Classic Hifi Care

This lil' guy is available nearby, well overpriced at $200, but just curious if it might a a tube model or not. the changer looks early to mid '60s to me... anyone have any idea? If it'd a tube model I may keep an eye on it, since it's small I might be able to jam it into my office.

I am betting it is a tube set...it looks to be around the 62/63 era ...

I'd also bet it's tube, maybe hybrid, but it has tubes. The solid state RCA's said "New Vista" did they not? And did they not use nomenclature like "Victrola" and names like that from the past on the new solid state instruments? I'd say go for it. I'm not sure I'd be a player at $200 either.

Makes sense guys... you're right Greg, they used the New Vista name (a take off from the RCA developed Nuvistor mini-metal tube they came up with ca 1960) on Hi-Fi and TV products, I believe the color TVs started using the name first around Fall 1960. Dave a member here is restoring a gorgeous blonde '61 color RCA CTC-11 for me that uses that name. Fisher was known for using Nuvitors in their tuner front ends which gave them a reputation for excellence.

So here's the same changer in the all-tube model I had, a '62/63 RCA 3-VF Mark II I think? It was one of those high-boy hutch types.
It wasn't a great performer, but not sure if it was because of the big open unsealed speaker cavity above the cabinet or that it was not restored.I'm sure the electronics were fine design-wise. It did look cool with a tilt-out receiver with tuning eye.

I'll have to keep an eye on it, I'm guessing the one for sale is a probably a SE 6BQ5 unit, only 42"-ish long and fairly BOL, so more like only $50-60 max these days, certainly not 200!

Here's the RCA high-boy with the same changer and all-tube recv'r as shown in last post, pretty sure that was '62 or 63, ours was more MCM in style.
I felt the sound on these suffered from the speaker mounting in one big open top compartment that spanned the entire width w/o dividers and open to the back with perforated/ventilated Masonite, ignoring even the then-state-of-the-art acoustics. The furniture was very nice, hardwoods and well built, but IIRC it had just 12" woofers and mid and tweets were nothing special...the bean counters were beginning their take over by then.

I have no experience with these RCA "oval arm" changers, who made them? does anyone have repair experience or opinions on performance?
I remember these changers being fairly common in the '60s as RCAs were big sellers.

According to what I've read, RCA started building their own changers in 1953, so, that being the case, that changer was likely RCA built.

Firedome wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:04 pm I have no experience with these RCA "oval arm" changers, who made them? does anyone have repair experience or opinions on performance?
I remember these changers being fairly common in the '60s as RCAs were big sellers.

Yes, that's an RCA made RP-217/218 changer.

Sams 681-10.
Very nice service sheets in the 1963 Beitman's
for free.

They are good changers, with a heavy platter.

If they use the wide RCA-only cartridge, that can
be a detriment, since those carts are made of
Un-Obtainium.
Replacements are expensive, if found.

A 1/2 inch mount cart can be jerry-rig mounted, from what I've read.

I recall some off the earlier (RP205/215?) changers used the hard to find carts that were out-of-phase, wonder what carts these later RCAs used, I'd think they'd have gone to something more conventional, whether ceramic or magnetic?

This console looks like may be tube tuner / solid state amp, found on 1964 M.Y. (CTC15) color TV-stereo combination models. Like Magnavox and Zenith, RCA was transitioning to solid state amps first, transistors for the radio parts coming by the 1965 model year, while Mag was brave enough to offer SS amps on most 1963 models. Funny that the tuner of the OP's console does not read solid state.

The RP-217 was the "studiomatic" sold with 1963/64 models. Sometimes there is a feather emblem on the tonearm head. Flatness is the reason this cartridge tricky to adapt using a suitable replacement, it was used on RP205 thru 217, mostly on 1959-64 tube models which I have several of. Check out my post in the Record Changer forum.

The unit from the original poster is gone from CL, either they gave up at that dumb price or someone paid that dumb price!
And if it had had an SS amp I wouldn't be interested anyway as it would pale in comparison to my TOTL 'SS 71 Mag P231 project.

I have an R 204 amp out of a Stereo Theater. I've been offering it to someone who can use it. My question is did it have an external amplifier, or is it all in one chassis. I only have the big chassis with the tuner. I know nothing about it, other than it is alleged to work. Roger, if you get yours going, and I can't find somebody who needs this thing worse than I do, I might see if I can use it for something productive. I have the speakers and horns for it as well. And a spare set of knobs. And a spare remote control.

Greg from what I've heard by this era Magnavox really had it's act together with their SS instruments, the main reason I'm willing to stick with this thing. The P231 has the amp & power transistors on the same chassis with the tuner, so it's all in one, not sure about other models, but I'd think they'd also take advantage of those packaging opportunities.

It's unfortunate that Magnavox got their scald down so well on the Astro-Sonic models, performance-wise, while appearance and build quality took a skid.

The Magnavox 204 is an all-in-one receiver chassis, 20 watts total. Used in a wide variety of models with 12" and horns.
I have two of these myself, and both need wholesale replacement of the black electrolytics. I have done others (R214/R215)and it seems every one needs this to work.

The 222 and 231 were better regarding the caps but the slide-out chassis was a PITA using those connectors. I ended up hard-wiring the phono inputs right to phono pushbuttons to eliminate hum. Magnavox audio equipment made after this was more like a component system stuck in all kinds of furniture like dry sinks, but forget how those were built. Like the later Zenith "Allegro" series, Magnavox (owned by N-A-Philips in '74) used BSR players and 8-tracks, still better than most for repairs. The tuners always outperformed the imported stuff of that era and price range.

My R204 came out of a Stereo Theater. It came with horns and two 15" woofers, knobs, a remote control chassis and two remotes. 20 watts, huh? That kinda eliminates any effort on my part to resurrect it. Quite an impressive chassis, to be fair. I also have an Admiral chassis out of an ugly console I bought at an auction with a busted cabinet. I gave a dollar for it and got a nice V-M 1200 series changer and six speakers. It worked fine, the cabinet was particle board and plastic and was not salvageable.