Hi-Fi Riff Festive Fun - Part 1 

As “Gotham61” points out, the 33.3 LP was launched in June 1948 at a presentation at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in NYC, and the first RCA 45 “X-changer” players launched in March 1949, as a radio attachment costing just under $40 (using the “phono” plug to connect to a radio set, a connection we are all rather familiar with these days! But this is where the phono plug actually comes from, RCA record player attachments plugging in to radio sets, and it’s pre WW2) . The reason all the early 45 discs and machines had the larger centre was all part of the super quick record change, you can load the little player up with ten discs, and leave it to it. Columbia actually took a prototype of the 33.3 player, (again sold as a radio attachment and made by Philco) to David Sarnoff of RCA, but he was so convinced of the superiority of the 45 system, convinced people would prefer to pick their own sequence of records, rather than listing to one for 20 minutes, and he didn’t want to cooperate with ‘little’ Columbia. Interestingly, the 45 system was going to be launched earlier. But two things. One, the British Decca FFRR, full frequency range recording, the worlds first high fidelity system was launched in 1946, and also Harry Olson had steered the late RCA development down more high fidelity lines, delaying the project quite considerably. Olson was reportedly quite disgusted at the use of the 33.3 speed! The so called battle of the speeds wasn’t a battle at all. RCA manufacturing their first 33.3 player within a year or so. But of course the 45 format took off for Jukeboxes, an absolute natural coupling. And of course in 1956, RCAs star player, 21 year old Elvis Aaron Presley sold a staggering 10,000,000 7” 45s! It doesn’t need to be pointed out just how successful both formats ended up.

Your show is so soothing to the nerves, an antidote to audiophelia nervosa, despite of the topic. Thank you and keep up the good work! Much appreciated.

RCA introduced the 7 inch 45 RPM record in March 1949, about nine months after Columbia had launched the LP. This kicked off the "battle of the speeds" one of the first media format wars. RCA also sold a range of record changers which would play only that format. The first RCA singles were pressed on coloured vinyl, coded by genre. Red for classical, green for country and western, yellow for children's etc.

What they heck happened @ 26.36. Changed from the echoey across the room mic to a lavalier?

As an old fart myself, I really do like this pair, who may be old, but aren’t farts…😂

Mike soldiered on through that chesty cough . . . he suffers for his art! I'm guessing we're all about the same age as everything you mention brings back so many great memories. My boyish good looks belie my age of course , , , im often referred to as 'young un' up here in't North.

Love SME headshells here. As you say it's easier for reviewing and certain specialty uses where different stylus profiles and the like are needed to get the best from any particular record.

OMG... David, you got one of these amazingly beautiful Marantz TT! If it sounds as good as it looks.... wow, what a piece of HI-FI that is!

Happy New Year guys, and thanks for the highly enjoyable recordings last year. Funny how you both start with your speakers and not the source. Cheers

cheers & best for 2023!

Home Taping Is Killing Music, Mike 🙂

Excellent. Really enjoyed your vid. Thank you

Great stuff, guys. This was especially entertaining and nice to see photos of some of your gear. I notice David also has a rather tasty Sony PS-8750 turntable which went unmentioned!

Now just in case that last diatribe on 45s and LPs didn’t fully cure your insomnia, here is another! 8 Track Tapes! Back in the 1950s, the “bulk” of Hollywood’s film output was actually not the big 35 and 70mm blockbusters, but of advertisement films, educational films, and even pornography! These productions where also distributed on a different format, they shipped on an endless loop film cartridge. Endless loop projectors had been introduced in the 1930s for advertising, promotion and continual exhibition. One of the firms making a film cartridge (Television Associates) used an 8mm film in a plastic endless loop cartridge. A chap called Bernard Cousino modded the film cartridge to take 8mm audio tape, and created the ‘Audio Vendor’ a tape cartridge for continuous playback. The Audio Vendor wasn’t compact, and fit on to a conventional tape recorder. This was further modified by one of Cousinos associates, a chap called George Eash, he created an actual format called the ‘Fidelipac’ system off the back of it, for inexpensive back ground music systems, that required minimal operation, just push the cart in, it plays, and starts again once it’s finished. This system was licensed out to company called Viking Corporation, who made a further refinement with a machine that could automatically detect the begging of the loop and stop itself ready for next play. Of course this system was picked up by radio stations for adverts and jingles, and was pretty much in use till the 1990s when minidisc ‘cart’ players wiped them out. However, this is where it gets interesting, I promise! It was an entrepreneur and celebrity Earl ‘madman’ Muntz who took the Fidelipac system and marketed it for consumer use in cars and home c1962. By 1964, the system had proved to be a minor hit. It gained the attention of William P Lear, of the Learjet Aircraft Company. He was impressed with the system, and thought it might be useful as a source of entertainment in his planes. He decided to reengineer it. The Muntz system used four tracks, two stereo programs, the Lear system, actually called “Stereo 8”, of course used 8 tracks. Lear made 100 prototypes, and sent them to various executives in the car industry. Ford bit, and in 1965 offered the ‘Stereo 8’ system on some of its cars, the player machines being made by Motorola. Lear negotiated with RCA, and they created an initial library of 175 music tapes for the format. Sales of the 8 track players surprised even Ford. By 1967 2.4 million tape players had been supplied in Ford vehicles. And in 1968, the rest of Detroit started installing them in cars too. Lear designed a simple domestic machine to complement, and by 1974, 8 track accounted for 1/3rd of the recorded music market in the USA. Longest answer ever to say the 8 track was introduced in 1965 ever!

Definitely need a Riff on your pointless pieces of equipment (It's fine, I know a good lawyer). Thanks btw, I love hearing you guys chatting about hi-fi.

Funny enough, the circuit of the NVA amps is quite a bit more complex than the Naims are, actually. I am talking about the old ones, of course...

Happy New Year to both of you, I enjoy your reviews and I'm always on the lookout for the next one.

I like the Yamaha speakers paired with the Sony, who would have thought, wow. I bet the synergy is perfect! I agree that old equipment can compete and still sound very good. I hear a difference when old amps and preamps are refurbished, recapped, etc. A nice sound and used much cheaper.

Neither system was quite what I thought. Didn't think the exposure amps, would be such early models and didn't expect the Sony amplifiers either. Interesting! Thanks for sharing. Happy New year to you both. Thanks for taking the time.

Happy new year to you both. What a hilarious trip down the memory format lane. When you brought out the 8-track it brought back memories of me being in taxi and listening to one. Taxi drivers back-in-the-day seemed to love them. Imagine today trying to explain to a gen-noughtie that it was that big and could only play 8 songs.

Love this one. Nice to see the set ups. Whatever you did in the second half of this recording the sound was so much better.

Happy New Year guys and another great show. It's so refreshing to hear about quality vintage gear rather than just the 'newest and greatest'! Keep up the great work in 2023!

Can I please ask how the audio technica tonearm was mounted. It it compatible with a Rega or linn tonearm board?

Wow just noticed in David's rig a lovely JBE turntable I have one and absolutely love it 👌

Excellent quiz, happy new year to you both.

Hi David. I have some ns 1000 they are in great shape and play well. Have you ever considered verifying the health of your ns 1000 crossovers? I have always wondered if it’s possible to do this and wonder if I am listening to these speakers at their best. Thanks

First 7 inch single was 1949.

Great stuff as usual. Could you please direct me to a link to the title music? I can't find it anywhere.

This is fun! Showing us in America what you have, wow. Linn turntable is out of reach now, too much money and those amps I have never heard off, can you comment? I have old stuff, rebuilt Apt Holman pre, Hafler amp so redone and recapped, amazing sound, restored tower ADS speakers, am in way too deep. Always have been. Sold off my very high end Nakamichi but still have a three head machine, is amazing sound as expected.

🎉

Isn't all this stuff laying a bit too low for a man your age, Dave mate?