SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

avro · 21st Apr 2011, 9:12 pm

I picked up this set in Germany when I was stationed there. Recently I had it restored by a fellow Forum member and it is lovely. The sound is great and I get Stereo output from a CD Player. Tuning is fully Automatic and it has a motorised scan from one station to the next. I have had a good number of valve radios, but this has to be my favourite. It has 5 Speakers and 13 Valves and was produced in 1960-61.

chroma04 · 21st Apr 2011, 10:52 pm

That looks lovely!

I do like the look and sound of these German sets. I have a 4-speaker Telefunken Concertino 2194 dating from around the same period and the sound quality simply is in a different class from all the all the other sets in my collection.
Mine, too permits true stereo reproduction when hooked up to an external source.

Use it and enjoy it. I wouldn't part with mine, either!

Adrian.

Guitarist28 · 21st Apr 2011, 11:25 pm

Hi Brian (Avro),
That looks a truly marvelous and I bet that it sounds truly amazing.

Regards

Rob

JoshWard · 21st Apr 2011, 11:39 pm

Not just quality computers but quality radios too avro

That really is quite something, both in engineering terms and looks.
I've got a few German sets, a Telefunken 'Operette', a Grundig 3028 in immaculate condition, a Grundig stereogram, and a 'Weimar' which seems to be towards the cheaper end of the market.
I have to get a Saba one day, my German sets are amazing, I can only imagine how good that sounds.

Josh.

Steve_P · 22nd Apr 2011, 11:33 am

The Weimar is an East German version, based on the Grundig. They are good sets.

Cheers,

Steve P.

flyingtech55 · 22nd Apr 2011, 1:50 pm

Hi Avro

Does your Saba have push-pull output stages or are they single ended?

TimR

avro · 22nd Apr 2011, 6:50 pm

I believe both. With these early Freiburgs switching from stereo to mono changed the configuration of the output stage from 2x single-ended output stages (for listening to stereo records/cds) to a mono push-pull output stage.

Kevin Hoyland · 22nd Apr 2011, 7:49 pm

Hello Brian.

One of the flagships of Saba 749 DM in first year of sale 5 green cone speakers 10watts out put and boy what a sound. Outstanding Top class radio.
Regards Kev.

ianj · 22nd Apr 2011, 9:15 pm

Bigger that it looks in the photo, isnt it!
I own one and its the absolute Rolls-Royce of radio sets. Stupendous sound and volume, a tweeter that switches in on AM to lift the treble in MONO mode, , ultra linear push pull and motor driven tuners ( independent of each other!)--if you ever get a chance of owning one, buy it.
Mine needs a service now as its played every day for 3 hours in the last 12 years and crackles and pops now,and several bulbs are out now in the pressbuttons etc.. ( everything is lit up on this mammoth jukebox radio set!) but it was in a junk shop 12 years ago when I bought it for £45. Recently one on e**y went for 7 1/2 hundred quid!

JoshWard · 22nd Apr 2011, 9:35 pm

Best place seems to be ebay.de, plenty of Sabas on there including an identical one, they still don't come cheap though!

Postage is surprisingly reasonable although be wary as many sellers in Germany don't use Paypal and prefer a direct bank transfer which of course costs money. Better start saving some pennies up...

Josh.

avro · 22nd Apr 2011, 10:56 pm

Do direct bank transfers cost money? I was able to do it from my German bank for a few cents if that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ianj

Bigger that it looks in the photo, isnt it!
I own one and its the absolute Rolls-Royce of radio sets. Stupendous sound and volume, a tweeter that switches in on AM to lift the treble in MONO mode, , ultra linear push pull and motor driven tuners ( independent of each other!)--if you ever get a chance of owning one, buy it.
Mine needs a service now as its played every day for 3 hours in the last 12 years and crackles and pops now,and several bulbs are out now in the pressbuttons etc.. ( everything is lit up on this mammoth jukebox radio set!) but it was in a junk shop 12 years ago when I bought it for £45. Recently one on e**y went for 7 1/2 hundred quid!

Guess how much the restoration cost, that's right £750, but I ain't selling this one on eBay or anywhere else.

JoshWard · 22nd Apr 2011, 11:03 pm

From the UK to foreign countries they do (or at least they did for my parents' account). It's free for German accounts to each other.

Think about what a high quality valve radio would cost to have made today, makes your restoration cost look like a bargain

Ever-HMV · 23rd Apr 2011, 12:48 am

What a fantastic set!

I've got a Loewe Opta Rhienegold, which while not as nice as the SABA is still fantastic quality compared to contemporary British sets.

I'd love to get more German sets but the costs of ordering one from Ebay.de, and the risk that after it's journey I might end up with a box of bits has put me off so far!

Rob

avro · 24th Apr 2011, 12:08 am

My experience in buying German radios from Germany has been pretty good. They have come promptly (often before I paid for them) and carefully packed

.

The Germans seem to treasure these sets even when they have fallen out of use and wrap them in a blanket and store them in the loft. In contrast often when I have bought sets in the UK, they seem to have been kept in the garage with loads of paint drippings on them and packed without due regard.

JimMac53 · 24th Apr 2011, 2:37 pm

My experience with buying off the German ebay is mixed. The folks selling the radios are great, but the apes who handle the packages in transit are the worst. Fortunately, all the Saba's I've got (Meersburg 6-3D, Meersburg 7, Konstanz 8, and Freiburg 7 -- all automatic, two with remote controls) all made it ok, but the Telefunkens did not fair so well. Four Telefunken Concertino 8s (yes, I did not learn my lesson) and one AEG (aka Telefunken) all had their dial glass broken. I think some of it has to do with the way the glass is held. I'm in the process of trying to make glass dials for the Concertinos to restore them (well, to be honest, two of them -- two were in such a bad shape that I've been using them to help restore the other two).

But, the bottom line is, shipping the radio is a crap shoot at best. Be prepared for tears.

Once restored, they all sound fantastic. I enjoy demonstrating them to the young crowd, who have basically grown up with just their ipod ear buds. And when I plug their ipod in the back and play it through the radio, they are astounded. I call them my vintage ipod docking station. They then want one...

Kevin Hoyland · 24th Apr 2011, 9:18 pm

Hello.
A Saba Freibbrg 125 AS just sold for 260 euros on ebay in poor condition.
Regards Kev.

JoshWard · 24th Apr 2011, 9:28 pm

I think I can kiss goodbye to buying one of these with my pocket money

21st Apr 2011, 9:12 pm	#1
avro Heptode Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Kapellen, Belgium Posts: 656	SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 I picked up this set in Germany when I was stationed there. Recently I had it restored by a fellow Forum member and it is lovely. The sound is great and I get Stereo output from a CD Player. Tuning is fully Automatic and it has a motorised scan from one station to the next. I have had a good number of valve radios, but this has to be my favourite. It has 5 Speakers and 13 Valves and was produced in 1960-61. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Avro in Belgium __________________ BVWS member

21st Apr 2011, 10:52 pm	#2
chroma04 Pentode Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 116	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 That looks lovely! I do like the look and sound of these German sets. I have a 4-speaker Telefunken Concertino 2194 dating from around the same period and the sound quality simply is in a different class from all the all the other sets in my collection. Mine, too permits true stereo reproduction when hooked up to an external source. Use it and enjoy it. I wouldn't part with mine, either! Adrian. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Chroma 04

21st Apr 2011, 11:25 pm	#3
Guitarist28 Heptode Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Hockley, Essex, UK. Posts: 575	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 Hi Brian (Avro), That looks a truly marvelous and I bet that it sounds truly amazing. Regards Rob

21st Apr 2011, 11:39 pm	#4
JoshWard Octode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 1,962	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 Not just quality computers but quality radios too avro That really is quite something, both in engineering terms and looks. I've got a few German sets, a Telefunken 'Operette', a Grundig 3028 in immaculate condition, a Grundig stereogram, and a 'Weimar' which seems to be towards the cheaper end of the market. I have to get a Saba one day, my German sets are amazing, I can only imagine how good that sounds. Josh.

22nd Apr 2011, 11:33 am	#5
Steve_P Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bolton, Greater Manchester, UK. Posts: 6,644	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 The Weimar is an East German version, based on the Grundig. They are good sets. Cheers, Steve P. __________________ If we've always had it, why is the Car Boot open? You're not sneaking another Old TV in are you...?

22nd Apr 2011, 1:50 pm	#6
flyingtech55 Octode Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 1,096	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 Hi Avro Does your Saba have push-pull output stages or are they single ended? TimR __________________ All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

22nd Apr 2011, 6:50 pm	#7
avro Heptode Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Kapellen, Belgium Posts: 656	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 I believe both. With these early Freiburgs switching from stereo to mono changed the configuration of the output stage from 2x single-ended output stages (for listening to stereo records/cds) to a mono push-pull output stage. __________________ Avro in Belgium __________________ BVWS member

22nd Apr 2011, 7:49 pm	#8
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 Hello Brian. One of the flagships of Saba 749 DM in first year of sale 5 green cone speakers 10watts out put and boy what a sound. Outstanding Top class radio. Regards Kev.

22nd Apr 2011, 9:15 pm	#9
ianj Heptode Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire, UK. Posts: 525	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 Bigger that it looks in the photo, isnt it! I own one and its the absolute Rolls-Royce of radio sets. Stupendous sound and volume, a tweeter that switches in on AM to lift the treble in MONO mode, , ultra linear push pull and motor driven tuners ( independent of each other!)--if you ever get a chance of owning one, buy it. Mine needs a service now as its played every day for 3 hours in the last 12 years and crackles and pops now,and several bulbs are out now in the pressbuttons etc.. ( everything is lit up on this mammoth jukebox radio set!) but it was in a junk shop 12 years ago when I bought it for £45. Recently one on e**y went for 7 1/2 hundred quid!

22nd Apr 2011, 9:35 pm	#10
JoshWard Octode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 1,962	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 Best place seems to be ebay.de, plenty of Sabas on there including an identical one, they still don't come cheap though! Postage is surprisingly reasonable although be wary as many sellers in Germany don't use Paypal and prefer a direct bank transfer which of course costs money. Better start saving some pennies up... Josh.

22nd Apr 2011, 11:03 pm	#12
JoshWard Octode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 1,962	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 From the UK to foreign countries they do (or at least they did for my parents' account). It's free for German accounts to each other. Think about what a high quality valve radio would cost to have made today, makes your restoration cost look like a bargain

23rd Apr 2011, 12:48 am	#13
Ever-HMV Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Milton Keynes Posts: 144	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 What a fantastic set! I've got a Loewe Opta Rhienegold, which while not as nice as the SABA is still fantastic quality compared to contemporary British sets. I'd love to get more German sets but the costs of ordering one from Ebay.de, and the risk that after it's journey I might end up with a box of bits has put me off so far! Rob

24th Apr 2011, 12:08 am	#14
avro Heptode Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Kapellen, Belgium Posts: 656	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 My experience in buying German radios from Germany has been pretty good. They have come promptly (often before I paid for them) and carefully packed . The Germans seem to treasure these sets even when they have fallen out of use and wrap them in a blanket and store them in the loft. In contrast often when I have bought sets in the UK, they seem to have been kept in the garage with loads of paint drippings on them and packed without due regard. __________________ Avro in Belgium __________________ BVWS member

24th Apr 2011, 2:37 pm	#15
JimMac53 Hexode Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Naples, Florida, USA Posts: 255	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 My experience with buying off the German ebay is mixed. The folks selling the radios are great, but the apes who handle the packages in transit are the worst. Fortunately, all the Saba's I've got (Meersburg 6-3D, Meersburg 7, Konstanz 8, and Freiburg 7 -- all automatic, two with remote controls) all made it ok, but the Telefunkens did not fair so well. Four Telefunken Concertino 8s (yes, I did not learn my lesson) and one AEG (aka Telefunken) all had their dial glass broken. I think some of it has to do with the way the glass is held. I'm in the process of trying to make glass dials for the Concertinos to restore them (well, to be honest, two of them -- two were in such a bad shape that I've been using them to help restore the other two). But, the bottom line is, shipping the radio is a crap shoot at best. Be prepared for tears. Once restored, they all sound fantastic. I enjoy demonstrating them to the young crowd, who have basically grown up with just their ipod ear buds. And when I plug their ipod in the back and play it through the radio, they are astounded. I call them my vintage ipod docking station. They then want one... __________________ Jim Mac

24th Apr 2011, 9:18 pm	#16
Kevin Hoyland Heptode Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Rotherham, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 559	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 Hello. A Saba Freibbrg 125 AS just sold for 260 euros on ebay in poor condition. Regards Kev.

24th Apr 2011, 9:28 pm	#17
JoshWard Octode Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Near Stowmarket, Suffolk, UK. Posts: 1,962	Re: SABA Freiburg stereo vollautomatic 125 I think I can kiss goodbye to buying one of these with my pocket money