FREE Console Stereo
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GTE Sylvania
Most likely.
Those BSR turntables have an awful reputation, so bad the company sold their genuinely good semi-automatic systems under another name.
And, yet - they have held up better than the Garrards of that era and as well as the V-M turntables which, by this point, were actually running magnetic cartridges at 2g or less without difficulty.
Solid state, of course, and I don't know anything about that, but I'd guess the sound quality by that day's standards was considered adequate for one's great-aunt Agnes and her hearing-aide. Those early solid-state amps were awful.
Pretty cabinet. One reason I think it may be a Sylvania. They did nice cabinetry.
Most likely.
Those BSR turntables have an awful reputation, so bad the company sold their genuinely good semi-automatic systems under another name.
And, yet - they have held up better than the Garrards of that era and as well as the V-M turntables which, by this point, were actually running magnetic cartridges at 2g or less without difficulty.
Solid state, of course, and I don't know anything about that, but I'd guess the sound quality by that day's standards was considered adequate for one's great-aunt Agnes and her hearing-aide. Those early solid-state amps were awful.
Pretty cabinet. One reason I think it may be a Sylvania. They did nice cabinetry.
Guess someone has claimed the "hi-fi" console.Agreed the early SS amps were HORRIBLE!!!!!BSR went downhill fast with their "Plasti-BSR" changers!!!Later Garrard TTs weren't so hot,either-agreed.The older ones were best.Seen a few of the Garrard 301 Manual TT's in "kilowatt" AM radio stations.Seemed to hold up in those.
Garrard had
Two lines - as did V-M. Even the strictest audiophile could find nothing wrong with the V-M professional series turntables and the limited quantity broadcast standard (I refuse to say 'studio standard' after what Fisher did to the name) Garrard equipment was wonderful.
The Zero 100 saved the company but came at a cost. They wanted to do it in much better quality and less cheesy woodgrain. Couldn't afford it. The tonearm had cost too much to engineer and too much to build.
This is why you see these unbelievably good tonearms, 100x less tracking error than the best 'S' arms on offer, under dust covers which scratched an cracked and yellowed (quite a feat, considering they came 'smoked') practically overnight.
When V-M collapsed overnight, BSR stepped into the gap and what had been acceptable quality in the early 1960s declined rapidly.
Two lines - as did V-M. Even the strictest audiophile could find nothing wrong with the V-M professional series turntables and the limited quantity broadcast standard (I refuse to say 'studio standard' after what Fisher did to the name) Garrard equipment was wonderful.
The Zero 100 saved the company but came at a cost. They wanted to do it in much better quality and less cheesy woodgrain. Couldn't afford it. The tonearm had cost too much to engineer and too much to build.
This is why you see these unbelievably good tonearms, 100x less tracking error than the best 'S' arms on offer, under dust covers which scratched an cracked and yellowed (quite a feat, considering they came 'smoked') practically overnight.
When V-M collapsed overnight, BSR stepped into the gap and what had been acceptable quality in the early 1960s declined rapidly.
stricklybojack
Well-known member
.
Way back when Garrard made some nice stuff it seems. Below are the results of a quick googling.
Seems some of these have present day tone-arms being used.
By the time I got into hi-fi gear BSR was synonymous with lowest end garbage.
BCI was more interesting, but still usually bested by the competition.
Garrard too, was perennially a lesser option by the late 70's early 80's.
[this post was last edited: 2/19/2018-10:02]
Way back when Garrard made some nice stuff it seems. Below are the results of a quick googling.
Seems some of these have present day tone-arms being used.
By the time I got into hi-fi gear BSR was synonymous with lowest end garbage.
BCI was more interesting, but still usually bested by the competition.
Garrard too, was perennially a lesser option by the late 70's early 80's.
[this post was last edited: 2/19/2018-10:02]
speedqueen
Well-known member
BSR
With what is on the market today(namely Crosley), BSR record changers seem of relatively good quality by comparison. Here is a video of my early '70s Panasonic all in one stereo with BSR changer. I like it and have no issues with its performance. However, I must add that I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, have "golden-ears".
With what is on the market today(namely Crosley), BSR record changers seem of relatively good quality by comparison. Here is a video of my early '70s Panasonic all in one stereo with BSR changer. I like it and have no issues with its performance. However, I must add that I do not, by any stretch of the imagination, have "golden-ears".
I remembered the Garrard 301 TT's in a radio station-was in an unused studio at a 1Kw AM station-Collins 21V transmitter-this had 4 4-400 tubes-one pair for the RF power amp,the other pair for the PP modulator.Both pairs were driven by a pair of 807 tubes.The 301 TT were in a back studio used for storage by the stations Onan genset room.The studio would be unusable if the generator was running.I was going to try to see if I could have gotten the 301 from them-but just didn't get around to it-the manager wasn't there when Roger and I were working.He would leave lists of things he needed fixed.He was also blind-all of the meters were Braille as well as regular for sighted operators.
I used to have a Garrard Lab80 TT-was a very nice TT-from the picture shown-has the changer spindle.Mine had the single play spindle only.I liked how you could adjust the arm balance,tracking,and anti skating-things you couldn't do with a regular changer type TT.The Z-100 was an amazing TT the arm was able to correct tangetal tracking errors as it tracked across a record.Would have liked to have had one of these-many audiophiles liked them.
I used to have a Garrard Lab80 TT-was a very nice TT-from the picture shown-has the changer spindle.Mine had the single play spindle only.I liked how you could adjust the arm balance,tracking,and anti skating-things you couldn't do with a regular changer type TT.The Z-100 was an amazing TT the arm was able to correct tangetal tracking errors as it tracked across a record.Would have liked to have had one of these-many audiophiles liked them.
Garrard really did have some excellent
Engineering. The American market was important for them in the 1960s and '70s and they had a real problem - their equipment was declared so hazardous it was illegal to import or sell it in the US.
The material from which the program cam was made was a plastic which not only supported combustion - it had a very low melting temperature and would turn into a pool of liquid flame, spilling out onto everything and turning a minor fire into a major conflagration.
By the time they'd fixed that, BSR had started their ultra-cheap and trashy turntable line and V-M in their last rally before death was putting out really good consumer grade turntables at super low prices.
I can't find it at the moment, but there's an excellent article on their battle to create the Zero-100 series without killing the company. Quite honest and revealing. About as far away from the Speed Queen people of today as one might get. Had they been able to work with V-M (who had photo-electric cell trips, eliminating the troublesome velocity trip systems and hands down the best changer mechanism on the market,(better even that DUAL), they could have really come up with something tremendous.
Engineering. The American market was important for them in the 1960s and '70s and they had a real problem - their equipment was declared so hazardous it was illegal to import or sell it in the US.
The material from which the program cam was made was a plastic which not only supported combustion - it had a very low melting temperature and would turn into a pool of liquid flame, spilling out onto everything and turning a minor fire into a major conflagration.
By the time they'd fixed that, BSR had started their ultra-cheap and trashy turntable line and V-M in their last rally before death was putting out really good consumer grade turntables at super low prices.
I can't find it at the moment, but there's an excellent article on their battle to create the Zero-100 series without killing the company. Quite honest and revealing. About as far away from the Speed Queen people of today as one might get. Had they been able to work with V-M (who had photo-electric cell trips, eliminating the troublesome velocity trip systems and hands down the best changer mechanism on the market,(better even that DUAL), they could have really come up with something tremendous.
Didn't realize Garrard had all of those problems-no wonder why they just "disappeared"
And for broadcast use another concern-some AM transmitters are sensitive to bad rumble and Wow-those could trip modulator Overloads!Harris MW5 transmitter sensitive to that-5Kw transmitter with PDM switch tube modulator.Some PP modulator Tx were tripped by bad TT's as well-usually the flats on idler wheels!
Oh yes-didn't realize that VM had photocell trip systems-less interference to tonearm tracking as mechanical trip sensors would cause.No-there weren't changers in radio stations except the Seeburg Changers that were in their jukeboxes-those were used in Schaffer program automation systems.WRC FM in Wash DC used those in the 70's.Their FM was in one room-an RCA BT-FM20 20Kw FM Tx and a Schaffer automation system that had 33 and 45 RPM Seeburg changers.They were easy listening music at that time-Easy listening format did well with early automation systems.
And for broadcast use another concern-some AM transmitters are sensitive to bad rumble and Wow-those could trip modulator Overloads!Harris MW5 transmitter sensitive to that-5Kw transmitter with PDM switch tube modulator.Some PP modulator Tx were tripped by bad TT's as well-usually the flats on idler wheels!
Oh yes-didn't realize that VM had photocell trip systems-less interference to tonearm tracking as mechanical trip sensors would cause.No-there weren't changers in radio stations except the Seeburg Changers that were in their jukeboxes-those were used in Schaffer program automation systems.WRC FM in Wash DC used those in the 70's.Their FM was in one room-an RCA BT-FM20 20Kw FM Tx and a Schaffer automation system that had 33 and 45 RPM Seeburg changers.They were easy listening music at that time-Easy listening format did well with early automation systems.
Well, somehow my Technichs still is state-of-the-art-EVERYTHING!!!! (May it always be...)
-- Dave
-- Dave
The Technics SL or was it SP 1200 has come back-but not for radio stations or DJ's but to high end hi-fi or was it "audiophools" the TT now cost $4 grand!!!!Remember Technics SP1200 TT's in radio station supply catalogs for under 400 bucks with Stanton or Audio Technica cartridges.Those were most popular with radio stations or DJ's.
V-M only used the photocell
In their professional line of changers. But what changers they were! Outstanding specs, records dropped at onto a platter which was not moving when they dropped, tonearms which raised to match each new record's height, a very low innate tracking error and an outstanding anti-skate...they were hailed even by serious audiophile magazines.
But, yeah - look how fast the good stuff went.
And how the mid-range is totally off the market! Croslet at 9grams or Technics at $4 grand.....
In their professional line of changers. But what changers they were! Outstanding specs, records dropped at onto a platter which was not moving when they dropped, tonearms which raised to match each new record's height, a very low innate tracking error and an outstanding anti-skate...they were hailed even by serious audiophile magazines.
But, yeah - look how fast the good stuff went.
And how the mid-range is totally off the market! Croslet at 9grams or Technics at $4 grand.....
firedome
Well-known member
There's some reasonably decent TTs new
for under 1 grand, but nothing at any price approaches the laser ELP TT form Japan:
http://elpj.com/
for under 1 grand, but nothing at any price approaches the laser ELP TT form Japan:
http://elpj.com/
