Remember Those Living Room Consoles?

Sounds like the pukey Morse Electrophonic console from 1977 that I still have!
That unit, though some of its styling doo-dads are now falling apart, is still functional. (Though it originally had a pair of 8" dual-cone speakers with small 3.5-ounce magnets which passed for a woofer and a pair of 3.5" dual-cone speakers with tiny 0.5-ounce AlNiCo magnets which passed for a tweeter, it has been modded over the years, and it now houses just a pair of 8" dual-cone speakers with larger 10-ounce magnets.) Still, it needed a lot of tone-control tweaking just to sound even remotely "correct."

 

Yes, the right side lifts to reveal the turntable (as pictured) and the left side lifts for storage. The centre of the top (above the radio) does not lift, so you can place items there without losing any functionality. There are also doors on the left and right front that open for additional storage. Very well thought out, IMHO....

 

Since I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Magnavox was based, those consoles were very popular around there.

Up on the thread, someone wondered why such an item would be made. The answer deals with history. Before the console stereo was the console mono hifi and large floor standing radio. People were used to them. Also back in the 1960s in particular, large speakers stilll had to be used for bass. So the evolution to the console stereo made sense back then. The Magnavox was actually were relatively small, as they used the "direct/reflecting" concept Bose boasts about on those old units (side firing woofers, and outward firing horn midranges).

Keep in mind that the consoles from Magnavox, Zenith and Sylvania in the US were worlds better than the junk like Electrophonic and Soundesign. Those old Magnavox consoles could rattle the house without straining.

I still own a compact "drum table" console I bought new 30 years ago. Works like new and sounds surprisngly good. And yes, it has that red light on the front to let you know it's on. I also have a 1979 vintage high-end model in the garage that was at the very end of the console era. Cheapened a lot, but it has amazingly deep bass... and it definitely can play LOUD.

Anywhoo, as component equipment came down in price, and speakers got better and smaller, the console didn't make sense anymore. So they faded away in the very late 1970s. A good Magnavox, working correctly, honestly sounds pretty good - but keep in mind that if it uses the horns (as found on eBay so often), they are supposed to be aiming at the side wall, and you are supposed to be setting back far enough to rear the sound bounced off the side wall. If you are in the "line of fire" - Eeeeks!

 

They were all about the "female factor". They had to be a piece of furniture before the wife would allow a stereo in the living room!

We had and used one in our home all my life up to 1973, when it finally conked out for the last time. Tubes were nowhere in sight because retailers sopped carrying them, and companies stopped making them.

Up until 1974, everyone I ever knew had one in their homes. However, my father also had his component set with the reel-to-reel, but it was only for him to use.

The biggest one I ever saw was the one our neighbors had in the late 60s. It included a reel-to-reel, and a storage cabinet for the tapes and LPs. They didn't like to play 45s. We, OTOH, played both. Ours was made in 1960, so it didn't have any tape players. The one we briefly owned in early '74 had an 8-track.

EDIT: I just realized I posted about this earlier. I didn't realize it was an old thread brought back to life.

 

Wow that European console is absolutely gorgeous! Heck, my wife would let me put one of those in our living room any day.

 

We got a console from my Godfather in the late 60s or early 70s. I always liked the wooden lid for the turntable. At some point, various parts like the TV and turntable motor failed and it got gutted. The cabinet remains at my Mom's and is used to store household goods. I have the drivers and horn tweeters mounted on the original boards with original grille cloth in my closet -- I figure someday I'll build some custom cabinets for them (each is a different size, though) for the heck of it. I'm sure the sound will be too coloured for any serious listening, but, it could be fun.

 

Funny you should ask, I have quickly become a bit knowledgeable in these.

Some are slapass works of art and can be found at garage sales for $5. Some of the Magnavox have some decent push pulls that sound pretty good. I have a Telefunken that simply stuns and many others of different manufacturers.
If I were looking for a good sounding 60s conversation piece I'd look for an early 60s Telefunken. The glass and the dash are beautiful. They are extremely well made. You guys may know more about the gear but for me a wood working point of view...Telefunken is art.

 

I inherited one from a customer who bought components from me to replace their 'obsolete' console back in the early 80's.

What was in it? A tube Ampeg reel to reel, a Fisher tube preamp (stereo), a tube Fisher tuner (with multiplex adapter for stereo), A Fisher stereo tube amp, and an old Garrard table. The case was buautiful and matched the two speakers.

Unfortunately, they wanted to keep the speakers, and I think they were Altecs. I'm still in touch with them and will put in a claim for the speakers when they finally decide to ditch them.

 

Wow! that's quite a catch.

 

My parents have a Grundig console made of teak that isn't used anymore. The furniture part is near mint but the electronics aren't. It's what I used to listen to records on before I got my first "system" in high school.

 

My parents bought a Philco console in 1960. It had a record changer and radio. The radio had AM/FM stereo AND would play Am in one side and FM in the other side. The other thing was a 15in. speaker in the cabinet and stand alone L/R speakers that were Electrostatic! Listened to South Pacific, This is Stereo, Harmonicats, Beatles '65, Rapsody in Blue. One channel went out in 1970 or so and no one was ever able to fix it. I remember at least 5 or 6 repairmen and the local electronics guru. I think it was those funny looking speakers and their funny six conductor(as I remember), wires. Sound was as good as anything until I heard the neighbor's Bosak Macintosh system. That set me off on a lifelong journey of self distruction and search for the holy grail.

I remember once my wife asked me what was more important, paying a mechanic to fix the car to find a job with, or new tubes for the Dynaco Amp that had stopped working? Well, I fixed the car, bought new tubes and a $10 bag. made it back home before the car burned to the ground. Who knew electrical tape would not work as a gas line repair?

Now am retired from a life of electronics and computers and robots, and living with a great woman who loves music and my ARC-Dunlavy system as do I. Wish I could still find one of those $10 bags though!

Jim G.

 

I grew up in a home with a nice little console. It was 6 feet long and it had Adevent speakers built in, McIntosh electronics, and a Teac reel to reel tape deck. My father had that thing for at least 40 years, but he sold it a few years back.

 

Ouch!

 

Admiral Two Piece Walnut Console

Hi everyone,

My parents recently sold their house and have one of these living room consoles you have been describing. It's an Admiral stereo/phonograph two piece unit. One piece has the electronics the other just contains a speaker. Both are huge pieces of walnut furniture. Excellent shape, but not sure if it functions or not. Probably does. I believe it dates back to the 1950's. The model number is 671, chassis # 12d1, and serial # c79149.

Anyway, the asked me if I want it. Is it worth hauling, or should I tell them to sell with the house?

Thanks,
Tony

 

This is the one I grew up on... remember listening to The Stranger on it!

 

Wow, missed this thread when it started.....here's a couple of my experiences:

1) Dad's Philco: Purchased new in 1963. Our first stereo. Turns out that my mother was the real musical person. I remember listening to Les Brown, Stan Getz, and Charlie Byrd. She also played those Broadway shows like Camelot, My Fair Lady to help calm down the 5 kids in the house during bedtime. If the Broadway shows came on the stereo, it was time for bed.

Later, when I was engineering school, I remember the thing stopped working and I took a look inside. Turns out that this Philco had 3 single-ended amps in it. The 3rd amp was designed to drive the woofer only. Yep, it was a subwoofer built right into the console! So, I grew up listening to a tubed, SET, sub/satellite stereo configuration. Those old engineers really did know what they were doing. I would recognize one immediately if I saw - or heard - one today.

2) Step-mother-in-law's old table: About 5 years ago, I got a call from her saying that she had finally decided to sell the big house and move into smaller quarters. She wanted to know if I wanted her old stereo system but with the understanding that I'd have to come and take the whole thing - about a 1400 mile round-trip. Now, I didn't even know she had one. She explained that it had been out of sight under a tablecloth in the living room - what I thought was some sort of low table for displaying her ceramics all those years.

When asked what model, she couldn't remembe but said that she still had the sales receipt for it. She called back the following weekend to report what was on the receipt:

- McIntosh MX-110 preamp/tuner
- McIntosh MC-225 amplifier
- JBL D130/075 speakers
- Elac 50H turntable
- Barzilay console cabinet

I said, "I'll right over"...........

Cheers,

David

 

My family had a beautiful Philips console (I fondly call it the coffin), my Dad buying for us at Christmas, 1964. I christened it by playing the Beatles' "I Feel Fine" single. The disc had been played a lot on a cheap "penny on the tonearm" portable, so when I played it on the new console every scratch became audible! My first "audiophile" experience"!

It also had RCA jacks on the back, so when I acquired my first tape recorder in 1965 I could record/playback. Have lots of memorable radio tapes.

It was my first introduction to stereo. The turntable and cartridge were pretty good, but very heavy. I modified it to 3 grams!

I visited London in 1967 and bought the Beatles' first 3 Parlophone albums in stereo, plus a modest set of headphones. Hooked on stereo ever since.

Great thread, many thanks,

Steve

 

My parents have one that they got back in '67 - a big old oak (I think) thing, turntable on one side, tuner on the other, and a lot of space in the middle between the speakers for storing records. It's mainly used for storage now, but it's the kind of thing I'd like to refurbish just for its retro charm.

May post a picture or two when I'm visiting the family next week, if this thread is still active.

 

Anyone

Does anyone have any idea on this? Somewhere in the ballpark would work....

 

The used market on those is not good. Most resellers of stereo gear have no room for them, as do potential customers. Most thrift stores won't even take them for free.

 

As someone who finds black boxes with tiny buttons and displays, ugly and hard to use, and who hates wiring, and who likes beautiful furniture (of which not much is made these days), some of the better old consoles would make an impact on me.

An Aunt has one with those splayed legs, and some nice veneer, and I've thought it could be at least be converted to nice LP shelving, with a couple of components sitting on top.

 

Hoppy: try Craigslist if you don't want to keep it. This guy got himself a classy 60s Motorola console via Craiglist for free......and by sheer coincidence, that console looks 99% the same as one that showed up at a local charity/thrift store I regularly visit. Though to reinforce what Lord Hawthorne just wrote, that is the first time in 3 years I've seen such a piece of gear in there (the clerk said it worked well too but it wasn't plugged in at the time, since they needed an extension cord to do so).

 

Same here.

Or if it has a lift-up lid, it could hold up a flatscreen monitor in style. And if the speakers sounded decent, use it for a 2.0 HT system.

 

I grew up listening to my grandmother's console. Always had a sweet sound to it.