Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, David Korchin (K2WNW), who writes:
I remember when I was a young kid back in Saskatoon, being invited over to a friend’s house to hear his “English stereo.”
We both worked at the CFMC-FM radio back then (he did the 10 PM-2AM slot, and I worked overnights). He being a little older, wise, cooler, than me, I jumped at the chance to browse his vinyl collection, read through his punk magazines and generally look to have his coolness rub off on me.
It was the first time I heard a Quad stereo system. He had the pre-amp, amp, and FM tuner (I think he might have had a Technics turntable, and a pair of Klipsch speakers). I remember being awestruck by the warm sound and the precise imaging of the system. Tracks that I thought I knew intimately took on new dimension. I wanted that system!—and I still don’t have it.
But I’ve noticed a few pieces on eBay, and I wondered if you’ve heard of them, too?
Surprisingly, Acoustical made MW and SW tuners, too!
Here’s an early FM example:
And a later one, that I think I saw at his house:
These are all tube rigs, OM! And if nostalgia carries any weight, they are worth checking in to.
Many thanks for the links and trip down memory lane, David!
Some of you may know that David is my ultimate radio enabler; my savings account nemesis! 🙂 He about got me this time, too. I almost pulled the trigger on that Acoustical Manufacturing Shortwave Tuner. It is a beauty indeed! Though not tested (and one would assume it could use some new caps), it does look very clean and I bet it performs like a charm.
Still, I’ll pass this time. I recently dipped heavily into my radio savings so I need to allow a little time for the account to build up again!
I’m curious if other SWLing Post readers are familiar with Acoustical Manufacturing products? Please comment!
The product design heritage of British shortwave receivers from AOR-UK and Lowe Electronics can easily be seen in the Acoustical Mfg. tuners. Take a look at the the AR7030 and the HF-150 and you’ll see what I mean, even though they were made years later than the early Acoustical tuners.
“British boxes” have always had a wonderful no-nonsense approach to their design, and are usually extremely sturdy too. When you pick up a AR7030 you feel like you are lifting a hand-crafted radio “brick”! The HF-150 is another receiver with tank-like construction.
All of the British made shortwave receivers I’ve owned had great audio quality, too: AR7030+, HF-150, HF-225 Europa, and RA6790GM (designed in the UK but built in the USA if I remember right).