HMV Stereo Music Centre plus speakers: Collectible? Value? Issues?

[sibby22]

Hi guys,

I have a vintage hi-fi system that I am looking to sell, but I literally have no idea about its value because I cannot find it listed anywhere online. Someone offered me £50 for it, but then my friend suggested that it might be worth a lot more as it seems to be rare. I was wondering if any of you might know anything about it, and what its value might be?

Here are the details:
HIS MASTER'S VOICE STEREO MUSIC CENTRE (model MCH 15) with retro digital clock and backlit display, complete with two speakers in retro woodgrain effect.
Looks to be from 70s/80s
Dolby System
33/45 rpm Belt Drive Turntable (tested and working)
Cassette Player/Recorder (testing and working)
VHF/FM/MW/LW Radio (untested - needs aerial - AM/FM aerial sockets on reverse)
MIC input
Digital clock
Backlit radio frequency band display
Dolby Noise Reduction (button not engaging - although it may engage with tape recording - not sure)
Bass and Treble EQ with balance
Made in England
2 retro wood effect speakers (2 pin DIN)
Complete with original logo of dog and gramophone
Original serial number sticker included

It also has an issue: Although it's in good vintage condition, looks marvelous and plays records really well, there is some surface noise out of the right speaker output and through the headphone socket that is apparent when music is not playing. This is not noticeable when a record is playing (this is why I've never thought to fix it) however, and the speakers produce a lovely rich sound otherwise.
Would anyone hazard a guess at how difficult that might be to fix, and if I can try it myself?

If anyone has any info or knowledge on the product, whether it's rare because it's collectible or not, or can shed any light on the fault described, I'd be very grateful! Thank you for your help

[music-centre]

Quite a nice looking unit and pretty rare I would think, I can't remember seeing another one, also the clock display is unusual.
As for the value though, I would think £50 was a fair offer.
Steve.

[ben]

If someone offered me fifty for that I'd take it and run ;-)

Unfortunately, this is not one of the better music centres, having possibly the worst BSR deck they ever made, the P280 (towards the end of their existence) with crude arm, excessive plastic in key parts like the platter and a small DC motor. The amp is likely to be the strongest part of the unit but you say that has interference (possibly a leaky transistor in the preamp, out of spec capacitor or dirty contacts).

This is likely to be one of the last horizontal profile music centres made before they went to vertical stack systems. Who knows, with the recent demise of the HMV chain/store (for whom this was probably made back in the day) it might be the best time to sell! Interesting unit, but that's about it I'm afraid!

[Edward Huggins]

Plenty of bells and whistles. Looks like a plastic turntable. Not really Hi Fi, I would have thought £50 was a good offer. It's not worth any more in my opinion.

[RojDW48]

I'll go with the flow. £50 for a faulty music centre? I would be delighted with that.

[dazzlevision]

This item was actually made by Fidelity Radio plc, who had rights to use the HMV brand in the late 70s/early 80s. Fidelity was a "budget end of price range" manufacturer.

[ekjdm14]

I was about to comment that it looked a lot like the old Fidelity music centre I had in the shed as a kid, although that may have been an earlier one with slide pots. (edit-: now I think more on it, they were discs like this. I recall spinning the tuner like a loon! Definitely a rebadged Fidelity unit. ).

This I would date as early to mid 80's, probably 84 latest. I think £50 is a reasonable offer given it's unrestored and potentially needs work, although personally I see this era of equipment on the rise before long it is still a lower end system and will always be worth less than better quality items.

Having said that, if you enjoy the thing and are getting use out of it then I might suggest keeping hold. All depends how much you like it versus how much you need the money. If you kept & used it though I would have to recommend it be serviced, the hiss problem attended to and any potential problem capacitors replaced before they cause issues.

[nicam49]

I take it that it's yours on gumtree at £75?
How come 'friends' always know better....if you could see what ends up at the tips... sorry, recycling centres, then £50 'cash in hand' if you want rid, then it's a cheeky, but good offer. I think that the vinyl bubble burst 12 months ago, and only the autochanger self-contained record players
might still hold novelty value.

[AC/HL]

The consensus is that you should accept that offer if it still stands. As it's advertised on line I'll close the thread. Good luck!