Soundesign score

[wenzeslaus]

got a Soundesign 4410 from the goodwill for 6 bucks. if the reception was good enough I could connect a big loop antenna for listening with an analog tuner.

but now that I look at it, it doesn't have AM antenna connectors. only FM.

tested it. reception sucks.

I don't know why, it has a bigass 8" ferrite bar. maybe it needs alignment.

and then I noticed the cabinet is 100% wood. that wasn't veneer. it has wood blocking too.

(max 5 images)

 

[wenzeslaus]

the components are all on a tray that slides out the front

when you unscrew the screws on the bottom

the corners are TIGHT. doesn't even look like 2 peices of wood, that's why it looked like veneer. on the bottom you can see the bleedover from the wood stain.

so what I think I will do is, take all the components off the tray, swap the front panel for a flat faceplate, and install variable capacitors, variable inductor, parallel/series/jumper switches for those, on/off switches and antenna connectors with all the knobs on the faceplace. transplanted from my current control board.

 

[fleef]

Oh MAN look at those variable capacitor (?)s! You're a man after mine own heart. I'm an old vintage electronics lady but today, if I saw this in the thrift shop I would have to pass it up. So many of my "scores" throughout the years have been donated BACK to the various thrift stores eventually. Just didn't have the space for it all but I did keep a few items I deem "necessary". Back to Soundesign: I THINK they were Toshiba. Quality great. You got these receivers usually from "ColorTyme" electronics rental/purchase (those easy credit payment ripoffs mentioned in lyrics to Good Times 70s tv show) I had Soundesign radio in fact I donated a portable AM/FM a few months ago. Prepare to be excited! Because if you visit thrift stores frequently you're bound to find more Soundesign products. Beware, on Etsy and eBay sellers price them in the hundreds which baffles me.

 

[techman210]

tested it. reception sucks.

Looks like it’s working the same as when it came out of the factory.

 

[wenzeslaus]

Oh MAN look at those variable capacitor (?)s! You're a man after mine own heart. I'm an old vintage electronics lady but today, if I saw this in the thrift shop I would have to pass it up. So many of my "scores" throughout the years have been donated BACK to the various thrift stores eventually. Just didn't have the space for it all but I did keep a few items I deem "necessary". Back to Soundesign: I THINK they were Toshiba. Quality great. You got these receivers usually from "ColorTyme" electronics rental/purchase (those easy credit payment ripoffs mentioned in lyrics to Good Times 70s tv show) I had Soundesign radio in fact I donated a portable AM/FM a few months ago. Prepare to be excited! Because if you visit thrift stores frequently you're bound to find more Soundesign products. Beware, on Etsy and eBay sellers price them in the hundreds which baffles me.

old stereos like these are where you get variable capacitors like those. that was my plan: if it wasn't good enough as a receiver, I could use the parts.

I won't go out of my way to go to thrift stores, but every time I go past one I'll stop to see what they have. I have spent a lot of time looking. these old analog stereos are rare, let alone specifically looking for a Soundesign. you won't find one.

I know they used to be the cheap go-to brand (if you wanted cheap) and pretty common. I'd put them in the same class as Realistic, and I hated both. yes I see old junk for sale online, I haven't seen any Soundesign but Fisher? Technics? ridiculous prices for low quality I wouldn't touch back then and sure wouldn't now. decent brands are way way overpriced, like antiques or something, not normal used stereo prices. you can get a full blown AV home theater system by Denon, Sony, Yamaha, etc for 40 bucks tops while analog stereos 20 years older that absolutely get put to shame by those, sell for 3 times as much.

this Soundesign says made in Korea. I call it a "score" because of the wood cabinet and how I can turn it into a control box. also I get another VC and an 8" bar antenna. good deal for 6 bucks.

 

[wenzeslaus]

Looks like it’s working the same as when it came out of the factory.

no, it's worse than that.

 

[K7MEM]

Yes, some of the old receivers go for a pretty good price, used. I have a Marantz SR6010 DC Amplifier/Receiver, that I purchased new when I was living in Germany (1981). I bought it at the BX at Ramstein AFB. (It was around the same time that the Red Army Faction bombed the head quarters building.) It seems to keep it's value, although, I don't remember paying that much originally. I have a matching dual cassette deck and turntable. And, yes, I still play my vinyl. The components still work great. I drive a pair of Bose 4 Ohm book shelf speakers and have a cable that plugs directly into my PC. But I think the vinyl sounds better.