I am from Europe, and where I live British Hi-Fi is held in high regard. For example, I myself own a Cambridge Audio amplifier and it makes me proud...
This was great! Here in the USA, I think The Fisher made the nicest looking receivers in the 1960s and 70s with their beautiful jewel lights, face plates, knobs and wood casings.
Nice topic, Kelvin. Here in the USA in the 70s and 80s, Braun speakers and drivers were the basis for ADS speakers which have almost a cult status now. Marantz were Japanese manufactured but were designed in California. I loved the look of vintage Rotel, Setton, Tandberg, B&O. NAD were not aesthetically pleasing but obviously were great sounding.
After the Philips buyout, only the high-end Marantz stuff was made in Japan. I still have a CD-56 that was thrown together in Belgium. It's clunky, creaky and ugly, but it sounded fantastic and it worked for 40 years without a hitch until one day it just gave up the ghost and stopped reading discs.
Those old Philips speaker drivers from the 60s - 70s seem to be massively popular on UA-cam for some reason, endless videos of people playing with them and they always sell for a lot of money on ebay too.
From France with a lot of history: Lavardin,Jean Marie Reynaud, Pierre Etienne Leon PLEON, JADIS, Cabasse, BC Acoustic, ATOLL, and many more. Not cheapest equipment but,all very well made and good as second hand buys too.
I love the aesthetics of the ATC SCM40s, those industrial grills are so cool. And at the risk of stating the obvious: Wharfedale scored HUGE with the throwback style of the Lintons, offering those beautiful matching stands was a genius move.
One thing from Germany that flies under the international radar are our socialst built (made in GDR) small speakers. BR 25/BR 26 were less than a 100 DM (like 50€) back in the late 80s and yet very competently designed. Their sweet sound was created by a speaker designer now heading the high end manufacture Geithain. The BR 25 now commands more than 3 times the original asking price on the second hand market. While they built 600k of those things, because they have deteriorating foam surrounds the supply is diminishing rapidly. and the rare BR 50 were apparently even better but now command several hundred €€ for a pair.
Norweigan hifi-nut here. My entry into hifi was with Tandberg. Still got the Tandberg TIA-3012A. It’s about 40 yrs old, and I’ve had it restored by some old Tandberg-engineers that are still around. Lovely sound, and in its time considerd fairly resolving, and tight bass. Had the Tandberg Studio Monitor speakers, three ways, with 13’’ woofers and a really nice midrange - never had speakers that coukd quite reproduce the “Nordic treble” like those.
@@stereoreviewx You should also look into vintage Electrocompaniet stuff, also smaller norwegian brands Adyton and Dynamic Precision. On a sidenote norwegian Bjørn Erik Edvardsen was the main engineer behind NAD's legendary 3020 amplifier and a lot of their other gear. Thanks for your great channel btw 😊
For those of us in Norway that live north of the arctic circle, about 1/3, it's not a matter of not seeing the sun for hours. We count months. Where I live the sun is gone for 2 months straight, and around Christmas, there's dusk for 5 hours, the rest dark.
Hi Kelvin, I enjoyed this video being from Europe. First of all the British reputation as some Europeans see. To use your own phrase "polite, specially the speakers. But in its kind, it is good. Also, sometimes bad build quality. Sound wise, some people say it is build for rickety cottages with small rooms and wooden floor boards. Back to Europe, the exceptions, Jamo speakers from Denmark have a floppy booming base, quite horrible. Schneider is (was, not sure, don't care) a cheesy brand, the European equivalent of Amstrad. Now we move to the good in main stream. Quite honestly some Philips stuff. Definitely valve stuff from post war and solid state up to mid 70's was generally good, with some very good speakers. Dual makes excellent turntables and their later top of the range Cassette players can go toe to toe with Nakamichi. One of my personal favourite speakers are the All Ribbon Series from Magnat (not the later stuff). These are German speakers from the early 80's, think JBL with a European sauce poured over it. I am going to end with two more high end speaker builders from France. First Davis, they cater for DIY as well as audiophiles and then one of my favourites, Supravox (I mean, the name only is already epic in my opinion) The UK has BBC speakers like the Rogers LS5, but the French RTF also had monitors and they had full range drivers from Supravox, the 215 RTF. Think of them as the French Lowther.
I just found your channel and watched almost all your videos. Been quite enjoying them over here in Germany. Just a tip you should get some German speakers from MB Quart. They are easily my favourite brand and I've had great speakers from all over the world, even some planars from Brazil! My favourite one is the MB Quart QL 980 SP, they are terrifically good. Titanium tweeter, aluminium midrange dome and two textil (?) bass drivers. They are not harsh at all, like Canton are, they just sound so harmonic. Really, really wide sound stage and brilliant details. The bass is crisp and fast, you can feel it in your stomach. The build quality is also exceptional. Let me know if you are planning on a trip to Germany! Got some stuff to show you. I even have a pair of Magnat MP-X 088 with active Plasma Tweeters! Greetings
I used to get excited about brands like Nikko, S.A.E., Rotel, and NEC because they were less common brands. McIntosh was always exciting of course. But when I saw equipment from Europe like Grundig, Tandberg, and Revox I felt like I was being sheltered from the really really good stuff. I had no idea that Nagra even existed. B&O wasn't on my radar until much later, but like most audiophiles it was little more than a beautiful curiosity to me because it didn't fit with the rest of the market and kinda disqualified itself by not fitting the standard mold. I was not particularly excited about really big brands like Sony, Technics, or Marantz. They just seemed so average to me, although I did appreciate how well some of it was made. I actually made my first "big" audio purchase from Radio Shack and it turned out to be a really good piece of equipment, a Realistic 35(?) Watt receiver. It was still running in my brother's house 35 years later. Back to European brands, I had no idea if any of it was actually good quality of course. I only knew what it looked like in magazines. On the rare occasion that I saw equipment in person I would regularly be disappointed by how cheap something looked and felt up close. Marantz on the other hand, as little as it appealed to me in photographs, in person it was always impressive.
Great to read this! & Thanks. My small wooden vintage B&O speakers (Beovox 2200) sound awesome with my Realistic (Radio Shack) amplifier SA 1509 (35 watt x2) . All from Mid seventies. And bought 2nd hand for almost nothing. Regards from the Philips country the Netherlands 🎼🎼
@@julesfrenay9619 I had lived with a guy for about a year who had a pair of Beovox RL-140s, or a very similar model. He wanted to hook them to my equipment and I was happy to oblige him, but I figured we'd be putting my Polk Audio Monitor 10 speakers back before long. Nope. Those B&O speakers were absolutely amazing and I absolutely loved them. I wanted to buy a pair for myself but saw that they were just a little more expensive than I was ready to spend that following year. A few years later I was ready, looked, but could not find a convenient place to buy some. I was sad about that. Now, many years later I'm kinda glad I didn't get them because I see that they had self-destructive foam surrounds on the drivers. They really sounded fantastic, but I actually value durability over absolute sound in the end. Regardless, I learned that B&O makes some really great sounding speakers. So they're not just pretty. They really perform!
You have a point about the weather, speaking as a Canadian, the country has put out a lot of outstanding equipment over the years, And musicians. 😅 shout out to all the other countries.
Theres a great UK channel called "Techmoan", and hes done some in depth videos on some of Britains lower end electronics of days past. Europe always seems to hit the mark in attractive design/aesthetic, thats just plain reality. I find myself drawn towards Brit brands more often than not really. Jaguars are considered the most beautiful body designs of any other make. Triumphs are no doubt the sexiest of the modern bikes, I should know I own a Trident 660 : D , and it goes no different in regard to audio. I love the aesthetic of Musical Fidelity & Meridian especially.
Nice respectfully comments Kelvin, I had a B and O receiver once, cost was really Silly..but was so clear..it was impressive . Point is , we will never stop looking till we die.for that moment of true emotion from music
Enjoyed this Kelvin. I occasionally see B&O turntables up for sale that look terrific. No idea how they compare to other brands and I think cartridges and styli are proprietary and quite expensive to replace, but I'd be interested in your opinion of them and how they compare to, say, Rega, Thorens, Duals etc.
Philips has sold of most of it's consumer electronics by now. Most Philips branded stuff is chinese owned. I do have a good Philips GA 312 Turntable still. In then seventies and eighties everybody used Philips over here in The Netherlands. Eventually surpassed by Sony. NAD and Cambridge were sold well in The Netherlands. Lots of British speakers as well. I Think Mission sold more speakers in the Netherlands than in brittain in the eighties. Also lots of KEF, Tannoy, Wharfedale on the used market. B&W too. Two notable Dutch audio companies right now are Hypex electronics and Grimm Audio. Driade that makes speakers, has also survived.
I had a French ERA turntable. The UK import version had an SME arm fitted. The French one had, I think, an I-beam arm and leaf springs. The designer Jean Verdier eventually left ERA and became a leading turntable designer with his own company.
London-born Jony Ives, Apple chief designer, was largely inspired by Braun's designs. My current speakers are Dynaco's A25XL, which uses SEAS drivers. I love them!
West-German company named SABA was pretty popular in the 70's and the 80's. They made speakers, fantastic tuners and very decent amplifiers. German company Acron (founded by the Braun's cheef engineer F. Petrik) made great speakers: they had smallest hi-fi speakers in the world in their time. Telefunken made great sounding speakers, too.
Great video Kelvin. I've had quite a bit of European gear over the years. Tandberg are fantastic, but they definitely need recapping. That goes for the amps and speakers. Quality, elegance and proportion of design and soundstage. Phillips is another. Hugely underrated speakers and their amps are so sweet. Wonderful designs too. Dual, famous for their turntables, but their amps are also really good. Thick, broad, brooding power. Remind me of Cyrus in terms of sound. All of these can be had for peanuts too. Go for the high end on release stuff, the top of the range.. You can't go wrong.
Vintage Scandyna speakers are highly rated in Denmark. They just put a smile on your face. Vintage Tandberg Receivers and Speakers (made in Norway) have a cult following in Scandinavia and they can be very "musical" and in my opinion more stylistic than B&O, which are not really rated in their homeland as someting special.
I just thought that too, Kevin forgot Tandberg. Here in Scandinavia Tandberg is one of the top hifi brands. They're out of business, but still going strong..
I've expanded my collection to some vintage Philips gear recently. The sound, quality, innovation and attention to detail is impressive. Philips 312 turntable is a pure joy to use. Here's a speaker brand you don't hear about much in the UK: Isophon. They made drivers for Braun, Grundig etc. and sold kits. Would highly recommend a listen 🙂
Isophon is a well kept secret. You can still buy those drivers for reasonable money for DIY projects. I also agree on the Philips stuff. They made a lot of good stuff, but you have to know what you are doing because they made a lot of low end stuff as well.
@@hugobloemers4425 I've had a few american, uk & german vintage speakers but there's something special with the Isophon's. Half way through rehoming mine, (late 50's AlNiCo 2 ways) into some old Rank cabinets. I restored a Philips 22RH590 a few months ago - best germanium amp I've ever heard. Real quality stuff from that era. Goes very nicely with the 312 and Isophons!
I have used Dynaudio drivers in my own Leap/Lms designed enclosures coupled with modified Quad 33 amplifiers ( converted to run directly coupled , eliminating the output coupling transformer) and it sounded magnificent... I didn't use a quad pre amplifier ...just a basic selector system with gain and a voltage controlled gain stage as a volume control
You got that exactly right, Braun stuff looks like Apple! The reason is that Steve Jobs was a big fan of Braun's main designer Dieter Rams. The iPod has a striking similarity with Ram's portable T3 Transistor radio and the iPhone's original calculator app is really a direct copy of the Braun calculator!
Interesting stuff Kelvin. I'm not into older hi fi, I usually buy second hand stuff but from the last 10 years or so but your videos are always interesting.
AndyBHome Everything from France is good but, generally, tres cher (expensive and very expensive). My first Hi Fi was a Nikko and Scott american floor tower standing loudpeakers . Big, 3 way loudspeakers with paper bass that sounded like a orchestra was playing in my room. I agree with Kevin, 3 way speakers are better than 2 way and if you want good bass you need a big box. 100 % agree. Had to sell the Nikko/Scott and bougth a Technics and a B&W DM 1200 bookshelf loudspeakers . Doesn't work at all. And I say the fault is on the Technics because I tested the B&W speakers with that Audiolab amplifier that was made after the AR Cambridge amplifier. Sounded superb. I kick myself till now for not having traded the technics amp for the Audiolab. Rumors are that currently folks in Serbia make tube amplifiers that are very good and inexpensive .
I have a pair of Jamo Concert 8 speakers - though weighing in at 15 Kilo's each, they are really more monitors than speakers. I bought them new 1996. Hand-made in Denmark. Nearly 30 years on, they sound as great as ever and I would never want to replace them. I'm so used to them now I don't think I could. Wonderful kit. Great video, very interesting, thank you for posting.
Jon Ive, the British designer of all those amazing Apple products was heavily influenced by Braun. Any product out of Braun was a piece of beautiful industrial design. Apple before Apple.
Ive (and countless others) are particularly influenced by Dieter Rams, Braun’s chief designer. It’s why many Apple products resemble their Braun predecessors. The iPhone calculator is a good example! Rams is still alive btw! He’s a living legend.
There was a radio and tv shop in the market place near where I was born and raised. The shop used to sell “grey import” hi-fi separates with the brand name Teleton. I think the brand was German maybe? At my school, the sixth form common room had a system with a Teleton stereo amplifier, a Garrard SP25 turntable and a pair of Wharfedale speakers. I bought a Teleton combined tuner/amplifier/cassette deck in a cabinet which stood vertically. The tuner was FM stereo and the cassette deck had twin recording level meters with left and right channel VU controls. Does anybody know the Teleton brand?
I love the French ERA (Études et Recherches Acoustique) 444, 555 and 666 turntables. Simple and effective. I believe the French genius turntable designer Vernier? had a hand in their design. They also made amps. I also love the ITT Schaub Lorenz receivers. Flat and long like the Bang Olafsens but thicker.
Hey Calvin, love your channel. Wanted to tell you that I really really enjoying my Dual cl 142 speakers combined with sansui 661 or b&o beomaster 2000 and even with Sony amp. Please check Dual cl speaker series. I really like to know your thoughts on these:) Keep up the good job, I learn so much from you. Thanks ❤
Europe seemed to produce a plethora of spherical speakers, looked space age but I imagine sounded stone age (althoough I don't know that!) Tandburg made a good cassette deck. Thorens and Revox were go to brands. I had a Beogram 1001 which had built in loudness and design to die for and a beogram 4002 which I still adore and use.
i say this about speakers/hifi ASIA ... techy, creating and solving issues we never wanted. USA.... heavy, theyll power your home in a storm if you can get them through the door Europe.... style and innovation, but the wife might try and match the whole room to them lol
. Just bought their ET 448 1-1/8" Soft Dome Tweeters. I'll know how they sound when I'm finished. Tri-amping them with an analog dbx x-over & powered by the Avantone CLA-100. Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
Brionvega AX3500 a real serious design, all the pots are not exposed, it has a parametric equalizer, how lovely it is and well sounding, and how about the fabulous Galactron MK120 and all the Galactron production? Braun it's lovely design but i like Telefunken and Grundig too, Revox reel to reel and beautiful tuners and amplifiers...
French high end brands such as YBA and Jadis are impressive from a design point of view. Both have had to come up with cheaper products now a days to stay competitive.
Have you had a Beovox S45-2 on your table? I'm in America and have a pair and they sound incredible. I have read on a B/O website that they where considered the best book shelf speakers B/O ever made . 19 " tall kind of large for book shelves. Any opinion? thanks
@@stereoreviewx , I'm from Detroit descended from Yorkshiremen. 😆 So I'll let an expert explain, at 3:20, but basically it means "happy". ua-cam.com/video/CFo_e623uNA/v-deo.html
Well, actually Steve Jobs was inspired by Braun hifi designer Dieter Rams. And the best european amplifier that i listen to was Grundig A9009, and maybe the best amp that o listened ever, but its high end stuff and kind of a rare amp and pretty expensive then anda now.
Among the more mainstream European hi-fi brands, I have a strong preference for Cambridge Audio, Ruark Audio, and NAD, particularly for their aesthetic appeal. Cambridge Audio stands out with its sleek, almost futuristic designs that avoid any unnecessary extravagance, delivering a look that feels refined and modern. Ruark, on the other hand, masters a retro-futuristic elegance that's virtually unmatched in terms of visual appeal-it’s classic yet innovative, blending the best of both eras. Then there's NAD, whose designs I appreciate for their sturdy, industrial look that conveys a sense of durability and purpose. On the flip side, Bang & Olufsen’s style is generally not to my taste. Their designs often strike me as verging on the pretentious and gimmicky, missing the mark for me in terms of both form and function. So, when it comes to European hi-fi design, I suppose I strongly lean towards the British brands, which seem to balance style and substance in a way that resonates deeply with me.
Historically I totally agree, but now we have to look towards China, many fine pieces of equipment comes out of China these day's, & usually reasonably priced. Some are of UK design while others are ex-UK brands now owned by China's IAG group, often with up dated gear trying to benefit from a bit of past glory.
My Study of HiFi in America was a misapplication of Stereo and a long term love of Mono... Most of America Hidi was Consoles and Apple Corp got better later their 1st computer was a circuit board on a slab of wood.. consider that please.. Whole China has some cheap they are the largest Audiophile community with a middle class of 750 million and access to every design produced .
Funny the Brits don't regard themselves as European... , although I can see Dover from cap gris. I remember when repairing my Cyrus cd player, I needed to replace the laser unit/transport which was in fact manufactured at Philips in Hasselt/Belgium.
@stereoreviewx Of you want some tandberg, they are quite cheap here. I'd be willing to help you aquire some. They really sound amazing, the sølvsuper, and the huldra are known for clear, detailed sound. I have a AU-317, partly from listening to you. I had it connected to some beovox s60., then switched to a sølvsuper 10. Only reason I went back was a bad soldering on the sølvsuper making out lose the sound on one speaker at times. Let me know, and we can make something happen.
@stereoreviewx I'm quite certain I wrote a response to this earlier. Well, in any case. If you want, i can send you some tandberg. They are cheap in Norway. And they sound great.
Great video as usual Kelvin . Have you heard of the much lamented Tandberg from Oslo Norway . ? I still have 3 working reel to reel Tape Recorders . Tandberg did alot of Hi - Fi gear also including speakers. All good stuff .
Japan may have manufactured 'Blackpool Illuminations' once upon a time, but since their economy became stagnant back in the late 90s, their domestic offerings are made in China and Taiwan so you're only getting Japanese 'branded' electronics as opposed to the real thing with quality control once ensured.
@@QuoPaperPlane What are you talking about? All my Audio Technica cartridges are made in Japan. All my Denon cartridges are made in Japan. My Technics turntable is made in Japan. My Jelco components are all made in Japan. Even something as simple as some wire, like the Japanese Mogami brand, is made in Japan. All made less than 7 years ago. Then there are countless other brands, like Dynavector, Koetsu, Yamamoto, etc...
@@QuoPaperPlane Yeah, just like brands of any developed country. Fact is that outsourcing to developing countries is globally common. Has really nothing to do with the Japanese economy in particular and nothing with being the most prominent country in the hifi niche.
@@QoraxAudio Yes, many brands from different countries eventually were outsourced to other bases in the far east and eastern Europe. I don't dispute that. The fact that Japan did this to some of their, shall we say, mass produced equipment, was financial, especially with their economy that hasn't grown in the last three decades. Why not keep manufacturing at home if it were not soley due to financial difficulties? They've done it to their vehicles because it's cheaper than to export directly from home. I have a Honda that was made here but I'd of prefered it if it was built in Japan.
I have all necessary vintage gear made in Europe and USA. - nothing from Japan. I would say that timeless elegance and harmony of sound were (and are) expensive demands of rich people who would like to pay for these exclusive designs. While they could pay, they were too free and busy to care for any tech data and competition between them - they want only pleasant easy use and exclusive look. Bang olufsen informed that "power is enough", other producers did not mentioned -detail data all that was left to instant buyers perception in store I still remember tube radios in shop - they had general manuals and tech data were just so so (if at all) But they were symbols of social status . - rich customers required good style and convinent use. I had manual for my tube tape recorder where all user information was provided on color pictures with painted "user" . I think no teh data was there, And it was realy good machine . . Producers had enough sell for their expensive sophisticated products untill in end of 60 ties they faced japanese competition to all who preferred very fancy looking products and competition with tech data. .
B&O are nice to work with imo, often very thought out service positions for the pcb:s and components are as difficult to get as any old equipment, i e fairly easy
Their way outta reach for most of us pheasants 😅😅 but I do agree when it comes to design and engineering Europe is far ahead with not only hifi but also in other fields as well.
@D1N02 thanks that makes sense. My dad worked for ITT Cannon in Basingstoke. I also see ITT Schaub Lorenz hifi eqpt. I get the feeling they were Grundig or Philips quality for hifi.
C'mon, Kelvin. We all know Brits do it best. Scandinavians manufacture the drive units, we make - or used to make! - the finest loudspeakers in the world. And amplifiers are - or once were! - a Brit speciality... Quad, Naim, Mission, Cyrus, Sugdon, Exposure, Arcam, etc, etc...
In my collection I've got a couple of vintage European amps, Kelvin. The Philips F4516 is a tank, over-engineered inside and out, powerful but bland in looks and sound quality. The Tungsram/3F T3535 receiver, on the other hand, is a thing of beauty and a joy forever - a tuning scale hiding in plain sight made up of LEDs, and buttons with no moving parts where you touch two studs to complete a circuit with your finger! It dates from the late 70s, produced for the Hungarian market in Denmark at the same Horsens factory that made Bush Arena-branded hi-fi for the Rank Organisation until it burned down. It only outputs 25W, but it sounds as beautiful as it looks. There were a couple of European brands that let the side down. Philips knocked out some real fugly tat in their time, and apparently theirBlack Tulip line earned the nickname 'Black Turnip' from retailers for their quality control issues. Bang & Olufsen looked a million dollars, but it wasn't built to last. And Schneider were right down there with Amstrad for cheap tat.
Zero experience of European gear because I am a German car nut and they are superb engineering as is Sweden and Switzerland should have paid them much more attention than I did
EU have made Great speakers all along, but so much disapear in the masses. Dls(swe) and adyton(norw) makes Great speakers too, if you can get to them. I still use my nad 107 and 1240, dont know how many pre amps i have tested and returned after a few days.
Must mention Hungarian speaker driver manufacturer SONIDO. Their fullrange drivers are …. 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 Must also mention the Swedish concrete Rauna speakers that are produced just ten miles away from me.
I am from Europe, and where I live British Hi-Fi is held in high regard. For example, I myself own a Cambridge Audio amplifier and it makes me proud...
If you get the chance listen to a Quad 44/405. 👍
@@BobRoger-i8z I will. Thanks for the recommendation...
This was great! Here in the USA, I think The Fisher made the nicest looking receivers in the 1960s and 70s with their beautiful jewel lights, face plates, knobs and wood casings.
Sorry Should have been Kelvin, not Kevin. And paper woofer, not paper bass .
Nice topic, Kelvin. Here in the USA in the 70s and 80s, Braun speakers and drivers were the basis for ADS speakers which have almost a cult status now. Marantz were Japanese manufactured but were designed in California. I loved the look of vintage Rotel, Setton, Tandberg, B&O. NAD were not aesthetically pleasing but obviously were great sounding.
After the Philips buyout, only the high-end Marantz stuff was made in Japan. I still have a CD-56 that was thrown together in Belgium. It's clunky, creaky and ugly, but it sounded fantastic and it worked for 40 years without a hitch until one day it just gave up the ghost and stopped reading discs.
Probably a bad capacitor @thisisnev
Check out the spherical shaped French Elipson speakers from the 1960s. Amazing designs.
As well as the CD in the 1960s Philips developed the tape cassette
yes thanks for wasting half my youth rewinding tapes 😜
Those old Philips speaker drivers from the 60s - 70s seem to be massively popular on UA-cam for some reason, endless videos of people playing with them and they always sell for a lot of money on ebay too.
From France with a lot of history: Lavardin,Jean Marie Reynaud, Pierre Etienne Leon PLEON, JADIS, Cabasse, BC Acoustic, ATOLL, and many more. Not cheapest equipment but,all very well made and good as second hand buys too.
Polish living in France, cabasse, JMR , PELP , BC ACOUSTIQUE amazing brands....
Atoll amplifiers are rated by quite a few
thanks now I wanna travel France looking for hi fi
sounds like a plan ? thanks
@@nudawas Talking about Poland, some of the most interesting audio stuff of today comes from Poland, specifically Cube Audio is very impressive.
I love the aesthetics of the ATC SCM40s, those industrial grills are so cool. And at the risk of stating the obvious: Wharfedale scored HUGE with the throwback style of the Lintons, offering those beautiful matching stands was a genius move.
Tandberg made some of the nicest looking European stuff I can remember. Burmeister is good-looking stuff if you like chrome.
Cheers from Portugal...where, long time ago, until the early ninities, we had our own factories of PHILIPS, of GRUNDIG and PIONEER SX receiver series.
One thing from Germany that flies under the international radar are our socialst built (made in GDR) small speakers. BR 25/BR 26 were less than a 100 DM (like 50€) back in the late 80s and yet very competently designed. Their sweet sound was created by a speaker designer now heading the high end manufacture Geithain. The BR 25 now commands more than 3 times the original asking price on the second hand market. While they built 600k of those things, because they have deteriorating foam surrounds the supply is diminishing rapidly. and the rare BR 50 were apparently even better but now command several hundred €€ for a pair.
Yeah I've heard BR made some good speaker drivers.
one of the best speakers for the small size. rft K23 Profil and the BR 3750 are also fantastic.
Grundig was the best in the world, at that time, their speakers were also superb
@@venooramiah1359 They always sound kind of clinical from what I remember, my Dad liked their stuff.
Another storming video and a great topic ..
Norweigan hifi-nut here. My entry into hifi was with Tandberg. Still got the Tandberg TIA-3012A. It’s about 40 yrs old, and I’ve had it restored by some old Tandberg-engineers that are still around. Lovely sound, and in its time considerd fairly resolving, and tight bass. Had the Tandberg Studio Monitor speakers, three ways, with 13’’ woofers and a really nice midrange - never had speakers that coukd quite reproduce the “Nordic treble” like those.
can't believe I forgot about tandberg been wanting one for years
@@stereoreviewx You should also look into vintage Electrocompaniet stuff, also smaller norwegian brands Adyton and Dynamic Precision. On a sidenote norwegian Bjørn Erik Edvardsen was the main engineer behind NAD's legendary 3020 amplifier and a lot of their other gear. Thanks for your great channel btw 😊
I heard some nice Restek gear when stationed in Germany
For those of us in Norway that live north of the arctic circle, about 1/3, it's not a matter of not seeing the sun for hours. We count months. Where I live the sun is gone for 2 months straight, and around Christmas, there's dusk for 5 hours, the rest dark.
Carlsson and Sonab speakers from Sweden are great bang for the buck’s.
Sonab loudspeakers were just amazing.
The German made DUAL was also a sought after brand of hi-fi.
Very interesting video. Well done. 🎶
Hi Kelvin, I enjoyed this video being from Europe. First of all the British reputation as some Europeans see. To use your own phrase "polite, specially the speakers. But in its kind, it is good. Also, sometimes bad build quality. Sound wise, some people say it is build for rickety cottages with small rooms and wooden floor boards. Back to Europe, the exceptions, Jamo speakers from Denmark have a floppy booming base, quite horrible. Schneider is (was, not sure, don't care) a cheesy brand, the European equivalent of Amstrad. Now we move to the good in main stream. Quite honestly some Philips stuff. Definitely valve stuff from post war and solid state up to mid 70's was generally good, with some very good speakers. Dual makes excellent turntables and their later top of the range Cassette players can go toe to toe with Nakamichi. One of my personal favourite speakers are the All Ribbon Series from Magnat (not the later stuff). These are German speakers from the early 80's, think JBL with a European sauce poured over it. I am going to end with two more high end speaker builders from France. First Davis, they cater for DIY as well as audiophiles and then one of my favourites, Supravox (I mean, the name only is already epic in my opinion) The UK has BBC speakers like the Rogers LS5, but the French RTF also had monitors and they had full range drivers from Supravox, the 215 RTF. Think of them as the French Lowther.
thanks a lot great info K
Thanks for the good information.
I just found your channel and watched almost all your videos. Been quite enjoying them over here in Germany. Just a tip you should get some German speakers from MB Quart. They are easily my favourite brand and I've had great speakers from all over the world, even some planars from Brazil! My favourite one is the MB Quart QL 980 SP, they are terrifically good. Titanium tweeter, aluminium midrange dome and two textil (?) bass drivers. They are not harsh at all, like Canton are, they just sound so harmonic. Really, really wide sound stage and brilliant details. The bass is crisp and fast, you can feel it in your stomach. The build quality is also exceptional. Let me know if you are planning on a trip to Germany! Got some stuff to show you. I even have a pair of Magnat MP-X 088 with active Plasma Tweeters! Greetings
I used to get excited about brands like Nikko, S.A.E., Rotel, and NEC because they were less common brands. McIntosh was always exciting of course. But when I saw equipment from Europe like Grundig, Tandberg, and Revox I felt like I was being sheltered from the really really good stuff. I had no idea that Nagra even existed. B&O wasn't on my radar until much later, but like most audiophiles it was little more than a beautiful curiosity to me because it didn't fit with the rest of the market and kinda disqualified itself by not fitting the standard mold.
I was not particularly excited about really big brands like Sony, Technics, or Marantz. They just seemed so average to me, although I did appreciate how well some of it was made. I actually made my first "big" audio purchase from Radio Shack and it turned out to be a really good piece of equipment, a Realistic 35(?) Watt receiver. It was still running in my brother's house 35 years later.
Back to European brands, I had no idea if any of it was actually good quality of course. I only knew what it looked like in magazines. On the rare occasion that I saw equipment in person I would regularly be disappointed by how cheap something looked and felt up close. Marantz on the other hand, as little as it appealed to me in photographs, in person it was always impressive.
Great to read this! & Thanks. My small wooden vintage B&O speakers (Beovox 2200) sound awesome with my Realistic (Radio Shack) amplifier SA 1509 (35 watt x2) . All from Mid seventies. And bought 2nd hand for almost nothing. Regards from the Philips country the Netherlands 🎼🎼
@@julesfrenay9619 I had lived with a guy for about a year who had a pair of Beovox RL-140s, or a very similar model. He wanted to hook them to my equipment and I was happy to oblige him, but I figured we'd be putting my Polk Audio Monitor 10 speakers back before long. Nope. Those B&O speakers were absolutely amazing and I absolutely loved them. I wanted to buy a pair for myself but saw that they were just a little more expensive than I was ready to spend that following year. A few years later I was ready, looked, but could not find a convenient place to buy some. I was sad about that. Now, many years later I'm kinda glad I didn't get them because I see that they had self-destructive foam surrounds on the drivers. They really sounded fantastic, but I actually value durability over absolute sound in the end. Regardless, I learned that B&O makes some really great sounding speakers. So they're not just pretty. They really perform!
You have a point about the weather, speaking as a Canadian, the country has put out a lot of outstanding equipment over the years, And musicians. 😅 shout out to all the other countries.
Theres a great UK channel called "Techmoan", and hes done some in depth videos on some of Britains lower end electronics of days past.
Europe always seems to hit the mark in attractive design/aesthetic, thats just plain reality. I find myself drawn towards Brit brands more often than not really. Jaguars are considered the most beautiful body designs of any other make. Triumphs are no doubt the sexiest of the modern bikes, I should know I own a Trident 660 : D , and it goes no different in regard to audio. I love the aesthetic of Musical Fidelity & Meridian especially.
Nice respectfully comments Kelvin, I had a B and O receiver once, cost was really
Silly..but was so clear..it was impressive .
Point is , we will never stop looking till we die.for that moment of true emotion from music
its a funny subject really is
Another great video Kelvin!!!
Italians place a greater emphasis on tone and seem to have an ear for sonic beauty.
On HiFi mag recommendation I bought an Armstrong 626. It kept breaking! I sold it and got a Sansui R50. Still great after 44 years.
For design, the British Lecson amplifiers are amazing as were the Gale 401A speakers.
agree
Agree. Being Danish, I must though admit that German and French HiFi is sublime.
ok
I would imagine the toughest would be to admit that also Jamo comes from Denmark ;)
Been waiting for this one. Get yourself some ADS or Braun floorstanders and compare to contemporary KEF ;)
yeah they dont look valuble
I love almost everything Braun Audio by Dieter Rams, especially the well-performing Atelier systems! Also, lately, I’m really into Sonab! Gorgeous!
agree
Enjoyed this Kelvin. I occasionally see B&O turntables up for sale that look terrific. No idea how they compare to other brands and I think cartridges and styli are proprietary and quite expensive to replace, but I'd be interested in your opinion of them and how they compare to, say, Rega, Thorens, Duals etc.
I think they’re well engineered but definitely prone to breaking. I’ve always stayed clear b and o turntables.
Philips has sold of most of it's consumer electronics by now. Most Philips branded stuff is chinese owned. I do have a good Philips GA 312 Turntable still. In then seventies and eighties everybody used Philips over here in The Netherlands. Eventually surpassed by Sony. NAD and Cambridge were sold well in The Netherlands. Lots of British speakers as well. I Think Mission sold more speakers in the Netherlands than in brittain in the eighties. Also lots of KEF, Tannoy, Wharfedale on the used market. B&W too. Two notable Dutch audio companies right now are Hypex electronics and Grimm Audio. Driade that makes speakers, has also survived.
🙋♂️THANKS KELVIN,FOR SHARING THE EUROPEAN SOUND 😎💚💚💚
I had a French ERA turntable. The UK import version had an SME arm fitted. The French one had, I think, an I-beam arm and leaf springs. The designer Jean Verdier eventually left ERA and became a leading turntable designer with his own company.
London-born Jony Ives, Apple chief designer, was largely inspired by Braun's designs.
My current speakers are Dynaco's A25XL, which uses SEAS drivers. I love them!
I seems like everyone knew this except me ?😅
West-German company named SABA was pretty popular in the 70's and the 80's. They made speakers, fantastic tuners and very decent amplifiers. German company Acron (founded by the Braun's cheef engineer F. Petrik) made great speakers: they had smallest hi-fi speakers in the world in their time. Telefunken made great sounding speakers, too.
I do remember Saba thanks k
Saba greencones are famous.
Great video Kelvin. I've had quite a bit of European gear over the years. Tandberg are fantastic, but they definitely need recapping. That goes for the amps and speakers. Quality, elegance and proportion of design and soundstage. Phillips is another. Hugely underrated speakers and their amps are so sweet. Wonderful designs too. Dual, famous for their turntables, but their amps are also really good. Thick, broad, brooding power. Remind me of Cyrus in terms of sound. All of these can be had for peanuts too. Go for the high end on release stuff, the top of the range.. You can't go wrong.
appreciated K
Awesome Video! It's Chris from EL. You randomly came up on my feed! Subed!
Vintage Scandyna speakers are highly rated in Denmark. They just put a smile on your face. Vintage Tandberg Receivers and Speakers (made in Norway) have a cult following in Scandinavia and they can be very "musical" and in my opinion more stylistic than B&O, which are not really rated in their homeland as someting special.
My pal is ex BBC engineer ....... loves Tandberg .....so well made and quality sound
I just thought that too, Kevin forgot Tandberg. Here in Scandinavia Tandberg is one of the top hifi brands. They're out of business, but still going strong..
Take a look at the Braun atelier 1 (1957-59) Simply wonderful timeless design
I've expanded my collection to some vintage Philips gear recently. The sound, quality, innovation and attention to detail is impressive. Philips 312 turntable is a pure joy to use. Here's a speaker brand you don't hear about much in the UK: Isophon. They made drivers for Braun, Grundig etc. and sold kits. Would highly recommend a listen 🙂
Isophon is a well kept secret. You can still buy those drivers for reasonable money for DIY projects. I also agree on the Philips stuff. They made a lot of good stuff, but you have to know what you are doing because they made a lot of low end stuff as well.
@@hugobloemers4425 I've had a few american, uk & german vintage speakers but there's something special with the Isophon's. Half way through rehoming mine, (late 50's AlNiCo 2 ways) into some old Rank cabinets. I restored a Philips 22RH590 a few months ago - best germanium amp I've ever heard. Real quality stuff from that era. Goes very nicely with the 312 and Isophons!
I have used Dynaudio drivers in my own Leap/Lms designed enclosures coupled with modified Quad 33 amplifiers ( converted
to run directly coupled , eliminating the output coupling transformer) and it sounded magnificent... I didn't use a quad pre amplifier ...just a basic selector system with gain and a voltage controlled gain stage as a volume control
You got that exactly right, Braun stuff looks like Apple! The reason is that Steve Jobs was a big fan of Braun's main designer Dieter Rams. The iPod has a striking similarity with Ram's portable T3 Transistor radio and the iPhone's original calculator app is really a direct copy of the Braun calculator!
Interesting stuff Kelvin. I'm not into older hi fi, I usually buy second hand stuff but from the last 10 years or so but your videos are always interesting.
AndyBHome
Everything from France is good but, generally, tres cher (expensive and very expensive).
My first Hi Fi was a Nikko and Scott american floor tower standing loudpeakers . Big, 3 way loudspeakers with paper bass that sounded like a orchestra was playing in my room. I agree with Kevin, 3 way speakers are better than 2 way and if you want good bass you need a big box. 100 % agree.
Had to sell the Nikko/Scott and bougth a Technics and a B&W DM 1200 bookshelf loudspeakers . Doesn't work at all. And I say the fault is on the Technics because I tested the B&W speakers with that Audiolab amplifier that was made after the AR Cambridge amplifier. Sounded superb. I kick myself till now for not having traded the technics amp for the Audiolab. Rumors are that currently folks in Serbia make tube amplifiers that are very good and inexpensive .
love your channel btw
The Dannish make some nice speakers speakers Dynaudio, Dali, Jamo
I have a pair of Jamo Concert 8 speakers - though weighing in at 15 Kilo's each, they are really more monitors than speakers. I bought them new 1996. Hand-made in Denmark. Nearly 30 years on, they sound as great as ever and I would never want to replace them. I'm so used to them now I don't think I could. Wonderful kit. Great video, very interesting, thank you for posting.
Thanks for the info!
@@stereoreviewx You're welcome, great channel. I've actually been waiting for you to look at these speakers yourself!
Same with Canada, Europe has always produced nice gear!
Jon Ive, the British designer of all those amazing Apple products was heavily influenced by Braun. Any product out of Braun was a piece of beautiful industrial design. Apple before Apple.
Ive (and countless others) are particularly influenced by Dieter Rams, Braun’s chief designer. It’s why many Apple products resemble their Braun predecessors. The iPhone calculator is a good example!
Rams is still alive btw! He’s a living legend.
I had a Scandyna tuner amp which looked like a sinclair calculator. Amazing.
There was a radio and tv shop in the market place near where I was born and raised. The shop used to sell “grey import” hi-fi separates with the brand name Teleton. I think the brand was German maybe? At my school, the sixth form common room had a system with a Teleton stereo amplifier, a Garrard SP25 turntable and a pair of Wharfedale speakers. I bought a Teleton combined tuner/amplifier/cassette deck in a cabinet which stood vertically. The tuner was FM stereo and the cassette deck had twin recording level meters with left and right channel VU controls. Does anybody know the Teleton brand?
My main system is Electrocompaniet and Audiovector. I have had Arcam, Audio Analogue, dcs, Linn, Castle, Nordost, B&W, and some I am missing.
nice
I love the French ERA (Études et Recherches Acoustique) 444, 555 and 666 turntables. Simple and effective. I believe the French genius turntable designer Vernier? had a hand in their design. They also made amps. I also love the ITT Schaub Lorenz receivers. Flat and long like the Bang Olafsens but thicker.
Hey Calvin, love your channel. Wanted to tell you that I really really enjoying my Dual cl 142 speakers combined with sansui 661 or b&o beomaster 2000 and even with Sony amp. Please check Dual cl speaker series. I really like to know your thoughts on these:) Keep up the good job, I learn so much from you. Thanks ❤
Europe seemed to produce a plethora of spherical speakers, looked space age but I imagine sounded stone age (althoough I don't know that!) Tandburg made a good cassette deck. Thorens and Revox were go to brands. I had a Beogram 1001 which had built in loudness and design to die for and a beogram 4002 which I still adore and use.
i say this about speakers/hifi
ASIA ... techy, creating and solving issues we never wanted.
USA.... heavy, theyll power your home in a storm if you can get them through the door
Europe.... style and innovation, but the wife might try and match the whole room to them lol
I have a Grundig Fine Arts amplifier and it roars like division of Panzers grinding across the Russian Steppe.
I used to work for Morel they made good speakers, back then they were based in Ipswich Suffolk, but moved back to Israel.
. Just bought their ET 448 1-1/8" Soft Dome Tweeters. I'll know how they sound when I'm finished. Tri-amping them with an analog dbx x-over & powered by the Avantone CLA-100.
Acid Jazz, Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
@@TriAmpMyFi Sounds interesting.
Great job kelvin 😊
Always this Naim‘s dropping 🙂Bang On You son.
Brionvega AX3500 a real serious design, all the pots are not exposed, it has a parametric equalizer, how lovely it is and well sounding, and how about the fabulous Galactron MK120 and all the Galactron production? Braun it's lovely design but i like Telefunken and Grundig too, Revox reel to reel and beautiful tuners and amplifiers...
Particularly interesting production
French high end brands such as YBA and Jadis are impressive from a design point of view. Both have had to come up with cheaper products now a days to stay competitive.
Have a look at Primare amps, sublime from Sweden
yes
A different type of video for our European friends.
Now Kelvin, what about a video on vintage European speakers?
i wish i could
The Finnish Salora 2000 and 3000 recievers are great.
Have you had a Beovox S45-2 on your table? I'm in America and have a pair and they sound incredible. I have read on a B/O website that they where considered the best book shelf speakers B/O ever made . 19 " tall kind of large for book shelves. Any opinion? thanks
I had the 30s and I have the 70 5S they’re pretty pretty well engineered Speakers with nice Drivers basically underrated by Hi Fi snobs
For speakers there's Wharfedale from God's Own County of Yorkshire with a sound that can only be described as chuffed, and that's really summat.
what does chuffed mean tell me
@@stereoreviewx , I'm from Detroit descended from Yorkshiremen. 😆 So I'll let an expert explain, at 3:20, but basically it means "happy". ua-cam.com/video/CFo_e623uNA/v-deo.html
Well, actually Steve Jobs was inspired by Braun hifi designer Dieter Rams.
And the best european amplifier that i listen to was Grundig A9009, and maybe the best amp that o listened ever, but its high end stuff and kind of a rare amp and pretty expensive then anda now.
I never limit my ears from experiencing all origins of HiFi equipment. It's fun to listen and learn how all countries pursue the perfect sound.
true
Among the more mainstream European hi-fi brands, I have a strong preference for Cambridge Audio, Ruark Audio, and NAD, particularly for their aesthetic appeal. Cambridge Audio stands out with its sleek, almost futuristic designs that avoid any unnecessary extravagance, delivering a look that feels refined and modern. Ruark, on the other hand, masters a retro-futuristic elegance that's virtually unmatched in terms of visual appeal-it’s classic yet innovative, blending the best of both eras. Then there's NAD, whose designs I appreciate for their sturdy, industrial look that conveys a sense of durability and purpose.
On the flip side, Bang & Olufsen’s style is generally not to my taste. Their designs often strike me as verging on the pretentious and gimmicky, missing the mark for me in terms of both form and function. So, when it comes to European hi-fi design, I suppose I strongly lean towards the British brands, which seem to balance style and substance in a way that resonates deeply with me.
Historically I totally agree, but now we have to look towards China, many fine pieces of equipment comes out of China these day's, & usually reasonably priced. Some are of UK design while others are ex-UK brands now owned by China's IAG group, often with up dated gear trying to benefit from a bit of past glory.
My Study of HiFi in America was a misapplication of Stereo and a long term love of Mono...
Most of America Hidi was Consoles and Apple Corp got better later their 1st computer was a circuit board on a slab of wood.. consider that please..
Whole China has some cheap they are the largest Audiophile community with a middle class of 750 million and access to every design produced .
In a word yes. The USA is obsessed with $$$$$ and flash. Europe concentrates on sound and looks great too.
Tandbergh any good??
for sure
Funny the Brits don't regard themselves as European... , although I can see Dover from cap gris. I remember when repairing my Cyrus cd player, I needed to replace the laser unit/transport which was in fact manufactured at Philips in Hasselt/Belgium.
check out Tandberg and electrocompaniet. Both Norwegian
strangely forgot tandberg which I love the look of
@stereoreviewx Of you want some tandberg, they are quite cheap here. I'd be willing to help you aquire some. They really sound amazing, the sølvsuper, and the huldra are known for clear, detailed sound. I have a AU-317, partly from listening to you. I had it connected to some beovox s60., then switched to a sølvsuper 10. Only reason I went back was a bad soldering on the sølvsuper making out lose the sound on one speaker at times. Let me know, and we can make something happen.
@stereoreviewx I'm quite certain I wrote a response to this earlier.
Well, in any case. If you want, i can send you some tandberg. They are cheap in Norway. And they sound great.
@ hi there thanks for your kind offer. I wouldn’t ask you to send me something from Norway
Thanks anyway best Kelvin
Great topic, we don't often think about hifi other than UK Japan or the US
Great video as usual Kelvin . Have you heard of the much lamented Tandberg from Oslo Norway . ? I still have 3 working reel to reel Tape Recorders . Tandberg did alot of Hi - Fi gear also including speakers. All good stuff .
I know tandberg well I just forgot strangely really want one
Kilroy Was Here!
George davis is innocent ( bet he's not)
Europe includes,as far as I know,GB
Colloquially it depends. You’re right but I know what he means!
"IS Europe the heart and home beautiful HI -FI ?"
- No, it's Japan.
Japan may have manufactured 'Blackpool Illuminations' once upon a time, but since their economy became stagnant back in the late 90s, their domestic offerings are made in China and Taiwan so you're only getting Japanese 'branded' electronics as opposed to the real thing with quality control once ensured.
@@QuoPaperPlane What are you talking about?
All my Audio Technica cartridges are made in Japan.
All my Denon cartridges are made in Japan.
My Technics turntable is made in Japan.
My Jelco components are all made in Japan.
Even something as simple as some wire, like the Japanese Mogami brand, is made in Japan.
All made less than 7 years ago.
Then there are countless other brands, like Dynavector, Koetsu, Yamamoto, etc...
@@QoraxAudio Much of their domestic branded Electronics are built elsewhere. Fact! Where you been living, pal.
@@QuoPaperPlane Yeah, just like brands of any developed country.
Fact is that outsourcing to developing countries is globally common.
Has really nothing to do with the Japanese economy in particular and nothing with being the most prominent country in the hifi niche.
@@QoraxAudio Yes, many brands from different countries eventually were outsourced to other bases in the far east and eastern Europe. I don't dispute that. The fact that Japan did this to some of their, shall we say, mass produced equipment, was financial, especially with their economy that hasn't grown in the last three decades. Why not keep manufacturing at home if it were not soley due to financial difficulties? They've done it to their vehicles because it's cheaper than to export directly from home. I have a Honda that was made here but I'd of prefered it if it was built in Japan.
I have all necessary vintage gear made in Europe and USA. - nothing from Japan. I would say that timeless elegance and harmony of sound were (and are) expensive demands of rich people who would like to pay for these exclusive designs. While they could pay, they were too free and busy to care for any tech data and competition between them - they want only pleasant easy use and exclusive look. Bang olufsen informed that "power is enough", other producers did not mentioned -detail data all that was left to instant buyers perception in store I still remember tube radios in shop - they had general manuals and tech data were just so so (if at all) But they were symbols of social status . - rich customers required good style and convinent use. I had manual for my tube tape recorder where all user information was provided on color pictures with painted "user" . I think no teh data was there, And it was realy good machine .
. Producers had enough sell for their expensive sophisticated products untill in end of 60 ties they faced japanese competition to all who preferred very fancy looking products and competition with tech data. .
I love Tanberg HiFi
try to find someone to repair a B&O...parts??good luck. good video.
B&O are nice to work with imo, often very thought out service positions for the pcb:s and components are as difficult to get as any old equipment, i e fairly easy
ok you got the job 😜
@ Sure, happy to help if you like, how can I contact you?
Spot on, I had a B&O TT ages ago and it had a service manual tucked into the cabinet when you opened it up
Just try Atoll from france realy Top Equipment…
Love my Copland pre amp
Their way outta reach for most of us pheasants 😅😅 but I do agree when it comes to design and engineering Europe is far ahead with not only hifi but also in other fields as well.
Isophone g3037 speakers +Sansui 221+Dual 1019(Pickering XV-15).
Linn, Rega, Arcam?
uk
@@stereoreviewxOh, you meant mainland Europe.
Who knows where ITT were from? We had a turntable and receiver in the 1970s. Were they German?
ITT was American, but they had independently operating divisions in Europe. Mainly Germany I think.
@D1N02 thanks that makes sense. My dad worked for ITT Cannon in Basingstoke. I also see ITT Schaub Lorenz hifi eqpt. I get the feeling they were Grundig or Philips quality for hifi.
Norwegian Tandberg
Formerly cheap Danish entry-level brands: Dantax, Jamo, Eltax
oh eltax ok they are ahead funny thing just got given some jams three ways
they weigh the same as a cd without the case
C'mon, Kelvin. We all know Brits do it best. Scandinavians manufacture the drive units, we make - or used to make! - the finest loudspeakers in the world. And amplifiers are - or once were! - a Brit speciality... Quad, Naim, Mission, Cyrus, Sugdon, Exposure, Arcam, etc, etc...
You used the correct past tense about Brits;-)
@@Sladovsky1Unfortunately, I have to agree😥👍
@@Jezza-m5k I know. These good times for British HI-FI are gone:(
Hey - there is plenty of great British stuff being made today - think Sugden and SME
I love that name Telefunken there is something sexy about it manly sexy if you know what I mean, or is that just me😂
your a pervert keep quiet 😜
In my collection I've got a couple of vintage European amps, Kelvin. The Philips F4516 is a tank, over-engineered inside and out, powerful but bland in looks and sound quality. The Tungsram/3F T3535 receiver, on the other hand, is a thing of beauty and a joy forever - a tuning scale hiding in plain sight made up of LEDs, and buttons with no moving parts where you touch two studs to complete a circuit with your finger! It dates from the late 70s, produced for the Hungarian market in Denmark at the same Horsens factory that made Bush Arena-branded hi-fi for the Rank Organisation until it burned down. It only outputs 25W, but it sounds as beautiful as it looks.
There were a couple of European brands that let the side down. Philips knocked out some real fugly tat in their time, and apparently theirBlack Tulip line earned the nickname 'Black Turnip' from retailers for their quality control issues. Bang & Olufsen looked a million dollars, but it wasn't built to last. And Schneider were right down there with Amstrad for cheap tat.
Apple looks like Braun, simply because Steve Jobs had a fascination with Dieter Rams, the most prominent designer at Braun.
really wow
East German "RK 5 sensit" Receiver designed by Carl Klaus Dietel from 1968 looks also like an apple Product.😂
Zero experience of European gear because I am a German car nut and they are superb engineering as is Sweden and Switzerland should have paid them much more attention than I did
EU have made Great speakers all along, but so much disapear in the masses. Dls(swe) and adyton(norw) makes Great speakers too, if you can get to them. I still use my nad 107 and 1240, dont know how many pre amps i have tested and returned after a few days.
I just threw my B&O into the river
Must mention Hungarian speaker driver manufacturer SONIDO. Their fullrange drivers are …. 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
Must also mention the Swedish concrete Rauna speakers that are produced just ten miles away from me.
thanks
These are European Brands I came to know: Admire Audio, Spain; Atoll, France; Audio Creative, Netherlands; Audio Hungary, Hungary; Audio Note, UK; Brocksieper, Germany; Einstein, Germany; English Acoustics, UK; Feliks Audio, Poland; Fezz Audio, Poland; Gabri's Amp, Italy; Hattor, Poland; Ikon Audio, UK; Jadis, France; Lab12, Greece; Lampizator, Poland; Linn, UK; Lowther, Germany; Magnat, Germany; Mastersound, Italy; Muarah, Poland; NAT Audio, Serbia; Octave, Germany; OdeonAudio, Germany; Pathos, Italy; pearl acoustics, UK; Prima Luna, NL; Quad, UK; Silvercore, Germany; SPL Audio, Germany; Supravox, France; Tektron, Italy; Tsakiridis, Greece; Tubeaudio, Germany. And I forgot a lot, I guess!