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Setton BS 5500

mech986 said:
Hi SoCal Sam,
What are the dimensions and weight of your unit?

There was a Setton AS-1100 that was up on Ebay at a live auction site in N.J. I had emailed VS about it previously. Looks like an integrated amplifier. It went for $50 but shipping would have to be arranged. Funny how Setton's BOTL looks better than many manufacturers TOTLs!!

Here's the link:

"Setton amplifier AS1100 solid state 19" w x 6 1/2" h x 13" d"

http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=28221&item=170056126796

Regards,

Bart
Click to expand...

Hey Bart -- Did you pick up your 16.5 yet?

As for the AS1100, believe it or not that was Setton's BOTL Integrated Amp. That's why it went for only $50.00.

Sam -- What did you pay for the BS 5500 anyway and how did you find it? And, please DON'T tell me that you bought Tom's Golden Bogen.

-- Chris
 
OK, looks like we have enough info to put together some of the Setton Model line-up.

Receivers:

RS 660
RS 440
RS 220

Integrateds:

AS 1100 (BOTL)
Others?

Amps

BS 5500
Others?

Preamps

AS 5500
Others?

Tuners
Known to exist, model numbers?

TT
TS-11

Tapedecks
?????

The BS 5500 weighs about 32 pounds and the measurements are about the same as the AS 1100. Serial number is 06000544 so this one was the 544th off the line. There has to be at least this many preamps out there.
 
vintagestereo said:
Hey Bart -- Did you pick up your 16.5 yet?

As for the AS1100, believe it or not that was Setton's BOTL Integrated Amp. That's why it went for only $50.00.

Sam -- What did you pay for the BS 5500 anyway and how did you find it? And, please DON'T tell me that you bought Tom's Golden Bogen.

-- Chris
Click to expand...
If Tom won't let you have his Golden Bogen, I have even less chance so the answer is no. (The Golden Bogen may be the most beautiful single piece I own but that discussion will be for another thread.)

The BS was a touch pricey at $250 but because of rarity and novelty, well worth it. Try harder Chris, it was not CL or eBay.
 
Yeah. That is funny. There was probably at least 1000 of them made(with yours at 544), but we like never see them. There were around 2500 concept 16.5 made and at least 10 AKers have one. Also, I believe that the Setton tuner was a ?S-5500.

Are there any AKer's with the TT?

$250 is DEFINATELY worth it for such a rare item.

Regards, Henry


PS-My uncle bought an RS-660 back in the day and he still has it. From what Ive heard from him, I dont think there were any tapedecks ever made from Setton. But I may be wrong.
 
SoCal Sam said:
If Tom won't let you have his Golden Bogen, I have even less chance so the answer is no. (The Golden Bogen may be the most beautiful single piece I own but that discussion will be for another thread.)

The BS was a touch pricey at $250 but because of rarity and novelty, well worth it. Try harder Chris, it was not CL or eBay.
Click to expand...

Sam -- What a relief. I've told Tom for years that when he finally realizes that he doesn't really want the Golden Bogen to sell it to me. That faceplate is to DIE FOR!!! As a Tube Receiver, I'm dying to hear what one sounds like since Tom's does not work. Eagerly looking forward to your thread about it.

I would hardly consider $250 for such a rare and exclusive unit as the BS 5500 pricey. That is clearly a SCORE in my book. Certainly the best looking of the late 70's power amps in that class. I AM SO JEALOUS!!! You MUST help me get one!!!!

-- Chris
 
vintagestereo said:
Sam -- What a relief. I've told Tom for years that when he finally realizes that he doesn't really want the Golden Bogen to sell it to me. That faceplate is to DIE FOR!!!
-- Chris
Click to expand...
LOL! It's been sitting there for years? Tom even told me you've been pining for it. Sam.
 
theblackknight said:
JUST FOUND INFO(AT LEAST SOME) OF THE SETTON TUNER!!!!
Model #: TU-S600

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/reviewsO-Z.html#setton
Click to expand...

Good jbb, Detective Henry! So, there we have it....the SETTON SEPERATES! Sam may well be right about the BS 5500 being the TOTL Amp....but, still, I do remember something more powerfull still in the 150 wpc class. Anyway, it would be FANTASTIC to see all the Setton Sperates together with the Turntable. There were no matching speakers or cassette decks sold in the US.
 
SoCal Sam said:
OK, looks like we have enough info to put together some of the Setton Model line-up.

Receivers:

RS 660
RS 440
RS 220

Integrateds:

AS 1100 (BOTL)
Others?
RAmps

BS 5500
Others?

Preamps

AS 5500
Others?

Tuners
Known to exist, model numbers?

TT
TS-11

Tapedecks
?????

The BS 5500 weighs about 32 pounds and the measurements are about the same as the AS 1100. Serial number is 06000544 so this one was the 544th off the line. There has to be at least this many preamps out there.
Click to expand...

According to my Orion Blue Book

Integrated
AS-1100 50 wpc 1977-81
AS-3300 69 wpc 1977-81
AS-5500 ? 1977-81

Pre-amp PS-5500 1978-82
Power -Amp BS-5500 120 wpc 1978-82

RCV
RS-220 50 wpc 1977-81
RS-440 69 wpc 1977-81
RS-660 120 wpc 1977-81

Turntable
TS-11 1977-81

Tuner
RCS-X-1000 1977-81 New list is supposed to be $3500
TUS-600 1977-81

I don't know how accurate the Orion books are though? :no:
 
Web Police said:
According to my Orion Blue Book

Integrated
AS-1100 50 wpc 1977-81
AS-3300 69 wpc 1977-81
AS-5500 ? 1977-81

Pre-amp PS-5500 1978-82
Power -Amp BS-5500 120 wpc 1978-82

RCV
RS-220 50 wpc 1977-81
RS-440 69 wpc 1977-81
RS-660 120 wpc 1977-81

Turntable
TS-11 1977-81

Tuner
RCS-X-1000 1977-81 New list is supposed to be $3500
TUS-600 1977-81

I don't know how accurate the Orion books are though? :no:
Click to expand...
Thanks for the Orion info Web Police. We now have a model line-up and I am glad to know that my BS 5500 is the TOTL amp. On the back of my BS is marked "100w + 100w" so Orion must be in error.
 
SoCal Sam said:
Thanks for the Orion info Web Police. We now have a model line-up and I am glad to know that my BS 5500 is the TOTL amp. On the back of my BS is marked "100w + 100w" so Orion must be in error.
Click to expand...

Sam -- Not necessarily. I know for a fact that when the RS-660 came out it was rated at 100 wpc and, later, the spec was changed to 120 wpc WITHOUT ANY MODIFICATIONS. So, I have every reason to believe that your BS 5500 is really 120x2 as well, even though it says 100x2. I also have ever reason to believe that Setton's TOTL Integrated Amp. has the same power output as the RS-660....120x2. You will notice that the rating for the other IAs and Receivers are IDENTICAL.
 
Interesting, the change in power rating. Mine is the 544th off the line so it must either be from the first or second production year with the early ones carrying the 100 watt rating. I think the definitive answer will come from doing a power test over at Tom's.

The AS 5500 rating is unknown so there is still some mystery here.
 
Wow. I’ve been lurking here on AK for awhile (and thoroughly enjoying it) but this thread finally made me register. I have one of the TS-11 turntables, and thought nobody but me remembered Setton.

When I bought the TS-11. I had been using a lower-end Dual for a number of years with my first hifi system, a KLH Model 52 receiver and ADC XT-10 speakers (I mowed lawns as a teenager to buy this stuff!) but the Dual developed a little palsy in the automatic arm mechanism. I fixed it with some lube, but got to thinking about all the excess changer mechanism and stuff I didn’t need. At some point I walked into a stereo shop which had a big display of the TS-11, on sale even. Now I wish I had checked out the rest of the Setton line and filched a brochure, if they even had one. Regarding the questions as to Setton’s changing power ratings on amps, I recall that my turntable came packed with a little Xeroxed copy with different turntable specs than those published . . . I think the Xeroxed specs were slightly better. Perhaps Setton had a habit of being too conservative and then correcting that!

The Setton performed nicely, although the factory-supplied headshell was this heavy, clunky thing that I hated. A nice Audiotechnica shell solved that. The sliding dust cover is a great feature as it allows the turntable to be put under a much lower shelf than a conventional turntable. Unfortunately the belt gave up in it a few years ago, and since I haven’t seen any source for Setton belts I haven’t been able to use it. It now sits and looks pretty above my Rotel RCD-855/RTC-850/RB-850 set. I still have the old KLH too, in storage.

Sorry if this post is a little long and slightly off-topic, but I’d love to find a belt for the TS-11. If any of you guys know of a source, please post it as I still have some vinyl I’d like to be able to listen to. Oh, and somewhere I may still have the owner’s manual, which I’d be happy to copy if anyone needs it.
 
Hydralique said:
Wow. I’ve been lurking here on AK for awhile (and thoroughly enjoying it) but this thread finally made me register. I have one of the TS-11 turntables, and thought nobody but me remembered Setton.

The Setton performed nicely, although the factory-supplied headshell was this heavy, clunky thing that I hated. A nice Audiotechnica shell solved that. The sliding dust cover is a great feature as it allows the turntable to be put under a much lower shelf than a conventional turntable. Unfortunately the belt gave up in it a few years ago, and since I haven’t seen any source for Setton belts I haven’t been able to use it. It now sits and looks pretty above my Rotel RCD-855/RTC-850/RB-850 set. I still have the old KLH too, in storage.

Sorry if this post is a little long and slightly off-topic, but I’d love to find a belt for the TS-11. If any of you guys know of a source, please post it as I still have some vinyl I’d like to be able to listen to. Oh, and somewhere I may still have the owner’s manual, which I’d be happy to copy if anyone needs it.
Click to expand...


Hi Hydralique and Welcome to AK!! You picked a very interesting thread to start posting but we all hope it will just be the start. One thing, go to your User control panel (CP) and turn on and list your location so we get a sense of where you are.

In regards to the TS-11, that sliding shell like dust cover is a great idea, sort of a "Doh, why didn't I think of that" and I wonder why others haven't adopted something similar. As for the belt, well here's an Ebay seller out of France that can supply them, total cost to the US would be around $23 or so.

Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SETTON-TS11-COU...oryZ4787QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Take the link and paste it into this page, Babelfish translations French to English to get a quick read of it. Never worked with the seller but might be the best thing to do.

You might want to check your local electronics store to see if they have belts which would fit. If you have the old broken belt, it could be measured and then use one about 10% shorter or so. The key is knowing, if possible, what the original length was and then get a flat belt to fit. You can try MCM electonics or maybe Parts Express and check, although the French Connection might be best. Maybe order 2 to be sure?

MCM page on belts, remember to order a flat belt.
http://www.mcminone.com/category.asp?catalog_name=MCMProducts&category_name=3830454&Page=1

Hope this helps getting your table back to operation.

Regards,

Bart
 
Welcome Hydralique. Nice of you to post your TS-11 experience. There is so little info on the web about Setton's that it is nice to gather our collective knowledge so others may enjoy Setton as much as we do. Cheers, Sam.
 
Hey Thanks!

I really appreciate the advice and links . . . I'll have to put "rejuvenating" the TS-11 on my list of New Years resolutions. I did turn it on today and everything lit up and worked aside from the belt slipping massively, so the prognosis looks bright.
 
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