Look - you DON'T have to spend $14,999 for a hi-fi!

[firedome]

The consoles to score

are the ~ 1965 and older tube ones made by Fisher, H.H.Scott, Pilot, Bell and a few other makers who produced expensive separate components and stuck them into nice cabinetry, widely popular for its Spouse Appeal Factor, (whereas separate components tended to look a bit clutter-y). About 10 years ago we came across a 1962 Fisher President console for sale that contained an Ampex stereo tape deck, Miracord turntable, SA-300B amp, 400CX preamp, and FM200 tuner. It cost over $1200 new back in '62, when a VW bug was not too much more. That amp/preamp/tuner set will easily bring close to $4000 today, as they are superb stereo components. Even McIntosh and Marantz components were very occasionally found in custom console cabinets such as Barzilay. The problem with the dept. store mass market consoles was that the bulk of their cost went into the cabinets, and bean counter electronics with wimpy transformers were used. That said, they're all still fun and not bad sounding generally if one is not burdened with Golden Ear Syndrome.

 

[112561]

Ampex made a stereo console for a while too, I found one in our local antique mall, but someone had put some sick '70s Brand X receiver in it. That would be another one to add to the list of higher end consoles. General Electric made really kicking components (not repackaged console gear) for a while too, not just their magnetic cartridges.

 

[tolivac]

Oh es,forgot about Ampex Hi-Fi gear.They did make a limited line of it-they were focusing most of their efforts on their recorders.Ampex machines were WORKHORSES in the broadcast and recording industries.Ampex analog decks are still prized by many recording studios today!Ampex 350 and 300-esp with the orig tubed Rec-Pb amps.I have an Ampex 300 with its orig mono Rec-Pb amp.Worked on a lot of these-great to work on.The 1962 Fisher President Hi-Fi console would be a great find for any Hi-Fi fan!

 

[firedome]

GE

did make a nice separate component line as pictured above... my next door neighbor back in the '60s in Baltimore had GE speakers about the same size as AR3s that he had hooked up to Fisher amp/preamp and a Weathers turntable, and they sounded fantastic.

I've seen a few of the GE components over the years, they didn't sell real well but were decent stuff, however not in the Fisher/Scott league, not to mention McIntosh - still made right here in Binghamton.

RCA also made a separate component line in the 50s, they were tube monoblock 6V6GT based, very nice, and some excellent component RCA speakers too, also their UK division made a monoblock "Orthophonic" line (not to be confused with their US products under that name) that was super high-end, and very expensive if you can even find one today, I've seen only 2 in 40 years.

 

[tolivac]

I am so glad "MAC" McIntosh is still made here.They are classic Hi-Fi gear.Never seen or heard the GE or RCA components-seems like they would be nice!

 

[Thescore]

GE Porta-fi turntable

Question- I just picked up an old GE Porta-fi turntable. I works great and play multiple speeds. Any idea how much it is worth?..

Thanks....I am new at this!

 

[whirlcool]

Used Value

A lot of time with used stereo equipment the value is whatever somebody is willing to pay for the item. I usually tell people to look at completed listings on Ebay to see what people are currently willing to pay for their equipment. Usually Dual turntables.

Is that a GE Porta Fi compact stereo you have? I've never seen a GE Porta Fi turntable as a separate item.

BTW, as far as that first GE console listed above, like the one my uncle had. We could have deoxed it, but getting to the pots to put the deoxit in would take a major work. I don't know what became of the console in the end. That uncle passed on way back in the 80's. But now that I think of it, it had a cheap feel to it. The knobs and switches were made out of lightweight plastic and "metalized" to give them a shiny look. That unit was about $499.00 new in 1964. Not cheap.

 

[112561]

Whirlcool

I imagine your uncle bought one of GE's first solid state sets, and honestly they were nothing like their tube sets. Control knobs, escutcheons and changers were metal, the barest bit of plastics used at all. As stylish as the solid states are, you can feel the difference. I found this set in our Habitat ReStore a couple of months ago, for $60 I wasn't about to leave it there. A date written on the back says Dec. 10, 1968. A lot of folks seem to refer to stereo sets as turntables, Thescore's new set could be anywhere from a console, to separate components. At any rate, enjoy it! My set is the tabletop with Porta-Fi, I don't own anything on the catalog pages.

 

[tolivac]

Some "audiophools" are excited over Single ended amps and pay top dollar for them--esp those that use 845 triode power tubes.Right now at our plant we have a 250Kw SW CEMCO transmitter running 4 of those tubes as cathode follower modulators for the power stage-Grid modulated Doherty RF power amplifier.Bet they would love that!and the triode tubes used in the power amp-water cooled triodes at 300Kw plate dissapation-imagine the SE amp you could make with that!Crank it up until your ears BLEED!!SE amps are really no more than the output stages of most 5 tube radios-just a bigger scale-but the same nonetheless.The CEMCO modulator amp-two 807 tubes driving a 845 stage-then the cathode follower 845 stage-these feed into a 4 winding mod transformer-each secondary has the grid bias voltage flowing thru it to the power amp stages.For SW broadcast use-the modulator can be flat from 50 Hz-10Khz.

 

[firedome]

that's right...

Eric Barbour of Vacuum Tube Valley magazine used to refer to modern SE amp designs as basically clock radio output stage ripoffs and he was right! IMO SE is just one more fad swallowed whole by the electronically illiterate.

 

[twintubdexter]

love to see all this interest in vintage hi-fi/stereo

This probably belongs in "Shopper's Square," but I thought I'd throw it in here. Nice vintage GE console with a very tasteful contemporary cabinet. Unfortunately the $550 price in not that nice. Over the hill in Temecula. 

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/for/5059922103.html

 

[whirlcool]

The set my uncle had and most of the ones shown in this thread are solid state. It didn't sound as good as GE's tube amps did. It had a cheap sound to it. I thought that Zenith or Magnavox consoles sounded much better.

 

[tolivac]

The SE amp does make a good low level modulator for that transmitter.Now if we could package that as a Hi-Fi Amp-the audiophools would go bananas!Yes--we are using 845 tubes in them from a Hi-Fi supplier-only source now-or the one that gave the best bid.The GE 250Kw transmitter use a direct coupled PP modulator stage using 7482 vapor cooled triodes-same tube as in the RF driver and RF power amps.Now-if some audiophool would like to use the 7482 tube as a SE amp-they are welcome to try!!!The tube weighs in at over 200Lb,needs a boiler for the anode,and a 15Kv power supply.The 5682 and 5681 tubes in the CEMCO Doherty are forced water cooled threu the water jacketed plate connection.These tubes are unique for their power rating--they weigh only 60Lb so a crane tube puller isn't required.The stage uses a total of 4 of them-PP-2 in the Carrier stage-another two in the peak.A 5681 PP stage drives the carrier and Peak stages.The 845 modulator modulates the grid bias for these.One of any of these tubes now cost under 15K if you buy them as rebuilt.The quality of them is sort of poor-esp the 5681,82-the 7482 tubes are OK.Both came from Machlett labs-then Machlett was bought up by Eimac.

 

[cuffs054]

Tol, can you post any pics of those tubes? The whole setup sounds fascinating!

 

[tolivac]

I have some pictures and videos-but can't link them to this computer.In the meantime Look up Jim Hawkins Radio World.He is a "Ham" type person that has taken many "picture" tours of various transmitter plants.Google that and you should find it.Then on his website he has a "VOA Tour" thats it.He has many picures of the plant.YouTube has many,too.There is a video tour of VOA "A" plant that was closed in 2006.B plant where I am at is still operating and will continue to do so.The A site equipment is largely the same as B.I have worked in all three Greenville plants.The only diffrence in A plant was two transmitters that were Continental Electronics 420B and a Marconi-forget the mod#.Sadly the transmitters at the A plant are now hanger queens and scrap metal at this point-will never play again-too many parts taken from them to keep B plant rigs operating.The A plant is going to be turned over to the state of NC in the upcoming future-they have plans of using it as a campsite or a solar power farm.The antennas will have to come down.Sort of sad.Miss that place-worked there for about a year.B plant is the only remaining SW Gov't broadcast facility remaining in the US.