German Radios: Stereo FM sets, 1960 and up

Index of the models in this section

Saba Freudestadt 100 1959 Saba Freudestadt 125 1960 Saba Meersburg 125 1960 Telefunken Hymnus Stereo 5014WK 1960 *Service in progress! Braun TS31 1961 Graetz Fantasia 1022 1961 Loewe Luna-Stereo 6761W 1961 Saba Meersburg 11 1961 Blaupunkt Florida 42250 1962 Metz Belform 120 1962 Nordmende Rigoletto 3/614 1962 Telefunken Opus 2430 1963 Graetz Fantasia 1318 1964 Graetz Musica 1316L 1964 Nordmende 3004 5/634 Teak, Stereo 1964 Grundig 2000 ph (3 tube) 1965 Philips Saturn 641 1965 Telefunken Opus 2430 & 2650 1963/1965

Saba Freudenstadt 100, 1959 - 1960

This radio is a good example of average quality production from Saba, with its push-pullaudio amplifier and four speakers, two large elliptic ones asymmetrically disposed on thefront and two round tweeters on each side. The radio has three AM and one FM bands, withdouble index driven by a single tuning knob through a double clutch mechanism actuated bythe band change keys. Treble and bass tone controls, plus tone register key. The AM ferriterod can be oriented from the panel. A remarkable feature, also found in other Saba radio sets,is the alternate action power switch key: the radio can be switched off leaving unchanged thelatest selection, so to start again from it at the power on.

Eight tubes plus the selenium bridge rectifier: EC92, EC92, ECH81, EBF89, ECC83, EL95,EL95, EM84, B250C100.

Key features:

Push-pull audio amplifier Four speakers Top sound, full of deep bass notes!

A note about the confusion existing at the time in Europe on stereo equipment. No doubt fromthe schematic diagram that this radio is monophonic at all, but there are ‘Stereo’ and ‘Mono’pick-up keys, just beside the On/Off key, and mono/stereo indicator lights, as shown in thepicture below. The same pick-up DIN connector has both right and left channel pins, 1 and 3,wired togeter The ‘Stereo PU’ key just opens the connection from audio output transformerto speakers; when the stereo key is depressed, the radio can then be used as speaker box foranother true stereophonic amplifier.

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Saba Freudenstadt Stereo 125, 1960 - 1961

This radio looks very similar to the model Freudenstadt 100. Indeed it differs for the stereoaudio amplifier: depressing the ‘Stereo pick-up’ key, the two EL95s operate as independentclass A amplifiers, each driving a couple of speakers; when the ‘Mono pick-up’ is actuated orthe tuner is selected, the two power amplifiers are driven with opposite polarity, operating ina push-pull-like mode. Four speakers, two large elliptic ones asymmetrically disposed on thefront and two round tweeters on each side. The radio has three AM and one FM bands, withdouble index driven by a single tuning knob through a double clutch mechanism actuated bythe band change keys. Treble and bass tone controls, plus tone register key. The AM ferriterod can be oriented from the panel. A remarkable feature, also found in other Saba radio sets,is the alternate action power switch key: the radio can be switched off leaving unchanged thelatest selection, so to start again from it at the power on.

Eight tubes plus the selenium bridge rectifier: EC92, EC92, ECH81, EBF89, ECC83, EL95,EL95, EM84, B250C100.

Key features:

Push-pull mono or single ended stereo audio amplifier Four speakers Top sound, full of deep bass notes!

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Saba Meersburg Automatic 125 Stereo, 1960 – 1961

A huge radio from the early sixties Saba production. Four bands, LW, MW, SW and FM. Thedesign and the manufacture were at the top levels. Automatic, motor driven tuning. Stereocapabilities from record sources; the dual audio amplifier was switched into a push-pull likeconfiguration when mono operation was required; four speakers.

Nine tubes, EC92, EC92, ECH81, EF85, EABC80, ECL86, ECL86, ECL80, EABC80, EM84,plus B250C125 and E25C2 selenium rectifiers.

Key features:

Automatic, motor tuning. Antibacklash fiber reduction gears Lighted keys Stereo amplifier, four speakers Top sound, full of loud and deep basses!

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Braun TS 31 Stereo, 1961

This is a high performance radio, remarkable for its design, very modern for its age, 1961.Despite its look, it uses very traditional techniques, including a metallic chassis and glasstuning dial.

The radio has three AM and one FM bands, with two separate tuning indexes driven by asingle tuning knob through clutches actuated by the band selection keys. Treble and basscontrols plus key register for voice. Built-in antennas, with the AM ferrite rod which can beoriented by a knob on the panel. Stereo audio amplifier with three speakers: two largeelliptical speakers, one on each channel, plus one smaller elliptical tweeter on the left channel.DIN connectors for two external record players, for tape recorder and for external speakers.

The chassis, model RC 82 C, has nine tubes plus two germanium diodes and the seleniumbridge rectifier. Tubes are ECC85, ECH81, EF89, EBF89, ECC83, ECC83, EL84, EL84,EM84, plus B250C150.

The radio gives a loud sound, crystal clear and full of deep basses. Very good its AMsensitivity because of the double stage IF amplifier.

Key features:

Two tuning dials, single knob Two IF amplifiers Stereo audio amplifier, three speakers Top sound

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Graetz Fantasia 1022 Luxus Stereosuper, 1961

This top radio was built around 1961. Its name, Luxus Stereosuper, is fully justified looking atits huge cabinet, full of warm colors and of gold. The tuner has four bands, three AM and oneFM, with indexes driven by the tuning knob and selected by the band switch keys. Two IFamplifiers for high sensitivity, to receive the weakest signals. A switch, driven by the largestknob on the right, selects the AM bandwidth.

The stereo audio section has been designed to simply give the best. It uses seven tubes plus thetriode section of the EABC80, as noise silencer. Each channel uses three triode section (onehalf ECC83 per section) and two EL95 connected in push-pull. There are four dynamicspeakers, two large elliptic on the front and two round tweeters on the sides. There are trebleand bass tone controls, plus three register keys, orchestra, solo, voice, and three function keys,space sound, full stereo and magic eye power off. On the left there are three coaxial knobs: the

central one controls the volume of both channels, in the middle there is the balance control,while the rear knob rotates the ferrite AM antenna.

The radio uses thirteen electron tubes, plus the selenium bridge rectifier: ECC85, ECH81,EF89, EF89, EABC80, ECC83, ECC83, ECC83, EL95, EL95, EL95, EL95, EM84, B250C125.

Key features:

Top class stereo Four bands, two tuning indexes, driven by a single knob Two IF amplifier stages; variable AM bandwidth Stereo amplifier: about 7 Watts per channel; four speakers DIN connectors for turntable, tape recorder and for external speakers Thirteen tubes plus the bridge rectifier

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Loewe Opta Luna Stereo 6761W, 1961

This is a nice radio from Loewe. The radio has stereophonic audio amplifier. Three AM andone FM bands, with two tuning indexes driven by a single knob through clutches selected bythe band-switch keys. Treble and bass controls plus key registers. Two elliptic speakers. Clearand loud sound, full of deep bass notes.

Six tubes plus the bridge rectifier: ECC85, ECH81, EBF89, ECL86, ECL86, EM84.

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Saba Meersburg Automatic 11 Stereo, 1961 – 1962

This huge top radio well represents the golden age of equipment using only electron tubes.Inside the modern looking wooden cabinet it collects the most refined solutions available inthe early sixties. As usual, the radio covers three AM (LW, MW and KW) and one FM bands.All was designed and built to simply give the best, with no compromise. Some of theremarkable features include: automatic, motor driven tuning; stereo audio amplifier,switched into a push-pull like configuration when mono operation was required; fourspeakers. The class of the equipment can be well understand just considering the impressivefigure of 13 lamps and indicator lights inside the front panel!

Nine tubes, EC92, EC92, ECH81, EF85, EABC80, ECL86, ECL86, ECL80, EABC80, EM84,plus B250C125 and E25C2 selenium rectifiers.

Key features:

Automatic, motor tuning. Antibacklash fiber reduction gears Lighted keys Stereo amplifier, four speakers Top sound, full of loud and deep basses!

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Console Blaupunkt Florida 42 250 stereo, 1962

For its deep basses and for its clear high notes this radio is one of the best: its sound is loudand crystal clear. Radio has four bands, FM ranges up to 104MHz. Two tuning dials, for AMand for FM, with coaxial knobs. Band spread available over SW. Four speakers in twoacoustic chambers in the lower section. DIN connectors for external tape recorder, for echochamber and for additional speakers. On the left there is the Perpetuum Ebner model 66record changer equipped with the 186 stereo cartridge. Seven tubes plus the selenium bridgerectifier: ECC85, ECH81, EF89, EABC80, EL84, ECL86, EM87, B250C100.

Key features:

FM ranges up to 104 MHz Two tuning dials; band spread over SW Stereo audio section Four speakers: crystal clear sound full of deep and loud basses

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Metz Belform 120, 1962

This is a fair example of the late generations of tube radios, built around the early sixties.Three bands, medium and short waves, plus FM. Quite unusual for a German radio, the FMband tunes up to 108 MHz. Two tuning dials, with common tuning knob through shift gearsdriven by the bandswitch keys. The audio section is stereo. Treble and bass controls. Thecabinet, modern in its design, is very compact, with the two speakers in the sides. The chassis,model 215R, hosts a wide PCB panel, holding most of the IF and of the audio frequencycomponents. Tubes: ECC85, ECH81, EF85, ECC83, ELL80, EM84, plus germanium diodesand the selenium bridge rectifier, AEG B250C150.

Key features:

FM ranges up to 108 MHz Stereo audio stages, two speakers Compact size Big sound!

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Telefunken Opus Steuergerät Hi-Fi 2430, 1963,Opus Studio 2650, 1965

These are top performance radio sets from the mid sixties, well representing the excellence reachedby tube equipment before the solid state age. Their style, the walnut cabinet with straight lines andflip over front cover, recalled the look of hi-fi equipment from U.S. manufacturers. And, just likeany American built hi-fi, the steuergerät radios required external speaker boxes. Inside the cabinetthere are two major subassemblies: the tuner, including IF stages, stereo decoder and audio preamp,and the power module, which includes the two push-pull audio amplifiers and the power supply.

Both have three AM bands, LW, MW, SW, and the FM ranging up to 104 MHz. Two tuning dialswith coaxial drive knobs on the right: the FM tuning knob also acts as band spread (Lupe) in shortwave reception. Radios came already equipped with the stereo decoder. There are two DIN inputconnectors, for turntable and for tape recorder.

The semiconductor era contamination is visible in these models: Telefunken made extensive use ofprinted circuit boards and advanced assembly techniques. To save space many components weregrouped into some hot welded and partially molded single-in-line subassemblies. A piggybackboard hosted the FM stereo decoder. Another subassembly contained the output stage feedbacknetwork. Unfortunately the solder side of the boards is not easily accessible and it is hard to traceany signal and to replace faulty components.

Opus 2430, in the upper pictures, was built around 1963. It still uses vacuum tubes in the audiopower amplifiers, even if semiconductors are making their entrance in several circuits. The radiouses 13 tubes, 1 transistor, 8 germanium diodes, 1 silicon varactor and 2 selenium rectifiers:ECC85, ECH81, EF89, EAF801, ECF80, ECC808, ECC83, ECC83, EL95, EL95, EL95, EL95,EM84, AC117, E15C125EP, BA110, 2 x AA113, 6 x OA161, B250C250.

Opus Studio 2650, below, was made just a couple of years later and looks almost identical to the2430. Nevertheless, the audio amplifier section is all solid-state. The result is a curious hybrid, witha lot of HV and LV supply voltages, AC filament voltages too. In this hybrid you can find vacuumtubes controlled by semiconductors, as the varactor diode in the AFC circuit, which controls theoscillator section of the ECC85, as well as semiconductors driven by vacuum tubes, as the samevaractor diode whose bias voltage is stabilized by a neon tube. A total of 7 tubes, 11 diodes, 19transistors and 4 selenium and silicon rectifiers are used through the radio. Tubes are ECC85,ECH81, EF89, EAF801, ECF80, EM87 and ZA1004.

Key features:

Two tuning dials, dual coaxial knob Automatic tuning control on FM. Band spread on SW Two IF amplifiers, high sensitivity FM stereo decoder Stereo audio amplifier, push-pull output stages External speakers, top and loud sound

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Radio Graetz Fantasia 1318 Luxus Stereo Super, 1964

Here is the big sister of the Musica 1316L. It is one of the latest high performace tube radios,introduced in 1964. 3 bands AM plus FM. Solid-state stereo decoder; push-pull audio amplifiers,delivering about 7+7 W; treble and bass controls plus tone register keys. 8 tubes, 2 germaniumdiodes and 1 selenium rectifier, plus 3 or 4 Ge transistor and 6 Ge diodes in the stereo decoder.Tubes: ECC85, ECH81, EBF89, ECC83, ECC83, ECLL800, ECLL800, EMM803. The samechassis was used in the Praeludium steuergerat.

Key features:

Push-pull stereo audio amplifier Stereo decoder DIN connectors for record player, tape recorder and external speakers Clear, impressive sound

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Nordmende Steuergërat 3004 5/634, 1964

This is a top performance radio from the sixties, well representing the perfection reachedby tube German radio just before the switch to the advancing Japanese solid state. Its style,the walnut cabinet with straight lines and flip over front cover, as other so called steuergeratequipment, recalled the look of hi-fi equipment from U.S. manufacturers with externalspeaker boxes.

The Nordmende 3004 has three AM bands, LW, MW, SW, plus the FM ranging up to 104MHz. Two tuning dials driven through a clutch system by the large knob on the right. AFC isprovided by a varactor diode in the FM tuner. Three IF amplifier stages grants an excellentoperation of the built in FM stereo decoder. Two DIN input connectors plus a connector toexternal amplifier. The dual channel audio amplifier has push-pull power output stages, eachdelivering 8.5 Watt. The radio still uses a metal frame with a IF PCB in the middle.

12 tubes, 1 transistor, 11 diodes and 1 selenium rectifier: ECC85, ECH81, EF89, EBF89,EF80, ECC81, ECC808, ECC808, ECC82, ELL80, ELL80, EMM803, AF117, BA110, 2 xOA79, 7 x OA81, B250C185.

Two tuning dials, single knob. Automatic frequency control over FM Three IF amplifiers, high sensitivity Built-in FM stereo decoder Stereo audio amplifier, push-pull output stages External speakers, top and loud sound

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Grundig 2000 Ph, 1965

This radio must be included in the list of top models because of its superb engineering.Designers resorted to all their masterhip, to get the same performance of average sets in aradio using only three tubes. Indeed this is one of the very few superheterodyne sets where asingle tube, ECC85, performs both AM and FM frequency conversion. The IF amplifier,EAF801, also acts as AM detector, while two AA119 germanium diodes are used in the FMdiscriminator. A ECL86 operates as audio pre and power amplifier. The radio also uses aselenium bridge rectifier in the power supply circuit.

The 2000 Ph was equipped with a Perpetuum Ebner PE31 record player.

Key features:

Radio and record player LW, MW and FM bands Only three tubes!

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Philips Saturn B6D41, 1965

This is one of the latest vacuum tube radio sets, made by a German branch of Philips. It can well beclassified as a true tube radio, even if there are several transistors and semiconductor diodes, sincesolid state devices are carefully used in marginal circuits, as the stereo decoder, the AFC and thedetector/discriminator.

The Saturn B6D41 was a top class radio, with its 11 tubes and 15 semiconductors. It was equippedwith FM stereo decoder. Other remarkable features include a 12 keys push-button switch, including3 register keys, the stereo selection key and the AFC key; push-pull audio amplifiers, with internalspeakers.

ECC85, ECH81, EAF801, EF184, ECC808, ECC808, ECC83, ELL80, ELL80, EM87, EM87, plus4 transistors, 10 diodes and one selenium bridge rectifier.