The Best vintage UK Radio ever made

[Boom]

The Ekco A22 has to be my favorite. Lovely looking an investment, performs well and very reliable once it it restored.

[Paul_RK]

The DAC90A's more a Morris Minor in my estimation, popular and with no pretensions to high performance - for an MGB counterpart I'd be looking more toward Pye's multiple-bandspread short superhets. To call the Morris Minor the best UK vintage car would seem at least eccentric, but it would certainly be a more appropriate gift to a learner driver than a Bentley or Aston Martin...

That's the problem with the question really: are we looking for an appropriate gift to someone who might like an old radio to use, or for an enthusiastic listener - to which wavebands, and what type of programming? - or for someone very oriented to the visual aspect of things, or for a potential fellow enthusiast?

If we're looking for 'the best', the Murphy name and the A40C in particular come up deservedly often among pre-war sets, but if the A40C's too big there are many other fine consoles and table models out there from the Murphy, RGD and EMI stables. I'd put in a mention too for Bush, with some wonderfully solid mid-'30s sets - an SAC25 here is a particular favourite and has been for 40-odd years now, just MW/LW but with quintessentially rich and mellow sound by way of triode output and a ten inch Rola 'speaker.

Not nearly so many post-war sets that are special in any way, but Pye's FenMan II, Hacker Mayflowers and a further bunch of Murphies stand out, together with the Philips 681A if we're to tolerate that continental influence Always had a yen for a Pye PE80 myself, I think with one of those for AM and a Mayflower for FM I'd gladly forgo the FenMan II.

Paul

[avro]

Originally Posted by hotbulb

For FM the Hacker RV14 gets my vote.

This is my office radio and strangely enough I forgot all about it.
Attached is mine.

This could be the best UK vintage radio of all and pretty rare too.

You are absolutely right and the Mayflower II would be up there too if it wasn't so pig ugly.

[ThePillenwerfer]

I'd put a vote in for the Murphy U198H. I've got one which I'm yet to restore and even in its current state it's the nicest sounding set I've got. Also it isn't impractically large.

- Joe

[dave walsh]

Fairly impossible question as usual, especially trying to combine looks AND performance. So many people are convinced about Fenman quality but looks? I think this is why phrases more associated with choosing a partner are used in this area eg "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". The Ecko designs do have a lot of merit as minor8 says and still look striking today [not just round ones].

It's easy to forget the great importance of ANY wireless that a family was able to acquire, providing entertainment and information in a way that had never happened before and to everyone at once! In that sense I'm sure that many families might have thought that they had the BEST set ever, a familiar friend that rarely let them down-especially in times of adversity!

I suppose that then [as now] there would have been an attempt to equate the "best" with sales figures. Frank Murphy was in favour. [Well it's one way to measure]. Do we have any idea of accurate figures for the sets sold in previous decades I wonder? How did the public vote with their purchases?
Dave W

[jjl]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

Not nearly so many post-war sets that are special in any way, but Pye's FenMan II, Hacker Mayflowers and a further bunch of Murphies stand out, together with the Philips 681A if we're to tolerate that continental influence Always had a yen for a Pye PE80 myself, I think with one of those for AM and a Mayflower for FM I'd gladly forgo the FenMan II.l

I have both a Pye PE80 and a Hacker Mayflower II. Lucky me!
Both are among the best in my opinion.

John

[Herald1360]

Not sure about its acoustic capabilities, but I like the look of the Murphy U472.

It's quite small, does VHF and I think looks attractive.

Not iconic, perhaps, but more useful.

[Studio263]

Originally Posted by Herald1360

Not iconic, perhaps, but more useful.

Oh I don't know, these days **everything** seems to be "iconic", certainly if you believe the broadcast media. Come back "basically", all is forgiven...

[lastx33]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

The DAC90A's more a Morris Minor in my estimation, popular and with no pretensions to high performance - for an MGB counterpart I'd be looking more toward Pye's multiple-bandspread short superhets. To call the Morris Minor the best UK vintage car would seem at least eccentric, but it would certainly be a more appropriate gift to a learner driver than a Bentley or Aston Martin...

For the Rolls Royce and Daimler owners out there - perhaps one of these http://www.dynatronmuseum.org.uk/1930's.htm.

[ianj]

I would say for out and out AM performance, the PYE PE80, looks are either love it or hate it, but Im a fan!
For out and out quality , finish, performance and sound its the big imported SABA's, without a doubt, but they are German, of course...

[JoshWard]

I'd say either the Pye Fenman 2 or the Hacker Mayflower 2. The latter appears to be a case of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Several people have expressed their distaste for the aesthetics of the Mayflower 2, indeed this one was given to me by somebody else who now has a Mayflower 1! (Personally I think the Mayflower 1 is hideous....).
There's a reason why I use the Mayflower 2 nearly everyday and the DAC90A once a month to see if it still works As for the Pye, it's somewhere in the to do pile...
However, there's no way I'd give away the Hacker, in fact the radio I would miss least would probably be the DAC90A

Edit:
Also the Ekco C273 console, I listened to one that belongs to another forum member and it sounded beautiful.

[avro]

Mayflower I has to be the purdiest Vintage Radio on the planet.

[DangerMan]

Okey Dokey.... (more?) mischief time, maybe

if the original requirement is as above, there's no mention that it has to be radio only.
And it seems that a small and easily accomodated, non-critical set might not be a consideration, so let's up the ante... as someone has already mentioned, the spec is a bit loose.

A nice Beau Decca radiogram would be rather a nice present.
Or an HMV900 complete with built in 405 line telly, or even a 703 with autogramophone and telly... even better. Both excellent even if you don't ever use the telly.
Or you could even choose a Baird T14 with all of this plus a cocktail cabinet built in, but there's no end of sets that encapsulate vintage radio at this end of the market. (and I didn't include most of them, as RGD belong here, too).

There are so many prewar sets that fit the bill that I wouldn't like to say which is the best, but I'd sure like to receive any one of them as a gift !
It's doubtful if they will meet the second requirement (... as in majority of members etc), but I thought I'd mention them just in case others might agree.

I have a straightforward Marconi Jubilee (264) that certainly encapsulates vintage radio etc. but, even so, I'm sure it's far from the best of the era.

TTFN

Pete

[Hybrid tellies]

I like the unique venitian blind family of radios from HMV, they also sound good as well. For FM. again for its unique style and performance, has to go to the Hacker Mayflower mk's 1 & 2.
For iconic value then it has to be the Bush DAC90A. But in my eyes the Bush VHF61 stands out as well.

[Cobaltblue]

What I have concluded so far is the best sets to give away ....... Would be the sets I'd rather keep
Enjoy
Mike T

[Denis G4DWC]

Originally Posted by avro

You are absolutely right and the Mayflower II would be up there too if it wasn't so pig ugly.

Hmmmm...

You think that's ugly... They are things of amazing beauty compared to the looks of my Dynatron RV12 Ether Minstrel.

http://www.dynatronmuseum.org.uk/1950's.htm

However, I have to say, I haven't heard a better sounding 50s FM radio. JMHO of course and I do have three Mayflower II with which to compare it.

Denis

[radiozero]

I like the Murphy A24. I just now bought one. I actually don't like the look of most valve radios.

[wireful3]

I have a fancy for the Murphy A104. It sounds good and looks interesting. The main difficulty is that it is AM only, so not really an enduring source of radio entertainment if AM disappears.

[phil3153]

I recently bought a Murphy A272c through the door ,my partner laughed and said what the ,anyway after a bit of recapping with that 10 inch speaker its one of the best sounding radios i have ever owned ,even the boss is impressed but it does look a bit weird.
Phil

[crackle]

Originally Posted by wireful3

I have a fancy for the Murphy A104. It sounds good and looks interesting. The main difficulty is that it is AM only, so not really an enduring source of radio entertainment if AM disappears.

No sorry, have to disagree with you on the A104, I spent ages refurbishing the cabinet and fixing the grill with nuts and washers after threading all the studs where the flat clips pressed on.
I was intrigued with the SW tuning, it took ages to adjust this to get it right.
I thought it looked years ahead of its time, but it still sounds naff when the volume is turned up and the case and chassis rattles and shakes and spoils the listening pleasure.

For its stylish looks and performance considering its age I put forward the Sobell 515.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/sobell_516.html

Following this for neatness and performance on all AM bands and fantastic tonal quality for a smallish set I say PYE sets have much going for them. Take this example which is based on a PYE chassis.
Rees Mace RM215
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/rees_ma...table_top.html