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Superscope R-340B goodness

Here's some web-read on Superscope . .

Superscope was founded by the Tushinsky Brothers in the 1950s to promote a process by the same name to produce wide screen motion pictures. I guess they wanted a share of the market dominated by Cinemascope, Todd-AO, Panavision and others.

Unfortunately, Superscope never caught on with Hollywood film makers. The brothers then decided to try the audio business. After a visit by Joseph Tushinsky to Japan in 1957, Superscope became the exclusive distributors of the first Sony tape recorders in the US. Right around the same time Delmonico was awarded the same for Sony's novel transistor radios.

By the late 50s, Sony ditched Delmonico and started Sony Corporation Of America with Akio Morita presiding over the company.

They tried to gain the US distribution rights to the tape recorder line as well, but the Tushinsky brothers refused and I am guessing they had the legal documents to do so. The agreement was for 20 years I believe.

Superscope grew exponentially in the years to come, absorbing Marantz in 1964 and like Brian pointed out, acquiring controlling interest in Standard Radio as well. Sony was just starting to make inroads in hi-fi equiment at the time.

Finally in 1977, Sony was allowed to directly distribute their tape recorder line. Their contract with Superscope had expired...

____________________________

Seems to me that Superscope couldn't help to be anything but good with both early Sony and Marantz influences.

I have a CD-310. It's one of the cassette decks in their compact series and is an impressively built, handsome piece, and more collectable than alot of Marantz stuff.
 
I have a 1976 Superscope R-340 receiver at home.
I wonder what is the difference between the R-340 and R-340B?

Steve
 
OK, I stand corrected.

Mine is the R-340, not the 340B.
It's almost identical to your 340B with a couple of exceptions from what I can see.

The most obvious difference I can see right away is the 340 does not have the words "Stereo-Quadraphase Reciever" on the front panel.
The transformer in my 340 is different, and looks to be a bit heavier as well.

I will take some nude pics and post to this thread tomorrow.
 
Here are the pics I took today.
Please excuse the quality, I need a better camera!
I'm impressed by the build quality, and sound it produces. This model is underrated and was a heck of a buy.
Notice the differences between this and the R-340B..... mine is missing balance switch cap.
I was lucky to find one. It should be here next week.
 

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A few minor differences. The most notable seems to be the addition of a larger heatsink and the 340B has an internal antenna. Monteman, I hope you don't mind I recycled your pic.

R-340B
SuperscopeR340Bnudie.jpg


R-340
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I have what appears to be a matching top-loader tape deck for that thing, CD-302. 12.5" wide. Labeled Marantz/Superscope, made in Taiwan, same logos and cabinet style but......the VU's are orange! Wonder what colors the reel machines blinked at you....
dan
 
I'm reviving this thread being as I just received my r 340 and am totally geeked with it's clear sound and over-all quirkiness.
 
Funny that you should revive this thread today. I just won a Superscope R1220 on Ebay. I'm picking it up this weekend. It needs a little cleaning up, but I'm looking forward to hearing it.
 

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Just got my 340b home this week after 2 friggin years at my former tech. Yup that's right; for 2 years it lived on this dirt bomb's shelf. Only thing is it's a scott 340b. Little bit different than the superscope 340b but I'm sure happy to have it back home.
 
When I bought my T-220 tuner in 78 the salesman informed us that it was Magenta , not Pink .
Still use it daily.

Enjoy................:music:

Barney
 
Just got this Model 300 about a week ago. Power cord was cut, so I got her pretty cheap. Installed new cord, powered up and discovered all the panel lamps were out. Replaced all the fuse lamps and the wired bulb, cleaned controls with deoxit, sounds awesome! Tuner section plays well, picks up all local stations just fine. Hooked it up to an equalizer, a pair of EPI M100s, and one of my Pioneer CDPs. My wife thinks it's cute (she was hoping the display would be pink), so it's hers. Sorry about the quality of the pics. Overall this is a neat little unit, that is in pretty good overall shape. I'm thinking early 70s?
 

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Not hard to change the tint to anything you, well your wife, would like. Nice find. Amazing that people cut the cords on working items but, to your advantage.
 
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