Tech Hi-Fi catalogs?
- Thread starter kichijai
- Start date
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
Well it appears to be the full stereo model. Solid state, but not silicon(e) by the looks of it.
Brian said:
I worked at the Waltham Bargain Center and briefly in Burlington. I was in high school at the time and was lucky enough to get a job as stockboy. Lots of great people and memories. Most of the people I knew were from the bargain centers, but I'm sure some of the names would be familiar.
I still laugh remembering:
George Washington's birthday sales (complete mayhem!)
"swill" (low end products like TDC speakers and Collaro turntables)
"biters" (prospective customers who were reluctant to buy)
BostonDave
Lunatic Member
Don't know if this will revive an old thread or not, but I had a couple of these catalogs (Tech Hi-Fi Books) as a teenager and they were the equivalent then of what the wishbook was when we were kids. The 1980 one is the one I most remember as I had that right arond the time I bought my first stereo. These things are pretty rare out there these days, but last night I just happened to google "Tech Hi-Fi Catalog" and found a guy selling a 1980 one for $5 on some site that accepts Paypal. Had to have it shipped to a friends house as the guy won't ship outside the US, but it's now en route.
It will be an interesting experience flipping through it again as I now own a good number of the components that I only drooled over 30 years ago - like most of the Nikko separates in it, a Pioneer SX-3800, who knows what else.
It will be an interesting experience flipping through it again as I now own a good number of the components that I only drooled over 30 years ago - like most of the Nikko separates in it, a Pioneer SX-3800, who knows what else.
Brian
An Old Geezer
They used to shot some of the photos in the store located across the street from Boston University that I managed in the early '70s. Sadly, most of the systems were put together more to meet a price point and move special buys with maximum profit than from panels or employees developing the combos from listening. Even with that though, they still offered good value for the buck and I suspect most companies did the same thing except for specialty stores like AudioLab.
eThink
Well-Known Member
Tech HiFi: Syracuse, White Plains and Stamford
I have many good memories of Tech HiFi from the 1970s and 1980s. Tech HiFi was the store that that helped me learn about and come to appreciate audio gear.
My first experience was when the Tech HiFi store came to Syracuse, NY in August 1972. They opened a store near the Syracuse University campus. Over the next two years, I bought two true audio classics: a harman/kardon 930 receiver and Philips GA-212 TT.
I still own these units today. The original sales people came from the Boston and Amherst area. One of the original sales people, Theo, was were both friendly and helpful; he helped me understand and appreciate how to assemble a balanced system.
in 1974 I moved to White Plains, NY for my first job after college; in 1976 Tech HiFi opened a store in White Plains. This store become a favorite lunch time destination. However, I never bought anything from this store. Harvey Electronics (a NYC metro area chain) had a great store in White Plains with used audio gear that was taken as trade-ins. My first generation large Advents came from Harvey.
In 1977 I moved to Stamford, CT for a new job; in 1978 Tech HiFi opened a store in downtown Stamford. Physically, the Stamford store was relatively small, but it had a cozy feel and great salespeople. This was the era that Tech HiFi catalogs, I have a set from 1978 thru 1982.
These were my audio "wish books". The Stamford Tech HiFi store provided me both sales and service, including:
I got to know the store manager, Perry, as a regular customer. After I moved to Wilton, CT, I ran into Perry as the manager of the ComputerLand in Norwalk, CT in 1986. Perry had "moved on" from audio to PCs.
Thirty-plus years later, I still have most of the gear, all of the catalogs and many good memories of Tech HiFi. :thmbsp:
I have many good memories of Tech HiFi from the 1970s and 1980s. Tech HiFi was the store that that helped me learn about and come to appreciate audio gear.
My first experience was when the Tech HiFi store came to Syracuse, NY in August 1972. They opened a store near the Syracuse University campus. Over the next two years, I bought two true audio classics: a harman/kardon 930 receiver and Philips GA-212 TT.
I still own these units today. The original sales people came from the Boston and Amherst area. One of the original sales people, Theo, was were both friendly and helpful; he helped me understand and appreciate how to assemble a balanced system.in 1974 I moved to White Plains, NY for my first job after college; in 1976 Tech HiFi opened a store in White Plains. This store become a favorite lunch time destination. However, I never bought anything from this store. Harvey Electronics (a NYC metro area chain) had a great store in White Plains with used audio gear that was taken as trade-ins. My first generation large Advents came from Harvey.
In 1977 I moved to Stamford, CT for a new job; in 1978 Tech HiFi opened a store in downtown Stamford. Physically, the Stamford store was relatively small, but it had a cozy feel and great salespeople. This was the era that Tech HiFi catalogs, I have a set from 1978 thru 1982.
These were my audio "wish books". The Stamford Tech HiFi store provided me both sales and service, including:
[*]Replacing the control bulbs in my GA-212 TT
[*]MXR-114 audio equalizer
[*]Micro-Acoustics 282e phono cartridge
[*]AKG 240 headphones
I got to know the store manager, Perry, as a regular customer. After I moved to Wilton, CT, I ran into Perry as the manager of the ComputerLand in Norwalk, CT in 1986. Perry had "moved on" from audio to PCs.
Thirty-plus years later, I still have most of the gear, all of the catalogs and many good memories of Tech HiFi. :thmbsp:
BostonDave
Lunatic Member
I was at Northeastern in 84-85 and lived on campus, but I think Tech Hi-Fi was toast right around then.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3092/is_v23/ai_3242219/
Not sure if the BU store was still there then, but I don't really recall it. From the article it sounds like the NE stores held out the longest.
Brian
An Old Geezer
I was long gone by the mid '80s and in Florida so do not know the time line for the period.
eThink, I owned the Amherst store at the time and wonder which sales person moved over to Syracuse. Each year we employed a number of university students who after graduation left and went elsewhere. A lot of turnover, but on the other side, a good number were knowledgeable and we balanced the staff with an emphasis on music knowledge and music majors vs engineering or equipment knowledgables as in the end most who bought were most interested in what they heard and looked for help in discerning the audible differences rather than knowing the guts of units. On Saturdays, some used to play I can name that tune in X notes and the orchestra, label, etc. While this was going on the equipment guts guys would be rippng the cases off equipment left for evaluation by the reps to see if it at least construction wise looked like it was reasonable value and would not self destruct in 15 minutes. They with the in-house tech would give the first pass and then the unit would go to audition in systems against other units at or near the same price points or specifications. A good number of units never got past the 1st cut.
eThink, I owned the Amherst store at the time and wonder which sales person moved over to Syracuse. Each year we employed a number of university students who after graduation left and went elsewhere. A lot of turnover, but on the other side, a good number were knowledgeable and we balanced the staff with an emphasis on music knowledge and music majors vs engineering or equipment knowledgables as in the end most who bought were most interested in what they heard and looked for help in discerning the audible differences rather than knowing the guts of units. On Saturdays, some used to play I can name that tune in X notes and the orchestra, label, etc. While this was going on the equipment guts guys would be rippng the cases off equipment left for evaluation by the reps to see if it at least construction wise looked like it was reasonable value and would not self destruct in 15 minutes. They with the in-house tech would give the first pass and then the unit would go to audition in systems against other units at or near the same price points or specifications. A good number of units never got past the 1st cut.
