AKAI UC-5 (JAPAN 1980)
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The AKAI UC-5 mini-Hi-Fi system was introduced in 1980 and it was the top-of-the-line model of the Mr. COMPO (Japan market name) series. This was followed by the smaller UC-4, UC-3 and UC-2 systems. The heart of the system is the UC-W5 pre-amplifier and UC-A5 power amplifier with a power rating of 56 W/ch. (Sinus DIN 4 ohm). The two source components of the system are the UC-S5 Quartz Synthesizer tuner with digital display and 6 memory presets and the UC-F5 cassette deck with 2-motor mechanism, Twinfield Super GX heads, fluorescent level meters and digital counter. The whole system can be remote controlled with the additional RC-5R remote receiver unit and the matching handheld RC 5T infrared remote-control unit. The matching loudspeakers are the Akai SW-N5 two-way speakers. A rare matching component was the AS-5 acoustic controller. Other matching (in size only) components are the DT-120 timer, DS-5 tape deck selector and MM-5 reverberation mixer.
CYBERNET MINI HIFI (JAPAN 1980)
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Cybernet was a lesser-known Japanese company that exited the audio market rather quickly but not without leaving their mark in this field. After a modest presence during the 70s in 1982 they have presented one of the first CD players that was also rebadged as AKAI CD-D1, MICRO SEIKI CD-M1, Phase Linear 9500, ROTEL RCD 870, TENSAI TAD 2000 or in France as betalaser ADD 200. They have always made their products available to other manufacturers as well and in the late 70s they have set up offices in Germany and the USA. This is when the Cybernet mini-series 50,100, 200, 300 were introduced. These components were rebadged in Germany as KRAUS or Lenco Italia while in the USA/Europe they were sold by Radioshack/Tandy. What's interesting is that while the top remote-controlled model was sold as Cybernet mini 200 in Europe, in the USA it was sold as the Cybernet 300RC System. On top of this the Lenco Italia model was a "custom" combination of components ... sans remote. In the 1001 Hi-Fi collection we have a KRAUS Minipack 50A power amplifier (see here) and a Lenco-Italia MC 70 cassette deck (see here), all well-built and good sounding.
These are the components of the "mini-200" / "300 RC" system.
What is more confusing is that the model numbers from the text do not match with the model numbers printed on the pictured model ... but real-life models have the model numbers from the text.
Cybernet RCA-200 (pictured MM-70R) - 70 W/ch (IHF) power amplifier with fluorescent power meter
Cybernet RCP-200 (pictured MC-70R) - (system) remote controlled amplifier with electronic volume control
Cybernet RCC-200 (pictured MC-70R) - 2 motor logic-controlled deck with sendust head and fluorescent level meters
Cybernet RCT-200 (pictured MT-70R) - Digital Synthesizer tuner with 6 presets for FM and AM
These are the components of the "mini-200" / "300 RC" system.
What is more confusing is that the model numbers from the text do not match with the model numbers printed on the pictured model ... but real-life models have the model numbers from the text.
Cybernet RCA-200 (pictured MM-70R) - 70 W/ch (IHF) power amplifier with fluorescent power meter
Cybernet RCP-200 (pictured MC-70R) - (system) remote controlled amplifier with electronic volume control
Cybernet RCC-200 (pictured MC-70R) - 2 motor logic-controlled deck with sendust head and fluorescent level meters
Cybernet RCT-200 (pictured MT-70R) - Digital Synthesizer tuner with 6 presets for FM and AM
GRUNDIG MINI 100 (GERMANY 1980)
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Grundig was the largest and one of the most respected audio electronics company from Germany. Their products were kept in high regard throughout Europe but not only. This means that in 1980 they were still able to release a competitive product such as the Grundig mini 100 HiFi on a market segment dominated by Japanese audio products. It was proudly advertised as Designed and Built in Germany. In this Grundig mini-series we will find receivers, tuner, amplifier and various cassette decks. This article we focus on the top-of-the-line components of this series which are:
GRUNDIG MT 100 - analog FM Stereo tuner with 7 presets
GRUNDIG MXV 100 - stereo pre-amplifier that can be used either with the MA 100 power amplifier or directly with one of the XM series active loudspeakers.
GRUNDIG MA 100 - 50 W/ch stereo power amplifier with auto power on-off when used in combination with the MXV 100 pre-amplifier. To counter balance the aesthetic appearance of this slightly larger box a funny / funky little LED power meter was installed.
GRUNDIG MCF 600 - stereo cassette deck featuring a two motor Quartz locked and logic-controlled mechanism. The deck can be used with Normal, Fe-Cr, Chrome and Metal tapes as well with optimal results with the help of to the front panel BIAS control. The deck features High Com noise reduction circuit that is said to be 13-times more efficient than Dolby but there was also a Dolby playback-only compatible circuit installed as well.
GRUNDIG XM series - HiFi Active loudspeaker range to be used directly with the pre-amplifier for a more compact system
All components were available with silver or metallic-brown finish.
GRUNDIG MT 100 - analog FM Stereo tuner with 7 presets
GRUNDIG MXV 100 - stereo pre-amplifier that can be used either with the MA 100 power amplifier or directly with one of the XM series active loudspeakers.
GRUNDIG MA 100 - 50 W/ch stereo power amplifier with auto power on-off when used in combination with the MXV 100 pre-amplifier. To counter balance the aesthetic appearance of this slightly larger box a funny / funky little LED power meter was installed.
GRUNDIG MCF 600 - stereo cassette deck featuring a two motor Quartz locked and logic-controlled mechanism. The deck can be used with Normal, Fe-Cr, Chrome and Metal tapes as well with optimal results with the help of to the front panel BIAS control. The deck features High Com noise reduction circuit that is said to be 13-times more efficient than Dolby but there was also a Dolby playback-only compatible circuit installed as well.
GRUNDIG XM series - HiFi Active loudspeaker range to be used directly with the pre-amplifier for a more compact system
All components were available with silver or metallic-brown finish.
harman/kardon 700 Series (USA-JAPAN 1980)
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These midi-sized slim-line Hi-Fi components were built around the Ultrawideband, negative feedback design amplifier technology (U.S. Patent#4,176,323) promoted by harman/kardon. With amplifiers designed by Dr. Matti Otala this system had the following components:
BASIC SET:
hk710 - analog tuner, phase locked
hk750 - integrated amplifier, 45W/ch
hk740 - stereo receiver, 30W/ch, analog tuner
HIGH TECHNOLOGY:
hk715 - digital tuner, 8 presets
hk725 - preamplifier, push-button tone control for cleanest sound
hk770 - stereo power amplifier, twin power supply, 65W/ch
hk775 - mono power amplifier, toroidal power transformer, 130W
EXTRA COMPONENTS:
hk705 - cassette deck, 20-19,000Hz (Metal), Dolby HX headroom extension
hk720 - turntable, 2-speed, semi-automatic, belt drive
EQ700P - graphic equalizer, 2x10 band
These beautifully designed components all have the same size: 385x72.5x320mm. Components from this system were also featured in the movie American Psycho. These components were actually built by Shin-Shirasuna Electric Corporation of Japan who also sold these components under their brand name SILVER as the Series 5000 components.
BASIC SET:
hk710 - analog tuner, phase locked
hk750 - integrated amplifier, 45W/ch
hk740 - stereo receiver, 30W/ch, analog tuner
HIGH TECHNOLOGY:
hk715 - digital tuner, 8 presets
hk725 - preamplifier, push-button tone control for cleanest sound
hk770 - stereo power amplifier, twin power supply, 65W/ch
hk775 - mono power amplifier, toroidal power transformer, 130W
EXTRA COMPONENTS:
hk705 - cassette deck, 20-19,000Hz (Metal), Dolby HX headroom extension
hk720 - turntable, 2-speed, semi-automatic, belt drive
EQ700P - graphic equalizer, 2x10 band
These beautifully designed components all have the same size: 385x72.5x320mm. Components from this system were also featured in the movie American Psycho. These components were actually built by Shin-Shirasuna Electric Corporation of Japan who also sold these components under their brand name SILVER as the Series 5000 components.
Lo-D Jewel Jr. | Hitachi ACT-M2 (JAPAN 1979)
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In 1979 Lo-D (brand name used by Hitachi on Japanese market) introduced a series of mini Hi-Fi components named Jewel. The model presented here was sold on the Japanese market as Lo-D Jewel Jr. while the same component was sold worldwide (slightly upgraded) as Hitachi ACT-M2. The basic system consisted of the HSR-M1 (15W/ch tuner-amplifier), D-M1 cassette deck (30-15000 Hz FeCr tape) and HS-M1 (2-way speaker system, 12cm woofer, 5cm tweeter). These components can be operated from mains or a 12V car battery. Various placement of the components was possible, either as standalone components or on dedicated racks such as the LA-M1 or the LA-M1P. For transportation, the LA-M1C(B) suitcase was available in both sillver and black finish, with or without storage compartiment. For a complete mini home Hi-Fi system, a series of additional components were available. These were the HT-10FM (FM "wireless"!!! turntable), HT-6M (turntable for the Hitachi version), C13-300 TV set, TTM-M1 TV tuner, ET-250 timer unit and various microphones and headphones.
MITSUBISHI MICRO 01 (JAPAN 1979)
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Mitsubishi (Diatone in Japan) has put big audio performance into a series of precise little audio components - microcomponents. Stereo components that are compact, but can hardly be called compacts. They have the same high-performance characteristics as full-size components. The Micro FM tuner is using a quartz-PLL synthesizer tuning system that has absolutely no drift. The Micro Cassette Deck has a Dual Capstan Drive mechanism mounted in a precise die-cast chassis, 2 head configuration, separate Bias and EQ settings, Feather Touch Logic Control and Dolby noise reduction system. For power, the Micro power-amplifier was unbeatable at this size. The little "direct coupled" powerhouse puts out 70 watts per channel. Total harmonic distortion is only 0.01% for 30 watts per channel. The Micro Preamp is made to complement the power amplifier and faithfully conduct any signal source that goes through it. It has a built-in moving-coil head amplifier and a signal-to-noise ratio of 77dB and 0.005% THD. The final touch was to finish them with Champagne Gold faceplates. The MITSUBISHI micro 01 (DIATONE µ in Japan) consists of the M-F01 tuner, M-P01 pre-amp, M-A01 power-amp and M-T01 cassette deck.
PHILIPS F 009 (NEDERLAND 1980)
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This mini HiFi system was introduced by Philips in 1980. It was advertised as a "HiFi Jewel" or "Super HiFi-minisystem" while officially it had an ever-changing name: 109, F 109, F 009. The components of this Super HiFi-minisystem are the N 5581 cassette deck featuring an open cassette compartiment, fluorescent VU meters, digital counter and Metal tape capability. The tuner was the AH 109 T, a Quartz Synthesizer AM/FM tuner with 14 presets. The amplifier section consisted of the AH 209 pre-amplifier and AH 309 power amplifier capable of delivering 55 W/ch at 8 ohm. Alternatively, the power amplifier could be replaced with Philips MFB loudspeakers directly connected to the pre-amplifier. Dimensions of the components are 26 x 5(10) x 18.3 cm (WxHxD). All components have a one-piece aluminium front - top cover.
Technics Concise C01 (JAPAN 1979)
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You're looking at the small sonic wonders that prove components no longer have to be big and bulky to sound big and beautiful. The Concise Series by Technics from 1979. Take the power amplifier, the SE-C01. It has a high-speed switching power supply with filter capacitors that recharge 40,000 times a second instead of the usual 120. That's just one reason for the SE-C01's low distortion and clean tight bass response. Direct coupling is another. With it, bass response goes all the way down to DC (0 Hz). The amplifier delivers 50W + 50W continuous power (8 ohm, 20Hz to 20kHz with no more than 0.03% THD) and it features an easy-to-read color-coded 2x12 LED power meter. There were two versions of the SE-C01 power amplifier. The "Stereo/Mono DC Power Amplifier" version has built-in pulse power supply, delivering 40W/ch (60W mono) while "Stereo DC Power Amplifier" version only works with the external SE-C01 power supply unit delivering 50W/ch. The SU-C01 Stereo Preamp is a perfect complement to the SE-C01 power amplifier in compact size and superior performance. It brings clear, precise sound reproduction and has its own built-in MC pre-amplifier. The use of low noise transistors makes it an ideal link in the chain from music source to high fidelity reproduction. The "Concise Component" tuner complements the preamplifier and power amplifier, both in size and performance, because it can reproduce the signals broadcasted by the radio station with striking fidelity. Its sensitivity, selectivity, channel separation, signal-to-noise ratio and frequency response are all of high technical standards. The matching RS-M02 cassette deck recorder features a Direct-Drive 2-motor full-logic mechanism with SX (Sendust Extra) head for record/playback. The deck can handle all tape types: normal, Fe-Cr, chrome and Metal. The RS-M02 features a 2-Color FL peak meter, manual record level and Dolby noise reduction system. The SL-10 Direct-Drive linear-tracking turntable (that can even play upside down) was a perfect match for the system. A very rare black version also existed.
TELEFUNKEN M1 (GERMANY 1980)
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The Telefunken Mini-HiFi M1 system was introduced in 1980 and the same year it received the "Deutschen HiFi-Preis 1980" for design excellence. The heart of this system is the MA1 stereo integrated amplifier that can deliver 50 W/ch (4 ohm) with a THD of less than 0,1% at 1 kHz (45W/4 ohm). The all-DIN plug systems allow connections of a tuner, two tape, auxiliary and phono source. The amplifier can be used with two pairs of loudspeakers, one set is for DIN speaker plugs while the other is of a push terminal type. All switches have red LED feedback while for power output there are two 12 segment LED power meters with meter range switch. The MT1 tuner is a Quartz Synthesizer model with digital display and 10 memory presets. This is a FM stereo - AM - LW tuner with manual tuning or direct frequency input model. Again, each button has red LED feedback. Next there is the MC1 cassette deck recorder. This is a two motor - two Sendust head, logic-controlled model. It can handle all cassette types: normal, chrome, Fe-Cr and Metal (30-18000 Hz) The primary noise reduction system of this model is the High-Com system (74 dB chrome tape) invented by Telefunken. For further compatibility the deck features also a playback only Dolby system (hence the half Dolby logo) For manual tape recording there is a 12 segment/ch LED peak level indicator, and again all controls have red LED feedback. A detailed description of the similar HC 750 M model (introduced in 1982 as replacement for the MC1) can be seen in the 1001 Hi-Fi Collection. The recommended loudspeaker for this system was the Telefunken TLX 11 Professional.
TOSHIBA / AUREX MICRO SYSTEM 15 (JAPAN 1978)
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Toshiba's System 15 micro components were introduced in 1978. Aurex was Toshiba's brand name for the Japanese market but these micro components were sold with both Toshiba or Aurex logo worldwide. With less than half the size of usual components they set new performance level in the meantime being elegant in appearance. The components of the Micro System 15 are:
SC-M15 - power amplifier (DC) incorporating a large toroidal power transformer, 40 W/ch (20 to 20,000Hz, 8 ohms), THD: less than 0.02%, Frequency response: 0Hc (DC) to 70,000Hz, BTL use is possible
SY-C15 - preamplifier: Dual FET DC equalizer amp and DC tone amp, THD: less than 0.01%, Frequency response: 10Hz to 100,000Hz
ST-F15 - FM tuner: Digital frequency synthesizer with auto/manual tuning and 10 station presets, Synthesizer accuracy: 0.0025%
PC-D15 - two motor cassette deck with IC logic control, two heads, direct loading and Dual Capstan Drive, Wow & Flutter: less than 0.04%, Frequency response: 20Hz to 18,000Hz
All components are 257 mm wide with a one piece diecast aluminium chassis for the power amplifier while the other components feature one piece front and top panel with additional aluminum panel at the back (instead of steel) and sides. All components were available in silver or in a rarer black version. This basic setup could be expanded with the following components:
ST-S20 - FM, AM, LW and SW Digital Quartz Synthesizer tuner
AD-15 - adres adapter. Toshiba's own noise reduction system in a separate box as an alternative to the Dolby circuit of the cassette deck
AT-12 - programmable Digital Timer
RM-15 - wired remote (5 m) for the cassette deck
AR-15HU - mini rack
AR-15VU - large rack on casters that could accommodate a SR-F45 turntable
SS-S12 - mini loudspeakers
SS-930S - large loudspeakers
SC-M15 - power amplifier (DC) incorporating a large toroidal power transformer, 40 W/ch (20 to 20,000Hz, 8 ohms), THD: less than 0.02%, Frequency response: 0Hc (DC) to 70,000Hz, BTL use is possible
SY-C15 - preamplifier: Dual FET DC equalizer amp and DC tone amp, THD: less than 0.01%, Frequency response: 10Hz to 100,000Hz
ST-F15 - FM tuner: Digital frequency synthesizer with auto/manual tuning and 10 station presets, Synthesizer accuracy: 0.0025%
PC-D15 - two motor cassette deck with IC logic control, two heads, direct loading and Dual Capstan Drive, Wow & Flutter: less than 0.04%, Frequency response: 20Hz to 18,000Hz
All components are 257 mm wide with a one piece diecast aluminium chassis for the power amplifier while the other components feature one piece front and top panel with additional aluminum panel at the back (instead of steel) and sides. All components were available in silver or in a rarer black version. This basic setup could be expanded with the following components:
ST-S20 - FM, AM, LW and SW Digital Quartz Synthesizer tuner
AD-15 - adres adapter. Toshiba's own noise reduction system in a separate box as an alternative to the Dolby circuit of the cassette deck
AT-12 - programmable Digital Timer
RM-15 - wired remote (5 m) for the cassette deck
AR-15HU - mini rack
AR-15VU - large rack on casters that could accommodate a SR-F45 turntable
SS-S12 - mini loudspeakers
SS-930S - large loudspeakers
UHER HIFI-MINISET (GERMANY 1978)
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To celebrate their 25th anniversary UHER introduced the HiFi-miniset in 1978. Most of the times the promotional materials only showed the CR 240 cassette deck, EG 740 digital tuner and the VG 840 pre-amplifier. As you can see this system can not be used as a home Hi-Fi system without the additional power amplifier, the Z 140. In addition of delivering 65 W/ch (Sinus DIN 4 ohm) power for the loudspeakers (such as the UHER W140 2 way loudspeaker) the Z140 also acted as power supply for the EG 740, VG 840 and CR 240. In case you decided to use active loudspeakers for the HiFi-miniset (CR240, EG740, VG840) you needed the Z141 external power supply. The extremely compact CR 240 cassette deck measuring only 23.5x5.9x18.5 cm could be also used as a battery powered (6 batteries, the Z215 or Z 217 rechargeable battery) portable recorder. For home use the UHER Z105 MINI INFORM dedicated rack was sold as an accessory.
WEGA MODUL 42 (GERMANY 1978)
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The history of WEGA starts in Germany in the year 1923 with the manufacturing of radio receivers. In 1975 the company is acquired by SONY Japan. Initially under Sony ownership WEGA had designed his own components for a while (using Sony parts) but later all components had turned into SONY rebadged products such as the WEGA C120 cassette deck from the 1001 Hi-Fi Collection. A particularly successful series of mini-Hi-Fi components were introduced in 1976 that culminated in 1978 with this WEGA Modul 42 Series. This industrial design masterpiece is the work of famed designer Hartmut Esslinger (founder of FROG Design) Components of this system are: Modul 42V stereo amplifier (90 w/ch DIN 4 ohm) is using LEC (Low Emitter Concentration) transistors from Hitachi and a large toroidal transformer, Modul 42T Stereo tuner with "Digital Graphic Display", Modul 42C cassette deck with Sony Ferrite & Ferrite heads and a frequency response of 30-15,5 kHz (FeCr), Modul 42E grafic equalizer, Modul 42P Direct Drive turntable (Sony BSL-Motor). For even more immersive sound there was available the ADC-2 Acoustic Dimension Complier, a 30 W/ch amplifier that could add (to the existing stereo amplifier) adjustable space and reflection characteristics. For visuals the Wega color 3050 TV could be added while for the components there was one dedicated rack for the components and a separate one for the turntable. All components have the same size, 35 x 15 x 26 cm and they were available in black, dark grey and white.
