Sylvania SC521 SE 6BQ5 Console Washington, IL $75 OBO

[macgolf]

I don't remember the last time seeing a tubed Sylvania. I remember from the prior site a write up of a TOTL 7591? Sylvania console. This would appear from the model to have a SE 6BQ5 amplifier. It also has the same Garrard changer that my 63 Pilot has. That gives me hope that it is indeed a tubed model. The "always room for one more" space is supposed to be for a blond Zenith.

Mark

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[William]

Sylvania produced some excellent sounding stereo equipment. I have had several items in the component line and still have my Sylvania 225 speakers which I will never part with. Is this console close to you where you could go and take a listen? Sylvania consoles are hard to find, but if one was in my backyard, I think it would probably follow me home.

Bill

[walyfd]

Was that a special order southpaw model? Can't think of too many top load consoles with the changer on the left.

[macgolf]

Bill,

I picked up a Sylvania 4 piece mid 70's set from an estate sale some years ago. My set had a pair of AS-125B's the 3 way version of your 4 way AS-225's. Very impressed with the quality. This console is about 40 miles away and also carries the GTE badging. Some Sylvania components carried this additional badging though mine did not.

Selfishly, I think my next will have to be a Zenith that has a pair of 12" full range speakers. I enjoy the EV 12" full range speakers in my Aristocrat corner cabs and would like to hear a full range pair designed in a console.

The left side location of the changer is definitely unusual.

Mark

[William]

Mark, do you still have the AS-125's? I too had AS-125's but when the AS-225's came out I purchased them for the living room but kept the AS-125's and put them in the family room in the basement. The AS-125's and now living in a friend's home being used as their main speakers for their system.

Bill

[electra225]

I like the looks of the Sylvania console you posted. My Magnavox Stereo Theater has a southpaw changer. That was the only place they could put it. The cabinet is full of electronics.

[macgolf]

Bill,

Sold the complete set(RS4744 receiver,AS-125B's and Sylvania badged Dual 1216) about a year after getting them. My primary upstairs listening room is 11 x 13. They sounded great downstairs where I could get farther than 8' from them. Downstairs is busy here and they couldn't get enough playing time. The consoles don't mind waiting their turn now. At that time I was going deeper down the tube rabbit hole and an extra ss set-up wasn't in the cards I thought the dome mids and tweeters were special. It's good to hear you're enjoying the 225's and your friend is enjoying the 125's. Very under appreciated mid 70's speakers and components.

Mark

[William]

Thanks, Mark, and I really do enjoy listening to those AS-225's. I had the woofers professionally repaired a few years back with new surrounds. AT the time, there was a specialty speaker shop in Grand Rapids that did the work as I did not feel comfortable doing it myself. I'm sure they do not exist anymore so I'm glad they were there when I needed them.

Bill

[Firedome]

Evidently some people think putting a fake oriental rug in their pictures will somehow add to the "class".
Nice little console though. I've seen a couple Sylvania tube consoles around here over the last year or so.

Sylvania had a vacuum tube factory in Emporia PA about an hour W of here.
I ran across one of their ex-employees years ago and got a cool hardback book by Rider's called "Inside the Vacuum Tube" that goes into more detail on tube operation and characteristics than any other I've seen except maybe Radiotron Designer's Handbook 4th edition. He also had a ton of used tubes that he wanted way too much for.

[Motorola minion]

I have had a few Sylvania consoles. Model 45C36 phono console that I just picked up had a VM record player (missing) and interesting single ended stereo tube amp that uses a pair of 6BQ5. (edit, portable versions used 7695 and some others used SE 6GK6)

The one in the picture looks similar to the SC541 I have below (photo not mine) was horribly dirty and needed a leg repaired before I put it in the queue. It is hand-wired and uses two of Sylvania's 9 pin larger 7868 single-ended, well-known as the Fisher 400 output tube. I really like the cabinet design, it has a country-woodsy feel to it.

If I was hunting a tube Sylvania that was TOTL, model SC617 uses four 7868 would be my upgrade, if one of the 1959 TOTL Sylvania (4 x 6L6?) never appears.

[William]

All three of your photos, Dave, are good looking consoles. I'm have no idea if Sylvania's furniture was built in house or farmed out but whoever did it knew what they were doing. At one point I found an interesting set of brochures online and if I can ever find them again, I will attempt to post them.

Bill

[TC Chris]

I was thinking the same thing Bill said. All are handsome devices.

Chris Campbell

[William]

I just wanted to let everyone know, I'm moving my part of this tread to "OTHER CONSOLES". I did find the info on Sylvania's that I had Mentioned earlier in this thread, and I want to share it as there is a lot of info there. Unfortunately, or not, it pertains to solid state stuff but as far as I'm concerned quality solid state stuff is good too. I actually had copy/paste in my computer, and I started digging there first and found it. Looking through this again brought back memories of when I had a full line up of Sylvania components.

Bill

[Motorola minion]

All three of your photos, Dave, are good looking consoles. I'm have no idea if Sylvania's furniture was built in house or farmed out but whoever did it knew what they were doing. At one point I found an interesting set of brochures online and if I can ever find them again, I will attempt to post them.

Bill

I have a SC919, a 1967 TOTL model using a Dual 1010 player boasting 320 watts, just the same wacky number Zenith advertised! In the record storage, someone had saved the catalog page for this model. Its lighter wood and some kind of provincial style w/o legs, just a big box. I don't recall any description of cabinet maker.

[TC Chris]

I have a SC919, a 1967 TOTL model using a Dual 1010 player boasting 320 watts, just the same wacky number Zenith advertised! In the record storage, someone had saved the catalog page for this model. I

As an old guy who remembers the watts wars of fake numbers, I always like to remind folks that wattage claims were so fanciful and exaggerated that finally the Federal Trade Commission stepped in with a trade regulation rule. It defined the means by which power output of amplifiers could be measured and advertised. This brought some comparability and honesty to the issue. It also resulted in major deflation of the makers' claims. It's also fun to point out that honest companies like Heath and the major hi-fi component brands had been accurate all along. It was the more consumer-oriented brands that engaged in imaginary data like "instantaneous peak power" and other such BS.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

The cabinets Dave posted are up there in appearance and quality with Motorola and Magnavox. I guess I wasn't aware they had such nice cabinets.

[walyfd]

Much like the WATTAGE measurement, horsepower was frequently toyed with. There was the Motor method and Brake or Taxable... I have to look it up but car companies were using one over the other in the 50s.

All boils down to wattage in some way since it was Watt who determined 33k ft#/min...

[macgolf]

Those are some stately looking Sylvania consoles. Thank you for posting them.

I've only read about the power wars of the 60's and early 70's. It looks like my Philco(PP 7189) was promoted as 50 w/channel. I can only imagine the promotional claims made around the beefier power tube amplifiers or early ss products.

Mark