What extinct Hi Fi manufacture do you miss the most?
Posted by: Haim Ronen on 16 January 2017
For me it is definitely Tandberg which was established in Oslo in 1933 as Tandbergs Radiofrabikk by Vebjorn Tandberg and folded in 2010:
The company began in the radio field but became more wildly known for their reel-to-reel recorders (and televisions). All their Hi Fi gear exhibited a rare blend of advance engineering, contemporary designs and an excellent sound. Their early receivers and cassette tapes and later their separates were legendary for their musicality and set a high standard for others to follow. The only downside of their products was that they were very expensive.
Personally I owned a reel-to-reel machine and my parents had one of their goregeous B&W TVs. Close friends of mine owned for a very long time their receivers and tape decks so I got to spend long hours with the exquisite Tandberg sound.
Hungryhalibut posted:My first turntable was one of these; a Connoisseur BD1, which came as a kit. I used it with their SAU2 arm, with both attached to a piece of chipboard that I veneered myself in the school woodwork room. It was supported on four upturned steel egg cups. I guess I was about 14 at the time. I changed it for a Technics direct drive, which sounded no better, and probably worse.
There is something special about making it yourself. It is personal and you can forgive a lot.
Off topic, but my first computer was a ZX80 that I bought as a kit. Put it together myself and it worked first time. For a 12 year old kid this was akin to going to the moon. It was never going to run a nuclear power station as one of the articles suggested, but I still have it in the attic.
Klout10 posted:winkyincanada posted:It's not a brand (Magnat are still going), but I wish you could still get these....
Could you tell me what these are?
They are Magnat Plasma tweeters. Within the mesh balls are plasma "flames" created by a high-frequency, high voltage electrical field between the mesh ball and a central electrode. The plasma looks like a small gas flame similar a gas welding torch. The intensity of the "flame" is modulated by the audio signal, causing the air to heat and cool, creating sound waves. I heard them at a hifi show in 1984. They seemed to work well, but the main appeal is just that they are freakin' cool. The little flame visibly pulses with the music.
Friends of my parents had this wonderful BRAUN Atelier hifi system at home - I can´t remember the sound, maybe it was not even so good, but as a kid I did not mind, I loved the aesthetics.
I remember that we all thought THE TT to aspire to was this one:
The Empire Troubadour 598. It cost over $500 you know! (But in 1974, that was an awful lot of money.)
NJB posted:Hungryhalibut posted:My first turntable was one of these; a Connoisseur BD1, which came as a kit. I used it with their SAU2 arm, with both attached to a piece of chipboard that I veneered myself in the school woodwork room. It was supported on four upturned steel egg cups. I guess I was about 14 at the time. I changed it for a Technics direct drive, which sounded no better, and probably worse.
There is something special about making it yourself. It is personal and you can forgive a lot.
Off topic, but my first computer was a ZX80 that I bought as a kit. Put it together myself and it worked first time. For a 12 year old kid this was akin to going to the moon. It was never going to run a nuclear power station as one of the articles suggested, but I still have it in the attic.
This was my second TT after a SP 25. I liked the DIY idea of the Connoisseur, had a kit base and was fitted with an SME 2009 arm and Sure V15 cart.My 3rd TT is an LP12.
This is the turntable that used to belong to my grandad. They went out of business a while ago. It's even older than the BD1. It still works and I've got a box of the discs that come out sometimes. But whatever I do I cannot get that bloody Naim app to connect to it.
My very first sound system my parents gave me in 1980
A Sansui combo with FRD turntable, A80 amp anf T80 tuner. It looked good, but these were nowhere near as good as the better AU series.
Loudspeakers were from a French company located in Antibes. The whole package was sold along a very '70s rack furniture with space at its bottom to store a few lps.
Regards
Roberto
tonym posted:Tabby cat posted:I miss Nytech I always enjoyed listening to the 252 integrated amplifier.I thought they where great value for money and looked the part.
I always wanted a Nytech, they were the bee's knees amongst my group of pals & were always used by Rayleigh Hi-Fi in their demos. The first time I heard Kans they were powered by a Nytech amp.
I worked at Lasky's in the 70s when they got that funky little Nytech receiver in.
We couldn't shift them for love or money (except for those rarities who came in because they specifically wanted it). In the open shop, arrayed with ranks of shiny Trios, Pioneers, Yamahas, posh Luxmans etc. they looked and felt cheap and dull and pushed through a comparator they didn't have the bright forward sound that stood out. But if you could persuade/bully/beg a customer into the dem room then they were always astonished at how much better it was.
Even then though, in 98% of those cases when the Nytech had blown everything into the weeds they'd STILL buy the Japanese gear because they'd never get it past the wife.
Oh, and it was a pain in the neck to dust every day 
http://www.clairtone.ca/projectg/
These are great. Click through to the site. The Design Exchange in Toronto has the G2 on display. It's awesome...
Threshold Stasis
Threshold Audio is a high-end audio equipment manufacturer originally established in California in 1974 by audio engineer Nelson Pass. The first amplifier sold by Threshold was the model 800A, introduced in early 1975. This was a Class A 200 watt per channel five-stage amplifier with triple series/triple parallel/triple Darlington output stage with a dynamic bias circuit. He later developed the Statsis line which dominated the 80s with top notch electronics which on top of a quality sound and build had also the first 'sculpted' looks. In 1985 Nakamichi acquired a patent license for the Stasis technology in order to market their own high-end amplifier. Pass conducted the consulting work, and Nakamichi Stasis amplifier was sold successfully for several years.
Nakamichi's Statis PA-7
Introduced in 1988, the PA-7 retailed for $1,595, a bargain compared to the Threshold S-350e that cost twice as much and sported a rated power output of only 150 watts per channel. Nakamichi’s scale of manufacturing made it easy to grab one of Pass’ best designs at a very reasonable price. Today, a clean PA-7s can be found on the used market for $600-$700.
Haim Ronen posted:Nakamichi's Statis PA-7
Introduced in 1988, the PA-7 retailed for $1,595, a bargain compared to the Threshold S-350e that cost twice as much and sported a rated power output of only 150 watts per channel. Nakamichi’s scale of manufacturing made it easy to grab one of Pass’ best designs at a very reasonable price. Today, a clean PA-7s can be found on the used market for $600-$700.
These were actually really good. I never heard the Thresholds, but was impressed with the Nakamichi. Beautiful build quality and a comparatively clean look. Their car audio at the time was amazing too.
Alphason, who made some of most underrated tonearms. A friend of mine has the HR-100 on a Sonata turntable. Surely one of the first titanium arms around.
I miss Meadowlark Audio as well. Selling my Heron speakers and not picking up a fine pair of Blue Heron2 from Denmark when I had the chance to do so, was quite a mistake 
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Miller and Kreisel: awesome active subs, compact but weighty. I have 2 in a professional context, still going strong....as would appear to be the company now in Denmark. Has someone revived it?
Shure V15 was the queen of the MM cartridges in the 60s-80s. The medial compliance cartridge was suited to a very wide array of arms, tracked accurately and produced a rich sound with a defined soundstage. I first started using the TYP III in 1974 with a direct drive Technics table.
Loki posted:Miller and Kreisel: awesome active subs, compact but weighty. I have 2 in a professional context, still going strong....as would appear to be the company now in Denmark. Has someone revived it?
Still have a VX7 that gives great results on my Qute with standmounts ... one of the few subs that I actually like using for music!
Phil