The world is a very funny place: current production vacuum tube stereo receiver (?!)

[mhardy6647]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tube-Radio...837252?hash=item421edffcc4:g:uaAAAOSwLGxfP5jn

or, if one prefers,
https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32997100088.html

 

[Wes]

hey - a Magic Eye!

 

[Vini darko]

What a lovely death trap.

 

[Maki]

God this looks dangerous, right up my alley.

 

[maverickronin]

Maybe this sort of design will go up market and companies will start just mounting circuit boards directly to marble and granite plinths.

 

[mhardy6647]

God this looks dangerous, right up my alley.

What a lovely death trap.

It does come with a cage (or, at least, one can acquire a cage for it)!

 

[GGroch]

No audio inputs (except for FM) kills the deal. External circuit board kills the kids.

(the specs do say: "The use of net cover design can prevent children from accidentally touching scalds and electric shocks."

Wouldn't an FM Radio with an external circuit board be prone to RF interference? Perhaps Danny Ritchie's speaker cables would solve this.

 

[mhardy6647]

In terms of RF exposure -- I don't think it's really all that different than, say, a Fisher 400.
In the 1950s and 60s, hifi components were typically sold sans enclosure; the enclosures were optional at extra cost.
The FM tuners in the Fishers, e.g., (including the entry level 400) worked... rather well actually.

(borrowed photo, obviously)
That said, the Fishers were all point to point wired, so a little bit better perhaps than the current item under discussion.

Richards400belowbefore by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
(a before photo below deck of a 400 I rehabbed some years back)

That said, companies like harman/kardon made FM tuners and stereo receivers with crude PC boards in the 60s -- and they worked OK, too.
hk, for better or worse, were "early adopters" of PC board construction in hifi.

(borrowed image)
Of course, I'd be a little leery of the quality and extent of the shielding in this current production "receiver".
... and... is it just me, or does this thing actually use IF transformers -- or have they simply disguised ceramic filters or other components under imitation/artifical IF transformer cans? I haven't seen full-sized IF transformers since... well... the days of the Fisher 400!

As to kids and HV -- well... natural selection, you know?

 

[Gorgonzola]

Good grief. One wonders if the tubes actually work or whether they are just for a light show with s/s components doing the actual work, (all for US$300)?

 

[mhardy6647]

Good grief. One wonders if the tubes actually work or whether they are just for a light show with s/s components doing the actual work, (all for US$300)?

oooh, I hadn't even thought of that!

There are certainly precedents for such shenanigans.
On the other hand, it does have enough tubes to be a stereo FM MPX receiver and an integrated preamp/amplifier.

One does note an odd blue glow in some of the images on the internet -- one wonders if they've put LEDs under some or all of the tubes, too?!
Who do they think they are? McIntosh?!?

 

[GGroch]

In terms of RF exposure -- I don't think it's really all that different than, say, a Fisher 400.
In the 1950s and 60s, hifi components were typically sold sans enclosure; the enclosures were optional at extra cost.

True, but while the tubes on those old receivers were exposed without the optional enclosure, the wiring, caps, and other components were in the lower metal chassis right? I see the tuner in your photos is on top but it has a metal case. (edit, I do see the exposed tuner in the 2nd example).
A lot of modern tube amps have exposed tubes, this one has the circuit board exposed too. Am I mistaken on this? I am not an RF expert, but I used to restore old tube radios (mostly recapping). Many of them had exposed tuners, but and the wiring and other components were under a metal sub-chassis.

.....Also, it does look like a true tube amp to me...most hybrids have just 2-4 tubes.

 

[mhardy6647]

True, but while the tubes on those old receivers were exposed without the optional enclosure, the wiring, caps, and other components were in the lower metal chassis right? I see the tuner in your photos is on top but it has a metal case. A lot of modern tube amps have exposed tubes, this one has the circuit board exposed too. Am I mistaken on this?

.....Also, it does look like a true tube amp to me...most hybrids have just 2-4 tubes.

Yes, in the case of the Fisher -- but look at the business end of that hk tuner. Except for the front end, everything's out in the breeze, not unlike the Nobsound receiver.

 

[mhardy6647]

Oh, I should mention that the hk would've looked like that "new", too (in terms of the lack of shielding) -- based on the ones here

 

[Helicopter]

I think it looks like fun. Too bad it has no other inputs and is so dangerous.

 

[mhardy6647]

It is too bad that it has no other inputs (if indeed that's the case)! I hadn't realized that.

As to its dangerousness -- well, from my perspective, the danger it presents is strictly (trigger warning: terrible pun alert)

Spoiler

potential