[Synchrodyne]

I think that Martin has provide the best perspective so far. The apparent slower development of the hi-fi components industry in mainland Europe as compared with the UK tends to support the hypothesis. One could look at say the evolution of the B&O product line to see that the change of emphasis to hi-fi components did not arrive until the 1960s.

Since we are talking about radio reception – during the valve era - in particular and not audio in general, it may be noted that the addition of an FM tuner to the product range was a key item for the UK hi-fi electronics makers once FM started in the UK in 1955. In fact some released FM tuners well before the start of regular FM broadcasting, as early as 1952-53. Given the apparent British customer parsimony (and the adverse incidence of domestic purchase tax), the emphasis was in getting the most out of relatively simple FM circuitry rather than the multivalve, multistage approach adopted by the American makers. Even before FM, the British hi-fi makers often made more effort to get the best out of AM broadcasting than most others.

It could be too that in some European countries, a larger proportion of the population listened to classical music via the radio. Certainly in the German, Austrian and Italian cases, their respective musical heritages would have encouraged that. (One remembers from the movie “Bridges of Madison County” where Francesca, from Puglia, was in the Iowa farmhouse listening to Italian opera on what was probably an AA5.) This might have created a larger market than in the UK for single-box receivers that gave a reasonable account of themselves on classical music.

Back to the UK case, I’d say that the AM-only export receivers with bandspread SW coverage of the early 1950s were probably as good as any single-box domestic models of the same type from anywhere. This list included, but was not limited to the Murphy TA160, Pye PE80, Bush EBS44, Ekco A182 and Ambassador Viscount. Their domestic market penetration was probably limited by the small demand for SW programme content listening (as distinct from dx’ing) capability. And for getting the best from local AM broadcasts – in the days when the BBC broadcast bandwidth reached 10 and sometimes 15 kHz - the Murphy A188C (which might be described as single panel rather than single box) was probably difficult to beat.

By the time that FM arrived in the UK, the setmakers were generally under the thumb of the cost accountants – who were probably responding to apparent marketplace signals that “cheap” was wanted - and whilst one or two reasonably elaborate single-box models, such as the Pye FenMan II escaped into the marketplace, “ordinary” seemed to be the operative approach.


Cheers,