On the fence...

[FMB42]

Ok, I know absolutely nothing about tube gear (and not a whole lot about home audio). Was thinking of setting up a little stereo system in a (11' x 13') room that's used as a "guest bdrm". Wife says she wants the system "to go with" the (her) furnishings (which is "old-time" or something).

Anyway, I've been interested in tube gear since joining AK and am now realizing that a vintage (non-console) tube based system might "fit the bill" in this room (in both performance and style). My budget is a measly $150 for the rcvr alone.

Some of the questions I have are:

1. How much expect to spend on a working, decent sounding and reasonably reliable 7-15 wpc stereo tube amp/receiver that's preferably wood cased?

2. What are the general parts and schematics availabilities for Emerson(?), Magnavox(?), and some of what seem to be the more common Bogen and Fisher units?

3. Are there better brands that I should consider (than what's mentioned above)?

4. Tubes. Ok, It seems that some tubes can be expensive and/or hard to find. Are there any "work-around" options to this?

Note: I had a small "hand-me-down" Emerson console as a teen that I'm pretty sure was a tube type. It sounded pretty good too me at the time (it surprisingly had bass, treble and mid-range controls).

I also have a background in auto/motorcycle repair (including feed back emissions control repair and testing) and previously own/operated both auto electric/electronics and PC repair shops (i.e. I possibly have just enough "knowledge" to get me into trouble, or worse... ).

Btw, I'm open to any and all advice (and laughter for that matter).

Thank you for your time and may you and your families have a good Christmas,

Martin

 

[janikphoto]

There are some nice units that can be had for $150, or you can buy a console, chop it up, and have a woodworker build you a nice little tabletop cabinet to hold the amp and pre-amp in.

 

[Trio]

There are still a number of Magnavox tube amps, around as well. The auction site can get a little pricey, but keep your eyes open as you can find some just by being in the right place at the right time. If the decor can be "classified"- "French Provincial', "Danish modern", "70's Dungeon Modern", "Midcentury Polynesian", "Mid Century Modern undefined", although there are a number of members who watch a number of period TV shows, so if "Mad Men" is a closer description, or "Father Know's Best", that helps place things in time, and there are some period pieces you might be able to find that just need some repairs to get working again. Tube theory is a bit different than 3 state logic, but the first Boolean circuits used tubes, so you should be able to pick it up quick.

If you are primarily depending on the auction site, your best bet should be about 05:00 Monday and Tuesday morning.

 

[FMB42]

Thanks Janikphoto and Trio,

The wife says she doesn't want a "bunch of my audio junk in her room" (can't say that I blame her with all the audio, motorcycle, RC, and other hobby addiction stuff I've got piled up around here). Anyway, she actually complimented the wood case on the little vintage SS Akai AA -1125 I recently bought. I don't remember what her decor style is, but she's got some "Queen Ann" chairs if that'll help... I imagine that just about anything with wood would be fine.

And yes, I am also thinking of a console chop (have a circ and table saw, etc, and a some wood working knowledge). Probably could do solid clear pine with the right stain, or maybe a restore/alteration on a yard sale cabinet. Got a few Good Will stores around here, so I think I'll start checking them out. Was thinking about some of the units on *bay, but I'm not sure I'd want to risk having it battered during shipping (well, not for this project anyway).

I, of course, could hide one of my newer receivers behind some wood, but I think I'll use the "no audio junk" comment as a reason for buying a vintage tube based system.

 

[sony6060]

Some Bogen stereo tube receivers have sold for $150. They can be of good quality.

Just a note-
I think the wife does not want any audio in her space, but is just being polite. Women make a great 'nest' so to speak.

 

[Gary Kaufman]

With a $150 budget, think MONO! You'll get much better sound overall than a low end stereo unit and you'll only have to get one speaker "approved" by your wife.

Or consider one of the German AM/FM tube radios (eg Grundig) with 6BQ5 outputs. Pleasant sounding and nice styling.

 

[FMB42]

Some Bogen stereo tube receivers have sold for $150. They can be of good quality.

Just a note-
I think the wife does not want any audio in her space, but is just being polite. Women make a great 'nest' so to speak.

Thanks for the suggestions. And yes, you could very well be right about her "just being polite". It's probably best that I setup the system up somewhere else, like in the garage...my last refuge (like her guest rm). Yep, that's what I'm going to do now that you mention it.

With a $150 budget, think MONO! You'll get much better sound overall than a low end stereo unit and you'll only have to get one speaker "approved" by your wife.

Or consider one of the German AM/FM tube radios (eg Grundig) with 6BQ5 outputs. Pleasant sounding and nice styling.

Mono. Now that's a very good idea. Been using an old stereo system switched to mono in my garage for more than a decade (blew a channel when I very idiotically allowed a heavy length of angle iron to slide-fall behind the rcvr). I then realized that mono was better suited for garage use anyway (I don't often stand in the same place for long).

Grundig huh? I know that name from somewhere. Don't they make guitar amps or something of the like? Well, I'll certainly look into the brand.

Sure glad I asked you knowledgeable people for advice before I jumped in. Now I'm on a mission to find a tube amp/rcvr.

Another question (sorry): how fragile is tube gear in this price range? Do you think the average working unit would likely survive relatively careful shipping as long as it's packed fairly well?

Thanks again everyone for your time and effort.

 

[gadget73]

Norelco (Phillips) made some really nice looking stereo tabletops with tubes. Here's one for example:

You might be able to pick up one of those in your budget, or any number of German tabletop radios. They usually don't sell for huge money, but they can be a bit of a pain to rebuild if you're not patient and good with a soldering iron. The Dutch radios (Phillips/Norelco) are not really any easier to overhaul. Grundig, Saba, Telefunken, Nordmende, Schaub-Lorenz, Loewe and Blaupunkt are a few German radio makers that produced some nice stuff. They had a wide range too, so there are cheaper and nicer models from each.


WHere are you? There are a number of antique radio shows around the country. Possible there is one within reasonable driving distance of your location. I've gotten some great deals at the one in Kutztown, PA, certainly better than ebay prices and no worries about it being destroyed in shipment. They can be shipped, but you have to pack the things extremely well. If you wouldn't feel comfortable kicking the box down a flight of stairs in your house, it probably won't survive.

 

[for_p1]

Problem is that for $150 it will either be broken (or need immediate service),or in bad condition cosmetcally. Well restored table top radios from 1950s (if we speak about Mono), are not very cheap.

 

[FMB42]

I do like that Norelco/Phillips Gadget73. Almost has an early '50s jukebox look to it. And thanks for throwing some more brand names my way. Btw, I'm in the Boise ID area.

If you wouldn't feel comfortable kicking the box down a flight of stairs in your house, it probably won't survive.

Yep, that's my concern. Damage inflicted on new, or easy to replace, stuff is one thing. It's the "not so easy to replace" vintage units that are making me think twice about shipping. At my stated budget it's not so much the monetary loss... it's the loss of something that's no longer in production.

Problem is that for $150 it will either be broken (or need immediate service),or in bad condition cosmetcally. Well restored table top radios from 1950s (if we speak about Mono), are not very cheap.

That does makes sense. Kinda suspected that my $150 budget would probably be the biggest hurdle. Ok, so anything at or below that price will, understandably, have more issues. While, on the other hand, spending more than that will place me in the position of needing to see and hear it in person before I buy.

So, once again, I'm at the intersection of "cheapskates always spend the most" and "pay for quality, pay for it once"...

 

[gadget73]

Its the restoration you'll pay for. An unrestored one isn't terribly expensive, mostly because a lot of people won't touch European radios with a 10 foot pole. If you're up for doing it yourself, you can get some nice stuff in that $150 budget. You'll probably pay that much to have someone rebuild a radio though.

Where you run into trouble with those Euro radios is if they have pot metal parts in the tuning system. I had a Grundig like that, and I had to get a new clutch plate machined for it so it would operate. Most things built with a degree of sanity don't have such an over-complex mechanism but German radios are really good for having far more parts in the tuner drive than there is any reasonable excuse to have.

 

[FMB42]

Its the restoration you'll pay for. An unrestored one isn't terribly expensive, mostly because a lot of people won't touch European radios with a 10 foot pole. If you're up for doing it yourself, you can get some nice stuff in that $150 budget. You'll probably pay that much to have someone rebuild a radio though.

Where you run into trouble with those Euro radios is if they have pot metal parts in the tuning system. I had a Grundig like that, and I had to get a new clutch plate machined for it so it would operate. Most things built with a degree of sanity don't have such an over-complex mechanism but German radios are really good for having far more parts in the tuner drive than there is any reasonable excuse to have.

Well, I'm a long-time DIYer (got the scars and a long list of dead/ruined stuff to prove it). But yes, I can understand that German and British stuff can be somewhat of a puzzle for those not used to their engineering and assembly methods (no insult intended).

As a mechanic, I occasionally worked on Audi, BMW, MBZ, VW, Jaguar, and even (one) Rolls-Royce. Loved everyone of them (well maybe not every one). Yet, to this day, I can't say that I understand what the heck they were thinking in certain cases. Some of the German makes were known for hardwiring their ignition modules and other electrical/electronic components into the main and sub wiring harnesses. And then there was R.R. and their fuse design that entailed wrapping specific dia. silver wire between 2 terminal posts. Now, I'd long heard the old "lots of bits and pieces" approach that the British apply towards auto and motorcycle engineering...but this was just a bit too much.

Ya, those were the days.

Meanwhile, thanks for the input everyone.

 

[sony6060]

Yes, I prefer the standard 'General Motors' of the vintage US gear called Fisher.

 

[Dadbar]

Go to Home Depot and buy marble or granite tiles to put on top of your speakers. Presto- they are now wife approvable plant stands.

 

[drknstrmyknight]

A mainstream integrated stereo amp: 200 on a good day.
A local tech to bring it up to snuff:200 on a good day.
Receivers are much more complicated to restore.
I think you're way under where you need to be.