Marvel Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 This may be right up fini's alley -- Yesterday I stopped in at a junk furniture store just south of Chattanooga. While I was grieving over all the furniture that was particle board with woodgrain paper, I spotted two cabinets, identical from the outside, stacked one on top of the other. Looking closer at them, they weren't quite the same. Each had a speaker in the left half, but the right half was different in each. One had a space in the bottom for LPs, with the reciever just under the top. Second one looks like the top hinges back and holds a turntable. I couldn't get to the back of it, but the reciever had "Magnificent Magnavox" on the front of the glass. There was a booklet in the cabinet, that explained using for stereo, place the two cabinets about 12 feet apart. The cabinets are in pristine shape. No price on them, and I didn't have a lot of time to try and root around in the back. From the looks of the booklet, I and thinking it is a tube piece of gear, and from what others here have mentioned, probably single ended. It would be high fidelity, but was certainly in nice shape. I was hoping for a console with a Scott or Fisher in it. Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 Bruce, That is an interesting piece of gear you ran across. Would be fun to set up for a listen. I do not want to know the name of the place. Chattanooga is too far for me to think about going. I am not even curious about this console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Bruce, I have way too many consoles up my alley right now (and it makes it very difficult to sit). Usually, there is a tube layout on the back of the cabinets (probably not, in this case, huh?). If it's solid state, it usually advertised that on the tuner faceplate. Also, you may be able to figure out the year of manufacture by dates found in the paperwork (you know, an easily decipherable code at the bottom of the instruction booklet, like "Version 59-1"). Just the fact that their talking about stereo as an "option" makes me think it might be toobed. Get back in there, and take your camera!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 5, 2005 Author Share Posted July 5, 2005 I may have more time this week. There was so much stuff stacked around these that I couldn't get to the back to have a look. The owner might really try to sell me something if I go back in. He said it wasn't a good day when I walked out not buying anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Bruce, Here's a thread on Audio Karma concerning the Magnificent Magnavox, maybe it will give you a idea what you are looking at. http://65.219.61.150/forums/showthread.php?t=9391&page=1&pp=15&highlight=MAgnificent+Magnavox I'm thinking its a PP mono 6V6 amp, kinda bi-amped, with one PP section doing the high-end with it's own smaller dedicated OPT, and the other PP section doing bass. Did it say "stereophonic" on the front of the unit anywhere? The newer consoles with Transistor amplifiers usually had names like "Astrosonic" or "Transonic", things like that. If that link doesn't work, just type in "Magnificent Magnavox" in this forum box for tube audio. It could be a stereo 6V6 or 6Bq5 push-pull....who knows... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champagne taste beer budget Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Interesting timing for this thread, as I ran across a Magnavox Console last week, just havn't had time to get stuff posted on the board. Mine is most definatly tubed, since I have the amp and tuner already out of the unit. It was sitting along the side of a side road in our small town with a "FREE" sign on it. I peeked in the holes in the back and could see the tops of some tubes, it wouldn't fit in my car, the wife was out of town with the truck, so I scooted home and got my neighbors truck and brought it home. I jotted down the model and serial numbers before it got torn apart, but they're not in my wallet, hopefully my wife didn't think the paper was trash and threw it away. The woodwork was pretty ripped up, a couple holes where someone had hit it with a hammer or something, so I didn't feel bad burning the frame and wood. I don't remember the tube compliment, but pretty sure it said "Stereo" on the label, it has 4 tubes, one larger one, two identical smaller ones, and one single small one. Relativly heavy transformer, too, for the size of the chassis. Haven't looked at anything in the tuner. I did, however, pull the tubes and run some NeverDull across the chassis, it sparkled quite nicely, could see your reflection once I had all the grundge off it. Just did one small corner, but the rest looks as if it will clean up the same. I'll try and find the numbers and tube numbers tonight. All RCA tubes, as I recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 From your description, it sounds like a single-ended 6BQ5 amplifier. The two of the same are EL-84/6BQ5, the big one is a 5U4 rectifier, and the small one is a 12AX7, or a 6EU7 maybe...I'm taking a guess, but that's what it seems like. They are good sounding little 5 watt amps. I'm looking over a early '60's Motorola single-ended 6BQ5 amplifier used inside of a record changer. It's a simple little amp. It uses two 12AX7's for drivers on each side, a Telefunken and a black long plate RCA. (Someone either swapped in a Tele, or pinched the other one.) EL-84/6BQ5 tubes are Motorola branded tubes made in Austria. They look like Philips. And a Motorola branded 5Y3. Wish I could keep the unit. It'll probably work fine because I can't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptnBob Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 My dad had a Magnificent Magnavox - it had (has - it's still in the basement) a reasonable 15" woofer with a 7 oz magnet and a Jensen horn tweeter. Surprisingly, it's bi-amped, with a three watt tweeter amp and a twenty watt 6L6 based amp for the woofer. Dad replaced the Collaro changer with a Garrard, but acoustic feedback was always a pretty serious issue. It still sounds quite decent, although I'm afraid to go off and leave it running - I'm sure it could use some TLC. It has bass, treble and "Timbre" controls. The "Magic Eye" tuning indicator is fun to play with too. The one you're looking at is probably pretty good - from the last gasp of the console as a serious high-fidelity option. I've got a couple Magnavox catalogs from the period (1959), so I might be able to help with model numbers and so on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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