• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Best Tube Table Radio?

jeffsod

jeffsod

Active Member
Seems like most of the focus is on tube tuners and consoles reading thru the archives. I am curious about tube type table radios. Any opinions on who made the best ones in terms of sound quality? Sensitivity?

Just realized this post might belong in the radio forum so if so I apolgize.
 
Register to hide this ad
I'm sure many will say the KLH 8 is the best table radio ever. Be prepared to pay several hundred for one...

Many of the German table radios (some are HUGE) have excellent sound quality, but they generally aren't the greatest for sensitivity.

Zenith made many, many AM/FM models and many of them sound excellent.
 
That's a pretty open question.

What criteria are you using?

AM only?
AM/FM?
AC/DC or AC only?
vintage or new?
Wood or plastic/bakelite?
 
I like the RCA 6-RF-9 as a daily player kitchen radio. Big and heavy, mahogany veneer case, brass airplane dial, 9 tubes or so, AM/FM, 6" speaker driven by a 6V6. Helluva chassis filling the entire inside. All round a nice radio. Made from about 1951 to 55. I also have the bakelite version, which is the 6-RF-91 I think. And a couple of parts/restoration candidate sets. The first one I found was the woodie, with 3 layers of paint including chocolate mousse house paint over burnt orange over avocado. Underneath, mahogany. I'd post a pic but I don't have one here.
 
The Telefunken Opus 6 and 7 are arguably the finest tube table radios ever made. I have the Opus 7 and I'm absolutely thrilled with it. Best set I've ever owned. And I've been collecting this stuff for 25 years!
 
My vote goes for the Zenith 825/835/845 series. Can still be bought at reasonable prices, very sensitive and sound great.
 
I wasn't thinking about any restrictions on models and types other than I need to have FM for the programs I enjoy. I am intrigued by those German sets and would like to get either the Telefunken or a Saba myself soon.
 
The old tube Panasonics were darn nice - my parents used one as a kitchen radio for years, the volume/tone controls wore out eventually. Great set though, and never had a tube changed...

Mine was that wooden AM/FM AFC one you see often. Very good set.
 
My experience has me leaning toward the German models, and KLH, and Zenith. Not that other brands didn't come up with a goodie now and then, but the mentioned brands seemed to bat near a thousand as far as overall quality and performance.
 
They really are remarkable devices. Anything recommended for FM 100mile DX in Arizona mountains ? I usually have to go outside to get the Tucson FM classical on my Kaito. However, my bedroom bottom end LUX 240 tuner did snag it once last week. I do like the old radio speakers(modest tabletop) and AM and SW would be cool.
 
Best tube AM table radio ? An R-390A,of course...But ya gotta have a BIG table... Seriously, if you can find one, Hallicrafters made several EXCELLENT AM/FM/SW sets- The SX-62 series-Big, impressive, LOTS of tubes-16, w/2 6V6s in the audio dept, hook it up to a good speaker & you're all set !
 
While I am a new lurker of this forum, I am so grateful that I finally opened the door & looked in. I can somewhat remember a radio I had in my 1st (me alone) bedroom. It was something called a samba/zamb.../???? tube radio.

I just know I replaced it with a more modern Admiral something or other model. It was a small bedroom that was painted a very deep purple with black curtains. And no I was not into Goth, I was just heavy into my 60's experience and the room fit me.


Carry on Ladies & Gentleman, I know I will learn something by passing through these doors again in the near future.
 
Sandy G said:
Best tube AM table radio ? An R-390A,of course...But ya gotta have a BIG table... Seriously, if you can find one, Hallicrafters made several EXCELLENT AM/FM/SW sets- The SX-62 series-Big, impressive, LOTS of tubes-16, w/2 6V6s in the audio dept, hook it up to a good speaker & you're all set !
Click to expand...

I've been wanting many of the "H" and the other "H" sets for awhile, but I also want a decent tabletop. I check the de eBait also and they have some stellar stuff.
 
I had a Curtis Mathis tube AM/FM tube radio that was the equal of any German radio with the added benefit of not having been over engineered to the point of ridiculousness and it used easily available cheap US tubes. When I first heard and saw the size of it I was sure it had a German chassis but was very happy to see a chassis that made sense.
 
The thing about an SX-62 is you can use a modern speaker w/o modification, as its output is 8 ohms...MINE is, anyway. A lot of yr older Boatanchors have 600 ohm outputs, & you have to put in a matching transformer...The SX-62's cabinet was also designed, IIRC, by famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the same guy who designed, among other things, the 1953 Studebaker, the Avanti, & the very-classy looking paint scheme on the Kennedy-era Air Force One.
 
In my own case I don't see many of the Hallicrafters fitting the old tube table-top radio model. I might consider one of the portable like my dad had and they did make tabletop. For period SW, I am leaning to Hammarlund.

What I don't know about old table top is distance reception. There isn't much distance in Europe, but there may have been a selectivity problem. Radios for the American 6am farm report may have had better luck with distance. I would like something that is from the FM era. I like speakers from the wooden cabinet era.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom