Is retro THIS cool?

[walyfd]

https://wrensilva.com/products/standard ... %3D.TR2KAX

It should at least have a record changer...

[electra225]

Beautiful wood! One could use "old" console parts then have something special. You're right. It should have a record changer....

[William]

And only $901.68 a month.

Bill

[Firedome]

Gorgeous design and craftsmanship. Wonder who makes the electronics. For that price it should be McIntosh.

I'm surprised teak is used, I thought it was banned some time ago. I found a Troeds (Swedish) ca.1965 all solid teak low profile sideboard about 15 years ago (pic) when looking at a pr of Heathkit/University speakers at a couple's house who were moving into assisted living. Originally bought in Syracuse in the mid '60s. I paid like $300, about 1/10 or less what the value is now, we gave it to our daughter who has an appropriate-for-it very modern house in Denver (pic) . There's a reason MCM - what we used to call Danish Modern back in the day - is still so popular now... it's timeless, as good design always is. It's the antiques of the future. This console is gorgeous, beautifully designed and executed. I'd love to own it. but couldn't afford it!

[TC Chris]

As to the teak, it's now plantation-grown. But like most lumber, plantation-grown is inferior to old-growth. Life is filled with tradeoffs.

I like the single-play turntable. I've never actually used record changers as record changers. Too fussy, plus I'm usually aiming for side 2 after side 1.

These are actually consoles done right. They take steps to isolate the speakers from the turntable. i have never figured out why companies like Magnavox did not take even elementary steps to avoid acoustic feedback and fully baffle their speakers. Want bass? Then don't put your turntable right over the speakers. It is not rocket science. Stromberg-Carlson (or was it Pilot, or both) knew this. They incorporated sealed-box (acoustic suspension) speakers into their consoles.

So those are actually kinda cool, even if they are priced at California levels. But I'd ask for a tuner option, or at least a cutout where I could mount a quality tuner.

Chris Campbell

[walyfd]

Looking at the specs, they use a 2-way speaker with 8" drivers!!! No wonder you can store 135 albums in it. No 15" woofers here!!! 8 speakers in my Fisher...

Looks like the electronics are proprietary....

I'll stick with vintage. My $1700 Executive translates to $17,250 today and it has a radio!!!

[William]

It was Pilot, Chris. The Pilot console that I once had, and wished I still had, used sealed acoustic suspension type of speakers in their consoles. Stromberg-Carlson may have done the same, but I only now about Pilot.

Bill

[Firedome]

Chris is right on both counts, S-C did also, we had one. They had separate tuner and amps that they also sold as discrete components, in this case mounted horizontally in the console cabinet. The speakers were called "acoustic labyrinth" speaker enclosures that were separate from the cabinet and placed on very heavy jute acoustical padding in the speaker enclosures, which were also completely lined. S-C also built their own drivers that were of very high quality. S-C consoles of this type were pretty expensive, typically over $1000.

Console makers often intentionally rolled-off frequencies under about 80Hz for reasons of acoustical feedback. That and typically paltry speaker separation led to criticism by Consumer Reports, along with the poor performance of many of the record changers used in consoles, if you read their comparison tests of the time.

If these "Wrensilva" snake oil salesmen can peddle these things for 10 Grand, and it's not even their top model, no wonder vintage MCM consoles are being jacked up so much in price the last few years. I suspect one could pick up even mediocre SS modern units if they look good, do a light restoration, add Bluetooth and flip them them at handsome profits to the Gens under 50 (Z, X, V ? whatever, I can't keep them all straight)... people are doing it, and not just in California anymore, though it does seem to be the center of craziness.