Armstrong Hi-fi

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

As a student, I drooled over hi-fi equipment that looked impressive, and coveted those amplifiers that were covered with an excessive number of buttons. B & O had such as tuner/amplifier which was out of my price range, but when Armstrong brought out their 600 series, temptation took over and I bought the A626 AM/FM receiver. It lasted me for many years and I was very satisfied with its performance, even though it was the number of switches rather than the audio quality that had won me over in the first place.

Nowadays, the fewer buttons a device has, the greater the temptation, hence the iPad, etc.

[OldTechie]

My Armstong model 227 with dymotape labels so my mother could work it. A bit dusty! Worked when last powered up (probably 10 years ago.)

[johnb]

Nowadays, the fewer buttons a device has, the greater the temptation, hence the iPad, etc.

... and the fewer buttons, the higher the price!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

My Armstong model 227 with dymotape labels so my mother could work it. A bit dusty! Worked when last powered up (probably 10 years ago.)

Oh, wow!

[Don Petter]

We were a staunch Armstrong household in the fifties. Two successive sets (i.e. tuner/amps), the second when VHF/FM started, both bought as chassis, which were fitted into second-hand cabinets by my father.

We never aspired to the new Armstrong separates, as the sets just kept going without problems. The first one went with me to university, and is still here in our loft, as far as I remember, though long out of use.

[Dave2002]

My Armstong model 227 with dymotape labels so my mother could work it. A bit dusty! Worked when last powered up (probably 10 years ago.)

Did she use it with the lid off? I once knew someone a long while ago who had a cat. He had an amplifier which was exposed like that, and the cat used to wander over it. I always wondered if the cat would die or be fried, but it didn't happen as far as I know.

[cloughie]

I seem to remember the 521 amp was the coveted amp at the time whe all I could afford was a Teleton 203. When I had a little more cash I bought a Leak Delta 70 with matching tuner and they served me well for many years.

[Ariosto]

Did she use it with the lid off? I once knew someone a long while ago who had a cat. He had an amplifier which was exposed like that, and the cat used to wander over it. I always wondered if the cat would die or be fried, but it didn't happen as far as I know.

The anode voltage on those valve would have been quite high - maybe 400volts +

[OldTechie]

Did she use it with the lid off? I once knew someone a long while ago who had a cat. He had an amplifier which was exposed like that, and the cat used to wander over it. I always wondered if the cat would die or be fried, but it didn't happen as far as I know.

No, it was in a cabinet. My Quad IIs did not always get such a luxury. The only ones that were really a problem were amps with anode top caps. We had one at college with four 807 valves with 800 volts on the top caps. That defintely needed to be treated with care. It was high-power for the time, but awful quality. It was designed to fire some acoustic tests across the Bristol channel.

[Gordon]

Did she use it with the lid off? I once knew someone a long while ago who had a cat. He had an amplifier which was exposed like that, and the cat used to wander over it. I always wondered if the cat would die or be fried, but it didn't happen as far as I know.

Wow! Great stuff!! I can see 10 valves and there is possibly one more invisible behind the large reservoir capacitors [EZ80? or would there be a diode rectifier there]. There isn't any lethal voltage visible, no top cap anodes, they would be underneath on the valve base pins and the wiring from the rectifier set - the cat would more likely get singed from the heat!! The power valves, probably pairs of EL34s, for the main power amp [can't see phase splitters, they should be close by] are in the left box towards the back with the output transformers in the two boxes behind. The EL34s probably did need an HT of 400Volts, the others could manage with less.There seem to be quite a few ECC83s or perhaps 81s there. The tuner section for AM/LW+MW to the right and maybe FM?? What's the large box with the red wires coming out?? Front left part behind panel must be the pre-amp with volume and tone controls etc., I'd expect an EF86 low noise pentode for the phono input to be in that group [just found on internet that this model only had ceramic phono so no need for EF86!!]. What memories eh!! Do you have the circuit diagram? - they often came with that sort of product back then, it would be good to see.

I had a Leak Stereo 70 for a while too - not as romantic as this one though!!

[LeMartinPecheur]

My late dad's one and only hifi set was built around an Armstrong 521 and matching tuner. Sadly I took them to the tip when he died 3 yrs ago - if I'd known this thread was coming I'd have kept them to give to a better home. I do remember that the tuner had to go back for repairs several times soon after purchase, and the excitement when we fitted the new stereo decoder board!

Still have his Goldring Lenco GL75 record deck in case I ever feel the need for continuously variable speed... Purely to play nominal 78rpm discs at their correct pitch you understand - nothing to do with the weird effects you can impose on any LP

[cloughie]

My late dad's one and only hifi set was built around an Armstrong 521 and matching tuner. Sadly I took them to the tip when he died 3 yrs ago - if I'd known this thread was coming I'd have kept them to give to a better home. I do remember that the tuner had to go back for repairs several times soon after purchase, and the excitement when we fitted the new stereo decoder board!

Still have his Goldring Lenco GL75 record deck in case I ever feel the need for continuously variable speed... Purely to play nominal 78rpm discs at their correct pitch you understand - nothing to do with the weird effects you can impose on any LP

To be Shure they were to die for in 1970!

[LeMartinPecheur]

To be Shure they were to die for in 1970!

Shure, M55 E-ee-eee, by gum

I started with Shure M75s and 95s. The only one I have still in use is an M32-3 with a 78rpm stylus - works fine in a BSR-McDonald MP60 at a tracking weight of, ooh, a couple of pounds maybe We're talking real classic hi-fi here!

[cloughie]

Shure, M55 E-ee-eee, by gum

I started with Shure M75s and 95s. The only one I have still in use is an M32-3 with a 78rpm stylus - works fine in a BSR-McDonald MP60 at a tracking weight of, ooh, a couple of pounds maybe We're talking real classic hi-fi here!

With a halfpenny on top to track those warped ones!

[LeMartinPecheur]

With a halfpenny on top to track those warped ones!

But of course! And a half-crown for the really bad ones.

Seriously though, I did keep a 1/2p for fine adjustments - seems to have got mislaid though