has an R-46B speaker that goes with it. I was out in the garage to be sure of the model number and it's actually in good shape, appearance-wise, other than being a bit dusty/dirty.

Doug
 
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