Index of /Archive-Modern-Era-Miscellaneous
SgHUaGdHlFeIDnELeITwY %
VOLUME 22 NO 1
JANUARY 1978
the
ludic) clwler's
guide
to
the
/10-0 révolution
FISHER,1978·· THE RIGHT PRODUCTS AT THE RIGHT PRICE AT THE RIGHT ME. (continued)
Last year on these pages we predicted that Fisher's established brand name, unique products, and selective distribution would prove to be a winning combination.
Looking back, it's obvious we were right on target -- most Fisher dealers reported banner years.
Not being inclined to tamper with asuccessful formula, we confidently announce a continuation of past policies with one slight difference: a somewhat increased production capacity that will permit us to consider a limited number of applications for Fisher franchises.
Here's how 1978 is shaping up:
The right products. RECEIVERS. The power, prestige, and features of Fisher receivers continue to make them strong sellers, either alone or in systems. They're our finest group of receivers ever -- from the company that invented the stereo
receiver almost 20 years ago. Each superb performer is superbly styled and loaded with features, from the 22 watt per channel RS1022 to the super RS1080 at 170 watts RMS per channel, and every one has 0.5% or less THD. (A major consumer magazine recently picked the RS1040 as its "best buy" selection.)
RS1058
TURNTABLES. The M16225 120 pole Linear Motor Direct Drive turntable introduced last year remains a leader in high performance record playing equipment. Consumers have shown an unusually high degree of interest in the MT6225, and its $200' suggested retail makes it
one of he best turntable values in the industry.
TAPE DECKS. Fisher continues to lead the way in cassette and 8-track recording, with four brandnew decks and features and performance you've never seen anywhere before. Take our new CR4025 cassette deck -- its wireless remote Pause control is the most exciting development in recording since the cassette. Or the new ER8150, a brand-new dual deck combining high quality cassette and 8-track transports, with dubbing and simultaneous recording capability, and Dolby on both decks.
SPEAKERS. 1978 is the year of a whole new series of Fisher speakers that combine seductive sound with exciting new cosmetics. It's our ST400 Studio Standard series -- 7 models from a10" 2-way all the way up to a floor-standing 15" 3-way, 4-driver powerhouse.
AUDIO COMPONENT SYSTEMS.
Nobody can match Fisher's lineup of pre-engineered, performance-
matched music systems for the "other" hi-fi market -- that vast group of first-time buyers who
The right price.
Fisher's franchised dealers have one thing in common: they're in business to make a profit. And the Fisher line is priced to move in
quantity at realistic retails, with
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(according to a recent Gallup study) are going to account for an increasingly large percentage of your volume. We make true high fidelity systems priced between $250 and $2000 that mean extra sales volume and healthy profits.
And all Fisher systems are an easy sell: the 85% Fisher brand awareness that the Gallup survey found is among the very highest in the business.
healthy margins for the Fisher dealer. Every Fisher product is priced right. Like our new CR4025 remote control cassette deck, which can be profitably retailed for around $200*. Or our superb RS1052 50 watt per channel receiver, which sells very profitably for around $300*. Our other products -- turntables,
speakers, and component systems, all follow the same philosophy -- competitive retail pricing, with excellent profit margins for the Fisher franchised dealer.
31460
The right time. Fisher's expanded production capacity for 1978 puts us in a position to consider a limited number of new franchise applications by qualified retailers. If you're seriously interested in boosting your sa les and your profit (and can qualify) please let us hear from you. Or contact your local Fisher rep. Fisher Corporation, 21314 Lassen Street, Chatsworth, California 91311 (213) 998-7322.
FISHER
The first name in high fidelity.
Contact your nearest Fisher rep: ALBANY: Levin Ross (518) 587-7852 ATLANTA: Leonard Elliott Co. (404) 875-9701 ALA., NC, SC, TENN., MISS.: Leonard Elliott Co. (800)241-0113 BOSTON: Market Reps (617) 762-6820 CHICAGO: Shardon Marketing (312) 725-1900 CLEVELAND: F.A. Daughtery Co. (216) 449-1122 DALLAS: Tom Wachendorfer Assoc (214) 741-7089 DENVER: Jack Rowe Assoc. (303: 753-0198 DETROIT: J.I.F. Assoc. (313) 569-6216 HOUSTON: Torn Wachendorfer Assoc. (713) 465-3092 INDIANAPOLIS: Omega Sales Cc.(317) 299-7029 KANSAS CITY: Neal Spencer & Assoc. (913) 381-7905 LOS ANGELES: California Sales & Marketing (213)430-3553 MIAMI: Southern Audio Corp. (305) 558-5826 MINNEAPOLIS: Bill Kirsch Assoc. (612)944-3355 NEW ORLEANS: Torn Wachendoder Assoc. (504) 863-7652 NEW YORK CITY: R.P.M. Sales (212) 564-1510 OKLAHOMA CITY: Tom Wachendorfer Assoc.. (405) 721-9170 PHOENIX: Jack Rowe Assoc. (602) 948-4597 PITTSBURGH: Lienau Assoc. (412) 372-2993 ROCHESTER: Levin Ross (716) 458-0300 ST. LOUIS: Neal Spencer & Assoc. (314)1491-3700 SALT LAKE CITY: Jack Rowe Assoc. (801) 561-0786 SAN DIEGO: California Sales & Marketing (714) 995-3914 SAN FRANCISCO: Hal Abrams Marketing. Inc. (415) 692-1501 SEATTLE: Seaport Marketing (206) 641-5721 WASHINGTON D.C.: benau Assocs. (301) 770-6800 CANADA: MONTREAL: Gamesome Canada, Ltd.. (514) 735-2721
Suggested retail prices shown are dealer guidelines for effectively merchandising Fisher products.
a. 811 Me MVO MOO
CMS e
Get everything with fast-moving add-ons like The MXR Stereo Graphic Equalizer.
We knew our Stereo Graphic Equalizer would be popular. To customers, it's the answer to poor room acoustics, poor speakers and poor program quality. And with a suggested retail of $199.95, anyone can upgrade their system with it.
But the real popularity of MXR's Equalizer is with dealers. Thousands are discovering the advantages of offering quality step-up components to perfection-minded customers. And not only with our Equalizer, but also with our Cornpander, which reduces noise during home recording, and with our new Dynamic Processor, which brings recorded dynamics back to life and removes impulse noise.
Discover how MXR's add-on products mean
2 IIIGII FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
...........l
easy stocking. no stale inventories, and healthy profits througn higher volume sales. See how offering afamily of fine products from one quality
manufacturer can make your job of selling easy. More and more people are listening to us. And
that can mear everything to you. Send the coupon, write, or call us at 716-442-5320.
MXR Innovations, Inc. 247 No. Goodman Street Rochester, NY 14607
Iwart everything that's coming to me! Ineed to carry fast-moving
add-ons like the MXR Equa izer!
Name Firm Address City
Phone
· ·
· ·
State
· · Zip
MXR
Consumer Products Group
./..1.VUAR Y. 1978
The revolutionary new BASF Professional Series
Cassettes.
For the dealer: The new BASF Professional Series is adouble breakthrough in premium cassette performance: extraordinary sound for your customer and extraordinary profit margins for you. Our new retailer profit program offers you higher margins than anyone else in the business; our extensive merchandising programs boost your turnover; and BASF will build adeal you can't resist.
For the enthusiast: BASF offers two radically new cassettes ...Professional I is arevolutionary new ferric formulation with the lowest distortion, best signalto-noise ratio, and lowest inherent tape noise of any ferric cassette on the market. Maximum output level is unsurpassed. Professional II is our new second-generation chrome formulation with up to 3r1B more high frequency headroom than any competition, allowing this new type of tape to capture and reproduce more of the demanding high frequency signals above 10,000 Hz. It features superior signalto-noise ratio and lower inherent tape noise.
For the expert: Most caqsPtte decks today have chrome position bias and equalization settings that are adjusted for a"synthetic chrome" formulation such as TDK SA. Even at these settings Professional II outperforms competitive tapes, however, the truly demanding audiophile will have this position reset to match Professional 11's optimum performance levels. The result will be aflatness of frequency response and lowering of distortion that is more comparable to reel-to-reel performance than to any cassette ever before offered on the market.
BASF
BASF Professional Series Cassettes No other cassette outperforms them in sound. No other cassette outperforms them in profit. Please visit us at Winter CES --Booth 1020
HIGH FIDELITY trade news
January, 1978 Volume 22, No. 1
Features
26 If Sadat Can Do It ... 30 Hi Fi's Close Encounters Of The Third Kind 38 The Audio Dealer's Guide To The Video Revolution 46 Selling The Excitement Of Projection TV 48 Selling The Video Revolution 52 Department Store Audio: Friend Or Foe? 56 Pioneer Sells Hi Fi Stores, Not Department Stores 58 Alternatives To Price Competition 68 Hi Fi Is The Apple Of New York's Eye 70 CES Exhibitor List 74 "CES" In Europe ...And Japan 76 CES Products 88 3M Sees Strong Role In Video Software 100 Micro-Acoustics Clinic Tells The Whole Story 112 From Germany's Cambridge: Canton
COMING UP
JANUARY 5-8, 1978 Winter CES, Las Vegas Convention Center.
FEBRUARY 17-19, 1978 High Fidelity Music Show, Cobo Hall, Detroit, Mich.
Departments
4 Coming Up 6 As We Go To Press 14 In The News 18 FYI 24 Letters
26 Hot Stuff 60 How Dealers Advertise 62 Retailing 64 Rep Rap 96 Classified
MARCH 16-19, 1978
High Fidelity Music Show, Civic Center. San Francisco, Calif.
Cover: By Bill Ashe
Publisher Gerald F. Sweeney
Editor Ron Marin Advertising Sales Richard Eicher
Production Wendy Scharaga, Mgr. Marcie Sheck Storz
Circulation Mike Rubin
Executive Assistant Etta Eisman
Art Director/Designer Alfons J. Reich
President & Chairman L. D. Solomon J. T. Schwartz
VHoI.G2H2,FNIoD.ELIICToYpyTriRgAhtD°E19N7E8 WS by St. Regis Publications, Inc. Published monthly by St. Regis Publications, Inc.,
6East 43rd St.. New York, N.Y. 10017.
Controlled circulation postage paid
at Miami, Fla. 33152. Advertising
rates on request. This magazine
assumes no responsibility for equipment
6East 43rd Street New York, N.Y. 10017 212-949-0800
loaned to contributing writers for
dspeevceilfoipcailnlgy
story material authorized by
unless the editor.
Change of address notice must give old
Japan: Yukinobu Sato, Pres.
as well as new address. Attach aPdridnrteesds ilnabTehl efrUonmitreedceSnttatisessueo.f
America. Subscription rates: 1year --
Cores Corporation
$15; 2years -- $27; 3years -- $37.
Inoue Bldg.
Add $5 per year for outside U.S.,
4-4. 1-Chome. AkasakaCanada. UU.S. Poss., &
Minato-Ku. Toyko Tel. (Japan) 583-7251, 7824
Permission to reprint articles published by High Fidelity Trade News must be requested in writing, and such articles may not be reprinted until after written permission by High Fidelity Trade News has been granted.
i.iiiim
MAY 19-21, 1978 International High Fidelity Show (IHF), Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia.
JUNE 10-13 Summer CES, McCormick Place/ McCormick Inn, Chicago, Ill.
JANUARY 5-8, 1979 Winter CES, Las Vegas Convention Center.
[ J 0111«r «
4 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
1.001COUT IF011#1.
VOLUME PULL. BALANCE
BASS
RELEASE ·EJECT ,
lo e4 6 FM · #t) · t .18 0,00 .114.118
At'A 51 6 1 8
-- PCNO
L°5 rtur ir air unrel
TUNING
(1,
0-- TREBLE
Pioneer sells more car stereos speaker systems like the
than anyone else.We have
TS-X9 that actually outper-
more to sell than anyone else. form most home units.
And now, more than ever.
But don't overlook any of
More innovative products to the other Pioneer car stereos.
generate new profits.
Their past selling perfor-
The first high perfor-
mance is the best assurance
mance stereo components of future sales.
made for automobiles, for one.
So come hear Pioneer.
Like the one you see.
And hear the true meaning
The KPH-9000 AM-FM of quality in car stereo.
Stereo SupertunerTassette
Which is how we got to
Deck with aremote 20-watt first place in the first place.
power amplifier. And our new high end
QPIONEER® See and hear us atBooth 1003.
Pioneer Electronics of America,1925 East Dominguez Street, Long Beach,California 90810
.1.· I.\L WY, 07s
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 5
AS WE GO TO PRESS
The audio industry, which accounts for the largest bloc of exhibitors and new products at Summer CES, is now becoming a major force at the Win-
ter Show, which has never been a major hi fi event. Three times larger than last winter's CES, exhibitors here in Las Vegas include a number of hi fi companies participating in WCES for the first time...
As a result, the month of January is becoming a more important product introduction period in terms of industry cycling. For example, just prior to WCES, in New York, Pioneer unveiled seven new hi fi components for 1978, including the world's most powerful receiver ever commercially built, reportedly a 275-watt per channel unit. Kenwood is set to introduce 13 new products here at CES, headed by a new 80 watt receiver (KR-6030) with no more than 0.1% THD; a new integrated 50-watt amp (KA -6100) and a quartz/PLL direct-drive turntable (KD-750). In all Kenwood has three new receivers, three new amps, two new tuners, two turntables,
two new speakers and a new
front-load Dolbyized cass-
ette deck. Neosonic is bow-
ing two new advanced design
turntables under the Lenco
banner, at $275 showing
both direct-drive and $450. Dynaco is a new black, pro-
look at its CES booth on
five new hifi components.
As part of its product ex-
hibition at the Convention
Center, JVC is demonstrat-
ing their new "biphonic" pro-
cess-equipped portable ra-
dio cassette recorders.
Hitachi is having a major
product introduction here,
a total of 14 new products
including two Power MOSFET
amps (HMA-7500,9500) at
75 and 100 watts, respect-
ively. The units feature
impressively low distor-
tion specs. Also, with
the intro of its new SR-
804 50 watt receiver, Hi-
tachi has brought to three
the number of Class G re-
ceivers in its line. The
new unit sets a lower
Class G price point for
Hitachi at $399.95. Class
G provides a second power
output stage to allow
doubling of power output
during transient peaks.
United Audio is previewing
a new Dual direct-drive
turntable, model 621, at
the Show, priced under
$300. BASF last month un-
veiled two new cassette products as part of its premium "Professional" series. Pro I is an enhanced gamma ferric óxide designed for use at the most common bias points for Japanese tape recorders. Pro II is a new "super chrome" tape. BASF audio marketing director Jerry Hubeny claims superiority for Pro I over TDK AD and Maxell UDXL-I in maximum output level and signal-to-noise ratio (1.8dB over UDXL-I, 3.5 dB over AD). Hubeny said Pro II represents "major improvements over all other existing" chrome formulations and "in many ways" is superior to chrome "substitutes" such as TDK SA and Maxell UDXL-II. DuPont audio exec Bill Oskin told HFTN that, as a result of relationships with BASF, DuPont's American licensees should also be offering "super chrome" tapes early this year. While chrome is insignificant in terms of market share here, it is a factor in Europe. Hubeny predicted Pro II will lead the way to increased sales amd market share for chrome in the U.S. In addition to this brief and incomplete summary of new product developments, you will see much, much more at the Show (turn page for more news)...
6 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
The recording industry needed it... so Stanton developed anew stylus system
for playing back :tampers
© 1977 STANTON MAGNETICS
Stanton Magnetics is proud to introduce the world's first and. only stylus system Model 681 BPS*; capable of playing and repairing metal stampers and matrices.
Up until now, it was impossible to cneck the quality of the matrix until the metal mother was made, or the plating quality in the stamper, until actual records were pressed. By introducing this new special stylas system, Stanton is offering to the record industry the tool which will save precious time, improve the quality of the records, and offer a new way to evaluate the quality of the pressing by comparing it to the first generation copy of the master matrix.
Because this new 681 BPS stylus system is designed around the famous Stanton 681 Calibration series, its per-
formance is recognizably superior, and matches that of a 681 Triple-E Calibration Standa-d cartridge.
Stampers and matrices being negatives of the record require acounter-clockwise rotation of the turntable** and a custom mounted tonearm, or a special arm with head shell offset in the opposite direction.
The new stylus system has two models: the BPSR, wnich tracks at 3 to 7 grams, for making minor repairs on stampers; and the BPSM, which tracks at 1to 11/2 grams,
for stamper and matrix evaluation
Audiophiles, who think highly of the professional quality of Stanton products and use them for home entertainment purposes will find it difficult to use this new system ...
unless the distribution of metal stampers neads for the consumer market. At any rate, with this new system Stanton maintains its position as a prime innovator and supplier to the recording industry.
*Patent applied for.
"Stanton is even making special turntables for this purpose.
For further information write to: Stanton Magnetics, Terminal Drive, Plainview, N. Y. 11803
J.-1,N't",,IRY. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 7
AS WE GO TO PRESS
What about price hikes in hi fi? There seems to be a lot of hedging but a general feeling that the yen/dollar ratio dictates price boosts this month. Pioneer went up 4% January 1, and Hitachi is going up selectively on three models, a 40 watt receiver from $329 to $349, cassette deck from
$159 to $169 and a turntable from $259 to $269...
Advent is boosting production of its three VideoBeam projection tv sets from 12,000 in '77 to 20,000 this year, according to president and chairman Peter Sprague, who adds that "better and
cheaper" sets will keep Advent ahead of Japanese competition. Sprague fears dumping by Japan projection makers (Matsushita, Mitsubishi) because they will intro sets in U.S. rather than Japan, making them immune to dumping charges if they set drastically low prices. Sprague dismisses most
U.S. competitors, saying most of the 50 or so suppliers assemble through OEM purchases and virtually all use one tube instead of three (Advent) and produce 1/20th the light. "Size and brightness" is still name of game, Sprague adds. Look for new VideoBeam systems from Advent this year..
TANDBERG ALONE OFFERS REEL-TO-REEL PERFORMANCE FEATURES IN A CASSETTE DECK
3Separate Heads/3 Motors/Dual Capstans
These 8( other features found exclusively on Tandberg's TCD-330 make it not only the finest cassette deck, but also the cassette deck with performance exceeded only by the best reel-to-reel machines. Three separate heads for no-compromise recording 8( monitoring. A 3-motor, dual capstan closed loop transport, coupled with complete logic-controlled solenoid operation. Adjustable azimuth 8( built-in 10kHz tone generator, allowing the user to select the perfect alignment for each cassette, as well as spot dropouts and inferior tape. Equalized peak-reading meters. Automatic take-up of tape loops when cassette is inserted. Servo-controlled high speed winding. Vertical or horizontal operation, plus optional remote control 8( rack mounting.
Only the TCD-330 has what it takes to deliver cassette performance exceeded only by the finest reel-to-reel machines. Ask your Tandberg dealer for a"Hands-on" demonstration. Write or call us toll-free at 800-431-1506 for his name. Tandberg of America, Inc. Labriola Court Armonk, N.Y 10504
Visit our suite at the Las Vegas Hilton during the Winter CES.
TANDBERG
8 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
In other news, Rod Bell has been named general manager of the Harman International Audio Teams while Bob Furst (B.I.C.) has been appointed an H.I. vp. Bill Sutherland new GC Electronics advertising and sales promotion manager, Hulon Forrester, head of Elmar Associates, Atlanta, Ga., new president of Dixie ERA chapter..
Other news for follow next month, Harold Brown joins Audio-Technica; Sam Goody sold; Il-IF slates second management seminar; Rectilinear in bankruptcy; Detroit hi fi show looks like sellout; Discwasher suing VOR; HFTN's own survey of 1,000 dealers indicates IHF Atlanta Show a winner; and, last month, we goofed--Cecil Powell, not Taube, developed new Pixoff from Sonic Research.
J.4NUARY, 1978
Studio Lab presents anew wcrld of sound, sales and profit with anew dimension of quality and styling.. . and aprofit margin designed to keep !Dace with your needs.
Innovative esthetics encompass engineered quality to bring you' customer anew concept in listen.ng pleasure ...'sonic Dispersion; total sound without total power.
Studio Lab features all pioneer drivers in hermetically sealed, walnut toned cabinetry with an acoustically transparent double knit grille.
Our elegant black thermal-moldface panel, allowing tota. lsonic Dispersion, is an industry breàkthrougn.
See the all new Studio Lab Series in booth 1010 at CES. See why we can offer a5year guarantee. . and ask us about our exclusive registeed dealer franchise.
There's anew worla waiting for you at Studio Lab.
Call toll free 1(800) 547-5264.
SL1'0 shown without Vie
LAB SIR1_73 or O c,on.c inte'n,it.on
We're celebrati
our 504
ary.
But
our If the past foretells the future, the most dynamic years are
gol
en eranow in the making for JVC and its dealers. Sucn JVC technical innovations as the S.E.A. graphic ereqduuacl itzioern,st yshteesme,hA.AN1IR0Sy taarpde ShuepaedrAtt heRdSevnneoolipise ent pt
iip es a ea
the Shibata stylus, as well as the introduction of Phase More propagation pattern technology for speakers,
and CD-4, the first discrete 4-channel disc system. are
l
41. just a few of our contributions that have been respon-
sibe for advancing the state of the art to new heights.
JVC dealers have many reasons to celebrate. Because
hand in hand with these breakthroughs, there has been out-
standing acceptance for JVC products by the buying public.
They have learned they can depend on JVC's consistently high
quality and performance. As a result, JVC sales have escalated
to an all time high.
And now JVC is looking forward to its second half
century. Our past achievements are just a hint of what our
unbounding vitality has in store for the future.
But JVC dealers don't have to wait for
the future to take advantage
of the golden opportunities
-.. that are in store for them.
1At JVC, the future is today. JVC America Company,
Division of US JVC Corp.,
58-75 Queens Midtown
Expressway, Maspeth, N.Y.
11378. (212) 476-8300. Canada:
JVC Electronics of Canada,
Ltd., Scarborough, Ont.
INTRODUCING GRAND MASTERm BY
AMPEX. UNTIL NOW ONLY THE PROS WERE READY
FOR IT.
rxr
'
"As for caiç factors ---lo ratio,hl1 rirrf anythin i-tfe.rpforeOih
"Why shouldn't the home user have Grand Master quality if he
needs it?"
'Susie Foot, Record`ng Engineer
6
6 aaa
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* r
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ef
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to
(tot e4F"
-
*Ad ·
'Under ft iv41 ecomport and Master'`..on nn N.
uld disto colm, Rec
"Grand Master can handle high levels and maintain high dynamic range without distortion."
Geoff Sykes, Recording Engineer
·
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........
........
·
In 1973, things were different. When we invented Grand Master
studio mastering tape, only professional recording engineers could appreciate its incredibly sophisticated electromagnetic properties.
Not even hard-core amateur audiophiles had the kind of equipment that could drive tape hard enough to explore Grand Master's amazing capability for undistorted output.
1 6.
"Grand Master's super-clean tape.' leffrey N;)rInan, Recordi
' Engineer
Or begin using its incredible saturation capacity.
Or its extreme sensitivity and low distortion qualities.
Or its potentials for headroom and signal-to-noise improvement.
So while Grand Master went on to become the unquestioned leader in the professional recording industry, we had to wait for things to change before we could introduce it to the home recordist.
And change they did. Home equipment improved dramatically. And the same consumer who didn't care about remanence or third-harmonic
GRAND MASTER BYAMPEX.
WE THINK YOU'RE READY FOR IT
distortion in 1973 is getting to be quite an expert.
An expert willing to spend the
True-Track' tape guide system for accurate azimuth control.
Head-cleaning leader.
extra money it takes to get the best. And now you have achance to offer
it to him. In three consumer versions of Grand Master designed specifically for use at home.
Cassette. 8-track. And reel-to-reel. Each manufactured to the exact performance specifications as the original Grand Master. Each with plenty of customers who are ready for it. And, being the pro that you are, we think you're ready for it, too.
GraniYlasterAMPEX90
AM F) EX
Ampex Corporation, Magnetic Tape Division 401 Broadway, Redwood City, California 94063 415/367-3887
IN THE NEWS
The Irving Cup Aratani Honored
First annual "Irving Cup" has been awarded to
Chuck Batko (c.) of Minneapolis-based Schaak
Electronics for his performance in Schaak's annual employee tennis tournament. The Cup is named after
Irving Stern who serves as Harman Interna-
tional's executive vp when not playing tennis himself. Shown are Bob Goodman of Tannoy-Ortofon
and Peter Dyke of Harman/Kardon (kneeling,
1. and r.) as well as Norm Goldberg, Twin Cities Audio Team, and Roy Hidok, also TCAT (r.) ... Kenwood president George Aratani (c.) joined
honorees of the past as he and Howard Ladd of Fisher were inducted into the Audio Hall of Fame.
Aratani pioneered the Japanese stereo expedition into the American market in 1961, helping convert the meaning of "made in Japan" into ahighly desirable endorsement. Audio Times publisher Richard Ekstract (1.) and Ed Hopper of Stereo Review and
Ziff-Davis Publications present the award ... Following the recent Indiana University of Pennsylvania's 3rd annual hi fi symposium, Sansui, donated
a complete hi fi system to the University for use in
consumer courses dealing with hi fi investment.
Frank Viggiano, Jr. (1.) of the school's consumer services department, accepts the gift from John
Henry of J. B. Parent Co., Sansui rep. ...Al Hirsch (1.) of Fisher donates aFisher hi fi system to Skip Hess of BMX Corp. (Mongoose Motocross
bikes), who will present it to the lucky winner of a drawing as part of bike promotion.
Sansui Goes To College
14 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
Fisher Giveaway
JANUARY, 1978
Some of the sharpest women in the country read Viva. Compared to Cosmopolitan. Glamour and Mademoiselle, higher percentages of Viva readers are young women 118 to 341 that:*
Have household incomes of $25,000+. (2) Are employed. (3) Are unmarried. 141 Attended and/or graduated from college. Why Viva? Obviously, these women know there's more to life than they read about elsewhere, and more and more of them are advancing to Viva. To reach women at the top...advance to Viva.
TwhoemVaInVA leads the life...
··;i1Tunor's ·77.
os..m.othgei rl
reads about.
[finis is what you are looking for
If you demand nothing less than true
TECHNICS ST-9030. THD (stereo):
hi-fi performance, you'll understand the
Wide-0.08% (1 kHz). Narrow-0.3%
advantages and flexibility that resulted
(1 kHz). S/N (stereo): 73 dB. FREQ.
when Technics separated the basic
RESPONSE: 20 Hz-18 kHz +0.1,
amplifier/control/tuner functions into
--0.5 dB. SELECTIVITY: Wide-25 dB.
the five unis we call the Flat Series: The
Narrow-90 dB. CAPTURE RATIO: Wide
automatically switchable dual IF band ST-9030 FM tuner. The SU -9070 DC preamplifier. The SH-9010 stereo para-
Inpu Waveform to ST-9030 FM Tuner.
--0.8 dB. Narrow-2.0 dB. IMAGE and IF REJECTION, SPURIOUS RESPONSE (98 MHz): 135 dB. AM SUPPRESSION (wide):
metric/graphic frequency equalizer. The SH-9020 peak/peak-hold/average
58 dB. STEREO SEPARATION (1 kHz): Wide-50 dB. Narrow-40 dB.
metering system. And the SE-9060
(10 kHz): Wide-40dB. Narrow-30dB.
stereo/mono DC power amplifier.
CARRIER LEAK: Variable terminal-
You'll also understand why the
65 dB (19 kHz). Fixed-70 dB
Flat Series challenges the performance
(19 kHz, 38 kHz).
of the most expensive professional
TECHNICS SE-9060, POWER OUT-
equipment in the world. And very often
PUT: 70 watts per channel (stereo), 180
surpasses it.
watts (mono) min. RMS into 8ohms
Look at the graphs. The repro-
Output Waveform from Technics Flat Series.
from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with no more
duced waveform' is virtually true to the
than 0.02% THD. INTERMODULATION
original. All types of distortion--some
DISTORTION (60 Hz: 7kHz, 4:1): 0.02%.
measurable, some not--are negligible. And the linear frequency response is
FREQ. RESPONSE: DC'-\-!1'00 kHz, +0dB, --1 dB. POWER BANDWIDTH: 5Hz
extremely wide.
--50 kHz, --3 dB. 5/.1\1: 120 dB (IHF A).
Were confident that the truly discriminating critic will recognize the
RESIDUAL HUM &NOISE: 100 /IV. INPUT SENSITIVITY & IMPEDANCE: 1V/47k.
magnitude of our achievement. Especially when that achievement is offered
All the specifications of Technics Flat Series are too numerous and com-
at prices that are unprecedented for
equipment of this caliber. And with the
flexibility to -ncorporcte one or more,
or all five units into your
system. Depending on your needs or budget.
o
0001
0.1
1.0
10
100
Output powe (W
THD VS- Output. Powe in Sereo SE-9060.
. I 'low cut
11 off
pc
plex to list here. But their performance
is too good to miss. Sc don't. Technics
Flat Series is now avai!able for demon-
! 1
stration at selected audio dealers. For very selective
ears. And for very selec-
To see how Technics achieved the incredible
,,,.·· tive eyes there's Technics SH-999. A movable 19"
performance shown in the
custom rack with rosewood
graphs, you have to see and compare the incredible specifications that are typical of the Technics Flat
7;4 60
r°1
o- --40
:1:_low cut on
cutrofff.(DC
veneer side panels.
Technics Flat Series. A
rare combination of audio
),..
technology. A new stand-
Series on the facing page. --80
1,1
ard of audio excellence.
0.1
1.0
10
100
1K
10K
10 01K
Frequency Hz)
Gain, Phase vs. Frequency Response, SE-9060 Amp.
Technics Professional Series by Panasonic
FYI
Mo-Fi, Italian Style
Autosonik is abrand new name on the American highway hi fi market, but the Italian supplier of automotive electronics, speakers and accessories has already racked up alot of mileage throughout Europe. There, the firm for the past 10 years has evolved from a specialist in kits to mount car radios to abroad aftermarket supplier.
Two years ago Autosonik took a major step forward in highway hi fi with the introduction of high-quality power loudspeakers and recently a sophisticated power booster was added.
"Autosonik tries to make their products as versatile as possible, and they can be used, with alarge variety of adaptor rings and brackets, for most every foreign and American car made," says the export manager of Autosonik, located in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Examples of this versatility cited include the production of loudspeaker terminals "double": one pair to fit Japanese cable con-
Tascam Mixer Arrives
After two years of research and development, Teac has unwrapped its big new mixer in the Tascam Series, the Model 15, a24 in-eight out unit that features new electronics, more head room and improved sonic quality.
The model 15 was shown for the
nectors; the other to fit the standard European and American cable connectors. Door loudspeakers are ingeniously equipped with akind of "raincoat" so that condensation water cannot reach the speaker cone. Thus, loudspeaker life is guaranteed.
A sister company of Autosonik, Zendar, is specializing in the manufacture of car antennas and a complete range of antennas is available; manual, semi-automatic, fully automatic and also electronically-amplified.
New here is the presentation of a complete line of black chromiumplated antennas which fits perfectly with the black esthetics of many of today's cars.
The entire Autosonik/Zendar line can be seen during the Winter CES here in Las Vegas at Booth H1820. For more information, contact the distributor on the west coast: Ampersand, 800-423-5167; or, on the east coast, Becker Autoradio, 800-523-4530.
first time at the AES meeting in New York, November 4-7. Bill Cawlfield, director of product development at Teac, said the model 15 materialized out of a need for more outputs for Tascam's 80-8 and 90-16 recorder/reproducers and because feedback from the
·Touch -y
Nakamichi 1000 II and 700 II 3head cassette decks are being shipped with new "touch-command" transport function controls.
The "touch" controls differ from the previous feather-touch buttons in that they are totally nonpressure -sensitives The new 1000 II and 700 H decks respond instantly to the user's command: the lightest touçh of the desired function. Transport action is positive, with no accidental triggering of an undesired function. As before, IC logic keeps operation simple and foolproof.
There is no price increase as a result of the change, and the existing Remote Controller and Digital Program Timer are fully functional with the new decks.
field zeroed in on such aunit. "The Model 15 is completely
new," according to Cawlfield. "It maintains the broadness of the Tascam line and is the first big board designed specifically for mass production so that the unit -- again in line with general Tascam marketing philosophy -- is available and affordable."
Cawlfield said the sonic quality of the new mixer is faster in terms of transient response, due to the all-new electronics. "You can do many more things with the 15," he explained. "The sophisticated echo circuit, for example, can send the reverb signal to print, or the studio, or the control room." He pointed out that the Model 15 also has agreat flexibility, anecessary quality for the technically expanding PA market.
The power supply is aseparate unit, isolated from the mixer by up to six feet of cord, thus further reducing the possibility of hum.
Tascam national sales manager Ken Sacks said the model 15 has a nationally advertised value of less than $9,000 (24 in, eight out) and $7,000 (16 in, eight out).
18 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
Now you can step up to the performance
of separates without overstepping your budget.
The performance of separates. That's something most people want but, up until now, couldn't
afford. Now you can, with the SU -7100 integrated amp and the ST-7300 tuner.
The SU -7100 is quite alot of integrated amp, but then we put quite alot into it. Starting with sophisticated circuitry that's as low on noise as it is on distortion. Like ahigh-gain Darlington circuit to maintain low distortion levels. Like 35 watts per channel, minimum RMS into 8ohms from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with no more
than 0.1% total harmonic distortion. That's the kind of power you need to get the dynamic range you want out of your music.
It may seem complicated, but it sounds beautiful. So do pair-packed dual transistors, especially since they help keep THD down to a mere 0.1% at full-rated power, and 0.03% at half-rated power.
When it comes to your records you want to hear music... not noise. That's why the SU -7100 has apre-amp with atwo-stage, direct-coupled, low-noise phono equalizer that yields avery
impressive and very quiet 78 dB S/N ratio (2.5 mV, IHF A). Or 90dB S/N (10 mV, IHF A).
The SU -7100 also has low-distortion main tone controls. Two-way tape dubbing. A 41-step master volume control. A or Bspeaker selection. And more.
That's what you get with the SU -7100 amp. What you get with our ST-7300 tuner is just as impressive. Starting with atest-signal generator for optimum FM recording level settings. And like our expensive tuners, the ST-7300 gives you flat group delay filters for high selectivity and low phase distortion. Phase Locked Loop IC's for low distortion and wide, stable stereo separation. And azero-center and signal-strength tuning meter.
The SU -7100 and ST-7300. They're your way of turning one modest budget into two separate components.
Cabinetry is simulated wood.
echnics by Panasonic
Visit us at CES Las Vegas, Room A-211.
Conventional marketing wisdom has it that when introducing anew speaker line, you lead off with your biggest and best and then attempt to confer the same sense of excellence on the rest of the line.
But suppose your smallest, least expensive speaker is so exceptional--so clearly different from anything else--that it demonstrates more graphically than all the rest, the kind of innovative thinking and superior technology that characterize the entire line.
What do you do then?
Introducing the Canton HC 100.
One glance at the Canton HC 100 proclaims it an original. Certainly, the visual presentation is unmistakably elegant. But it is the HC 100's remarkable performance in respect to size--a design characteristic it shares with all the other speakers in the Canton line--that will have you shaking your head in disbelief. Add smoothly extended high frequency response, excellent stereo imaging and home/auto versatility to the design mix and you have aspeaker that's bound to become aclassic.
Now, if Canton, Germany's immensely prestigious manufacturer of high performance loudspeaker systems, builds this kind of quality into their smallest, least expensive speaker, imagine what their more ambitious systems must be like.
But enough about us, let's talk about something more interesting, you.
For the favored few. From any reasonable perspective, the last thing any dealer wants or needs is another over-distributed line with meaningless turnovers and low profitability. And we agree completely. That's why we've come up with aunique program to insure profitability by giving you what amounts to territorial exclusivity. It's called limited production--and it works. Ask any of the quality dealers who currently carry the Canton line. For better or worse--we think better--there just aren't that many Canton speakers made. There can't be. Not the way Canton builds them. Nor will there be that many Canton dealers either and for the same reason. We know we can adequately supply about 100 dealers nationwide and still provide the back-up they deserve.
Finally, we feel bound to tell you that Canton loudspeakers are not inexpensive. This level of quality and performance doesn't come cheaply. But if you think you are a dealer who can really capitalize on this kind of program, we promise you the kind of service and support you need to operate profitably.
For additional information on Canton's new perspective, call us at (201) 828-8590. Or complete the coupon below.
GiNroti
-------------------. Adcom 11A Jules Lane
New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901
Please send me additional information on Canton's New Perspective.
Name
Company
Address
City
State
Zip
Adcom, Exclusive Distributor in U.S.A. for Canton Electronics of West Germany.
JANUARY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 21
FYI
$81.95, with 40 and 25-watt units also available. Preamp model PRE-3360 is for use with the 60watt amp and is priced at $72.95.
Automatic Radio Mo-Fi
Automatic Radio is moving into the mobile hi fi market with afull line of systems and components called "Power-Sonic," including speakers in the special "BioSonic" -- Bio meaning power and fidelity -- systems (central unit plus 60-watt amp, control box preamp and speakers).
The amp, APS-3240, is priced at
AR's New Look
AR has anew look, if you haven't noticed. Starting with anew logo, bolder, yet elegant, the new look extends to packaging, graphics, product appearance inside and
Extra-Curricula Fisher Corporation is taking part in the college curriculum at Moorpark College at Moorpark, California, by donating equipment for a new course of study entitled "The Physics of High Fidelity." The course will teach traditional topics in physics and applied physics by utilizing Fisher's hardware as an educational vehicle. In addition, the students will be taught to interpret high fidelity equipment specficiations so that they can make an informed choice when purchasing ahome sound system. Semester enrollment in the course currently exceeds 100 students, according to Dr. Clinton D. Harper, who will direct the course.
outside the grill, with brushed aluminum logo plates and serialized metal decals for identification. New catalogues, new ads, new posters, and new point-of-purchase materials round out the program.
Charting A New Line
A special application and features chart has been developed by Pioneer Electronics of America for its car stereo dealers across the nation. The product slide rule includes AM/FM car stereo, 8-track, cassette and Pioneer's two CB units, 22 models in all including the new Supertuners. Features and specifications are listed for each model, and height, width and depth are conveniently and quickly spelled out. The application chart on the reverse side lists the 10 in-dash car stereo units plus six models made specifically for Chrysler, Ford and GM cars. All the units are related to 60 different makes and styles of domestic cars. The slide-rule charts are available to dealers on afirst-come, first-served basis, Bill Hutcheson, Pioneer marketing and advertising manager, said.
Avid-ly Committed Avid Corporation, the New England manufacturer of hi fi loudspeakers, audio headsets and passenger entertainment equipment, recently completed major expansion of its engineering and R & D labs at the company's main plant in East Providence, Rhode Island.
The new facilities more than double the space previously available for engineering and R & D and include new sound rooms, drafting and design labs, and model shops for speaker development. The facility also houses one of the larger anechoic chambers in the region. Company spokesmen say that the expansion evidences a major commitment to the longterm development of the company's high fidelity audio products.
The Spartan Approach A new audio amplifier manufacturing firm was recently started in Sparta, N.J. by John R. French. The new firm, known as JRF, will feature a complete line of audio amplifiers. The approach followed in the design and manufacture of all JRF amplifiers will make use of fewer components while at the same time emphasizing reliability, serviceability and the ultimate in performance. A model 2502 Stereo Power Amplifier is the first unit being offered by JRF. It offers asimple, straightforward totally modular design. Offering 125 watts per channel, front panel gain controls and circuit breakers as well as optional VU type level meters, the 2502 is priced at $525.
22 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
sir FEATURES OF BOTH.
SILPtC CASS[Tt PLO.
pc-auo TO11141111"
·`.0,e5
0.5
19 C01.9 NP GIMPY 1.141
With most professional quality decks, you pay dearly for exotic features you'll never use--unless
you're in the habit of mixing symphony orchestras, live.
But now Toshiba makes atape deck that delivers professional sound at avery sound price. Be-
_,,..000.10 cause it gives you only the features that ahome recordist really needs.
It's our PC-4360..
Like more expereive decks, the PC-4360 features asuper-quiet
DC servo motor. And an advanced direct front-loading design that
gives you both the feel of areel-to-reel machine and easy access to the
heads for cleaning and demagnetizing.
There's also abuilt-in Dolby® Noise Reduction System and FM
· Iiolby 'selector switch that cuts hiss. An Auto Play function that starts
the tape after it's been rewound. An Auto Stop function that keeps the
tape from snapping. Hardened Permalloy heads forsupersensitivity. Cue and Review for easy edit-
ing. Ametalized film condenser for low distortion. Two peak-reading level meters to prevent tape
overload. Switched Bias/Equalization. Even atimer setting that lets you record aconcert at home
while you're out eating dinner at arestaurant.
But instead It's the kind
of costing asmall fortune, the PC-4360 of value you'll find built into everything
Tdoosehsiibtaalml afokreas.verTy smOall
investment--$250."
In Touch with Tomorrow
,, ua Inc .28D>ark Mee NexYcek, NY10017
·Suoqested retad value solely for purpose or Irdtprna,lon
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 23
LETTERS
To the Editor: In their recent memos to the audio industry, Bernie Mitchell and Jack Wayman listed various reasons why the shows they support should be supported by the manufacturers. For reasons this observer fails to understand, neither touches upon what it really takes to make any industry show successful: dealer support.
In that respect, Jack has one thing going for him. CES has always drawn dealers. And each year -- under constant pressure -- he has done alittle more on behalf of the audio industry. Last year, he opened up McCormick Inn. This year he has promised acoustically acceptable rooms in McCormick itself, plus shuttle service to the hotels harboring the high-end hold-outs.
So at CES 1978, audio-only dealers are likely to find it easier to cover the exhibitors whose products are of special interest to them. They are also going to find anumber of manufacturers covering their bets by exhibiting at both shows. (Among them, Bernie Mitchell's own company, Pioneer. Which some may consider as offering something less than "100%" support of IHFS.)
As for the IHFS, if it is to succeed, it will have to do so in the face of certain other "basic truths" beyond those listed in Bernie's memo. For example:
· Any manufacturer exhibiting at both shows will expend considerable money, time personnel and effort.
· Those coming from Europe or Asia will be inconvenienced.
· Prototypes of new models will have to be ready nearly a month earlier than usual.
· Decisions will have to be made about sales meetings -- when, where and whether to hold them.
· And where and when to reveal show deals.
Then there are certain events that will have to take place in an
awkward but necessary order. First, enough manufacturers must commit themselves to exhibiting at IHFS to attract enough dealers. That commitment must be made before anyone will really know how many dealers will actually show up. Chances are that dealers who have to consider expenses, time and personnel will wait until they see for themselves which manufacturers will be exhibiting at which show, and then decide the most efficient way to cover those manufacturers.
Since the audio-only dealer is the nominal reason for holding the IHFS in the first place, it might be useful to know something about them. For example:
1. How many are there? 2. How many have usually gone to CES? 3. How many would now go to IHFS only? 4. How many would go to both shows? 5. How many would continue to go to CES only? Unless a massive and effective research effort is made promptly, the answers are not likely to be available until both shows are behind us. And then some other answers will be known. Such as: · The number of manufacturers who went to IHFS only and were satisfied -- or not. · The number who went to both shows and found them both worth the effort -- or not. · The number who went to CES only and found they had ·missed something important at IHFS -- or missed nothing. Ilike to assume that some of the above is what Bernie had in mind when he called in his memo for "continued open and honest discourse" about this "big, important and controversial decision" of the IHF to produce its own show in 1978.
Joe Lesly, President Lesly Associates New York, N.Y.
24 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
To the Editor: Charles Swift, writing "The Fear That Hangs Up Philadelphia Audio Salesmen (HFTN, October, 1977, Page 40)", poses anumber of questions, the first four of which were:
1. What price range? 2. How many watts per channel? 3. What is the most important component? 4. Shall Igo Quad or Stereo? Agreeing with Mr. Swift, I'd like to add some observations gained over the past 50 years (particularly the last 30). Starting with the third question, one successful dealer has enunciated a cliche which translated into 1977 dollars would read, "The aural difference between amplifiers costing $400 and $1,000 is almost negligible: The aural difference between loudspeakers costing $400 and $1,000 is almost startling." Technically, the loudspeaker exhibits more kinds and higher levels of distortion at "realistic output levels" than do amplifiers. Also, loudspeakers range in efficiency from 0.03% to over 10 percent. The dealer whose cliche is quoted above set up an experiment with a speaker system of low efficiency and a 300 watt amplifier and another high efficiency system with a 10 watt amplifier. He said "as long as the demonstration material stayed in the nondynamic realm of strings and woodwinds, there was no great lesson to be learned. After 3bars of piano or other material of dynamic content, it was overwhelmingly evident that ten watts into the efficient speaker would put far more music into aroom than the 300 watts into the low efficiency speaker. The reasons for this are several: it can be said almost in general that the higher the efficiency, the lower the distortion (the relation is almost inverse) and the higher
(Continued on page 109)
JANUARY, 1978
STILL ABEST 1311'1.
Amazing!
More than 15 years after
the AR-XA was first
introduced, the AR single
play manual turntable still
has what it takes to earn best
buy ratings among all
manual turntables recently
tested by two consumer
research publications.
Amazing. But not
surprising. Because, the
original AR design is so
fundamentally honest, so
basically right. Today,
nobody's yet been able to
seriously improve on its
basic design.
JR
Shown here is the new AR77-XB.
With all the features that
have made its
predecessors alegend in
their time, plus additional
refinements. Without
cartridge approximately
$150. Fitted with Shure
M91ED, approximately
$175. Full five-year turntable
warranty.
01977 TELEDYNE ACOUSTIC RESEARCH
JANUARY. 1978
'IorTELEDYNE ACOUSTIC RESEARCH mASSAC.uSETTS 02062 USA
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 25
HOT STUFF
If Sadat Can Do It. · ·
If Sadat can go to Israel and raise the spectre of peace in the Middle
East for the first time in 30 years, why can't independent U.S. hi fi dealers make love instead of war? The Palestinians of the hi fi industry, audio dealers are doomed to perpetual fratricidal price warfare unless they wake up and recognize that the "enemy" is not each other, but themselves individually and the ski and tennis
manufacturers, trips to Hawaii, Porsches and maybe the emerging department stores. While "peace" both in the Mideast and here at home on the retail hi fi front may be some years away, it has long been recognized that one path to that worthy goal might be the formation of anational retail hi fi dealers' trade association. State and local trade associations for dealers have sprung up around the country in recent years, some quite
effective today. If enough of these organizations appear on the local level, it is perhaps inevitable that they will lead to state, regional and, ultimately, even a national association -- and voice -- for the audio dealer. Toward the goal of a revived and vital dealer association in Seattle, local rep Henry Joncas recently sent amessage to
dealers in his market. It sums up association history in Seattle, the problems and sacrifices -- as well as the rewards -- of making the effort succeed. If we can be inspired to any degree by the recent extraordinary events in the Middle East, 1978 should be a year for dealers across the country to try again to achieve the elusive goal of effective association with each other.
Here is the text of the Joncas letter in full:
TO: Greater Seattle Area Stereo Component Dealers Subject: A Proposal for Broaden-
ing Acceptance of Stereo Components Gentlemen: Let me make a proposal for your consideration. It has seemed to me that in recent years there has been an ever widening gap appearing between the stereo component dealers of this area. As the industry has grown and prospered this gap has seemed to widen, perhaps since everyone has more and more to do.
In the mid 60's when Iowned Seattle Stereo Center one of the local dealers had the guts to get all of us together and propose that we start a local organization dedicated to broadening public knowledge and acceptance of stereo components. A magnificent goal!
We all decided it was a great idea and incorporated the "Stereo Component Dealers Association." We elected officers and met once a month at different dealers, later mostly at Seattle Radio Supply as they had the best facilities.
Did they accomplish anything? I think so. They set-up agrievance committee to handle customer complaints from disgruntled customers. They had a dinner party and gave Bill Wood an award as "Rep of the Year." They put a stereo display in the home furnishings show and made $800 on it. That money was spent later on institutional ads promoting stereo components and the members of the association. Information was also exchanged regarding "bad check artists," audiophile professional shoppers etc.
The most important thing that happened however was that we got to know each other, quite well! We worked together, promoted the industry, helped each other out, settled law suits out of court and in
many cases developed lasting friendships where hatreds had existed before.
There is no question that all of you are very busy handling your own problems and running your own businesses. However we were as busy, even if we did not do as much business in the 60's. The point Iwould like to make is .. such an organization did excellent things for us then and Ibelieve it could do FAR MORE now!
Those of you that attended the Stanton meeting this week and had a chance to see each other, visit, get acquainted and break bread together know how interesting and productive it was.
There is no doubt in my mind
that it will work and that it will prove very beneficial to each and
every one of you. The possible rewards are certainly worth the efforts.
What will it take to put it together? First adesire to make it work. Also there will have to be some petty dislikes and hard feelings put aside, for to make it work it will take all of you. You should have the guys in the white hats AND the black hats included, and probably before you know it everyone will be wearing grey hats.
As agroup there is alot that we can do fôr the industry and for yourselves, you will all have to give a little of your talents however. And perhaps the hardest thing of all to give ...a sincere willingness to work together!
Good luck! Think about it. . DO IT! Sincerely, Henry Joncas Corporation Henry Joncas President CC: Audio Sales, Everett
Bremerton Stereo, Bremerton Bry's, Marysville Definitive Audio, Seattle
(Continued on page 106)
26 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
now, the impact Onkyo's Quartz-Locked
gSystem has on your sales. We know because
vé sold more and more since it was introduced little more than ayear ago.
It's been so successful that others are trying to get into the act. No, they're not copying us. - You might be better off if it was acopy. Tien you know you'd be selling the system which HirschHouck Labs said. .....was virtua ly impossible to misIline..:" A statement other independent ·abs have agreed with.
Onkyo's Quartz-Locked should be good. We had it in our labs for years before we put it on the market. That's something to think about when your customers want asystem that stands up. And when you don't want warranty problems.
Because cf our success with Quartz-Locked, and the reception it's got with audio fans, were putting even more behind it this year. More advertising. More promotion.
In addition to Quartz-Locked receivers. Onkyo also has aQuartz-Locked tuner for upgrading your
Artistry in Sound
audio sySterri. But most importwt... nore Quartz- Locked equipment coming off the drawing board now. The best way to be sure of selling the QuartzLocked Tuning System that set the standard is to be sure you're sell, ng Onkyo Quartz-Locked.
Perhaps it can be imitated. We doubt it can be equalled.
ONKYO QUARTZ-LOCKED AUDIO EQUIPMENT TX-4500 Quartz-Locked AM/FM Stereo Receiver
Power output 55 watts per channel, minimum RMS at 8 ohms, both channels driven from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with no more than 0.1% Total Harmonic Distortion. TX-8500 Quartz-Locked AM/FM Stereo Receiver
Power output 110 watts per channel, minimum RMS at 8 ohms, both channels driven from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with no more than 0.1% THD. Dual Power supply. T-9 Quartz-Locked AM/FM Stereo Tuner
Dual Gate MOS FET 4-Gang Variable capacitor front end with Usable Sensitivity 1.7 pV; 50 dB Quieting Sensitivity of 3pV; Harmonic Distortion: Mono 0.15%, Stereo 0.3%; Stereo Separation 40 dB at 1kHz.
'POPULAR ELECTRONICS, AUGUST 1976
Eastern Office: 42-07 20th Avenue, Long Island City. NY 11105(212) 728-4639 Midwest Office: 935 Sivert Drive, Wood Dale, III. 60191 (312) 595-2970
West Coast Distribution Center: Damark Industries. Inc.. 20600 Nordhoff Street, Chatsworth, California 91311(213) 998-6501 Canada: Sole Distributor. Tri -Tel Associates. Ltd., Willowdale, Ontario. Canada M2H 2S5
See Onkyo's Line of Quality Hi -Fi Components at their Hospitality Suite in the Sands Hotel.
R Y. 1978
HU:// filni./ T TR IDE .\"/-.11".ç 27
woo°
,,,
,
·
ONE GOOD THING
o
88 · 90 · 92 · 94 · 9E · 98 · 100 · 102 · 9)4 · 108 · 108
too
- _
,
LED TO ANOTHER.
KENWOOD .,······· o·-......···=·········
F51
88 · 90 · 92 · 91 · 118 · 98 · 100 · 102 · 104 · 108
109
AM
«a
coo
. 400 · SOO
·
000 é 45500 5 *10 5 MO
AND ANOTHER.
28 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
AND ANOTHER.
88
MU
92 e. ai · 96 · 98 · ICO ·10,· 104 · 10.3
r
450
ry,
·
AND ANOTHER.
When we introduced the KR-9600, we knew it would set the standard for
super-powered receivers. Last June in Chicago, we introduced
the KR-4070. And it's become the most
popular receiver we've ever made. The reason is simple: Both receivers
deliver exceptional sound performance for an exceptionally reasonable price. With all of the features people need.
This year, we're introducing three
more receivers. At three different price points to sell every one of your customers.
Come by Booth #509 and take alook. While you're there, see our new turntables, cassette decks, separates, and speakers, too.
At Kenwood, we think you can't get too much of agood thing.
KEN WOOD
1315 E. Watsoncenter Rd., Carson, CA 90745 -75 Seaview Dr, Secaucus, N.J. 07094
JANUARY. 1978
IIIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 29
Hi Fi's
Close
Encounters Of
The Third Kind
Most of us, when we think of audio products and technology, simply relate high fidelity to electronics. Actually, ever since the birth of high fidelity, realization of good sound reproduction has depended upon avariety of related, and often unrelated technologies.
The vinyl recording disc is, after all, aproduct of the chemists. And so is magnetic tape, with its mylar backing and its suspended magnetic particles. Woodworking skills play their part in sound reproduction, too, as any speaker manufacturer will affirm. And there's metallurgy, thermodynamics and more.
Still, in discussing merging technologies in the world of audio today, all of these sciences seem to be coming together in ways which could not possibly have been predicted a decade or two ago.
An excellent indicator of the interrelationship between the various disciplines of electrical and electronic engineering was the merger, some years ago, of the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE) and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE). The coming together of these two engineering societies, to form the present IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) foretold, in a way what was to happen in the home entertainment industry.
The first crude attempts to introduce computer technology into audio products involved such seemingly simple things as applying control logic to better home tape decks. In terms of what's yet to come, such innovative products as BSR's Accutrac record play-
1877 1887 1948 1976
ers, for all their use of optics, digital code programing and the like, will seem simple in the years ahead.
The real "marriage" between computer technology and audio technology is only now beginning. At the recently held Audio Engineering Society Convention in New York, the big news was digital audio. Shown earlier in Japan by several firms, the digital audio tape recorder was presented to audio professionals as a product whose time had finally come. Terms such as "bits," "bytes," AID Converters, DIA Converters -- all commonly used in computer technology -- are now part of the changing audio scene.
To give you some idea of what digital recording can do for audio fidelity, consider the 32-track master recording system unveiled by the 3M company just days before the AES event and subsequently demonstrated there to the audio engineering fraternity.
Here is a recording mastering system that applies coded binary pulses to specially formulated oneinch wide tape not unlike the sort of tape used for wide-band video recording. Since the recorded pulses or "bits" are of uniform amplitude, there is no problem with residual tape hiss or noise and no possibility of tape saturation. Signal-to-noise ratio becomes purely afunction of the number of bits used to express each instantaneous amplitude of the audio waveform.
In a 16-bit system such as that used by 3M, the potential dynamic range possible is 96 dB! Harmonic
THE MARCH OF MUSICAL TIME ...and technology: 1877 (top photo), Thomas Edison invents the first phonograph ...1887 (second photo from top), Emile Berliner patents first circular phono disc ...1948, Dr. Peter Goldmark (on left) introduces the first LP, hailing the dawn of modern high fidelity ...1976, the Accutrac 4000 by BSR/ADC with electronic track selection and acomputerized
memory bank, representing amarriage of micro-electronics, electro-optics and mechanical technologies -- yet even Accutrac will seem simple in the years ahead as technologies collide and merge with
increasing rapidity.
30 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
It'll Make Your Sales Boom
TNT is aTerrific New Trio of open reel programs from TEAC.
TNT has something big for everyone. .you, your salesmen cnd your customers.
For you, TNT means some Terrific New Terms: ademonstrator stocking program that makes it easier than ever to sell TEAC.
For your salesmen, TNT gives them aTempting New Target: asweepstakes with
regional prizes and a national grand prize.
For customers, TNT is a Terrific New Tie-in: a consumer premium they get free from us when they buy an open reel tape recorder from you.
With all this help selling through, now's the time to buy in. Your TEAC rep has all the TNT details so see him soon and take advantage of aTotal New Thrust in the sale of open reel tape recorders from TEAC.
'TEAC 1977
TEAC® First. Because they last.
TEAC Corporation of America ·7733 Telegraph Road ·Montebello. California 90640. In Canada TEAC is distributed by White Electronic Development Corporation (1966) Ltd.
./..1NU·1R Y. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 3I
Only Sherwood certifies the sound you get.
Before you get it.
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In the 25 years that we've been making receivers, we have always stood behind our products. And now we're standing in front of them too. We call it CERTIFIED PERFORMANCE and it's your customer's assurance that each and every Sherwood set has been individually hand-tested before it was packed. And that certification is on the OUTSIDE of the box, complete with anotarization and the signature of the testing engineer.
How does this help you sell more Sherwoods? By giving you atool that no other manufacturer has. You can actually show your customers exactly what they will get in aSherwood, because the notarized certificate of Performance spells it all out. Every Certified Sherwood receiver has been tuned to the very best specs possible, so your customer is buying the finest Sherwood available. And with our Three Year Limited Warranty, you've got them covered, coming and going. And the best proof of agreat Sherwood receiver is agreat Sherwood receiver, like the new 75CP.
Sherwood has made 60 separate changes in the 75CP...changes you can hear, not see. There's more power, less distortion, avastly improved pre-amp section and remarkable distortionless tone controls. We've virtually eliminated phono overload and have made one of the finest Sherwood's you can buy. And that's just the beginning. For 1978 we have an entirely new look to our line, which you can preview at the January Las Vegas Show. Just come to the Sherwood Suite in the MGM Hotel and see for yourself what 1978 will sound like.
SHERWOOD We'll be there first.
Sherwood Electronic Laboratories 4300 North California Avenue ·Chicago, Illinois 60018
distortion of the recovered audio waveform is whole orders of magnitude lower than what we have come to expect from conventional, analog tape recordings -- something on the order of 0.03%.
And as for wow-and-flutter, it is unmeasurable because the system borrows once more from computer technology, storing the bits in a form of computer memory and releasing them in clock-like precision using areference "clock" (another borrowed term) to time the release of the endless stream of digital pulses for reconversion into analog audio, by means of a
When this kid buys his first hi fi system, around 2001, it will truly be a"space age" device(s). digital-to-analog converter (DIA).
As for frequency response, it is limited only by the rate at which the amplitude of the audio waveform is sampled. To "encode" a 20,000 Hz audio sinewave it is necessary to "sample" its amplitude at least twice -- once for the positive going peak, once for the peak of opposite polarity. So, any sampling rate above 40,000 Hz will do the trick and, in the case of the 3M system, 50 kHz is used.
Nor is the computer approach to audio recording limited to professional mastering systems. Already, Sony has announced and demonstrated a compact attachment to their Betamax video tape deck
which will transform it into aPCM audio recorder. PCM stands for Pulse Code Modulation -- another way of saying digital audio recording. Other companies such as Mitsubishi and Teac and Technics by Panasonic are also talking about home PCM tape decks for high quality audio recording.
Interestingly, the tape used in all of these systems is not at all like audio recording tape. It is called high-density tape and involves the same formulation technology as does video tape which must also store very dense information of
wide bandwidth. So, here we see the technology of video tape recording carried over into audio, at least insofar as the software requirements are concerned.
Perhaps the most startling and exciting prototype seen at the aforementioned AES convention was acompact, self contained laser disc player. Here, again, the audio industry has taken its cue from video. It is now almost two years since MCA and Philips first demonstrated their laser-beam video disc to an eager and enthusiastic group of press people. That video disc player has yet to be marketed (and is expected to be in early 1978).
Meanwhile, as might have been expected, engineering oriented companies such as Mitsubishi Electric, Teac and Tokyo Denka of Japan have taken their cue from the video disc and have jointly developed a pulse code modulation recording system using laser beams to record and later play back high fidelity sound from a disc.
Here we see the total integration of three separate technologies and, in fact, each of the companies named was primarily responsible for one of these three areas. Mitsubishi developed the optics and the original disc. Teac handled the mechanics while both of these companies worked on the electronic circuitry and sophisticated servo systems needed to keep the tiny laser spot "tracking" an 1800 rpm revolving disc. Tokyo Denka, the third company involved, worked on making massproduced discs from the original.
Thus far, a30-minute polyvinyl disc has been produced, but the
companies expect to be able to extend playing time to as much as two hours (somewhat reminiscent of the way in which the original Betamax playing time has been extended from one to two hours in recent months).
Some features of the laser turntable/disc arrangement include almost "infinite" life for the disc and pickup system (since there is no physical contact between them), random access to specific sections of a recording, repeat playback, negligible wow-andflutter, dynamic range of as much as 98 dB, frequency fesponse from 10 Hz to 20 kHz, no distortion or tracking error, no rumble from outside vibration and no "surface noise." Mass produced PCM discs are expected to be no more expensive than current "analog" vinyl discs but, in time, could prove to be considerably less expensive to produce.
The microprocessor, that incredible "mini-computer on a chip," offers promise of hastening the day when computers will run many of our household appliances, pay our bills and keep our checkbooks balanced. The usefulness of these devices has not gone unnoticed by innovative engineering teams in the audio industry.
Witness, for example, the new Sherwood Micro CPU/100 tuner. Those readers who have seen it in operation are probably aware of its station-call-letter programmability as well as its other accurate and wondrous tuning features. What you probably did not know is that the insertion of one or more programmed IC's in certain sockets on its computer board can actually cause this instrument to analyze its own performance -- even providing areadout (in schematic symbols) of any defective IC's in its complex circuitry.
Sharp (Optonica) has shown how cassette deck performance and convenience can be improved. One of their new decks has acalculator-like keyboard right on its front panel by means of which specific selections in amulti-selection cassette tape can be programmed to play in preferred sequence. Here again, the microprocessor crosses over from the world
(Continued on page 106)
34 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
There are probably beai.Éiful musical pasges on many of your records that you've never heed. And you never will, unless your cartridge is sensitive enough to clearly reveal allthe subtle harmonics within the audio spectrum.
lodayS sophisticated 'direct to disc"technology as raised the quality of disc recording to anew state of the art.You need acartridge, that does justice to these fine recordings: an,ADC cartridge.With
-ADC cartridge, you will find the state of the art has been brought almost to the state of perfection.
Long known by audiophiles for incredibly pure sound reproduction,ADC cartridges have also proven their amazingly low record wear.This year, they have even surpassed themselves.
First, therès the remarkable new ZLM with the.unique XLIPTIC'stylus. It combines the better stereo reproduction of the
eilipal stylus shape with the longer, lower wearing, vertical bearing radius of the Shibata shape. As aresult, sound reproduction is completely transparent and clean. Indivxlual instrument placement is more easily identifiable. And frequency response is ruler flat -±-1c1B to 20kHz and -±11 /2 dB to 26 kHz. It tracks at 1/2,to i',4 grams.
Then there's the new XLM MK III with the same reduced mass, tapered cantilever but with a true elliptical shaped nude diamond tip. It has 50% lower mass than our previously lowest mass XLM MK II. It tracks at 3/4--11/2 grams.
The ,CiLM 36 MK Ill with the inn&ative.Diasa elliptical nude tip also has excellent frequency response, wide separation, and an incredibly clean sound. It also tracks at 3/4-1 1 /2 grams.
The OLM 34 MK Ill offers elliptical shape and tracks as low as
grarn with flat response out to l'OkHz±2,d
The OLM 32 MK Ill is a2-4 gram ektical with great sound: ks one of the bes: budget ellipticals around.
And ideal for automatic changers, the QL.M 30 MK III is a3-5 efam conical stylus that's Compatible with awide range of stti.eei equipment.
See the complete line of ADC cartridges and ,,,,," tonearms at Las Vegas, Booth 703.
A fitiR Let pany Audio Dyi arnics (o ,orat loll Pickett %trio Road New Mitgord. Conn. 06776
_
Another exclusive from the experts in cassette decks:
AIWA introduces anew turntable and cassette deck perfectly synchronized for ultimate recording quality.
Taken individually, the new AD-6400 Cassette Deck and AP-2200 Turntable from AIWA are unmatched in design, engineering and performance... just what you dexpect from AIWA. Put them together and you get Synchrorecording A performance function you can't expect from anyone else.
Synchro-recording means that the deck and turntable are perfectly synchronized to maximize recording quality. AIWA designed them that way. And it's easy to use. While in the record
mode just depress the pause key on the AD-6400, lower the tone arm on the AP-2200 and you're recording. The instant the tone arm is lowered, recording begins...automatically. No hesitation, no problems no sweat. It's simple ... most good ideas are. The New AIWA AD-6400 Cassette Deck is loaded with other high-performance features like 2step peak reading L.E.D.s. Dolby* noise reduction, oil-damped ejection and key return, bias fine adjustment to give optimum performance with any brand of LH tape available and awow and flutter of only 0.05% (WRMS).
recording
The AIWA AP-2200 Turntable features con-
The AIWA AD-6800, AI WA's Super Deck--The
venient front controls, S-type tone arm with oil-
AD-6800 provides Synchro-recording and
damped cueing. front-adjustment, anti-skating,
every feature you could want in ahigh-quality,
aspace-saving hinged dust cover and an
high performance cassette deck including
inorganic compound resin base that eliminates
automatic cassette loading, advanced double
howl and feedback. And the AP-2200 rests on
needle metering, flat response tuning system
insulator feet that satisfy any shelf size.
(FRTS) and built-in 400 Hz and 8kHz mixed
The AP-2200 is designed to provide Synchro-
oscillator. The AD-6800 will precisely measure
recording with these great AIWA cassette
the bias of any cassette tape on the market
decks, too:
today. And lots more.
The AIWA AD-6550 Cassette Deck with wow
Synchro-recording --another reason to think
and flutter of only 0.05% (WRMS), and bias
of AIWA if you're serious about cassette decks.
·
fine adjustment. Plus aremaining tape time meter that lets you know exactly how much tape you have left.
AIWA See us at BOOTH 403 Las Vegas Convention
Center.
If you re serious about cassette decks.
Distributed in the U.S. by MERITON ELECTRONICS INC., 35 Oxford Drive, Moonachie. N.J. 07074
Distributed in Canada by: SHRIRO (CANADA) LTD
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A Guide To The Video Revolution
Moving into any new product category can be a mildly traumatic experience for even the most seasoned retailer, but the plunge into video now being contemplated by many audio dealers is turning into an absolutely terrifying ordeal for some.
The two fields are seemingly unrelated, with different customers, different merchandising requirements, different pricing structures and -- in many cases -- different suppliers. In addition, taking on aline of video products presents the audio dealer with added expenses in setting up display areas, training salesmen and developing promotion and advertising campaigns.
Then why do it? Because, say many video suppliers and asignificant number of audio dealers already heavily involved in video, the two areas aren't really that widely separated. Unlike other non-audio consumer electronic products, video requires the kind of merchandising, sales and display expertise which audio retailers have successfully applied to the hi fi field.
With video cassette recorder (VCR) systems, in particular, many in the infant video industry see the audio retailer becoming as potent aforce in the market as TV specialists, appliance-TV outlets, department stores and mass merchants. They also see a bright future for audio retailers in projection TV, and -- to a lesser degree -- in the programmable game field.
"Video in the mid 1970s is where stereo was in the late 1950s," says one executive in the video field. "Right now, video products appeal to alimited audience of video freaks or videophiles, similar to the audiophile of 15 to 20 years ago. Obviously, it won't take video as long as it did audio to become a
mass-market product, and it's already happening. But it's still a relatively sophisticated field -- with high tickets and healthy margins -- and it's something the audio dealer can apply his specific kind of knowledge to selling."
At this point, most activity in the video field is focused on the video cassette, which is the fastestgrowing and has the best shortterm potential of all new video products. Although there is some confusion over actual VCR sales, the industry generally agrees that 1977 saw unit sales of 125,000-150,000, and that 1978 will witness a growth to around the 500,000-600,000 mark (some put the figure as high as 750,000). If industry forecasts hold true, total sales will climb to around 850,000 units in 1979 and hit the 1.25 million mark in 1980.
As the accompanying chart indicates, there are now at least 20 different suppliers (including national catalog retailers) either in the VCR market, or making plans to enter the field. This doesn't mean that the retailer shopping around for aVCR line is faced with 20 separate systems from which to select, however. In fact, the decision involves only four ba-gic formats; of these, just two are seen emerging as dominant systems in the U.S. market.
Those two are the Beta format developed by Sony and the VHS (Video Home System) format developed by Matsushita. By the end of 1977, five suppliers (including Sears) had committed themselves to U.S. marketing of Beta-format systems. Two others -- Aiwa and Pioneer -- have adopted the Beta system, but U.S. marketing plans of both firms remain indefinite. Several other audio producers have indicated an interest in the VCR concept, but so far only Akai has committed itself
to aspecific format (VHS). Zenith is the only major U.S. TV manufacturer to embrace the Beta configuration, and the majority of other TV producers has chosen VHS.
Although Sony actually pioneered the concept of a home video cassette recorder deck with its original one-hour Betamax, all Beta systems now being marketed are two-hour models (a few onehour Sony closeouts may still be in the pipelines, but not enough to exert an influence on market developments). Sony fell behind in the playing-time battle when various U.S. marketers began introducing the four-hour VHS system developed by Matsushita, but the firm expects to introduce a three-hour tape sometime this spring. Using an optional automatic one-cassette changer (about $100) scheduled to be available at the end of 1977, Beta VCR decks effectively become six-hour systems.
Even if it wasn't the first VCR deck on the U.S. market, the VHS format is already playing aleading role in the furious video competition -- primarily due to the entry of powerhouse RCA into the field with a VHS deck. While some VHS decks -- including RCA's -- have a four-hour playing time, without the need for a separate changer, a few firms are offering two-hour versions (VHS playing times are indicated by "VHS-2" or "VHS-4" headings in the table of suppliers). Late in November, however, JVC was set to announce anew tape which would extend the playing time of its two-hour VHS to three hours, a development which logically should provide six hours of playing time for four-hour VHS units.
So far, 12 suppliers have adopted the VHS format with specific plans for U.S. marketing (including Montgomery Ward and
38 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
Magnavox 4-hour VHS
Toshiba color camera/power supply
Sony 2-hour Betamax with changer
Panasonic VHS
Toshiba Beta-format
RCA 4-hour, VHS; accessories
Zenith Beta-format
Zenith Beta-format
See chart on next page for pricing and additional specs on units shown here.
JANUARY. 1978
Sylvania VHS
Sanyo V-Cord II
Quasar VX-2000 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 39
Brand Name
Aiwa Akai GE Hitachi JVC Magnavox
Mathes (Curtis) Mathes (Curtis) Montgomery Ward
MGA Panasonic Penney
Pioneer Quasar RCA Sanyo Sanyo Sears
Sharp Sony Sylvania Toshiba Zenith Zenith
VIDEO CASSETTE RECORDERS
GUIDE TO U.S. SUPPLIERS
List Price
Not set Not set Not set Not set $1,280 $1,075$1,095 $2,400
$2,900
$995
Open $1,095 $1,000
Not set $995 $1,000 $1,050 -- $995
Not set $1,095 $1,095 $1,095
$995
$2,400
Format
Beta VHS VHS-4 VHS-2 VHS-2 VHS-4
VHS-4 (console w/TV) VHS-4 (console w/TV) VHS-4
VHS-2 VHS-4 VHS-4
Beta VX-2000 VHS-4 V-Cord Il Beta Beta
VHS-2 Beta VHS-4 Beta Beta Beta (console w/TV)
Availability
Not set Late '78 Spring '78 Mid '78 Now Now
Manufacturer
Sony Sony Matsushita Hitachi JVC Matsushita
Now
Now
Now
Now Now Now
Not set Now Now Now Now Some markets now; national mid '78 Not set Now Now Now Now Now
Matsushita (VCR deck only) Matsushita (VCR deck only) Matsushita (sold under Panasonic name) JVC Matsushita Matsushita (sold under RCA name) Sony Matsushita Matsushita Sanyo Sanyo Sanyo
JVC Sony Matsushita Sony (Toshiba in '78) Sony Sony (VCR deck only)
Penney), but in some cases, exact introduction dates have not yet
been established. Two other formats are also being
sold in the U.S. One is the VX-
2000, developed earlier by Matsushita and now being marketed
through its Quasar (formerly
Motorola) subsidiary. Called "The Great Time Machine," Quasar's
system was actually the first competitor to the Betamax con-
cept, and has been available in the U.S. for well over ayear. The VX2000 does not have widespread
support as a basic format,
however, and Quasar is seen as eventually introducing a VHS deck of its own. Whether this
means the VX-2000 will be closed
out, or used as a lower-priced leader for the VHS, isn't clear.
The fourth format is Sanyo's V-
Cord II system. Sanyo has also
adopted the Beta format, and --
like Quasar -- its eventual plans for the V-Cord II are unknown. It's unlikely that any other VCR sup-
pliers will adopt the V-Cord for-
mat, and both it and VX-2000 will
unquestionably play secondary roles -- if they play any at all -- to the Beta and VHS formats.
As with other new product categories, the pricing situation in VCR has been nothing short of chaotic. In the beginning, Sony established $1,300 as the sug-
gested list price for its one-hour Betamax and carried the price
over to the two-hour version introduced last year. Those other VCR
suppliers who signed with Sony for the Beta format either implied, or
openly said, that they would follow suit.
Then came RCA. When it took
the wraps off the VHS system last August, it also took the wraps off a price that sent shockwaves through the VCR industry -- $1,000. Those suppliers who had already announced VHS prices
(such as JVC, which had earlier introduced its version at $1,280) stuck by their original prices, but most quickly made it clear to retail
accounts that enough promotional support would be available so that RCA's price could be
matched. Meanwhile, Quasar -- which at
$995 had the lowest suggested price to that point -- lowered its dealer
costs to the point where a $795 price became possible. The next major price move came from Zenith, which quickly discovered that a $1,300 suggested list price
40 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN PIONEERS SALES PEOPLE NEVER SEE THEIR WIVES OR KIDS.
BUT THEY HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FORYOU.
Our reps, regional managers and even Pioneer's president will hardly be home this month.
During January, they're married to the business.
They'll have dealer showings in 32 cities. Demonstrating new products. Discussing marketing
plans. Previewing the new national ad campaign. Setting up local promotions. Giving and getting advice.
If you're aPioneer dealer you know it's vital that you set aside afew hours to attend the
meeting in your area. If we're willing to leave our families, surely you can get
away from the store.
GO PIONEER' I-figh Wien', Component. WE BRING IT BACK ALIVE. U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp..
85 0,1oid Di ne, Moonachie, NI 07074. Tel:1201)440-8100.
West:13300 S. Estrella, Gardena, CA 90247. Tel: 2131 323-3101. Midwest:737 Fargo.Ave., Flk Grove Village, II 60007. Tel: 1312i 593-2960
Texas District,:1875 Walnut Thll line, Irving, TX 75061. le1.12141258-0200.
,
WANUARY78
MONDAY
TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
FRIDAY SATURDAY
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JANUARY. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 41
Feature controls on RCA's VHS deck.
was adefinite liability in the com-
petition with its arch rival, RCA. In November. Zenith dropped its
price to $995 (at the same time chopping $200 off a deluxe console/VCR combination unit orig-
inally introduced at $2,600), and Sony soon followed with its own
reduction -- to $1,095. The $1,300 Bet a price finally disappeared complet ely late in November when
Toshiba followed Sony's lead and cut its Beta price to $1,095.
Although there will undoubtedly be other price moves in the
future, the situation seems to have
cooled off temporarily. What it all means is a raft of different sug-
gested list prices but two basic price points -- $995 for Beta. VHS systems and \'-Cord II, and $795
for the Quasar VX-2000. (Late in 1977. VHS and Beta prices in the $850-$950 range were showing up in scattered locations around the country.) With all this price
cutting, retail margins have been
kept at comparatively healthy levels (20-30e,) through strong price and promotional support from suppliers, including some
very attractive rebate programs.
Even though most VCR sup-
pliers have determined that the recording of TV programs for later
viewing is the primary selling
point of VCRs, virtually all are
making cameras available. In general. black-and-white cameras are
being offered with suggested list prices in the $300 to $400 range. Several are also offering, or plan-
ning to offer, color cameras. At this
point, they carry suggested prices higher than the VCR decks them-
selves; Toshiba's, for instance, is
$1.700. Other accessories include the
Beta changer mentioned above
(which has a 10-12-second changing time). and Beta timers. Timers are included in the price of most Beta-tbrmat systems, but can also
be purchased separately. VHS decks come with built-in digital LED timers.
Although not accessories, blank video cassette tapes are also available from every supplier in the
VCR field. At this point, VHS tapes are generally priced this way: 4-hour. $20-$25; 2-hour, $15-
$18. Beta tapes: 2-hour, $16-$18; 1-hour, $12-$13. The blank tape
field is seen by most in the field as offering the retailer attactive addon sales, and if current market re-
search is accurate. VCR owners will be coming back for plenty of tapes after they buy the VCR. One
study says the average buyer will part with an additional $500 for
blank tapes during the first year of
VCR ownership. As with VCR. many in the video
field believe the audio dealer is
naturally suited to sell projection
TV. But the projection industry remains fragmented, with a be-
wildering variety of different
systems, prices and product styling now available. A recent survey
of the projection field showed just under 60 firms in the field, offering a total of over 160 separate
models.
Many of these are regional firms. Since the field is so confused at the moment, laying down
any specific guidelines on pricing,
product characteristics or manufacturer policies, is virtually impossible. A few national firms, of-
fering the dealer solid promo-
tional support and servicing
programs. are in the projection
field, including Advent, Magne -
vision, MGA, Muntz, Panasonic,
Project aVision, Sega, Sony and others.
In addition, the first major American TV maker -- General
Electric -- is believed on the verge of entering the field with an under-$2.000 system, and that de-
velopment -- combined with the
activities of several major Jap-
anese companies -- could give pro-
jection a maturity it desperately needs.
Many audio retailers shied away from the game concept when the first generation of products quickly fell victim to a vicious round of
price slashing and below-cost discounting. But anumber of dealers are now adding second-generation
programmable games, partly because they tie in easily with other new video systems and partly be-
cause they offer the retailer a reasonable profit margin.
At the same time, many audio 'dealers say they are offering a limited selection of programmable games to get a foot in the
door; when even more complex
and higher-priced units come
along. they want to be ready to sell them. "Complex games appeal to the kind of sophisticated customer who shops for audio here,"
says one audio dealer. "The more sophisticated and complex they become, the more they will appeal to that customer."
Although a few new ones may
pop up here at the winter CES, the
programmable market is now
owned by five companies, each of' which otters asingle model: Atari,
Video Computer System, $189;
Bally. Bally Professional Arcade, $299: RCA, Studio II, $150; Fair-
child. Video Entertainment System, $170; Coleco, Telstar Ar-
cade, $99. Discussion of' video discs was
saved for last simply because --
despite an enormous amount of
42 HIGH FIDELITY TR 11)E VEIVS
.1 I\TARY. I97R
Yes, the new Dual 604 at $250'
is direct drive.
Now let's talk about something that's really important.
You may have noticed that most turntable stories begin and end with the drive system. The tonearm is
more or less an afterthought.
But not with Dual. Because the tonearm can make abig difference in how records sound and how long
they last. Which is why Dual is very serious about tonearm design and performance. And why we can be very serious about tonearms in our advertising.
Let's consider the 604 tonearm. The straight-line tubular design provides maximum rigidity with minimum mass. The four-point gimbal centers and pivots the tonearm precisely where the
vertical and horizontal axes intersect. And the counterbalance houses two specially-tuned anti -resonance filters that absorb parasitic resonances originating in
the tonearm/cartridge system and chassis.
Operation is semi-automatic, with another unique Dual difference: the mechanical sensor. Switch it in
and you fee: when the stylus is positioned precisely over the 12" and 7" lead-in grooves. At the end of
play, the tonearm lifts and returns to its post, and the motor shuts off. Automatically.
Now let's talk about the direct-drive system. It employs anewly developed DC electronic motor, with speed regulated by aC-MOS IC and digital reference circuit. Speed accuracy is within 0.001 percent. Wow
and flutter are less than 0.03 percent, rumble better than 70 dB. As with any great drive system, that's far beyond audibility.
But the important story we any turntable is simply this. The drive system merely turns the record. It's the tonearm that plays it.
J.4NUARY. 1978
Dual
For the life of your records.
* Actual resale prices are determined individually by and at the sole discretion of authorized Dual dealers.
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 43
publicity in both the trade and consumer press -- it's a product which doesn't yet exist. Every week seems to bring forth some dramatic new technical development or marketing scheme, but so far not asingle video disc player has shown up on the consumer market.
The two major competitors for the U.S. video disc market (if there turns out to be avideo disc market) are RCA and Magnavox. RCA recently postponed its disc
Survey Shows Strong Role For Hi Fi Dealers In Video Revolution
A survey by Sharp Electronics Corporation reveals that the TV departments of mass merchandisers and department stores, along with appliance stores, will join high fidelity specialty shops as the most likely places through which home VTR will be sold.
The survey was conducted under the supervision of Robert Garbutt, manager of Sharp's professional products department, and Robert Whitehouse, Sharp's national sales and merchandising manager-video products.
According to Garbutt, the survey showed that 92 per cent of the department stores and mass merchandisers questioned were selling home VTR in the television department. "The feeling was that their present television buyer and TV merchandising group had a good relationship already going with the VTR manufacturer," he said.
Garbutt reported that avery significant reason given by many stores questioned was that they were handling wide screened television projectors and TV games, and the addition of home VTR to the department offers an opportunity to form a more advanced
marketing plans indefinitely. Magnavox, which hopes to market a system developed by its parent company Philips of Holland, is scheduled to introduce its disc player sometime early in 1978. Since disc introduction dates have been postponed, delayed and revised so many times in the past, however, the video disc is obviously still a product whose time simply hasn't arrived (see separate story on U.S. Pioneer's video/disc plans and timetable).
consumer entertainment department.
Garbutt said the study also showed that in many of the stores, television salesmen were on commission and that there was strong feeling that commissioned workers were better motivated to handle VTR.
It came as something of a surprise to Sharp that interest in home VTR ran so strong among hi fi specialty dealers. "Many of the better hi fi shops are handling or are interested in handling home VTR," Garbutt said.
"Some felt their customers were accustomed to spending large dollar amounts for home entertainment systems, and that home VTR was a natural extension of their product lines," he said.
Garbutt reported these high fidelity stores also felt that their sales personnel were better equipped to market home VTR because the very nature of the business requires sales personnel to learn and be able to discuss the technical aspects of the equipment they sell. "The hi fidelity salesman must know how one system compares to the other, and why they are representing one over the other," he said.
Pioneer's
Videodisc On The Way
Maybe by '80
U.S. Pioneer president Bernie Mitchell says his company's joint
venture with MCA (UniversalPioneer) could begin producing videodisc hardware for the consumer market by 1980, with acommercial product likely to debut this year. He predicted videodisc software and possibly hardware would be less expensive, ultimately, than VCR.
"That doesn't mean we will opt to do that, but we will be able to, and Ithink that we will opt to," Mitchell said, cautioning that introductory timetables have not been cast in concrete and suggesting that dealers "shouldn't start sweeping out the corner and getting ready for it."
The tentative timetable, well behind the explosion of home
videocassette recorders hitting the market today, "will not hurt the chances for success of the videodisc," Mitchell predicted. "I think the two products are tremendously compatible and Ithink that'll help."
Mitchell made several points in arecent interview about the potential both of the videodisc and home 'VCR systems. "When you start fooling around with the potential of videodisc, it's absolutely incredible," he said. "You can put the entire New York telephone book on one disc. Distribution of information rapidly, easily and inexpensively is better with videodisc than with videotape. For example, say you want to mount a widget differently, change the procedure, and tell 15,000 dealers about it all over the country. You can cut adisc and send it out and it would be infinitely cheaper than it would be to send out avideocassette."
Mitchell also expressed concern about the video tape piracy issue. "I think this entertainment phenomenon we are delivering has to provide revenue for the artist. If it doesn't our success can destroy us, by collapsing the artistic base of our industry."
44 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
THERE'S JUST ONE WORD FOR THE CES SHOW:
Of all the product lines you see at the show, there's
one to remember: the new Quanta line from BSR.
It's anew idea in total turntables, acombination of
brains and beauty.
The styling and technology say it's expensive, but the
price says it's not. Only BSR could deliver the value your
customers will get in the Quanta line.
You have to hear and see it to believe it.
And while you're having alook at the new Quanta
line ask about our exciting new programs and promotions
then, say hello to our new BSR Management Group:
John Hollands, Chairman of the Board; Charley Sweeney,
President; Vic Amador, President BSR Consumer
Products; and Jack McMurray, V. P., National Sales
Manager.
B R Not only do we have the
Quanta Line that's amover, we
Las Vegas
have the organization to move it!
Booth 703
JANUARY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 45
Bib \ew in Anoricc I proudly presents
England's largest-selling
record etz tape deck cleaners
Dealers in America now have the opportunity to offer this same fine equipment to their customers.
Anti-static cleaner cleans 2 ways
Different from all other disc cleaners on the market is Bib's exclusive two-way action ...afine bristled brush gently lifts the dirt out of the grooves while a velvet buffer, humidified with the gentlest touch of anti-static cleaner removes the dirt from the surface of the record, all in one easy motion. Solid stainless steel. List price $15.00
A unique tape-head maintenance kit
Sell The Excitement Of Projection TV
Many audio salesmen are perplexed about how they can sell video projection systems effectively. The answer is that they will be highly successful if they emphasize the excitement, the involvement and realism of the system. \ot to mention that a few years ago the sensation of projection TV could only be experienced in the uncomfortable surroundings of a movie theater -- now the customer can experience it in their own living rooms. With video projection TV, the expression "one picture is worth a 1000 words" is
rntr
Bib's tape deck cleaning kit is unique in that it's special expandable ittings allows you to construct atool that will reach even the most inaccess'ble parts of your home or car tape deck. Dental inspection mirror lets you see what you are doing. List price $7.95
Bib
Distributed in America by:
BIB HI-FI ACCESSORIES, INC. 3363 Garden Brook Drive
Dallas, Texas 75234 214/243-8971
46 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
The Advent system
especially appropriate since this device will almost sell itself if you demonstrate it well.
As you probably know, a video projection system consists of three elements. They are aTV receiver (to pick up the television programs), aprojector (or lens) and a large screen. There are basically two types: the rear screen model, in which all three parts are selfcontained and the picture is pro-
(Continued on page 109)
JANUARY 107R
Announcin
Having minimized the distortions caused by rumble, wow and
anew
flutter, our engineers turned to the most disturbing distortions of all -- those caused by
imperfections on the surface of all old or new
component phonograph records. The Music Recovery Module.'' Here is the solution: acomponent that
from Garrardelectronicaly identifies and filters pops, clicks and scratches before they reach your ears. What
that's as comes through is the music -- and on_y the music. What it will do for you.
ImportantFirst. The Music Recovery Module is an excit-
·
ing and effective new product. No
dopurebstsyeoduwithswtohnaiet twdiollbese i nmd-
phonograph records howit doesi
And that should make it
is Dollye
easier to close the sa_e Second. The Music Recovery Module will
Is to tape ·
nake all your component demonstrations sound better. You'll never again have to explain away
those pops and clicks that spoil an A-B com-
e parison of speakers. Even shopworn demo
records will sound good again. It's safe to
say that when you hear the Music Recovery Module,
you'll want one for yourself.
-.·
Get all the information you need. Just cal your Garrard representative.
Or cal Ron Coll at 516-938-8900.
Garrard.
100 Commercial Street, Plainview, New York 11803
./ \1· IR 1978
111(,11 FIDELIT) TRADE .11.:14...S. 47
Selling The Video Revolution
by Les Davis
To many audio salesmen, even those who sell the most complex esoteric hi fi components everyday, the prospect of selling home video tape recorders (HVTR) is a bit frightening. They think of video gear as being hard to sell and totally alien from the sound reproduction products they understand so well.
As a former retail audio salesman, who also sold video, let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth. If you are professional enough to guide a novice consumer through the intricacies of choosing an audio component system, selling home video tape recorders and related items should be acinch for you, once you know how. This article will provide, in aquestion and answer format, all the information that you need to know in order to begin to sell HVTR immediately.
Q. Why should Isell HVTR? A. The home video tape record-
ing industry is one of the fastest growing fields in electronics today. Experts are predicting 1978 U.S. sales of home video cassette recorders (HVCR) alone to come to about 600,000 units which will be more than double the sales figures for 1977 (approximately 275,000 units).
If we calculate the retail price at as little as $1,000 per unit (with add-ons and software, it will come to much more), then HVCR sales for '78 should exceed $600,000,000 in volume.
As if that is not impressive enough, HVTRs are expected to become a multibillion dollar industry during the 1980s. Someone has to sell HVTR. Rather than have a former department store shoe salesman who lacks sufficient knowledge do it, why shouldn't you cash in on this boom? It will put more dollars in your pocket and if you are consci-
entious it will make your customers happy, which will generate additional repeat and referral business for you.
Besides, many of your audio consumers will be interested in HVCR when they discover that Sony has developed aPulse Code Modulation adaptor which connects to the HVCR making this combination the most sophisticated consumer audio tape recorder available today with tremendous dynamic range and virtually no noise. Although this adaptor will retail for $1,300, prices are expected to drop when demand makes possible mass production, manufacturing technology improves and competitive models appear on the market.
Q. How can I interest customers in HVTR?
A. With all the advertising being done (by manufacturers which include Sony, JVC, RCA, Zenith, Quasar and Sanyo) to entice the public, you will find that many consumers will already be excited about HVTR. Often all you will have to do is help them decide what is the best equipment for their needs and convince them to buy from you. You can win sales from other customers by doing the following things:
1) Attempt to sell HVTR to every customer -- Even if they came into your store to buy hi fi, first complete the audio sale and then give an HVTR demonstration (if you have the equipment on hand) to all who are even mildly interested. By doing this you will find that, quite often, you will add on more than $1,000 in video equipment to your original hi fi sale, increasing the store's volume and profits as well as your commissions.
2) Entice your customers to buy VTR by explaining the advantages: The major selling points
are that most HVCRs can: a) Record one program in full
color for viewing later (with a built-in tuner) at the same time that you watch another program on adifferent channel.
b) Reuse tapes -- Erase recorded programs and reuse the tape to record over and over again at no additional cost.
c) Record programs when you are away from home -- by using a timer.
d) Avoid commercials or boring segments of ashow, skipping them by fast forwarding.
e) Provide instant replays -- View exciting segments over and over again by rewhiding and with a freeze frame option, stop action to examine the picture frame by frame.
f) Enable you to make your own TV shows -- With an optional camera/microphone, you can produce your own programs to entertain or teach your family or friends; or use it for business purposes, or to record the growth of your children, etc.
g) Add a pulse code modulation adaptor -- Enabling you to have an audio tape recorder that is better than the best conventional studio (analog) recorders.
h) Be easily connected -- Attaches to a standard TV without an adaptor.
i) Have long recording time capability -- RCA makes an HVCR that records 4hours of programming on a single tape, Sony has an optional $100 adaptor that automatically changes two 2-hour tapes, and there are many two hour machines that are available.
j) Be purchased at low cost -- The average home machine now lists for around $1,000 which is an excellent value when you consider the years of enjoyment it will provide.
(Continued on page 94)
48 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
Phono Cartridges
El Buyer's Guide from Micro-ficoustics
The phonograph record is amechanical replica of musical performance. The job of the phono cartridge is to convert complex undulations of the record groove into an electrical signal. Here's how the different kinds of phono cartridges compare in function, performance and manufacture. This chart has been
%rformance :ategories
Crystal, Ceramic
Moving Magnet
Ceramic or Crystal---..... Yoke
Magnet Armature
Stylus Mount
Pole Piece
S N
Coil
Stylus Bar
Stylus Bar
prepared to help you make the appropriate choice for your budget and music system. The information encompasses the range of performance characteristics for each type of cartridge. Data' is compiled from manufacturers' literature and the results obtained at Micro-Acoustics cartridge clinics held throughout the U.S.A.
Moving Iron
Unduced Magnet)
MagnetMagnet
Moving Coil
/ Pole Piece
\
Electret
'Micro-Acoustics Direct-Coupled )
Electret
Microcircuit
Pole Piece
coil Iron Arrnature
Stylus Bar
Coil Stylus Bar
a Pivot '
Resolver
Damper
Bearing
Stylus Bar
Operation Principle Tracking Ability
Stylus bar moved by record groove under heavy tracking pressure (3-8 grams). Bar's motion bends crystal element causing output signal. Poor to Fair
Stylus bar moved by record groove, Magnet armature vibrates between pole pieces, causing change in flux, and inducing signal in output coil. Good to Excellent
Stylus bar moved by record groove, Iron armature vibrates between pole pieces, changing reluctance of magnetic path, and inducing signal in output coil.
Stylus bar moved by record groove, As coil vibrates through magnetic field, signal is induced in coil and fed to step-up transformer or pre-preamp.
Good to Good to Excellent Very Good
Transient Ability
(rise time in microseconds)
60 to 100
30 to 60
25 to 50
20 to 30
Freq. Resp. Variation Due to Loading with Pre-Amp, Cables
-±4dB below 1000Hz
(plugs directly into
amp input)
--10dB to + 6above 3kHz
--12dB to +4 above 3kHz
±1/ 2 dB over entire range
Ability to Perform In Variety of Tonearms
Works in lowcost units only
Good to Very Good
Fair to Very Good
Fair to Very Good
Ability to Track Warped Records Poor to Good
Fair to Good
Fair to Good
Fair to Good
Cartridge Body Weight
5to 10 grams
6to 8grams
5.5 to 7grams
7to 11 grams
User Replaceable
Stylus
Yes
Method of Manufacture
Mass Production
Cost Range
Least Expensive
Warranty
90 days (limited)
'Al! cartndges show single channel only
Yes
Yes
Usually Not
Mass Production
Mass Production
Precision Handmade
Inexpensive to Moderate
Inexpensive to Moderate
Expensive to Very Expensive
90 days to 1year (limited)
90 days to 1 year (limited)
90 days to 1 year (limited)
iii a ®Micro-ficoustics 8 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, N.Y. 10523
Stylus bar moved by record groove. Stylus bar vibrates electrets through resolver and pivots, producing signal which is fed to microcircuit. Very Good to Excellent
17 to 20
.-t 1/ 2 dB over entire range
Very Good to Excellent Very Good to Excellent 4to 5.25 grams Yes Precision Handmade Moderate to Expensive 2years (full)
©1977 Micro Acoustics Corp.
JANUARY. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 49
Join A Minority
011 ·
There are times when the best place to be is where everyone else isn't.
And now's your chance. Mitsubishi wants you for The System. The only high performance audio system with one name, one look, one warranty, one standard of quality. The System. Where every component is made for every other component. And each created equal. The System. Which our dealers will tell you, is respon-
sible for some of the easiest $3000 sales in the business.
The System. Which has given our dealers some of the highest profits in the business.
We're looking for afew new dealers to sell that system. And we'll help. Because our dealers deal directly with us.
So we'll give you atechnical expert to show your salesman how to demonstrate The System so your customers won't settle for anything less.
Well give you an impressive equipment rack so they won't even look at anything less.
We'll give you national advertising that has already generated national interest. Still, we'll give you aliberal co-op allowance with no
bureaucratic red tape. In fact, we'll give you more
liberal terms all the way around. We'll even give you pre-paid freight at alower level than any other major full-line company.
Call our sales manager, Fred Hartfelder at: (800) 421-1132. Ask how you can join The System.
Because the truth is, you just can't beat it.
mtMitsubishi Audio Systems
Department Store Audio: Friend Or Foe?
Walk into the home entertainment section of aquality department store today and you're more likely to find an assortment of hi fi systems, maybe even afull-fledged sound room, then you are to see the traditional rows of consoles and compacts.
The move into selling true high fidelity in department stores is among the first steps in new marketing strategies for the audio business, apart of the effort to sell high fidelity to anew group of customers.
With U.S. Pioneer taking a forceful lead, most major full line audio manufacturers are in various stages of special programs for department stores, and department store managers say they're "getting into high fidelity because our customers demand it."
Market estimates for this year are for the department stores to get a static 3c/i of the high fidelity business, same as for the past two years. But that's agrowing total of $60 million if you accept the estimate of hi fi as a$2 billion ayear market at retail. And department store volume in hi fi is sure to increase next year as more chains and independent outlets jump on the bandwagon, and as hi fi manufacturers step up their fledgling department store marketing efforts. The industry will be watching to see if the family shopping stores get alarger slice of the same pie or if they increase the total market.
Competition with audio specialists in the same communities who carry the same brands as the department stores may not be as great as it might seem at first
glance. The manufacturers maintain, and the stores confirm, that "department store customers are different."
The basis of most department store programs is aspecial group of system packages, or in some cases a separate line within the brand. These are planned for the profile of the department store hi fi buyer -- a first-time purchaser who is unsure about his/her own ability to make a correct choice of components and who prefers to buy at a familiar store where credit is established.
This profile is close to the hi fi customer of the 1980s described at the 1HF marketing seminar in New York City. Changes in the population mean, several speakers pointed out, that the 18-24-year-oldmale, target of recent audio merchandising efforts, is a declining
Department Store Reasons For Move
To Hi Fi:
· "Our customers demand it." · "Hi-fi is agrowth product today." · "Good sound is part of today's life style, so we have to sell it." · "We tried components, and they've been very good for us."
group in numbers so that other market segments must be developed.
"The first-time buyer in the next five years is likely to be less knowledgeable about high fidelity systems, be more comfortable purchasing a relatively simple, inexpensive system that can be readily set up and used, be more comfortable buying an audio system from aretailer with whom they are familiar and with whom they have arelationship and acredit standing, and be more amenable to mass advertised, pre-packaged products marketed by companies
with a reputation for quality and reliability," said John Hall, vp for corporate planning for U.S. Pioneer Electronics.
Overlapping of the changing hi fi customer and the department store buyer comes at atime when both businesses are making changes in their appeal to market segments, so the association seems advantageous for both. Hi fi manufacturers are seeking to appeal to aslightly older, less knowledgeable group of buyers and this past year spent record amounts in advertising aimed directly at the wide consumer population. Department stores are looking for customers younger than the "little old ladies" which formerly were the mainstay of their business. Adding high fidelity is one of the changes department stores in all sections of the country are making to attract new customers with different life styles.
The old saying that "Macy's won't tell Gimbels" still seems to permeate department store thinking so that many store or department managers will not discuss their hi fi programs, but their advertising campaigns, store promotions and department expansions speak for themselves.
"Audio is coming back into the department stores because it's too important apiece of the market to give up," states Kenny Platt, general merchandise manager for Platt Music Co. in Torrance, CA, which is concessionaire for both the 25 May Co. stores in southern
California and the 11 Emporium stores in northern California.
"The console market died off, but the hi fi market is there. The entire consumer market is demanding hi fi, whether young or old, since it's astatus symbol now to have components. The hi fi area has taken the pull away from the top end stereo compacts," Platt continues, "so we've cut down on compacts and added more audio."
He reports that sales center around component packages
52 111(111 FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
How to make clinics really easy
WeageT PANEL
USG.,
*
TM'
r
ANAL
110,1 ,
MEAN...Mere
4PP;LE)
.A.Lnini
TEST EIONAL
Ir.FM NICCRAAACIN
· ·
ee e · ue
... T41. ·
II»
Here's away to simplify your test setup. This stereo test panel interfaces all the audio test equipment to the customer's receiver being tested or demonstrated. At the clinic just connect the amplifier inputs and outputs to this new Sound Tech panel. It's that easy. (That's all you need connect in factory production testing, too.) The diagram shows how simple the setup becomes. Note that the setup even includes the bench receiver that many technicians find helpful. All the test equipment can be connected beforehand
to the test panel. That saves you alot of trouble, mistakes, time, and money.
PRODUCTION TESTS, TOO
Just ask any of those people who've seen me demonstrate the 1200A at CES shows.
The new 1200A panel can make clinics alot easier for you and your salesmen.
Easier for production testing, too.
SIT 10OD A ALIGNMENT GENERATOR
SIT 1100A SIGNAL
CONDITIONER
SIT 1700A/ B DISTORTION ANALYZER
E3ENCH RECEIVER
S/T 1200A
STEREO TEST
PANEL
RECEIVER BEING
TESTED (OR
DEMONSTRATED
LOANS
SPEAKERS
SEND FOR FREE INFORMATION
To:
SOUND TECHNOLOGY 1400 Dell Ave. Campbell, Ca. 95008
Send coupon now and
get the literature on this important measuring development.
Name
Firm
Street
City, State
Zip
Phone
9 SOUND TECHNOLOGY
1400 DELL AVENUE CAMPBELL, CALIFORNIA 95008
C40E1737E4.6540
although the stores also carry receivers, speakers, tape decks, and' headphones for separate sales Lines featured are Fisher, Kenwood, Panasonic, B.I.C. turntables and Venturi speakers. Platt adds that BSR/ADC's Accutrac +6 has been selling extremely well.
There are sound rooms in two of the May Co. stores but Platt notes that "sound rooms don't seem to make alot of difference in sales." The stores rely on manufacturers for sales training on products and consider returns as "a normal part of the cost of doing business."
In the South, Dillard's, a 38store chain is in its second year of aggressively moving into hi fi. "We feel good about this product classification. Our success is in putting apackage together, whereas the hi fi store probably sells more individual pieces," says Jack Tiernan, general merchandise manager for the Ft. Worth division.
Dillard's regularly promotes separate components in packages in a regular advertising schedule and in mailers to its charge account customers. Lines featured are Marantz, Garrard, Pioneer and Fisher. The size of the audio department, located adjacent to television, is being increased in newer stores.
A living room setting with a divan and comfortable chairs is arranged in front of the walls with component displays and switching systems so that purchases can be considered in a relaxed atmosphere. Sales training is conducted by reps, and returns are considered minimal.
semmgms
Willen 11111
,- m
Price competition is not a big factor in Dillard's operations in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, and the stores find that packages promoted at higher prjees bring the largest volume.
Minneapolis-based Dayton's, with eight full-line department stores and three free-standing home stores selling hi fi, reports a 50% increase in hi fi sales this year, along with improved margins. Dayton's, a division of the Dayton-Hudson Corp., began amajor effort to develop hi fi business about six years ago and has sound rooms in all but one store.
Dieter Pape, stereo components buyer, credits high traffic at downtown and shopping mall stores, increased training of the sales staff and convenience of using the store's charge card with the increased business. Recent growth started with amajor promotion using the theme "Did you know there is an audio store in Dayton's?"
Four systems are set up in each sound room at prices in the $300$400 range, around $500, at $1,000, and in the $3,000 range to let customers hear the difference between systems at various prices. Lines carried include Technics, reported as accounting for the largest volume, Kenwood, Sony, Bose, Teac and Altec. Sales training is by Dayton's personnel department and by sales reps.
In Akron, O'Neil's held an "Audio Show and Sale" in con-
II
Chicago's Carson Pine Scott kicked off recent audio expansion with mini-concert featuring Magic, trio above. At left, Fisher hi fi is displayed in home-like setting.
junction with the store's 100th anniversary. The store started with the Fisher audio program two
years ago, added Pioneer last spring and also handles the San sui Classique line. Merchandise Manager Bob Price sees audio as a category with lots of potential for department stores and plans to repeat the Audio Fair, which included customer audio clinics with consultants from Technics, Sansui and Fisher.
Success with astrong audio department depends upon sales training, Price believes, and aspecial cassette program is being developed to give sales people product knowledge and to build their confidence in answering customer questions. Average sales at O'Neil's are about $500 for apackage, although merchandise covers the price range from $250 to $1,000.
Hess's, in Allentown, PA, is an eastern store that has staged an audio show annually for several years. Participation from reps of the lines carried is combined with early morning sales training sessions for the staff and a series of special events for customers.
Other department stores in the East featuring high fidelity are Macy's (see adjacent article), Sanger-Harris, Reichs, and Foley's in Boston. Burdine's, based in Miami, does an aggressive job in merchandising hi fi.
Special programs for department stores are increasing among hi fi manufacturers. Superscope/ Marantz will introduce its Imperial line, specially planned for department store sales, at WCES this month.
Kenwood offers completed 4piece systems to make merchandising easier for department stores. Two feature the 15-watt KR 2600, and two are built around the 40-watt KR4070. "The department store program will not interfere with the audio specialist, who accounts for 90% of our business, but the department stores are an essential part of distribution to keep afirm's share of the market," comments Philip Schwartz, Kenwood's national sales manager for special markets.
"We sell only to one or two quai -
54 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
111.11111111111111111.1111.11.1.11111. 1111IMIMBI AA-1115 15 watts per channel minimum RMS at 8ohms from 40-20,000 Hz with no more than 0.5% total harmonic distortion.
11.1111111.11111111.1111.11111.11111111111.11111.1.1 a AA-1125 25 watts per channel minimum RMS at 8ohms from 20-20,000 Hz with no more than 0.3% total harmonic distortion.
AA-1135 35 watts per channel minimum R S at 8 ohms from 20-20,000 Hz with no more than 0.2'70 total harmonic distortion.
AA-1150 50 watts per channel minimum RMS at 8ohms from 20-20,000 Hz with no more than 0.1% toral harmonic distortion.
·ri 11-r`
r r er
AA-1 17575 watts per .1 ai ermihimüii5RMSat Sohms from 20-20,000 Hz with no more than 0.08% total harmonic distortion.
Aemernelti maciemprmeimeweimeefrom 20-20,000 Hz with no more than 0.08% total harmonic distortion.
AKAI OFFERS SIX GREAT WAYS TO RECEIVE YOUR CUSTOMERS.
AKAI's line of receivers offers something for everyone.
For you, as an AKAI dealer, it means six more opportunities to profit from one of the
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So start cashing in with AKAI receivers. Six great ways you can profit by giving your customers satisfaction.
For more information write AKAI
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AKAI
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ity stores in each region, as Burdine's in Florida, Macy's in New York, the Dayton-Hudson group in Minneapolis, and Stix-Baer & Fuller. Our hi fi dealers usually prefer to make up their own pack-
ages, and they can be more competitive than the department stores," Schwartz added.
Mitsubishi also has aspecial department store program, and most recently, Hitachi this fall launched a program of its own based on a line of packaged systems priced from $449 to $1,000.
The department stores, which earlier flirted with high fidelity
and generally left the field, insist that this time, "We're in the busi-
ness to stay." And they may be, because this time around their merchandising needs and those of the high fidelity manufacturers are coinciding.
want great stereo sound? choose pioneer. want great selections? then come to foley's.
fè
Ioleys
cw..=u
· i
· ·
17.95
329.00
co·telle cleat fane.n., doll, noose reducno" speedo,
199.00
G tpecnolly prned del/a dove .rnloble ·90, 1..shat.,
169.00
Foleys Pioneer ad in Houston Chronicle
Pioneer Sells Hi Fi Stores, Not Department Stores
"U.S. Pioneer doesn't sell components to department stores -- we sell to hi fi stores,"says Pioneer's president Bernie Mitchell in discussing the firm's special program for department stores.
"Our policy is to tell the department stores 'If you want our merchandise, build a sound room in every store, carry awide assortment and have sales people who understand the business so we'll be in the business together,'" Mitchell explains.
"The department or section must be run like ahi fi store. They can't just buy two of each product and stay in the business. Imust know the president of the department store or we won't sell to them -- that's a fail-safe mechanism," Mitchell continues.
"As an industry we're doing a lousy job with the first-time buyer. Dealers are doing agood job selling the sophisticated customer, but today's first-time buyer is not comfortable walking into their stores
while he is comfortable in a department store. At one time our entry level buyer was the guy just home from Vietnam, the dealers did awonderful job with him. Now they're not listening to adifferent type of entry level buyer.
"Every decade has its brightest merchant, someone like Ellis Gimbel or J. C. Penney. Today's is Ed Finkelstein, Macy's president. He looked at Macy's San Francisco, the biggest department store in town. It was running out of the little old ladies it appealed to, so he changed the image. He added basket shops, wine grottoes, hi fi, and now Macy's San Francisco is an exciting place for young people to go. The concept worked, and he was promoted to New York. At first Ididn't want to sell Macy's,
Bernie Mitchell
but he's too good a merchant to ignore.
"There are four detailed training sessions before the first department store ad under our program. There's a shakedown and more training. By the time they start, they're an audio store. Department store sales are similar in pattern to audio stores, but there are more sales in the lower price range. Tuners and amps sell in the same ratios in both types of stores.
"We've been surprised with the good results in stores in small towns not well served by hi fi shops. Stores in places like Tuscaloosa and Louisville are doing a very good job.
"There are some problems with personnel turnover, overspending in advertising, and open to buy. There might be 500 speakers in the store and no receivers -- but no buying dollars. There's the need to be well disciplined on accepting returns, to know that the reason the product doesn't work is that the tape monitor button is pushed in or afuse is blown.
"We work with committed stores only. There's no sale of just six products; they must carry 25 to 30. We'll sell only when there is a relationship with the entire management structure. Otherwise the program would be doomed to fail."
56 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
THE FIRST FM ANTENNA THAT'S AS SOPHISTICATED AS YOUR RECEIVER.
It's The Beam Box. The first electronically
directable FM antenna. B·I·C invented it.
You place The Beam Box conveniently near your receiver. It doesn't need
house current or batteries. And you never have to pick it up or shift it around.
By simply adjusting its
knobs you can focus and fine-tune The Beam Box on any FM signal coming from
any direction. Because The effective FM antenna has
Beam Box has no blind side, been impractical until now.
available FM signals can't
For possibly the first
hide from it.
time, you'll experience the
It maximizes the signal FM performance your
you want. It minimizes
receiver was designed to
signals you don't want.
deliver.
If you've had problems
The Beam Box. A whole
with FM reception, The Beam Box should solve them. Especially
Enew component from BIC. It's alot more than just an antenna.
if you live in an apart-
BOO" ment house, adorm-
itory, or wherever an
00GE
THE BEAM BOX by BOC
ELECTRONICALLY DIRECTABLE FM ANTENNA MODEL EM 10
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PLEASE SAY "BEE-EYE-CEE"e1977 BRITISH INDUSTRIES CO. (TEL 516-334-7450). WESTBURY. I. I.N.Y 11590. ADIVISION OF AVNET INC
HOW DEALERS ADVERTISE
by Roger C. Parker
Alternatives To Price Competition
Part IX: "Classified Ads And The Yellow Pages."
This article concludes Roger Parker's series, "Alternatives To Price Competition." Roger, however, will continue to review dealer ads in "How Dealers Advertise" as well as write on advertising-related subjects of interest to stereo dealers. Dealers are invited to submit topics for Roger's consideration. High Fidelity Trade News promises to give them prompt attention. While the cards, letters and phone calls from dealers, reps and manufacturers have been totally positive in response to the series, we would like to hear from more of you. Tell us what you thought of the series, whether you liked it and found it valuable or not, and how it might be improved. HFTN thanks you for your interest. Now, here's Roger:
Don't overlook the potential offered by newspaper classified advertising.
Classified ads can be tremendously effective. They are relatively low in cost, and go directly to the people who are looking for a bargain. In terms of immediate response, they can't be beat.
And, don't let your Yellow Pages ad in the telephone book be alastminute, thrown-together production. Many people will form their first impression of your store from your Yellow Pages ad. Make it a
good one, or you'll never get a chance at many first-time buyers, or people new to your area.
Who Reads Classifieds?
Study after study has shown that the classifieds are one of the most-read parts of anewspaper.
Very few people will read every clb.ssified ad, but people will generally read the classifications they're interested in.
People read classified ads out of curiosity, and the hope that somebody, somewhere, will be selling precisely what they have always dreamed of owning at an impossibly low price. People also read classifieds because they're interested in what other people are selling, and what the going price is for equipment they already own.
Classifieds present you with a unique opportunity to speak directly with stereo buyers at a remarkably low cost.
What Should You Advertise In Your Classified Ads?
Certain categories of products and services are perfect for classifieds.
First, one-of-a-kind's, demo's and used equipment (especially high-end used equipment). It doesn't make much sense to spend lots of money on adisplay ad (i.e. any ad other than aclassified ad in
anewspaper) when you have only one or two units of acertain model in stock, but you can easily "clean house" with aclassified ad.
Remember: ahigh percentage of the people who read the classifieds will know what aWhammo 5,000 is, and there will probably be
-- somewhere out there -- one or two people who have been looking for one at agood price.
Second, clinics and seminars. Amplifier and tape clinics, especially, can be successfully promoted in the classifieds. Again, the classifieds present you with an opportunity (like direct mail) to speak directly with people who know what you're talking about, and are interested in what you have to say.
Why spend alot of money talking about an amplifier clinic to everybody (including people with no interest in stereo), when you can speak directly to stereo owners and stereo buyers at less cost?
Third, institutional reminders. Classifieds also present you with an opportunity to "jiggle the memory" of stereo owners with a consistent message. You might want to rotate ads soliciting used equipment ("Highest prices paid for quality used stereo components!") with ads promoting your service department ("Bring your problems to us!") or your involvement in high-performance car stereos ("Buy from people who know what they're talking about!").
Likewise, if your store is becoming involved in projection television, or home video tape recorders, use the classifieds to remind
people that "We're headquarters for video, too!"
Fourth, you can use classified ads to support your other advertising. You can use the classifieds to plant "teasers" to arouse interest in upcoming promotions, and -- the day your big ad runs -- you can have a small classified that says: "Looking for bargains in stereo components? See our big ad on page 9of the TV section!" Lots of people who would otherwise never see your ad will eagerly turn to it -- and people who already saw it will be motivated to look at it again.
58 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
Other Advantages Of Classified Ads . .
No production costs. No artists, no typesetting, no paste-ups ... just aphone call, and your classified ad is ready to run.
Late closings. Classified ads called in as late as Friday noon can still be included in the Sunday paper. This give you a unique opportunity to tailor your advertising to the onesies and twosies that you have in stock, and want to move right now. Compare this to the two-week closings of Sunday TV sections, or the time it takes to get a produced display ad photographed, typeset, and approved.
Involvement. Classified ads have an excitement all their own. People who find what they're looking for in the classifieds feel they've made adiscovery all their own. They feel that they, alone, found a bargain. If you're good with words, and creative, you can exploit this to great success.
How To Increase The Effectiveness Of Your Classifieds Ads . . .
Ninety per cent of the classifieds look the same, but that doesn't mean yours has to. By isolating the headline with white space, or going to bold-face headings, or increasing the point-size of your headline, you can increase readership and give your classifieds adistinctive "look."
Copy can be as straightforward, or emotional, as you want. If you're confident that there are two or three people out there looking for Whammo 5,000's for $199, it will suffice to merely list "Whammo 5,000, 2 left, $199 each" with your name, address, and phone number.
Or, you can devote as much time to constructing your classified ads as you spend on your other advertising. Provocative headlines, fulldescription copy, and "call to action" conclusions can all be built into your classified ads -- if you have the time to devote to it.
Who Uses Classifieds?
It's worth remembering that
classified ads are used by abroad spectrum of sellers -- ranging from individuals upgrading their stereo systems all the way up to retail giants like Sear's and Montgomery Ward. Indeed, classified ads are used by Sear's and Ward's in 80Çe of the cities where they have stores.
Certainly, the people at Sear's and Montgomery Ward know what's going on -- and they wouldn't use the classifieds unless it paid off.
The "Stereo and Hi -Fi" classified ads in your newspaper are going to be read tonight, and this Sunday, by thousands of stereo lovers who are looking for a bargain. Will you be offering them one?
Yellow Pages Advertising
The Yellow Pages of the telephone book can be viewed as the ultimate positioning medium.
Whereas your radio, television, and newspaper display ads will be seen/heard by many people with absolutely no interest in stereo, (and no inclination to buy at the present time), your Yellow Pages ad will be seen by people looking to buy right now.
Moreover, because your Yellow
For Further Reading
Words That Work: Creating Classified Ads That Click! By Hubert K. Simon. Copyright 1974, H. K. Simon Co., Inc., (price unknown).
This book -- suggested by Fred Apple, manager of direct mail services at McIntosh -- has some very well thought out ideas for making your classified ads more than line-listings of hardware. The author has monitored classified advertising in dozens of fields, and there are many examples of successful classified ads to support his points. Quotations and letters from satisfied classified users are also included. Contact the publisher for price information.
Pages ad will be surrounded by ads for every other stereo dealer in town, your Yellow Pages ad presents you with a unique opportunity to tell strangers what your store stands for, and why they should buy from you, instead of anyone else.
All in all, what asplendid opportunity to position your store relative to the competition.
Unfortunately . . .
Unfortunately, however, life being as pressured as it is, few stereo retailers take the time to devote much attention to their Yellow Pages ad. As aresult, most stereo Yellow Pages ads end up being near-identical line-listings of manufacturer's logos, store addresses, and phone numbers -- with little or no positioning information.
A Better Alternative . . .
A better alternative is to start thinking now about your next Yellow Pages ad.
Start by thinking about how you would introduce your store to a stranger you met at a cocktail party, or on an airplane, who told you he was in the market for a stereo. After the preambles, you would soon start to describe customer benefits, and the "exclusives" that are unique to your store. You would try to convince the stranger that you could sell him a better stereo -- and make him happier -- than anyone else.
Well, that's exactly what your Yellow Pages ad should try to do.
After you have your ideas on paper, you'll probably want to go to an independent production house to create the finished ad. Let's face it: if you have the telephone company produce your ad, it's going to come out looking like every other Yellow Pages ad in the book. Much better to have your ad be visually distinct, so it will stand out from the crowd.
Remember: you're not talking about aone-shot daily newspaper ad. You're talking about an ad with a shelf-life of one year, that will be seen by people ready to buy.
JANUARY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 59
HOW DEALERS ADVERTISE
Fianner &IIalsoos
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60 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
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Flanner and Hafsoos, Milwaukee Journal, September 22, 1977. 6columns by full height/main news. Hi-Fidelity, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, September 3, 1977. Full page/main news.
Here are two ads similar in appearance to the price-oriented ads, but built around higher-priced components. The ads are designed to acquaint the reader with new lines and products they might not be aware of. The Hi -Fidelity ad is stronger in terms of impact and content, yet it fades off at the end to adiscussion of portable refrigerators and vacuum coffee pots. This
considerably weakens the impact of the ad. The "Your Last Chance!" sub -heading in the Flanner and Hafsoos ad points out that only one week remains to take advantage of McIntosh's limited-time Extended Five Year Service Contract. It seems that more could have been made out of this point.
JANUARY. 1978
Brands Mart, The Real Paper, October 15, 1977. Full page tabloid.
No discussion of price advertising would be complete without Brands Mart. To get into Brands Mart, you have to have acollege I.D. (or one of their courtesy cards). The campaign they have been running recently is based around "Great Mistakes." A famous mistake is tied to alocal mistake. for example, when acustomer bought elsewhere without first checking-out Brands Mart's prices.
o
MANION Amu PRESENTS:
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Dillard's, Tulsa Tribune, September 22, 1977. Full page/main news. Good, clean-looking, "department store" retail ad, excellent use of co-op (all three systems use Marantz and Garrard components), and prominent -- but not too much -- emphasis on price savings. Color effectively heightens the impact of the page. More and more ads like this will probably be seen as department stores get increasingly involved in component
stereo.
127 SMITH PLACE, CAMBRIDGE
.11110140514101.14.11LI 0<ttStelf II SAL.111001 MIL« 101111101.AFIAALAtDWVAAL
JANUARY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 61
RETAILING
Harvey, You're Getting Stronger
andJomienett ryse;gr5e0atthhAonmnieveelrg,eartra,iriSelleenbtraotstpooert,
-ïr
ee,;··· _
They say aman reaches aphysical peak at the tender age of
18, but they're wrong. Harvey is 50 now, and like Rocky of film fame, is maturing into adynamo with the kind of strong
promotion and merchandising that pays both short and long-term benefits. We're talking about Harvey's in New York, which is celebrating 50 years of audio retailing. This
fall, instead of staging an "anniversary sale," with "doorbusters" and the like, Harvey's staged amonth-long series of seminars on avariety of subjects of interest to audiophiles and first-time buyers. Hi Fi Trade News stopped in at the West 45th Street store for several visits during the month to photograph the birthday party.
The window at Harvey's promoted the anniversary celebiatian with acomplete calendar of events, as advertised in the N.Y. Times On this particula[r day seminars and demos involving signal processing were in progress.
The signal-processing seminar and demo included Peter Tribeman of Audio Pulse fame.
Seminars and demos were held in rear-of-store sound rooms.
During the month, ADS president Dr. Godehard Guenther
was part of amini-speaker program.
62 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
CD00 JEIYIIENCE I sen/VE.M.E.N.C.E7.PAK
-rn, n,2.117
00
Detailed planning included variety of seminar specials.
JANUARY. 1978
Now two great wow and flutter analyzers from BPI
Harvey's extensive service facilities couldn't be missed by seminar attendees because area is windowed and adjacent to sound room seminar area.
Custom installations? They're available at Harvey's, as this middle-of-the-floor display rostrum makes evident.
Tired, harried -- but happy -- is Harvey's busy store manager Edna Yagoda during celebration's closing days.
JANUARY. 1978
Both with
the features,
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ELMAR ASSOCIATES
Atlanta, Birmingham, Raleigh, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina
IS LOOKING FOR A LINE TO REPLACE AKAI
Tape Recorders-Receivers
Contact Hulon Forrester, 404-938-2821 3385 Thornwood Dr., Atlanta, GA 30340
P.S. Mfg. who really wants good customers need apply!
We will be in Las Vegas Jan. 4-7, 1978 at the Sands Hotel
Member ERA
ere
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 63
REP RAP
In a series of new rep appointments by audio manufacturers, Jensen Sound Labs has appointed B&H Sales Co., North Syracuse, N.Y., as its rep for upstate New York; Dynamic Marketing, Hollywood, Fla., for the state of Florida; and the Dean Cooper Co., Norcross, Ga., for Georgia and eastern Tennessee.
Columbia Magnetics has appointed Eastern Sales, Pennbrook Fla., headed by Eugene Gayol, to handle the state of Florida; Norro Sales, Los Angeles, headed by Bob Garmisa and Norman Berkoff, for the states of California, Arizona and Nevada; Nestco Associates, Dunwoody, Ga., headed by Earl C. Neal, to cover the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee; and Bloom Enterprises, Skokie, Ill., headed by Leonard Bloom, for Illinois and Wisconsin.
H. H. Scott recently appointed the Pat Aylward corp., Edina, Minn., to handle its line in Minnesota, western Wisconsin and the Dakotas.
Pioneer Electronics of America has named A.V.A. Marketing, Albany, N.Y., headed by Dave Tamburelli, as its rep for the upstate New York area.
Altec has anew southern California rep, C. R. McMullen Co., covering Arizona and Nevada in addition to southern California.
Nikko also has a new southern California rep, Selcor, Woodland Hills, Calif., headed by Steve Gillespie, who will also handle the Nikko line through southern Nevada.
Acoustic Research national sales manager Harvey Zelniker has announced the following rep appointments: Ames and Associates for southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Wash-
Dustin M. Addison, jr.
Phil Lauterjung ington, D.C. and Virginia; The Beams Company for Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and southern Illinois; D. Neumaier and Associates, covering Michigan; Intracoastal Electronic Sales Co. for Florida; Marketing Plus for western Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas; and S&A Limited for Hawaii. Sonic Research has named Gilbert E. Miller Associates, Jericho, N.Y., to represent its line of Sonus phono cartridges in the metropolitan New York market, including northern New Jersey. Burwen Research has appointed Cowan Associates, Boston, Mass., as its rep for New England, and The Pringle Group as Canadian distributor. Burwen has also named four sales reps as "Burwen Boosters" and pre-
64 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
sented them with plaques for their sales efforts on behalf of Burwen signal processors, stereo headphones and indirect-to-disc records. The four Boosters are Bill Kist, Audio Plus, metro New York; William Senescu, KaretSenescu Associates, northern Illinois and southern and central Wisconsin; Andrew Segal, The Segal Organization, upstate New York; and John Steinberg, The John W. Steinberg Company, Arizona, Nevada and southern California.
Audio Pulse has appointed The John W. Steinberg Co., North Hollywood, Calif., as its rep for southern California, Arizona, southern Nevada and Hawaii.
Infinity has appointed Phillip G. Flora Associates, Farmington, Mich., as its rep for the state of Michigan.
Setton International has named its first sales rep, Paul Hayden Associates, East Point, Ga., according to Setton marketing vp Harold Weinberg. Hayden will cover Virginia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.
Personnel
Dustin M. Addison has joined the Morris F. Taylor Co. as consumer products and audio specialist servicing accounts in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. Addison was with Vision Electronics, a large San Antoniobased distributor in Texas.
Phil Lauterjung, most recently a member of the Harman International Audio Team, has joined the sales staff at Murray Kerdman and Associates. Lauterjung had been servicing southern California and Arizona for Harman for the past two years. Before that he was with Pacific Stereo in both sales and management.
JANUARY, 1978
Our point of view: You can't know too much about a good thing. Number 34 in aseries of factual discussions.
aauuodliloo--tteaclkhnfircparon
MICROPHONES, Basic Terms Nos. 3and 4
Omnidirectional and Unidirectional (cardioid)
In addition to classifying microphones based on their generating elements, as we did in our first two Basic Terms, we can also divide them into categories based on how well they pick up sound arriving from various directions. There are a number of different types, including omni-
directional, unidirectional (cardioid), bi-directional, shotgun, and other specialized pickup patterns. The first two categories are by far the most-often encountered and are
our next two Basic Terms.
OMNIDIRECTIONAL
Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound equally from just about every direction. They'll work just about as well pointed directly away from the subject as pointed toward
it, if the distances to the diaphragm are equal. The drawing below graphically shows this pickup pattern.
Actually, however, even the best
omni models tend to become
directional at higher frequencies.
Sound arriving from the back
will be just abit duller
than that from the
front. It's because a
high frequency sound
pressure wave arriving
from the back can't bend
Omnidirectional Microphone
around the corner to the
diaphragm at the end of the microphone case.
UNIDIRECTIONAL (CARDIOID)
Unidirectional or cardioid (from the Greek word for heart-shaped) microphones respond best to sound arriving from the front, while tending to reject sound that arrives from the sides or back. This effect varies with frequency,
with only the better models able to provide uniform frequency response at every angle on and off axis.
Unidirectional (cardioid) Microphone
This directional ability is achieved with external openings and inter-
nal passages in the microphone that allow sound to reach both sides of the diaphragm. Thus sound
arriving at the rear of the microphone reaches
the back of the diaphragm out of phase, cancelling
microphone output.
POLAR PATTERNS, ANOTHER VIEW
The directional characteristics of amicrophone are most often shown in a polar pattern, like these two samples. They show the differing sensitivity (in dB) at various frequencies compared to on-axis output. For instance, the cardioid pattern shown indicates the microphone is down about 6dB at 90°off-axis. So, if two persons were talking
JANUARY. 1978
at equal loudness while equidistant on-axis and 90° offaxis, the person at the side would sound half as loud as the one in front (6 dB loss = 50% volume reduction).
Note that polar patterns are run in an anechoic (echo-free) environment. In the real world, sound from the back will bounce off floors, walls, and ceilings to arrive at the front of the microphone. So cardioid microphones can reduce unwanted sound, but rarely eliminate it entirely.
Polar Patterns
rxr
Typical Omnidirectional Pattern
nr lam
sIsm
· talt
Typical Unidirectional (cardioid) Pattern
HOW DO THEY SOUND?
From about 2feet away in a"dead" room, both agood omni and a good cardioid will sound much alike. But move the pair to a"live" room and the difference is dramatic. The omni will pick up echoes and reverberation that the cardioid subdues. The cardioid will still sound relatively "dead" while the omni adds "room sound".
Now, put both an omni and a cardioid in a noisy environment, and point the back end of the cardioid toward the noise source. The cardioid (unidirectional) should prove distinctly better, especially if the performer is not ultra-close to the microphones.
Other differences are noted when the performer moves within a few inches of the two microphones. The background noise and/or reverberation will be reduced on both microphones. The cardioid may prove slightly more susceptible to "P-popping" or sibilance. And most cardioids will increase the apparent bass response. This phenomenon is known as proximity effect, and we'll take acloser look in our next issue.
Jon R. Kelly Vice President & General Manager
AUDIO-TECHNICA U.S., INC. Dept. 18B-34, 33 Shiawassee Ave. Fairlawn, Ohio 44313 Available in Canada from Superior Electronics, Inc.
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 65
REP RAP
In aseries of rep appointments by audio manufacturers, AudioTechnica has appointed Northeast Stereo Marketing, Westwood, Mass., for New England. Northeast Stereo principals are Arnold Goodrich and John Taylor.
Marketing director Bob Morrill said Phase Linear has appointed seven new reps. They are Farnorth Representatives, Anchorage, Alaska, for Alaska; Marketing Electronics, Auburndale, Mass., New England; J. Nardo Associates, New York City, for metro-New York; Carolina Marketing Associates, Raleigh, N.C., for the Carolinas and southwest Virginia; Al Davis Associates, Mariette, Georgia, for Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee; L. Hass Company, North Miami, Fla., for Florida; and Tom Llinder Sales, Tampa, Fla., for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Central America as well as Columbia, Venezuela and the Caribbean.
Celestion loudspeakers will be handled in southern California, Arizona and southern Nevada by Elliot Davis & Associates.
Winston Technologies has also appointed Elliot Davis & Associates to handle its line of Simplector push-button storage retrieval systems for 8-track cartridges and cassette tapes.
Allison Acoustics has named Audio Marketing Associates, Brecksville, Ohio, as its rep for Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania; the Gene T. Clears Co., Downers Grgve, Ill., for northern Illinois and Wisconsin; and Cardinal Salés, Indianapolis, Inc., for Indiana and Kentucky.
Videoton has named atrio of new reps on the west coast. Ross International, headed by Charles Ross and based in Canoga Park, Calif.,
will cover southern California; Tony Manino & Associates, Pacifica, Calif., will handle northern California; and Spectrum Northwest Marketing, Portland, Ore., will cover Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho and Hawaii.
BPI has named five new reps to handle its line of audio test instruments: Rep Tech, Lewisville, Texas, for Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas and western Tennessee; Audio Marketing Associates, Brecksville, Ohio, for Ohio, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania; Dobbs-Stanford, Foster City, Calif., for northern California and northern Nevada; Resource Marketing Associates, Minneapolis, Minn., for Minnesota, western Wisconsin and the Dakotas; and R. J. Throckmorton Sales Co., Ballwin, Mo. for Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska (except for west Nebraska), Iowa and southern Illinois.
Neosonic has also appointed five new reps: Cowan Associates for New England; Raulson & Co. for Florida; Scowcroft & Associates, Rocky Mountain region; Jerry Bauer Associates, southern California; and Heaton and Keyser Sales for northern California.
Sonic Research has appointed R. B. Sales, Waltham, Mass., as its New England representative. Frank Barmakian is president of the rep organization.
Spectro-Acoustics has appointed FIMC International Sales & Marketing Consultants as its international representative, responsible for worldwide sales and distribution excluding Canada. FIMC recently re-located to Westwood, Mass. At the same time, FIMC will represent the Elac cartridge and turntable line in the Far East and throughout Asia.
Bib Hi Fi Accessories has appointed Ellinier Sales Corp., Chicago, as its rep in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Marjen has named the Ross Co., Atlanta, Ga., to rep its speaker line in the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, the Florida panhandle and the southeast corner of Louisiana.
Hartley Products has named Audio Sales Associates to handle its loudspeaker line in the state of California and C and L Sales for Hawaii and Guam.
Vor Industries has named amilitary rep: U.S. Sales Corp., Virginia Beach, Va.
Antenna, Inc. has appointed Marshank Sales Co., Culver City, Calif., to handle its line in southern California, Arizona and southern Nevada.
AKG Acoustics has appointed Elrep Sales Co., Tucker Ga., as its representative in the southeast. Elrep is headed by Ben Van De Kreke.
Avid has named two new reps. Murray Kerdman and Associates, Beverly Hills, Calif., will handle southern California and Arizona, and Cardinal Sales, Indianapolis, Ind., will handle Indiana and Kentucky. Avid is gearing up for an expansion drive on the west coast, where its line is now warehoused.
Audioanalyst has appointed Little House, Denver, and Paul Bird, Albuquerque, N.M. to represent its line in the Rocky Mountains. Meanwhile, Audioanalyst announced its rep-of-the-year award, won by Steve Rosenfeld of Audio Marketing Consultants, metro New York City, and its "most improved territory" award, won by Ed D'Aleo of Hi-Strategy, Chicago.
66 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
Introducing the Koss Theory of loudspeaker design and the three new Koss CM speaker systems that prove it.
Leave it to Koss to create another revolution in the audio industry. First, it was the creation of the ultimate in personal, private listening: Koss Stereophones. Today, it's the ultimate in speaker design: the new Koss CM loudspeaker systems.
By developing acomplex series of audio engineering formulas and by utilizing the precise knowledge of computer science, Koss engineers have created a breakthrough in loudspeaker technology of such significance that it heralds
the second major revolution in loudspeaker design technology. For the first time, it's now possible to scientifically derive and produce the
optimum system parameters for any loudspeaker at any given price point. How's that for starting arevolution in the industry? And for that mat-
ter, arevolution your customers are sure to listen to. Because we're backing it with the largest advertising budget in our history.
So contact your Koss Representative, or call Fred Forbes, 800-558-0465 today, and find out more about the incredible new Koss Theory of
loudspeaker design and the three new Koss loudspeakers that prove it. Once you've heard the new
Koss CM 1010, 1020 and 1030 loudspeaker systems, we think you'll agree: hearing is believing.
KOSS CM SPEAKER SYSTEMS
hearing is believing'
KOSS CORPORATION, 4129 N. Port Washington Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212 Koss International London. Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt ·Amsterdam ·Koss Limited/Ontario ·Koss K.K./Tokyo
J.4NU.4RY. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 67
Terry Rogers (I.) and Cheryl Rixon
Cerwin-Vega's Barry Goldman
Marty Gutenplan (I) with Technics' Dick Aquilina
Hi Fi The Apple of New York's Eye
Official attendance of 41,000 made the Rogers Organization New York Hi Fi Stereo Music Show the largest show in history. More than 80 exhibitors participated in Rogers' first show effort in The Big Apple, following ahistory of declining attendance at similar shows sponsored at the Statler Hilton Hotel in recent years. Dealer registration was said to have exceeded 3,000.
Andrew Carduner of B.I.C.
John Bubbers of Celestion
Herb Horowitz of AR
Chuck Miller (L) and Rich Conforti at AR exhibit
68 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
Terry Rogers and Nina Stern of JBL
JANUARY, 1978
Phase Linear's Bob Morrill
Mark Scope (I.) and Ed Carrier of Epicure
Ed Healy of Osawa
Saul Marantz of Dahlquist
Rep Ted Roussil
Polk Audio's Sandy Gross
JANUARY. 1978
AA
Ted and E. Nakamichi (I. to r.)
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 69
WCES Exhibitor List
Note: This exhibitor list was up to date at press time. For an up-to-the-minute listing, check CES TRADE NEWS DAILY at the show.
A
AAL Speaker Systems
A-232
A-Bee Syndicate, Inc.
H-1821
Accent Electronics
H-135
Acoustic Research
A-201
Acousticolor
H-130
Acoustique 3A
A-229
ACSA Corp.
H-52
Advance Transistor
439
Advance Watch Co.
417
AEI, Inc.
not assigned
Afco Electronics
H-106
Aimor Corp.
1032
AIP Universal/Casper
451
AIWA/Meriton Electronics, Inc.
403
Alaron. Inc.
1209
Almotronics Ampersand
H-1820
Ampex Corporation
511
Anderson Power Products, Inc.
Anixter Mark
1247
Antenna, Inc.
1155
Antenna Specialists
1317 & 1417
Antler Antennas
H-1922
Apex Records, Inc.
A-227
APF Electronics, Inc.
613
Apollo Products
H-1820
Apple Computer
441
APR Industries
H-1924
A. R. F. Products, Inc.
H-1625
Arista Enterprises, Inc.
H-71
Arkota Industries
H-1504
Arrow Trading
1034
Arvin Industries
820
Astar Trading
H-87
The Astatic Corporation
H-89
Atari, Inc.
813
Audiomagnetics
A-225 & A-226
Audio Mobile, Inc.
H-138
Audio Pulse
469
Audiosonic
470
Audio-Technica U.S.
914
Audio Technology
488
Audiovox Corporation
1111
Aurora Corp.
452
Aurora Sound
492
Automatic Radio
1309
Autotronics, Inc.
H-1713
AVA Electronics Corp.
H-9
Avanti
1213
Ball Corporation Bally Manufacturing
BASF Systems Bearfinder Belgium SA/NU
A-260 917 1020
1131 463
Berk -Tek
H-1517
Beta Electronics
1152
BGW Systems
Not Assigned
Bohsei Enterprise
A-262
Boman Industries
1411
Bomar Crystal
H-1514
Book Publishing Company
H-22
Bowmar
427
BPI Audio Test Instruments
H-47
Breaker/Hallicrafters
1228
British Industries Co. (B.IK#C.)
A-222
Brooks Mfg. Corporation
H-87A
Browning Laboratories, Inc.
H-1617
Bruest Industries, Inc.
H-66
Brunswick Corp., Briarwood Div.
H-77
BSR/ADC
703
Buscom Systems, Inc.
H-1725
Bush Industries, Inc.
1152
Calfax, Inc.
H-118
California Qualitron
440
Cambridge Products
1355
Canon USA
419
Capehart Corporation
809
Car Tapes Inc./Jet Sounds
1211
Carter Corporation
1421
Casio, Inc.
413
C.C.L. Enterprises
489
Certron Corporation
A-248
Cerwin-Vega
A-202
Chelco Sound, Inc.
1125
Cibco International
H-36
Clarion
1307
Clifford Industries, Inc.
1413
Cobra Communications/Dynascan 1203
Code-A-Phone/Ford Industries
1305
Coleco Industries
623
Colt Communications
1214
Columbia Electronic Cable
H-1804
CBS/Columbia Magnetics
A-233
Comm Industries
1139
Commodore Business Machines
519
Communications Power, Inc.
1248
Communication Products Mfg., Inc. 1336
Communico
H-1608
Component Specialties, Inc.
1443
Compucolor
H-1522
Comradar Corporation
H-137
Concept Enterprises
H-1731
Concord Electronics
1442
Conic International, Inc.
A-244
CMI
466
Convoy C. B. Products
H-19
Copal
448
Cordura Marketing
H-1728
Coreco Research
H-1908
CPD Industries
H-1813
Craig Corporation
1013
Creative Marketing
H-1905
Creative Store Equipment
490
Cue Electronics (compass)
H-133
Cummins Enterprises
459
Custom Case
A-239
Custom Crystals
H-81
70 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
Daewoo International
H-I817
D 8z JElectronics
H-1724
Dagher International
H-116
Dangler Enterprises
H-1717
Data Packaging
1241
Davis-Denver
H-56
Daytron Industries
719
Dealer Services Center, Inc.
455
Decora Industries, Inc.,
Data Display
A-247
Decoro Products, Inc.
H-145
Dei ay Corporation
837
Digital Concepts Corporation
454
Discwasher
Group of Companies
A-213 & A-214
Dorchester Electronics Ltd.
A-248
Dyn-Roberts
300
Dynaco, Inc.
A-207
Dynamic Instrument Corporation H-12
Dyusa International, Inc.
H-11
E
Eastman Sound Mfg. Co., Inc.
H-1601
Economic Swiss Time
724
Electra
1205
ERC
513
Electro Brand, Inc.
1025
Electro Industries
H-1526
Electrolert, Inc.
1445
Electronics Unlimited
H-1628
Elite Watch
450
ELPA Marketing Industries
H-1604
Emerson Radio
805
Empire Machines & Systems
1346
Empire Radio Corp.
316
Empire Scientific Corp.
A-223
Entepar California
461
Enterprex International Corporation 728
Epicure Products Inc.
1218
ES I, Inc. ESP Systems Development
H-26 H-64
ESS, Inc. EV Game, Inc.
H-1520& H-1524 H-50
Everhardt Manufacturing Inc. Exelec E.Z. Imports
H-1817 H-79 H-41
Fairchild Consumer Products Fanon/Courier
Federal Transistor .Fidelitone
Fidelity Electronics The Finney Company
Fisher Corporation
Fold-A-Fone Fortune Star Products
Fournier Accessory Furniture Franzus Company Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc.
Fuji-Svea
715 1207
304 H-1 H-88
1335
507 H-100
1026 H-27 H-147
911 H-1824
JANUARY. 1978
G
Ganber-Johnson
Gauthier Industries GBC Closed Circuit TV General Electric
General Home Products Gimix, Inc. G. L. I.
Golden Tape
Gran Prix Electronics GTE Automatic Electric GTE Sylvania GTR Products Gusdorf Corporation
1243
H-65 H-95 R-3, 4, 5, 6
H-119 H-69 A-206
H-115
920 1143 1315 1028
817
H
Hanabashiya Limited
1147
Hanimex/International
Merchandising
1012
Harada Industry of America, Inc. H-1913
Hayden Electronics, Inc.
H-1906
Henica Electronics
H-105
Herald Electronics
1251
Hitachi
811, A-220 & A-221
Horian Enterprises
A-230
Hy-Gain Electronics
1003
Imperial Camera IMS Corporation
Infinity Systems Inland Dynatronics
International Antex, Inc.
Internet, Inc. Internote U.S.A./Bontempi Interstate Industries Irish Magnetic Recording Tape
Itera Ltd. I.T.T.
H-1501
1027 A-204
1327 H-17
H-2024 625 819 H-4 1224
1015
Jandy International Janus International
Jasco Products Jebsee Enterprises Jensen Sound Laboratories Jerome Industries
.I.L. Jin Yung America Johnson American J. S. J. Distributors Jupiter Time ·JVC America
H-3 247
1239 H-127
503 H-1629
1109 H-1729
1103 H-45A
465 909
K & K Merchandising Katone Kenwood Electronics Inc. Kingspoint
Kirsch Company KLH Research &
Development
H-23 1242 509 332 A-237
A-208 & 405
Ko-C hung Electronics Kraco Enterprises, Inc. Kumho New York Kustom Kreations, Inc. The Kyber Corporation
Kyowa America
H-1627 1201
H-144
1459 H-134
1345
Lake Communications
1223
Langmack Co.
H-1505
L. A. S. Electronics East
A-261
Le-Bo Products
828
Leever Brothers
H-64
Leisurecraft Products Ltd .& Mercury
Time & Webcor
615
Libin & Associates
478
Lloyd's Electronics, Inc.
711
L.T.L. Electronics, Inc.
H-42
Magnadyne Corporation
1328
Magna-Vision
922
Magnavox Company
903
Magnetic Video Majestic Electronics
H-78 H-513
Marcel Watch
625
Marsand Industries
821
Mason Camera & Electronics
1428
Matrecs Industries
A-242
Matrix Marketing
H-70
Mattel, Inc.
H-29
Maxell Corporation of America
1023
Maxxima Electronics
H-25
Maycom Communication Products H-1904
Memorex Corporation
412
Mesa Electronics Sales Ltd.
468
Metro Sound
1456
Microwave Filter Company, Inc. H-109
Midex Systems
H-104
Midland International Corporation 100'i
Mid-West Electronics, Inc
H-1809
Miida Electronics, Inc.
410
Mika Overseas Corp.
H-57A
Milton Bradley Company
H-1805
Mitsubishi Audio/Melco
Sales Monitor Crystal Service Morse Electro Products Motorola
Mr. Antenna Mura Corporation Mustang Electronics MXR Innovations Inc.
A-215 & A-216 1233 801 1007 467
1113 Not Assigned
A-253
N
National Semiconductor Nemarc, Inc. Neosonic Corp. Newport of Japan
Nikko Audio Non -Pareil Company
Norelco Northern Telecom Nortronics
415 H-46
494 H-132
312
485
825 1136 H-1705
Nucleonic Products
Numark Electronics Nuvox Electronics
o
Ode mer Company Olivetti Corp. Olympos Electronic Co.
Olympus Corporation
One-Up, Inc. On-Guard Corporation Orinda Recording
Osawa & Co. O'Sullivan Industries
H-1623 A-256 1340
H-1601 446
H-74 A-252
434 1450 1831 A-217 1016
Page Alert Systems
H-1624
Pal "Firestik" Antenna
1119
Palomar Electronics
H-20
Panasonic Company
701
Pansonic Company (Car Audio)
1105
Panasonic (Electronic Components) A-245
Panorama Radio & Electronics
320
Para Dynamics
H-1613
Parallax Corporation
H-93
Parenthian Industries
A-203
Pathcom, Inc.
1101
Patson Electronics
1341
Peerless Audio
A-235
Pemcor
H-1520
Peymac, Inc.
H-1706
Pfanstiehl Corp.
H-1813
Phase Linear Corporation
A-205
Philips High Fidelity Laboratories
401
Phone-Mate, Inc.
1144
Phone Sonic & Schneider
719
Pickwick Mfg. Co. (formerly Soma) H-82
Pioneer Electronics of America
1003
Plessey Consumer Products/Garrard A-224
Polvdax
A-258
PRB Industries, Inc.
328
Preferred Mfg. Co., Inc.
H-55
Presage Corporation
President Electronics, Inc.
1329
Pride Electronics
H-1516
Prime Electronics, Inc.
H-1620
Pro Sports Marketing
1527
Professional Systems Engineering H-1521
Progress, Inc.
1451
Promotions West
H-1726
Pyramid Industries
H-142
Quasar Electronics Quasar Microsystems
907 1414
ladatron Corporation Raider Corporation Randix Industries
1354
H-45 A-240
(Continued on page 72)
JANUARY. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 71
WCES Exhibitor List
(Continued from page 71)
RCA Realtime Corporation Record A Call Recoton Corporation Redi Kilowatt Regency Electronics Rhoades National Riccar America Robins Industries Robyn International Rodeo Products Rogers Foam Rotel of America Rotelcom Royal Typewriter Royce Electronics Royex Ltd.
807 462 308 1145
H-67
1115 H-6 H-1630
1234 1117
H-62 H-128
407 H-123
463 1011 H-111
S& A Electronics
H-112
Samn Electronics
H-1808
Sampo Corporation of America
330
Sankyo Seiki (America), Inc.
709
Sansui Electronics Corporation
713
Sanyo Electric Inc.
1001
Savoy Leather
H-35
Saxton Products
1351
SBE, Inc.
1107
Scarbrough Laboratories
1455
M. H. Scott C.
H-1510
Screamin Demon Products
H-16
Seal-O-Matic Corporation
H-2
Se-Kure Controls, Inc.
1246
Sensor/Micro Display Systems, Inc. 532
Service Manufacturing Co.
1018
Setton International Ltd. (USA)
A-218
Shakespeare Co.
1303
Shark Electronics Ltd.
729
Sharp Electronics
717
Sharp International
481
Sharp Electronics (Calculator Div.) 717
Shmegg Electronics Inc.
H-59
Shur-Lok Mfg. Co., Inc.
H-10
Shure Brothers, nc.
409
Siltronix
1319
Sinclair Radionics Inc.
628
Smith -Gates Corporation
H-63
Solar Sound Systems
1021
Solar Textiles Company
H-144
Solarex Corporation
452
Sonar Radio
1429
Sonic Energy Systems
A-209
Sonic International
1010
Sony Corporation
905
Sound Bound Speakers, Inc.
H-53
Soundcraftsmen
A-236
Soundesign Corporation
803
Sound Dynamics Inc.
H-68
Soundmusic Products
A-256
Sound Suspension
486
South Fiver Metal Products
H-85
Space Radio Supply
H-1807
Sparkomatic Spartus Corporation Spearsonic Electronics Spectro Acoustics Standard Communications Stoner -- The Sideband People Suburban Electronics Summit Audio Sun Coast Merchandise Sundial Enterprises
Superex Electronics Superscope, Inc. Sutton Import-Export Switcher Co.
1301
441 H-43 H-139 1342
1440 H-1720
H-16A H-94
H-75A 1127
901 1135 477
Tamura Electric Tasco Tatung Company TCA Incorporated
TDK Electronics Teal Industries
TEl Electronic Products TEL Products Telcer Telephone
Telco Products Teleconcepts, Inc.
Teletone Co. Telex Communications
Tenna Corporation Texas Instruments Time Trends Ltd.
Timex Corporation Tonitron Industries Topp Electronics -- Juliette Transcriber Company Trinetics Inc. TRS Marketing True Temper TRW
Tryome Target Marketing TSS Sound Systems
T. T. Systems Tunel Research, Inc. Turner Division/Conrac
U
435 529 340 436 919 520 H-1513 H-97 H-2004 1347 H-125 475 1350 1114 515& 517 438 433 H-141 705 H-49 H-1723 H-7 H-102 H-1701 H-1921
H-1901 H-38 1112
Uher of America, Inc.
A-206
U. I. T. Precision Company
421 & 444
Ultralinear Loudspeakers
A-203
Unarco-Rohn
1220
Unisonic Products
617
United Electronics International Inc. 523
Unitrex of America
521
Universal Security
Instruments, Inc.
H-1917
Universal Sign Systems, Inc.
H-5A
U.S. Pioneer Electronics
501
Utah Electronics
H-125
V
Valor Enterprises Vanco-Chicago
H-30 1425
72 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
Vanity Fair Industries Venture Electronics Ventas Electronics Vida ire Electronics
Video Micro Computer Video Technology Limited
Videomaster Ltd. Video Micro Computer Visonik of America, Inc.
VOR Industries
833 H-1 1151 H-1607 619 H-124
H-32 619 R-7 460
Wahl Clipper Walco-Linck Corp. Wald Sound Wawasee Electronics Weatheralert Welch-Tronics Whistler, Inc. Wilson Electronics Windert Watch Company Windsor Industries, Inc. Winn-Tenna, Inc. Wood Specialty Products Inc. WP Distributing Corporation
Y
Yorx Electronics
H-1621 A-241 A-210
H-1925 1455
H-134A H-35 1434 535 723
H-1821 A-212 H-93
913
Zoom Telephonics
H-114
Note: This exhibitor list was up to date at press time. For an up-to-the-minute listing, check CES TRADE NEWS DAILY at the show.
JANUARY, 1978
4:1978 Sony Corp. of America. SONY and ELCASET are registered trademarks of Sony Corp.
SONY PROUDLY ANNOUNCES A NEW SOURCE FOR ITS AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES.
That's right. Sony is now selling its blank audio tapes. Sony. Aname synonymous with quality sound reproduction and reliability. A company that will stand
behind you with national advertising. New, attractive packaging. And competitive pricing.
For you, it all adds up to agreat profit making opportunity. For your customers, avariety of compact cassettes: Low Noise, Hi Fidelity, Chrome, and Ferri-Chrome; Microcassettes for hand-held recorders and "
the remarkable Elcaset
which Sony invented. And for alimited time only, Sony is offering three colorful tape
display racks. Sounds good? Well, why shouldn't
it? After all, it's Sony.
For more information, write: Sony Corporation of America, Magnetic
Tape Division: c/o V.P. Sales, 9 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019. Or better yet, while at the CES in Las Vegas, come and see our com-
plete audio product line at Booth 905 99 or in our hospitality suites in the MGM Grand.
Highlighting the European Show Tour was aspecial seminar on the Italian market held at the Milan Show by ACE International magazine, HFTN's sister publication, and chaired by ACE president Lee Solomon (fourth from left).
"CES" In Europe. .·
At CES you don't have to fight your way into exhibits past consumers and children with ice cream cones a la Berlin (photo) or Milan.
Here, an Italian mode/ distributes ACE magazine at the Milan Show, done up like the puppet on the cover of that particular issue of ACE.
Despite the fact that this year's Winter Show-goers can leave behind zero temperatures and winter woolies, CES is still CES,
albeit bigger and better. Even if slot machines and danc-
ing girls have been thrown in this
time around, there is still acare of diehard showgoers who've prob-
ably seen it all ...and another
show is still, another show ... yet another event in the Audio
Olympics they've been competing in.
For some industry veterans, in
fact, it's really hard to distinguish when one show season starts and
another ends: for Electro -Voice's Bob Pabst, Harman's Walter
Goodman; Empire's Howard Spanbock and Mitch Ravitz;
JBL's Bruce Scroggins; Jennings'
Tom Jennings, just to name afew who've been spotted showing off their new products around the
world.
ACE International, HFTN's
European sister publication,
brought its staff of editors and reporters to the Audio Olympics as
well: to the mammouth Funkaus-
stellung in Berlin, the fall shows in England (Harrogate, Cunard and
Olympia); the Salone Internazionale della Musica (S.I.N.) in
Milano and the Japan audio fairs.
Highlighting the show tour was a special seminar held at the
S.I.M. and chaired by ACE president Lee D. Solomon and pub-
lisher Frank Norall. With the dialogue in Italian, the panel included manufacturers, dealers and vendors discussing the Italian hi fi market and its problems.
Representing audio component manufacturers were president's Elio Milanese and Massimo
Romita, of REVAC and Galactron, respectively. The dealers
point of view was represented by Dionisio Ielli, Milano, and Michelle Trombone, Napoli. Import-
ers on the panel were Edmond Jedid and Gilberto Gaudi of Gaudi
and Alessandro Pirera of Poly color. Run like amini-United Na-
tions, non-Italian speaking mem-
bers of the audience were able to sit in on and listen to simultaneous translation into English
through headphones provided.
ACE, which debuted its first issue
and its first conference last June,
plans to hold additional conferences throughout Europe and the
United States in the coming year.
Meanwhile, we hear some itinerant manufacturers are trying to find out if their extra lire
will work in the slot machines over at the MGM Grand.
74 HIGH FIDELITY TR.4DE NEWS
1978
Between shows, asmiling Jacopo Castelfranchi reports that he is the new owner of Consumer Electronics Italia. Castelfranchi, president of GBC and involved in other electronic firms, will soon announce his plans for the "local" Italian trade magazine.
Empire Scientific's Howard Spanbock (L) and Mitch Ravitz at Berlin Show.
Lotario Calo, direttore generate of Bose in Italy, at Milan Show.
...And Japan
Larry R. Frandsen, managing director of Electro-Voice S.A. (Berlin Show).
Three weeks after Tokyo gets a chance to view all the new 1978 hi fi products, the equipment is hauled down island to Japan's second largest city, Osaka. And there, in mid-October, a glittering variety of new gear is demonstrated.
The show, part of alarger parts fair, is sponsored by the Japan 'Electronics Show Association. Osaka, home of Japan's 1970 World's Fair and near the Japanese cultural center of Kyoto, is the home base of such audio stalwarts as Fisher, Sanyo, Lux, Miida, Optonica and Technics, as well as being the setting for the novel, "Shogun," which many Americans are currently reading to better understand the Japanese mystique.
The hot futuristic product that had both trade and consumers buzzing this past fall was PCM (Pulse Code Modulation). This nocontact laser shaft picks up asignal from a metal record, and delivers a dramatic reduction in noise levels, and was clearly the hit
of the show. But don't expect laser product in your showrooms soon. PCM units, which were shown by a Teac-Mitsubishi group, aHitachi Denon group and Sony, were more on the order of Avery Fisher's demonstration at the 1939 World's Fair. Maybe not quite on that order.
Some products that you may be seeing soon include much new semi-conductor technology. A digital display quartz synthesizer from Technics was shown, along with a new powerful MOSFET unit from Hitachi, plus a fantastic push-button digital tuner from Toshiba. Sharp also showed a memory tuner using their program search technique.
In addition, a new linear turntable was demonstrated at the show.
American retailers can also look forward to a new high-end tape from Japan from an old reliable. Also look for a first-rate 3-head deck from Akai. And special, new Kenwood amps.
Jack Setton touring the Berlin Show. Among the new products in Berlin were these from Hitachi.
JANUARY. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 75
PRODUCTS FOR PROFITS
Shure SME 3009 Series III Cerwin-Vega Metron PR-1
Shure Brothers has a breakthrough in tonearm strength/ weight ratio through the use of titanium instead of aluminum and wood. Incorporated in the SME 3009 Series III tonearm system being introduced at $294, the FD-200 fluid damper is an op-
tional accessory available with the unit ...Cerwin-Vega's new international division, the Metron Group, takes its name from the Greek word for "measure." New from Metron is the model PR-1
pre-amplifier at $500 ...JVC is introducing MusicTowers. Model LX-3000 is shown. Also available is the LE-905, a mid-sized tower, and the LK -33MK-33 ...Memorex is coming out with anew highend line of audio accessories. Of four initial products in the line, three devoted to record care and the fourth atape recorder care kit.
Distribution is expected by February 1 ...Sansui's SP-L dual woofer technology is now available at amore affordable price -- $600 in the SP-L700 two-way speaker.
Memorex Accessory line
JVC MusicTower
Sansui SP-L700 76 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
An important
new ena
in recorded e
·
Announc rg cause for celebration: An important new Ine of tape decks is corn ng to you directly from Sony.
It's only fitting that tape decks be added to the Sony family. After al', Sony was making tape recorders when they we-e stiil in their infancy.
So magi-le :he kind of technical know-how accumulated in 30 years. And you can imagine .why both the trade and the public await Sony's tape decks with impatience.
The line consists of 3frontloading decks (TC4<711, K-4 and K-3), aportable that's .a virtuoso of
versatility (TC-158SD), and 2Elcaset decks (EL-7 and EL-4).
The front-loaders offer DC servo-controlled motors; two models offer frequency generators. The heads are another reason for Sony's head-and-shoulders supe-iority: ferrite-and-ferrite construction. There's a3-position switch for standard, ferri-chrome and chromium dioxide tapes. There's aDolby Noise Reduction System. And all contols are simply and logicaly arrayed.
The Elcasets take the latest form of tape reproduction, and go one step further. More and more
customers are becoming interested in this advancement that allows cassettes to approach open-reel fidelity. So Sony put more in: dual-capstan, closed loop drive; three-motor system; three-head system.
We suggest you make your miwe to tniese cassette decks at the ear iest da:e. Because they're not only going to malke recorded history, but selling history as well.
SON-"Y
1978 Sony Corporal« 01 Amenic3, 9t'Veç.t 57th Street, New York. N 10019
PRODUCTS FOR PROFITS
Miller and Kreisel Goliath ll
iMPUT Ç)
«Me °NM
99
9 1)99
rev rm. ...wow Cue+
BOTTOM END RAMP R-2
Miller and Kreisel have intro-
duced two new products. The Goliath II is the firm's new sub-
woofer requiring aminimum of 35 watts power output. The unit sells
for $175. In addition, the firm is offering anew Bottom End Ramp
System, apassive electronic companion to the M&K Bottom End speaker and crossovers. The Bottom End Ramp enables the Bot-
tom End speaker to work well with
high-efficiency speakers without bi-amping. The R-1 Bottom End
Ramp is priced at $110, the R-2 (shown) at $95 ...Tandberg's
TR-2075MKII stereo receiver
represents Tandberg's top-of-theline, an improved version of its predecessor. The unit is priced at
$1,100 ... Numark is introducing the model EQ-2000 frequency equalizer as acompanion
to its disco mixer. Both the mixer
and frequency equalizer are priced
at $149.95 each ...Matrecs is offering the new Tri-Power threeway car speaker, a six- by nineinch system featuring a 20-ounce
magnet. The speaker utilizes
"LiquiFlex," a magnetic fluid which allows for more flexible, extended range, according to the company.
Matrecs
BASS LEVEL
MILLER KREMEL 5:,e) CCUIPMTION
Miller and Kreisel R-2
Tandberg
78 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
Numark
JANUARY, 1978
Ill give you the shirt off my back"
I'm Ken Busch, General Manager of Empire, and Iwant
you to honestly evaluate the total marketing package being
offered by Empire compared to the major phono cartridge
competition.
Number each box according to how you rate each of the
companies listed below.
If your total doesn't show Empire to be the best line, and your Empire representative
can't convince you, I'll send you "the shirt off my back". The new Empire T-shirt.
However, Iwant you to be honest. So, no matter how you score us, I'll send you our
newest promotion item, the Empire painter's hat.
Send your results to; Empire Scientific Corp., Garden City, N.Y. 11530.
IFE
Number the companies 1-6 in each category using number 1to signify
the best and 6the worst.
Product credibility
Dealer pricing
Packaging
Programs
Profit potential
Flexibility
Delivery time
P.O.P. material Quality of consumer advertising
Quality of literature
Honesty of specifications
Saes training aids
Empire
ADC
Audio Technica Pickering Shure
Stanton
Name Home address
Company & Address
Hat size
S M
L
T-Shirt size
S M
L XL_
./ I\ II? Y. /97S
1116 II FIDELITY TRADE .YEWS 79
PRODUCTS FOR PROFITS
11
Epicure
Epicure has introduced an im-
proved version of its MicroTower 1 loudspeaker system. Dubbed the MicroTower 1-B, the improved unit is priced at $109.95 ...Cer-
win-Vega's new S-1 bookshelf
loudspeaker handles up to 200 watts of power and features the firm's thermo-vapor suspension
design principle. The S-1 speakers is priced at $350 ...Watts is offering accessories dealers this record care merchandiser. For details contact Elpa Marketing
Industries ...Philips has added a third dynamic speaker, the model AH475 eight-inch two-way system which handles 40 watts of
power and is priced under $110 ...Micro-Acoustics has a new
cartridge at the top of its line. It's the model 530 mp and the unit is priced at $200.
Cerwin-Vega
Watts
Philips
80 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
Micro-Acoustics
JANUARY. 1978
Please place an order with Infinity
For aglass of wine.
That's what we're pushing this week. We've found amarvelous Chenin Blanc from asmall and overlooked family winery in Santa Cruz County. And we want to share it with you. Along with some good music from our record collection and our library of Dolby 'A' master tapes. Furthermore, we've left our sales pads at home. So if you want to order anything except aglass of wine, it will have to be at another time and another place. We're terribly sorry. Not that we don't believe in writing orders; we've written more this year than in our last two years combined. Which is precisely why the agenda in Exhibit Space 923 is:
(1) to toast and say thank you to our dealers and their salesmen, the press and our other friends in the Industry for their understanding of our peculiar brand of fanaticism,
(2) to introduce our R&D dreamer/ designer/engineering types to any and all audio aficionados who come by, and,
(3) to listen to some of our favorite music on some of our favorite state-of-theart equipment. Ours and others. (Like the Ampex ATR 100, the Grado Signature 2 and afew R&D surprises from Infinity.)
Which reminds uswe're mweiliurig the QRS.
You'll hear all the abovementioned music through our new Quantum Reference Standard --the no-compromise speaker for those to whom music is the most important thing in life.
The QRS is 6feet 6inches tall, costs about $6,500 and is totally impractical. We expect it will sell rather well.
By the way, it's the only speaker we'll have in the room. There won't be room for anything else.
We're not aspeaker company. We're amusic company. So when the noise and the distortion
and the hassle and the slot machines and the hotshot promos and the order pads get to you--remember--there's
an oasis in Exhibit Space 923. Come listen and enjoy. And get
back to what it's all about.
fl I
We get you back to what it's all about. Music. And wine.
01977 by Infinity Systems, Inc. 7930 Deering Avenue. Canoga Park, CA 91304. (213) 883-4800. TWX (910) 494-4919.
PRODUCTS FOR PROFITS
BPI wow and flutter analyzer Tamon 103 (I.) and 1030 speakers
BPI's new model 1600 wow and flutter analyzer features NAB, JIS
and DIN weighting networks at a price of $795 ...Tamon is introducing new speakers for auto or home use. The LB-103 is priced at $179 a pair for home installation and is offered as the LB-1030 with a mounting bracket for car installation at a$189 per pair price ... A trio of new products is being unveiled here in Vegas by JVC, in-
cluding the model T-3030 digital frequency synthesizer FM stereo
tuner. In addition, among the firm's new products is the model JT-V11, an AM-FM stereo tuner which contrasts with the low-
silhouette styling of the digital T3030 system. Finally, from JVC, there is anew portable, the model RC-525JW, a portable four-band radio cassette recorder which additionally features a zoom microphone. For pricing on the units, contact JVC America.
JVC T-3030 FM stereo tuner
JVC's JT-V11 AM-FM stereo tuner
RC-525IW radio/cassette from JVC
82 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
The first $250 winner in Jensen's Floor Salesmen's Sales Tip Contest
?almost always close asale by concentratingon asingle pair ofspeakers rather than A/B comparing several pairs:'
--El Clark Dimensional Sound Center Mount Vernon, Washington
"After qualifying the customer as to cost, efficiency, musical tastes and styling, I
move to aclose on asingle pair of speakers rather than A/B comparing several pairs in the relative price range. I'm often quite
successful in this. The technique is to explain to the cus-
tomer that he is not buying 'specs,' nor is he buying comparisons (most likely only one pair will be in his living room). What the customer is buying is entertainment, home
entertainment.
Now Ihave the customer get comfortably seated and close his eyes. While Iplay a minute or two of his type of music (at his
volume level, of course) Iask him to address the following questions: does this sound
like real music? Is the sound pleasing? Is the sound entertaining?
If the answer to these questions is 'yes' you should be able to ask 'How much
speaker wire will you need?' and go ahead and write up the sale?'
El Clark has developed asales technique that works for him ... and could work for you.
First, put yourself in the customer's place...
with apair of Jensen Lifestyle speakers. Close your eyes and give them agood listen. Ask
yourself the same questions. We think you'll be impressed with
their remarkably natural sound reproduction. Experience Jensen's Total Energy Response which delivers auniform recreation of this sound throughout the entire listening area ... at all frequencies. With excellent stereo imaging and no
holes or gaps in the sound. The full Jensen Lifestyle product line offers
five speakers to fit almost every customer's
budget, with features and performance that make each model an outstanding value.
But after you've heard them for yourself, play apair of Jensen speakers
for your next customer. And don't forget to adjust the level controls on the speakers while he's listening. With El Clark's technique...and these speakers ... closing the sale should be asnap.
JE__NISEW1
LITESTVLE SPERBER SVSTEMS
Jensen Sound Laboratories Division of Pemcor, Inc. Schiller Park, Illinois 60176
Watch this publication for more winning speaker sales tips by hi-fi floor salesmen from across the country.
JANUARY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 83
PRODUCTS FOR PROFITS
Infinity "QRS"
Acoustique 3A Triphonic
Now you can spirce.edd repair any tape In seconds!
mth the Elpa
EDITa0//s·yste4am.
Infinity's "QRS," or Quantum Reference Standard, requires two amplifiers for each pair of speakers sold. The speakers, by the way, are priced at $6,500 per pair ... Acoustique 3A is introducing its
new Triphonic, acompletely integrated speaker system which the firm claims is the first such offered. The suggested retail price is
$1,299 per pair ...Sparkomatic Corporation is offering the new model SK-6900, a rear-deck three speaker stereo system for the car. Contact the company for pricing information and other details ... Elpa Marketing is offering show buyers this new Editall display merchandiser, arotating wire rack design ...Electro-Voice is introducing abrand new Interface line of loudspeakers. Seven models in all, the units range in price from $100 up to $700.
Sparkomatic auto spealker Elpa Marketing Editall
Electro-Voice Interface
84 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
HITACHI The New Leader In AudioTechnology
Evidence:
THE WORLD'S FIRST METAL OXIDE SILICON FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR (MOS/FET) FOR AUDIO AMPLIFIERS TO PRODUCE PERFORMANCE SUCH AS 0.01% THD at 100W + 100W, 5Hz- 100KHz, 8 OHMS
THE CLASS G AMPLIFIER--THE ONLY AMP THAT INSTANTLY DOUBLES ITS RATED RMS POWER ON DEMAND TO PREVENT CLIPPING DISTORTION
UNIQUE R&P 3-HEAD SYSTEM CASSETTE DECKS FOR NOCOMPROMISE PERFORMANCE
UNI -TORQUE TURNTABLE MOTORS THAT VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE WOW AND FLUTTER
GATHERED-EDGE METAL CONE SPEAKERS THAT PRODUCE OPTIMUM
SPEAKER PISTON MOVEMENT
HITACHI
When acompany cares, it shows.
See the new leader in audio technology in action at CES. Our audio component booths are A-220/221--and our PEP and TV booth is 811.
PRODUCTS FOR PROFITS
Almotronics
Utah American Koss
Pyle Olympus
Almotronics is introducing new Quoters three- and four-way auto-
motive speakers. The units feature 30 watts of power output han-
dling capacity. The six- by nine-
inch speakers feature 20-ounce magnets ...Utah American is introducing "The Principle"
system in this new bookshelf, allowing the user to "tune" the listening room environment ...
Pyle Industries is offering anew OEM organ speaker line to electronic parts distributors ...
Olympus is introducing a new micro-cassette head cleaner, the
model C-1, which is priced at
$2.95 retail. ..The top of the new medium-priced speaker line from Koss Corporation is the model
CM1030 which is priced at $385 per speaker. The new dynamic
speaker line, recently introduced by Koss for shipping to dealers, is computer-maximized . . . Chicago-based Kustom Acoustic Corp. is unveiling the new Re-
gency loudspeaker system which is priced at $389 each and carries a three-year warranty. Kustom is also offering an optional base with
the Regency. If elected, the system then is priced at $415 retail.
86 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
Kustom Acoustics
JANUARY, 1978
Akai, Aiwa, Centre; .11TC, Kenwood, Melton, Nakamichi, Optonica, Pioneer, 'Royal Sound, Sansui, Sharp, TEAC,Toshiba, Uher and Yamaha, in addition to Bang &Olufsen, Dual, Fisher,
-Kardon, Lafayette, Sankyo and Tandberg all recommend our SA for their machines...
...shouldn't you?
Caeleirrie
All of the tape deck manufacturers above recommend our SA cassettes for use in their machines in the "High" or "Cr02" bias position. In addition, all those in the first part of the list clearly indicate they prefer SA, since they bias their decks specifically for it.
So it only makes sense, when you sell one of these machines, to make sure you sell acase of TDK SA cassettes to go along with it. Especially, since tape sales are so profitable, and take up so little sales floor and warehouse space.
Our barrage of consumer advertising in over two dozen national publications, on syndicated radio shows on 225 FM stations, plus co-op local radio and print, helps you sell by telling millions of potential customers that TDK SA is "The Machine for Your Machine." All this, plus the extra help we give you with afull complement of in-store P-O-P and promotional aids.
Selling atape deck without selling tape to use in it, is like selling acamera without film. Put extra profits into your component sales by selling the tape that's recommended for so many leading tape decks: TDK SA. It's only one product in the trend-setting TDK full line of cassettes, open reel and eight track tapes.
And if you have any doubts, all you have to
alwroK. do is check our references. The machine for their machine
TDK Electronics Corp., 755 Eastgate Boulevard, Garden City, New York 11530. In Canada, contact Superior Electronics Industries, Ltd.
3M Sees Strong Role in VTR Software
3M is moving rapidly ahead in the
manufacture, distribution and sale of home videocassette software/and expects to play a leading role in the field. The firm's recently reorganized magnetic media consumer program is now headed by Don Rushin, retail products manager, who has already announced that Scotch brand Beta-format videocassettes have attained national distribution.
"Right now we're trying to complete development on VHS software and we hope to do that by late in the first quarter," Rushin told Hi Fi Trade News in arecent interview.
3M had conducted amarket-bymarket rollout of Beta-format videocassette product to its retail
dealers, with production sufficiently geared up to permit the
company to exceed its original schedule for full distribution.
Both the L-250 (30/60 minute)
and the L-500 (60/120 minute) videocassettes became available across the country around Thanksgiving time. The tape used is of the same quality as Scotch video tapes for broadcast and industrial/education applications.
3M says the tape provides excellent picture quality because of
the use of a specially-formulated high-energy oxide. Head and tape life result from the use of ferric oxide and improved tape lubrication. Superior tape handling, wind and conductivity are provided by 3M's patented Posi-Trak backing.
Suggested retail and commercial/educational prices per single videocassette are $12.45 for the L250 and $16.95 for the L-500.
While 3M has no videocassette hardware plans, despite the potential application to the field of its digital audio system introduced last fall at the Audio Engineering Society Convention in New York, Rushin sees "an extremely healthy market" for software.
"We would almost like to be more conservative, but when you
listen to the hardware guys and their figures and look at the rate at which color tv penetrated, you
can't be. It's almost scary. But our own surveys bear out a healthy market, even if it's not as strong as the hardware people are forecasting. They're talking about sales of 10 to 30 blank videocassettes per year per machine. We see that figure as something less than 10 units per year per machine but we don't know exactly what the figure will be."
While distribution of videocassette hardware for the home is virtually up for grabs, with department stores, appliance-tv dealers and hi fi chains and specialists figuring to play important roles,
Rushin says distribution of software is a natural for most blank audio tape companies, certainly at least for 3M.
"We're now in the department stores and consumer electronic stores, so there's no need for new distribution or special services for dealers. As with blank audio tape, it is very important that videocassette product be visible to the consumer. Impulse sales will be an important factor in overall software volume," Rushin predicts.
Neither does the 3M exec see
any problem due to varying for-
mats. "We feel very strongly that VHS and the Beta-format will exist side-by-side, the same as in blank audio tape or, more precisely, as we find in the photographic
film business. There is ample room for both systems, and we intend to supply the software for both."
88 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
HIGHER
EXTENDED.
NOW. EVEN MORE COMPONENTS PRFCISE ENOUGH TO BE CALLED PHILIPS.
4ANIZI
e
4.1.
·· -14-14e44.*
*.
Y;*
e 6is
THE PRECISION RECEIVERS. Sensitive, versatile, and extremely low in distortion: IS to 60 w/channel minimum RMS
into 8ohms, from 20-20KHz, with less than 0.1% total harmonic distortion. Prices start at less than $200 (optional with
dealer). And that gives you even more to sell.
r
\
\
\ \
\
Now, the long line of components so precise that
Philips calls it "higher" fidelity is even longer. And
,wider. /
i
r/icustEosmpeercsiahlalyveincpormiecet.oTheexpperecctiisnioanbtrhoaatdPrhialnigps'iof
electronic turntables, separates and speakers is
now available in four flew receivers, two new
speakers and other components to come.
At prices you'd never expect.
Come slee the co\mplete new Philips line at CES, Booth 401. We've extended ourselves. \
HIGH FIDELITY LABORATORIES, LTD. \ BOOTH 401, CES.
o
New Components From Nakamichi
Nakamichi Research has developed a group of specialized components designated the BlackBox Series. The BlackBox components were designed to answer specific needs voiced by audiophiles the world over, according to the company, and to fill "gaps" which occur in even the most sophisticated stereo systems.
Seven units are being introduced simultaneously: PS-100 Power Supply; SF-100 Subsonic Filter; LA-100 Line Amplifier; BA150 Bridging Adaptor; MB-150 Moving Coil Booster Amplifier; EC-100 Electronic Crossover; and the MX-100 Microphone Mixer.
Nakamichi has designed each BlackBox component with considerable attention to detail. Although there are only a small number of carefully selected controls, these are said to provide surprising flexibility. Special muting circuits eliminate the common problem of turn-on "thumps."
At the heart of the Nakamichi BlackBox Series is the PS-100 Power Supply, which powers any combination of up to six BlackBox components. The PS-100 has a carefully regulated output, providing a steady + 10 volts DC, regardless of fluctuations in the AC line or changes in the load. Suggested Retail Price: $70.
Recent advances in wideband power amplification have focused
attention on the problem of unwanted subsonic components. The
SF-100 Subsonic Filter has specially designed active circuitry to cut response at 10 Hz by as much as 50 dB without causing phase shift at higher frequencies. Another setting provides a slight low-end boost (+5 dB at 30 Hz) in addition to subsonic filtering for playback systems that can benefit from such compensation. Suggested Retail Price: $70.
Sometimes Preamplifier "A" lacks the gain to drive Power
Amplifier "B" to clipping. Sometimes preamp tape outputs lack the voltage for sufficient tape deck record levels. Sometimes a solid state power amplifier lacks sufficient input impedance for a vacuum tube preamplifier. The LA-100 Line Amplifier can correct these and other line level gain and
impedance mismatches. The controls of the LA-100 provide a choice of 0 dB, +6 dB, +12 dB, and +18 dB gain. At 0dB gain, the LA-100 acts as a buffer amplifier for impedance matching. Suggested Retail Price: $70.
The well-balanced "complete Mirror" output circuitry of the Nakamichi 420 and 620 power amplifiers provides the ability to bridge left and right channels with an external adaptor. This results in monaural amplifier of greatly increased power output. The BA150 is a phase-inverting bridging adaptor developed essentially for use with Nakamichi power amplifiers. The BA-150 is inserted between the preamplifier and apair of Nakamichi power amplifiers for full stereo bridged operation. Suggested Retail Price: $60.
The MB-150 is a pre-RIAA booster for low-output moving coil cartridges, providing the necessary gain with an absolute minimum of coloration. The MB-150 is connected between the cartridge and the preamplifier phono inputs. Nakamichi's Circuit approaches
the theoretical limits of noise-free performance. Switchable gain
allows the MB-150 to accommodate the widest variety of moving coil cartridges. Suggested Retail Price: $100.
Serious audiophiles have long used multi-amplification for highperformance systems. The EC-100 is a low-cost electronic crossover for multi-amp systems. One EC100 can be used for stereo biamplification. Two or more EC100's allow tri -amp and even more
sophisticated systems. A detented
crossover frequency selector provides 29 positions from 66 Hz to 7.4 KHz; independent high/low level controls provide critical balancing
of the frequency extremes. The active phase-compensated circuitry of the EC-100 provides 12 dB/octave crossover slopes and assures uncolored, controlled multi-amplification. Suggested Retail Price: $100.
The MX-100 is a microphone preamplifier with three inputs: left, right, and blend (center). The
MX-100 may be used to expand the mic capabilities of tape decks with mic/line mixing (e.g., increasing to six the number of mic inputs on the Nakamichi 1,000, 700, and 500 decks), or to make live recordings on decks that do not have mic inputs (e.g., the Nakamichi 600 Cassette Console). In addition, the MX-100 can be used with a preamplifier/amplifier for public address applications. Each input of the MX-100 has extraordinary dynamic range, and each has a separate mixer level control. Suggested Retail Price: $80.
The PS-100 Power Supply must be used to operate the other BlackBox units (up to six per single power supply).
All BlackBox components will initially carry a one year "limited" warranty. Now available, for further information contact Ted T. Nakamichi, Marketing Director or Harron K. Appleman, Technical Director at Nakamichi Research (U.S.A.), Inc., 220 Westbury Avenue, Carle Place, New York, 11514, (516) 333-5440.
90 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
IF YOU SELL GOOD EQUIPMENT,
SELL THE TAPE THAT'S MADE FOR It
r-' We have aunique Con-
tract Dealer Program that's
designed to keep aconstant
supply of Maxell tape on
" 00 "1
E
hand at all times. So you won't get stuck with nothing
-ht 111111
on the shelf. Then there's the Maxell
There are alot of companies making audio tape today.
But only one of them is making tape specifically for
Tape Clinic we bring into your
stores to show your customers how their tape sounds. And why ours sounds better .
And since so many custom-
ers come through the door looking for Maxell, we can give you faster turnover and higher profits per square foot than any other square feet in
your store. If you sell good equipment
and by some chance don't know who we are, call 201-
933-4200. Your equipment and our
tape were made for each other.
good high fidelity compo-
nents. Maxell.
Unlike most companies,
we put aspecial nonabrasive head cleaner on every cassette and reel-to-reel tape we make.
We take the time to test
our tape every step along the way for even the slightest
maxe117.35-90 Sound RecordingTape
maxell1L8T-90 8-TrackCartitteTape
H, Outp.,t Extended Range
li-Output/Exmcled Rime :7 Stew 6.0uodGaTotoor
For Masbener.
!!
; ·
inconsistencies.
And we're the only com-
pany with the courage to
guarantee every tape we sell.
But we not only stand
behind our tape, we stand behind every dealer who sells it.
We have resident technical
geniuses you can call on any
time you or your customers have aquestion about tape.
Maxell Corporation of America, 130 West Commercial Ave., Moonachie, N.J. 07074.
./.1.11 .·IR Y. /978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 91
Optonica Music Center Bridging
The Gap
New Directions For Kenwood
When Optonica introduced a European style four-band complete hi fi music center at last summer's CES, it may well have proved itself to be in the vanguard of nothing less than a "mini-trend" in the hi fi industry. Like units are being looked at by other manufacturers, who feel the timing is right for a quality "compact" to succeed where others have failed.
Initially, a number of audio manufacturers who introduced compacts in years gone by positioned them as "bridges" between low -fi console stereo and high fidelity components. It didn't really work out, but today Optonica reasons, at least in part, in a similar fashion.
"A lot of stereo owners have compact systems, already, but they do not offer alot of quality in terms of music reproduction," notes John Bermingham, Optonica's national sales and merchandising manager. "Many of these people want better sound, but not separate components. Why not give them the sound they want in the kind of package they want?" he asks.
The argument -- that hi fi dealers should not turn away customers who want better sound, even if in compact form -- has won over a number of Optonica dealers. "Initially," says Bermingham, "dealer reaction was mixed. Dealers told us two things. One,
The music center, SG-400, with FM
electronic tuning, AM/SW radio, belt-
drive turntable and Dolby cassette
at $499.95.
'we don't sell compacts.' Two, 'if we sell Optonica, we want it to be the upper end of our line.'
"What we did," continues Bermingham, "is put this unit in its proper perspective. It really offers component quality in acompact form, so it's not precisely either. It has component features, certainly -- a semi-automatic belt-drive turntable, Dolby cassette, recording meters, slide controls, etc. -- and the argument about not turning away customers who want better sound was atelling one. About "half of our dealers are now trying the system out on their sales floors." Optonica has well over a hundred dealers now.
One of the key decisions in merchandising the unit was to do so without speakers, giving the dealer the flexibility to tailor apackage to the consumer according to both the quality of the total system desired and the price willing to be paid by the customer. "In
most cases, dealers are packaging the unit with something like a small AR or KLH speaker -- or their own private label line,"! comments Bermingham.
Although the jury is still out on the Optonica "high fidelity music center," Bermingham sees aniche for the concept, even if it falls short of the so far unfulfilled role of the compact-type system as a bridge between low-fi and hi fi components.
Kenwood will be moving in some new directions in 1978. That's the word from vice president of marketing Don Palmquist, who has already helped move the company into some new areas over the past 18 months since he has been aboard at Kenwood.
"On the surface, there is the fact that our company's sales increased over 50% in the last fiscal year," he told HFTN, "and the reason for that is acombination of many things: the development of a very strong sales team, new prod-
uct development work done by Henry Akiya, selective changes in our reps to strengthen distribution, products that are exciting to write ads about, the complete reenfranchisement of our dealers so as to maintain our policy of limited distribution, etc."
Palmquist also listed Kenwood's entry into new markets with different merchandise: the high end area, department stores, premium/incentive, and their recently-launched major effort into
sales of their U.S.-made speaker systems.
The marketing executive stressed their advertising philosophy of "trying to write ads that appeal to awider public. Too often, industry ads talk over the head of first-time component buyers.
"We're going to try the educational approach, while at the same time staying aggressive, although not to the extent of product posi-
tioning with our competitors." In addition to the year's adver-
tising plans of making a general approach to the less-informed customer, Kenwood will be expand-
ing its involvement in mass consumer books such as Time, Sports Illustrated, People, Playboy, Penthouse, etc..
92 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
An Exciting New Component For EveryAudio Dealer
The Sansui AX-7 Mixer with Reverb.
Sansui has just introduced an exciting new component that will benefit every audio dealer, Because it is designed for every music lover. With the Sansui AX-7 mixer/reverb unit you will attract customers you never saw before, easily increase traffic and surely increase your sales.
Here's why The serious recordist will love to use the AX-7 for mixing sources and then remixing, using as many as three stereo tape decks.
Amateur and professional musicians alike will love the AX-7 to experiment with new music and to create recordings, complete with reverberation ,that are uniquely theirs.
And for the audiophile there is aspecial
attraction. He can create professional quality recordings at home using his existing high fidelity components.
The Sansui AX-7 is an exciting compo-
JANUARY. 1978
nent for every store. Rack mountable, it can be shown in the Sansui GX-5 rack, with many combinations of outstanding Sansui rackmountable units.
And Sansui is providing you, the audio dealer, with full advertising support in many national publications, including those geared specifically to musicians.
For full information, contact your Sansui representative today
And be sure to visit us during the Winter CES. To let you hear how superbly the AX-7 performs, we are demonstrating it, complete with live musicians, in booth 713 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
'Approximate nationally advertised value. Actual retail price set at the option of the individual dealers.
Sans-ui_ SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORP.
Wooaside, Nev.. York 11377 ·(212) 779-5300 Gardena, California 90247
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 93
SELLING
(Continued from page 48)
Q. Do I need to understand video tape recorder theory in order to sell this product?
A. No, you only need to become familiar with the features and how to use the machine to be successful at selling VTR. As amatter of fact, even if you already understand the technical aspects of video recording it is wise to avoid explaining theory to your customers (unless they ask specific questions) since you may confuse them with unnecessary details and lose the sale as aresult.
Q. If I don't know HVTR theory, how will Ibe able to answer technical questions?
A. Here is acondensed description of how the video tape recorder works that you can keep as areference. If you understand it, all the better; if not, don't worry. An automobile salesman need not understand how the internal combustion engine works to sell cars.
The HVTR operates in much the same way as an audio recorder; it transfers electrical impulses onto high density magnetic tape (CR02) where it is stored for later playback. The home video recorder, which uses apaperback size video cassette tape cartridge containing 1/2"wide tape, is actually two machines in one. That is, it records both picture and sound.
The speed of tape movement for the home video cassette recorder is similar to audio cassette speeds, which is fine for audio information. However, video signals and images contain much more information and consequently require greater frequency response than can be stored at this low speed. Since videotape is expensive, the cost would make it prohibitive to speed up the movement of the tape substantially enough to properly record the frequency range required for a good quality picture. Instead, the problem is solved by increasing speed by rotating the video recording heads.
Most home VCRs use two recording heads mounted on opposite sides of a drum which is spun at 180ORPM in the opposite direction that the tape travels.
This system, called helical-scanning, employs a technique in which each head records an extremely narrow track on the tape in along slanted path. Each track contains the information for a complete TV picture field (of more than 262 lines), which is shown on your TV screen for 1/60th of a second duration. The other video head records another 1/60th of a second field on an adjacent track. During playback, a single revolution of the drum picks up both picture fields and combines them into a 1/30th second TV frame. Sound information is handled by aconventional audio head which is located elsewhere along the tape path where it records/ plays back the sound along the edge of the video tape.
Q. What else does the customer have to buy in addition to the HVCR?
A. Unlike the professional machines (that require aspecial video monitor or an RF demodulator to hook up to a standard TV and a TV tuner to record) most HVCRs are completely self contained once they are connected to a standard TV through the antenna terminals. Users need only software (blank or prerecorded tape) and an optional camera if they desire to make their own shows.
Q. There are many different brands of HVCRs on the market: Are they all compatible?
A. Although there are about 20 brands of HVCRs on the market, most utilize one of two incompatible formats. These are the Sony Beta System and the JVC/Matsushita Video Home System (VHS). In addition, there are two other incompatible formats, Sanyo V-Cord II and Quasar Great Time Machine. And just as an 8-track audio tape can't be played on an audio cassette player, tapes recorded on one format will not work on another. Even with machines using the same format, tapes recorded in the slower speed, 4 hour mode are non-compatible with machines that do not have this extended play capability. Even so, the compatibility problem in HVCR has aminimal affect on the user.
Q. What are the important features on a home video cassette?
A. Nearly all have built in tuners for recording one channel while watching another, fast forward, and rewind modes with a pause control, provision for plugging in aTV camera and at least a one hour maximum recording time per tape. Q. What are the major step-up features that are found on some of the better units?
A. There are many luxurious features that you can use to tempt the prospective HVCR customer to buy. They are:
· Longer recording time -- four hour recording time is obtained in the RCA HVCR by switching to the LP mode which slows down the tape travel speed by 50%, doubling the capability of a single two hour cassette which costs $24.95. Sony achieves four hour, continuous play or record on Beta format machines in adifferent way. Employing an optional cassette changer priced at $100 which automatically changes two 2-hour long tapes (60 minute tapes played at 1 /2 speed). Sony's tapes retail for $16.95 each. Upcoming from Sony will be a three-hour tape and six-hour capability.
· Built in timer -- to record when you are somewhere else.
· Remote control -- for control without moving from your seat.
· Freeze frame -- to stop action.
· Dubbing -- to add a segment of audio or video to a previously recorded tape.
· Two channels of sound -- capability of adding audio information on another channel for simultaneous bilingual translations, adding a music track to a program, or for recording astereo soundtrack, etc.
· Search -- will automatically locate in fast forward or reverse mode a preselected point on the tape.
Q. Once the customer buys the VTR, are there any accessories or add-on items Ishould try to sell?
A. Yes, as with audio equipment, selling accessories and add-
(Continued on page 109)
94 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
The most po sular way to clean records
isn't the best.
It's popular to believe that buying the best known label or spending considerably more money will get you the best product. Nowadays that isn't true.
More often than not, the best product combines quality and value. The new Record Conditioner by Fidelitone is acase in point.
It has amore effective cleaning fluid, The Purifier Fluid, that leaves no residue, reduces static charge and increases output sensitivity.
The Record Conditioner has aunique unidirectional pile pad with an exclusive cherry wood handle that's contoured not to slip or roll in your hand. And there's amatching cherry holder that won't cost you extra.
Speaking of value, Record Conditioner costs surprisingly less than the most popular brand.
Ask your hi-fi or music dealer for Record Conditioner with Purifier Fluid by Fidelitone.
Keeping your records clean is worth spending some money. But why spend more than the product is worth?
with Purifier Fluid by Fidelitone
Fidelitone, Inc., 207 North Woodwork Lane, Palatine, Ill. 60067 Fidelitone Products are available in Canada.
r) 1977, Fidelitone, Inc.
CLASSIFIED
MARKET RESEARCH ANALYST
Pioneer, the nation's leading marketer of hi-fidelity components is looking for abright individual who will report directly to the Vice President of Corporate Planning. Responsibilities include all phases of survey work, research, and analysis of industry data. Some travel involved.
The ideal candidate will be degreed with 'I to 2years market research experience. Analytical skills and the ability to communicate effectively are important requirements. Hi-fi enthusiasts preferred.
Pioneer offers acreative environment, and an unusually attractive company-paid benefits program. Salary for this position will be high teens.
(V) PIONEER® Send resume and salary history to the Personnel Department.
85 Oxford Drive, Moonachie, N.J. 07074
An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F
HIGH FIDELITY
New Lux Line Now Available
The Lux Laboratory Reference Series (LRS) of high-end separates has been expanded to a total of eight units with the addition of three new components. Previewed at the last CES, the entire line is now in full delivery. Lux is also completing delivery on its new line of three tuner/amplifiers, following the dock strike which held up the last of the three units.
Among the newly available components is the Luxman 5L15 DC direct-coupled integrated amplifier, rated at 80 watts RMS per channel minimum continuous
NOW HEAR THIS . . .
Satter Sales Co. Inc., is expanding its sales force and efforts in the Rocky Mountain area.
We presently represent Pioneer Electronics of America and United Audio. Please contact Fred Taylor or Charles Satter: The Landmark Hotel, Las Vegas or Call (303) 399-7493
Satter Sales, 4100 Dahlia St., Denver CO 80207
Wanted.
Aggressive receiver -- speaker manufacturer seeks representatives and/or factory sales personnel to complete its distribution network. We seek intelligent, inventive people
with intensive high fidelity and retail experience to join our growing team of professionals. Not all territories available.
See Nadisco. Inc. during C.E.S. at the MGM Grand or write us at 12900 Lake Avenue. Suite 109. Cleveland, Ohio 44107.
96 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
R-1050 tuner-amplifier
power, 20 to 20,000 Hz, both channels driven simultaneously into 8 ohms. THD and IM are no more than 0.02%. The amplifier features two protection circuits: speakers are protected by a DC drift-sensing and excessive input sensing circuit that triggers at DC voltages in excess of +2.5 V or when excessive inputs are applied at the speaker terminals; the power transistors are protected against shorts at the speaker terminal by an excessive current circuit.
"THE ORIGINAL"
AUDIO
During CES at Circus Circus Keith Fannon Bruce Hagen
MARKETING
ASSOCIATES
(216) 526-2426 9470 Whitevrood Road Brecksville, Ohio 44141
JANUARY. 1978
Introducing The NEW "A" Series Synergistics Speakers.
Eight new high accuracy, high efficiency speakefs, all designed for maximum total system performance.
When your customer buys a system from you, the most important question he or she can ask is, "which speakers ore best for the system Icon afford?" Only one speaker manufacturer helps you answer this vital question: Synergistics.
We've designed each of our speakers to perform best within the specific total system price range your customer is looking for. By taking the guesswork and confusion out of selecting the best speakers within each system, you'll insure that your customer gets the maximum speaker value and the best sound from the total system.
Synergistics' high efficiency design means your customers can devote more of their total system budget towards better speakers and less money on electronics.
Thanks to Synergistics, today's low distortion, low powered, moderately-priced receivers are better buys than ever.
Increasingly, your customers ore demanding sonic accuracy from their speakers. Each of our models is engineered to deliver utterly open, clear, natural, lifelike sound, with none of the tonal coloration found in many other high efficiency brands.
Our consistent marketing and design philosophy is already osuccess story with over 100 progressive audio dealers coast-to-coast. This year, we're supporting our dealers with: national advertising, dealer show support, on innovative sales training program, and even more exciting new products to come.
The New "A" Series Synergistics: For maximum performance, high efficiency & high accuracy. The sit anywhere, "ploy it like it is" speakers.
--efe/ e·.··· ······MiN.-;,-
During January C.E.S. Synergistics Speakers will be demonstrated at the MGM Grand Hotel exclusively. See you there.
Onkyo Back Into Speakers
With the introduction of two new speaker systems, model 160, a 2way, 2-speaker acoustic suspension unit, and model 240, a3-way, 3-speaker acoustic suspension system, Onkyo is re-discovering some long lost roots.
What makes these new products an exercise in nostalgia is the fact that Onkyo -- a growing, strong contender in the audio market -- began business as manufacturers of speakers, and has an impressive list of firsts in the field.
Starting in 1946, the company produced loudspeakers and phono pickups, and in two years revolutionized the industry with the first non-pressed speaker cone. From
that small start in Osaka, Japan,
the company has spread over Japan and into Europe and the United States.
Since 1969, when Onkyo began to specialize in audio equipment, sales have grown tremendously, and the plateau is not yet in sight. While their efforts in the U.S. have been primarily in electronics, the company never lost sight of the speaker market, or of its origins in that market, particularly since
speaker sales had grown even more since 1968.
Concentrating on high quality components and integrated receivers and amplifiers, Onkyo introduced the world's first "Quartz-Locked" tuning system in
1976, extending the system to the world's first "Quartz-Locked" tuner. This system has been noted by independent labs as ". .. almost impossible to mistune."
With these credits in hand, Onkyo felt the time right to return to emphasizing speaker systems in the U.S., choosing the model 160 and model 240 as the beginning of that effort.
Model 160 uses as 12" woofer and a23/4"cone-type tweeter with a duraluminum center cap, providing a frequency range of 3520,000 Hz. Rated input power is 40 watts with maximum input power at 80 watts. System impedance is 8 ohms, and the unit is recommended for amplifiers of 15-80 watts per channel. Level control on the model 160 provides +5dB to --5dB. Crossover frequency is 2kHz.
The model 240 features a 15" woofer, a4" carbon fiber cone-type mid-range unit and a 1" titanium dome-type tweeter. The system
(Continued on page 106)
IF YOU'RE SEW NG CASSETTE DECKS
WITH THREE SWITCH POSITIONS,
SHOULDN'T YOU SELL AUNE OF
11'44TO MATCH?
BIAS Norm Cr02 Pe Cr
98 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
a.o one iine of casset·tes has
kept up `,` ith the latest advances in equipent by offering acassette for every switch sition. And it should come as no surprise to
anyone that Scotch® Recording Tape is once again leading the way.
The Scotch Master ie Series of cassettes is an exciting development in true, pure sound
quality. And we have the specs to prove it. Your customers are already finding out about Scotch Master Cassettes through anational advertising campaign running in magazines like Rolling Stone, tereo Review, High Fidelity and Audio. So don't be the last to know. Stock up on the Scotch Master Iles, cassettes for every switch
position. They might even make your cassette decks easier to sell.
SCOTCWRICORDINCI WIPE. THE TRUTH COMES OUT.
JANUARY, 1978
Look FoRThE ERA MARI(
ThE ERA Logo HAS BECOME MOREBIAN IdENTiFiCATiON FOR ANASSOCiATiON. ITS ThE Symbol0FAN INdusmy.
In an industry of superlatives. In an industry of change. Manufacturers' representatives have provided the stability necessary for true growth.
With each new surge of technology. With each new product innovation, the manufacturer's representative has translated the needs of his customers to the capabilities and the disciplines of his manufacturer.
MANUFACTURERS' REPRESENTATIVES HAVE COME OF AGE IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY. Today the manufacturer's representative is an entity, a company with long range goals and objectives. He works his territory to develop every potential prospect into a profitable customer for his principals. He's
not in it for the "fast buck" or apromotion to the home office. His objective is to develop his territory into the best marketplace possible.
MARKET YOUR PRODUCTS THROUGH MANUFACTURERS' REPRESENTATIVES. They are cost/effective. You not only can expect greater market coverage, but also better customer penetration. And that's a tough combination to beat!
THE MARK OF A PROFESSIONAL Look for the ERA logo when talking with representatives. It indicates the mark of a professional. He belongs to ERA to learn, and for the opportunity to interface with other representatives like himself. It shows he cares.
It also shows that he is part of amarketing force responsible for selling over seven billion dollars worth of electronic products.
For a complete package of material about why you should be using manufacturers' representatives write or call their association.
e More than an association -- aphilosophy
Electronic Representatives Association
233 E. Erie, Suite 1003
Chicago, Illinois 60611
312/649-1333
J.-1.\L.RY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 99
Micro-Acoustics Clinic Tunes Into Cartridge Maintenance
Did you know that the stylus on your phonograph cartridge travels about one mile of record groove for every hour of music you enjoy? Consumers all over the country are finding out that fact thanks to a series of local ads promoting anew
Micro-Acoustics-sponsored phono cartridge and turntable clinic.
The series of ads goes on to recommend a cartridge check-up after every 300-500 hours (miles) of use. And why not? The automobile analogy is appropriate in driving home the point that phono cartridge maintenance is just as important to maintaining musical
pleasure as is a tune-up and oil change to motoring pleasure. And the analogy is one that virtually every consumer can readily understand and relate to.
However, this is not just another clinic with a gimmick. MicroAcoustics has gone beyond the usual cartridge clinic approach which views product primarily in terms of record wear and tracking
Bring In Your phono cartridge for afree 500-mile checkup!
0.1 60 nd
Music Systems Ltd.
Announces A Free
Mono Cartridge Clinic
>
BY MicrmAconetics.
(Top to bottom) Sandy Drelinger; the JB-2; local clinic ads. ability. The company wanted to be more comprehensive, and wound up inventing a special cartridge analyzer which they call the JB-2 and which works in conjunction
100 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
with an oscilloscope and the CBS Labs test records.
"By using the CBS test records, we're not creating a special test that suits our own cartridge, but rather a universal test that suits all cartridges," the company stresses.
The JB-2 enables MicroAcoustics dealers to get into such areas as square-wave response, IM. distortion and capacitance effects, for example, in addition to the typical frequency response curves and tracking ability tests. Of course, the firm's representatives also clean and inspect a consumer's stylus, adjust tracking and antiskating to optimum settings, check turntable speed accuracy, channel balance, phasing and cross-talk.
Micro-Acoustics' executive vp Sandy Drelinger emphasizes that the clinic "takes astraight scientific approach. This clinic has many goals, but most important is that we do our thing objectively. You lose people in five minutes as soon as you start downing someone else's product.
"We asked ourselves initially what we wanted to say about phono cartridges, whether we wanted to measure one or two parameters or the entire ballpark. What we decided to do is develop aclinic which takes into account the whole philosophy of phono cartridges. When a dealer's customer walks out of our clinic with his cartridge, he knows exactly what he's got, and he doesn't leave wondering what else there is to the whole business."
What the customer leaves with is not just apassing memory of the clinic. Test results are recorded for the cartridge owner in a six-page comprehensive report which details the test procedure used, perhaps the first time any clinic has included such a comprehensive analysis. This is especially true in such areas as IM distortion and transient ability, which Mi -
(Continued on page 107)
JANUARY, 1978
World's highest power
in-dash car stereo.
CONCORD HP-300 CAR-PONENT®
POWER-PLUS
STEREO AMPLIFIER
(TOTAL SYSTEM OUTPUT 40 WATTS RMS)
ULTRA-SENSITIVE TUNER (1 8µV)
TREBLE BOOST/CUT CONTROL
SENDUST ALLOY HEADS
(40Hz-15kHz FREQUENCY RESPONSE)
AUTO EJECT
BASS BOOST CUT CONTROL
TRUE HIGH FIDELITY, HIGH PERFORMANCE AUDIO COMPONENT FOR MOBILE USE.
A single self-contained, inte-
$249.50*. And only Concord makes it. Concord Electronics
grated circuit unit ...compact (7"W x
For further information, mail
20121 Ventura Blvd.
division of Westland International
43 / 4 "D x21 /2 "H) to easily fit in-dash in coupon today.
Woodland Hills, Calif. 91364
most cars. True high fidelity specs:
Or, see the sensational Concord Please send information on the Concord
O 20 watts per channel min. RMS into 4ohms
HP-300 and the other exciting Concord models in our car-ponent
Car-Ponent Line. Please have your rep call.
O Less than 0.3% harmonic distortion high fidelity car stereo line at
Name
Title
O 1.8 microvolt FM sensitivity
C. E. Show, Booth No. 1442.
Company
O Wow and flutter under 0.15% Now, high fidelity power without
external power amps. This powerhouse has asuggested retail of
CONCORD 18 years of innovation
Address City and State Phone Number ( )
7ip
·price shown is suggested retail which is dealer guideline to effectively merchandise Concord products.
./..1,Vt/.4R Y. 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 101
Miller Details Rank's U.S. Plans
High Fidelity Trade News recently spoke with Geoffrey Miller, marketing director for Rank Hi Fi, Inc., which recently introduced the new Wharfedale and Leak speakers to the U.S. market.
HFTN: Rank introduced two new speaker lines to this country at the past June CES. Can you describe your company for our readers? GM: Rank Hi Fi was created as the U.S. arm of Rank AudioVisual, a division of the billiondollar Rank Organization of London. The Oiganization is known throughout most of the world for Rank/Xerox products, and has divisions active in professional and theatrical lighting, business machines, optics and a number of other high-technology areas. As far as high fidelity, our Wharfedale line accounts for fully 25% of all the loudspeakers sold in Great Britain. We also have a significant share of the entire European hi fi market.
HFTN: Wharfedale speakers are probably the best known of your products in the U.S., and they were quite popular here afew years
ago. What happened, and what are your future plans?
GM: Wharfedales have not been sold in the U.S. for several years, but we did show our newest products last June at the Consumer Electronics Show. Acceptance was extremely gratifying, so we accelerated plans to build a full-scale distribution network in the States. For the first time, our speakers are being imported directly to the U.S. by Rank, and they became available to dealers October 10. We now have virtually complete coverage via our network of representatives. We fully understand that to succeed in this country requires a firm commitment, and that commitment has been made.
HFTN: What are the specific products that you are bringing in? GM: We are now offering four "3000 series" Leak time-delay compensated loudspeakers, ranging from around $175 to $550 at retail; and two newly-designed Wharfedales, the E50 and E70, computer-optimized high efficiency loudspeakers known as the "E series," which sell for approximately $390 and $475, re-
spectively.
HFTN: Why two new speaker lines ?
GM: Briefly, the two lines represent different designs which will appeal to different market segments. Ultimately, of course, our philosophy is to deliver the bestperforming speaker at the best price, whatever the design. That's not very unusual. But with loudspeakers there is an extreme subjectivity; it is difficult to define hard-and-fast rules about exactly how to go about building the best system. Loudspeaker designers still have a great deal to learn about acoustics, and we also have to consider psycho-acoustics; not just what is heard, but how the listener interprets it.
In comparison to aloudspeaker, an amplifier is much easier to evaluate objectively, since there are easily measured standardized specifications which any good amplifier should meet. But speakers are "connected" to the ears of human beings ...and thus any conclusions are subject to the limitations of individual musical preferences and so on. Many different designers have tried various approaches and in many cases their methods have come close to trial and error. At Rank, we tried in the Wharfedale and Leak projects to rigorously apply the results of extensive research to create loudspeakers that were clearly better.
Rank marketing director Geoffrey Miller
102 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
HFTN: What were you looking for in this research? GM: Well, with the Wharfedale "E series" we wanted to maintain the high-quality sound that has always been associated with the Wharfedale name while utilizing the latest developments of our own research. The "E series" trace their origins back to the older Wharfedale speakers which were
JANUARY. 1978
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For the one Who has everything,a little bit more. Presenting the Pearleorder-S11501.
No matter how much audio equipment your customers have, they still have room for the SR501.
Because it's the smallest, most unusual package of entertainment on the market.
In ahandsome, sturdy case just the length of your
hand, we've built a Microcassette. recorder that tapes a full 60 minutes. Plus an FM radio, an AM radio, microphone, tape counter, antenna and eject button. Even a switch that lets people drift off to sleep without worrying about turning the unit off; it does that itself.
But some of the most impressive features of the SR501i are less obvious. Like its high fidelity capstan
drive; review and locking rewind; external mike; and
earphone and speaker jack. And afull range of acces-
sories including car and AC adapter and footswitch. With all the SR501 offers, you can offer it to an
incredibly wide range of customers.
And it'll offer you ahealthy profit every time it
sells. Because its suggested retail is $199.95. The SR501. For the ones who have everything,
it's alittle bit more. Why stock anything
- f
less?
JANUARY, 1978
Pearicorder-SR 501 by OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO., LTD. Never rias so little done so much
OLYMPUS CORPORATION OF AMERICA
TM NEVADA DRIVE NEW HYDE PARK NEW YCHK 11040 In Canada W Carsen Co. Lid Don Mats. (Wan°
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 103
very popular in the States some years ago.
They were massive; with the materials then available we had to resort to sand-filled walls to develop the proper acoustical balance. And they were extremely fine-sounding loudspeakers, that appealed particularly to those who listened to classical music. But we made the E-50 and E-70 much more efficient, because we felt that this is what the American consumer wants today. And of course, in the pursuit of lower distortion and flutter response curves, any sort of reasonable dynamic range went right out the window. So we said, hold on, and came up with mathematical descriptions of just which variables were fundamentally important in designing a loudspeaker.
HFTN: What are those variables?
GM: Our engineers looked at size, efficiency, bass response, the way the response curve is affected around the crossover points, and so on, using exact measurements made in anechoic chambers at our research and development facility in Bradford, England. Now the process of designing of any loudspeaker involves many tradeoffs. A speaker can't practically be too large, or too expensive, and so on. And often improvements in one parameter will degrade another. So we used a computer and said, basically if we want to do this, what will it cost us over there. That's the same process adesigner goes through by trial-and-error, but with the computer we were able to look at all possibilities, and in a systematic fashion we came up with the exact balance of the different variables that would give us the best loudspeaker possible, at a price where we could manufacture and sell reasonable numbers. And we can say now that it is mathematically impossible to achieve a better bass response, given the Wharfedales "E's" size and efficiency, and the state of loudspeakers engineering today.
HFTN: So the improved effi-
ciency means that people won't need as high-powered an amplifier or receiver?
GM: Yes, for agiven listening level the "E's" require much less power. But in addition, and more importantly in terms of quality of reproduction, increased speaker efficiency provides greater headroom and dynamic range. Since agiven amplifier need use less of its power to drive the speakers, it will be operating in arange further away from the point where it begins to "clip," and so in less danger of being driven into "clipping" by loud passages. We also added environmental contour controls to the speakers which allow variation of the shape of the response curve around the crossover points to "fine-tune" response according to room acoustics and speaker placement, or correct tonal imbalance in program sources.
HFTN: What about the Leak line of speakers? What was the rationale there?
GM: The development of the Leak loudspeakers was atwo-phase effort. First, Rank Laboratories undertook a massive research effort to identify and measure every known type of loudspeaker distortion. We then created a virtually distortion-free audio reproduction system at great expense, and assembled a panel of audio and music experts, including a few "Golden ears." With the guidance of this panel, Leak engineers systematically added distortion of various types of increments, to the point where each type became audible. The project was then to develop a series of loudspeakers with distortion levels unquestionably below these "vanishing point" figures. Time delay distortion was dramatically reduced in the "3000 series" by multipleplane mounting of the individual drivers, to ensure that all sound would reach the ear at precisely the same time. This "time-delay compensation" also markedly improves phase coherency and stereo imaging. A new combination bass/midrange driver was developed which eliminates Doppler
distortion as well. The results are quite impressive.
HFTN: Where do you think the application of advanced technology to loudspeaker design will eventually lead?
GM: I'm not an engineer, but I'd say it has been shown that wherever new developments lead, the final judge of loudspeaker design must be the human ear. We have tried to use state-of-the-art technology such as computer simulation and laser holography to aid in identifying and improving the factors which affect the way a loudspeaker is judged by the human ear, but ultimately it is the listener who must judge how successful these effort have been.
HFTN: What was the purpose of the holography?
GM: Holograms, which are threedimensional images recorded on photographic film using lasers, helped us to study the motion of speaker cones in precise detail, and ensure that drivers operate most efficiently and with the lowest distortion possible. But I'd like to emphasize that we always strive to retain the human touch in our products. For example, the walnut veneers on our speakers are coordinated in the manner of afine cabinetmaker when the enclosures are first assembled. Each matched pair of cabinets is then kept together throughout production, testing, and delivery, so our customers will have something nicer to look at, as well as listen to. This is a small point, but Ifeel that it represents the care that is taken with all our products.
HFTN: What are your plans as far as dealers?
GM: Well, we are interested in speaking with quality dealers who would like to carry Wharfedale and/or Leak speakers. They should contact one of our representatives, or notify me at Rank Hi Fi, Inc., 20 Bushes Lane, Elmwood Park, New Jersey 07407. the phone number is (201) 791-7888. And dealers can hear Leak and Wharfedale speakers at our demonstration room, A-219, here at the January CES.
104 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
./A NU.4R Y. 1978
READ "HOW TO SELL HI-FI TO STUDENTS" FEATURING TECHNIC'S JIM PARKS.
According to the National Stu-
dent Study, U.S. college students will buy over 400,000 music systems this year representing about $150,000,000 worth of
components and compacts. In addition, they'll purchase large quantities of "software" such as records, tapes, and cleaning
devices. To be more specific, a typical campus of 10,000 students is about a$2,000,000-a-
year market in hardware alone-- which is reason enough for you to read "How To Sell Hi -Fi to Students."
"How To Sell Hi -Fi To Students"
discusses everything from how to locally promote to students to how floor salesmen should deal with them. The book is divided
into two sections, the first giving you abetter understanding of the buying habits of students and the second providing you with marketing tips. To develop the booklet, 13-30 involved key personnel from twenty-two companies, interviewed over 1,200 students, and talked with dealers throughout the country.
Tennessee 37902. As soon as it's off press, your copy will be in the mail.
In addition to making this publication possible, Technics will also be bringing students into your store. They'll be promoting their products and your dealership in Nutshell, the largest college magazine, and Graduate, a publication which reaches over half the nation's college seniors. These special student efforts are in addition to schedules in Rolling Stone, New Times, National Lampoon, and Crawdaddy. So be ready for the business by ordering our new book--and more Technics.
13-30 Corporation, the largest college magazine publisher in the
country, has teamed up with Technics' Jim Parks and twentyone other top hi-fi marketing
executives to produce abooklet specifically for dealers who rely heavily on the student market.
The best news is that the publication is free, compliments of the contributing companies. A limited
supply will be made available, so if you want to reserve your copy,
do so by writing: Chris Whittle, Publisher, 13-30 Corporation, 505 Market Street, Knoxville,
13·30
13-30 CORPORATION 13-30 BUILDING ·505 MARKET ST. KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 37902
./ 1\
I97,t
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE .1 .EWS 105
thpPyleDriveris
EAR!
E-1
Yes, HEAR ... for blocks and blocks. PYLE DRIVER Speakers are so tough they can blow out the neighborhood anytime, but rarely the speakers. They are tough and ready-guys. Largest speaker in the series is the 6x9with a 30 oz. magnet. It also features the biggest special high temperature voice coil in the industry. A separate high frequency cone assures greater response to high frequenciesfor excellent quality and clarity. Who builds the PYLE DRIVERS? PYLE INDUSTRIES. It's the new Company with several centuries of pure speaker design and
manufacturing experience. Write for free literature today.
PYLE INDUSTRIES
HUNTINGTON, IND. 46750
SADAT
(Continued from page 26)
Dimensional Sound Center, Mount Vernon
Electricraft, Seattle Empire Electronics, Tukwila Evergreen Audio, Bremerton Great American Stereo
Warehouse, Seattle Jafco, Tukwila Kennelly Keys Music,
Seattle Lakewood Villa Stereo,
Tacoma Magnolia Hi -Fi, Seattle Omega Stereo, Bellevue Pacific Stereo, Bremerton Pacific Stereo, Seattle Paulson's, Tacoma Speaker Factory, Bellevue Speakerlab, Seattle Stereoland, Seattle Stereo Northwest, Seattle The Stereo Shoppe, Tacoma Tall's Stereo Center,
Seattle Wide World of Music,
Seattle
INSTANT
You assemble Kirsch Shelving in minutes with just atwist of the wrist. Ring-Lock® construction assures stability.
Modular design lets you start small and add on as your needs grow.
Available in Kirsch kits or components in achoice of stain-resistant, vinyllaminated finishes.
See us at the CES Booth A237, Las Vegas Convention Center, January 5-8
7-SHELVING
®Registered TM, Kirsch Company
106 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
rsclx
THE GREAT SPACEMAKER
ENCOUNTERS
(Continued from page 34)
of computers to the world of audio. Nor is this cross-pollination
limited to consumer audio products. We were recently introduced to a hand-held portable real-time spectrum audio analyzer/sound level meter developed by a company called Ivie Electronics. From all appearances, this compact unit, retailing for some $2,800, can do the same sound system analysis job performed by bulkier equipment costing two or three times as much.
Miniaturization of components, the use of digital readouts, memory chips and more have made this possible and the availability of such audio related instrumentation at costs which are no longer prohibitive for the serious audio dealer means that dedicated dealers can perform a service to their customers beyond the blind sale of a graphic equalizer. They can make sure that the customer is getting proper benefit and satis-
JANUARY. 1978
faction from such accessories by following through, in the customer's home,
In terms of future possibilities, we are probably just scratching the surface of the inter-relationships that will exist between different technologies in the future. If, indeed, the mini-computer becomes a household necessity, surely one of its functions will be to catalog and program our audio entertainment -- whether that entertainment comes from our own laserdisc library or from some central, computerized music library.
CLINIC
(Continued from page 100)
cro-Acoustics asserts are the best objective measurements of overall cartridge sonic performance.
The Micro-Acoustics test instrument that enables the company to perform all these functions, the JB-2 analyzer, is priced at $490 and, according to Drelinger, is the equivalent of two to three thousand dollars worth of test equipment. ·"We engineered the device and it represents something of abreakthrough that we're making available to our reps and dealers. It's a precision instrument that could even be used by hi fi test reviewers," Drelinger notes.
"Ultimately," Drelinger continues, "the clinic proves the validity of our design as well as the virtues of other phono cartridges. It gives the dealer an opportunity to evaluate what he's selling and the consumer what he's buying. The phono cartridge is still such an unknown entity that we're finding both dealer salesmen and their customers are welcoming the opportunity to find out more.
"The salesmen," Drelinger maintains, "get most of their knowledge about cartridges from manufacturers' literature, one of the few sources of competent information available. So our clinics provide some very real technical information to the sales guys which they've never had before.
"The clinic also shows," says Drelinger, "that high-end phono cartridges don't mean 'esoteric' or 'delicacy.' We're not talking about
Maseratis, we're talking about performance and nothing else. A cartridge that measures well does sound good."
Although the company is open to keeping the cartridge clinic on the road indefinitely, dealers are being urged to sign up to avoid a long wait before receiving the clinic.
"We want our dealers to hold the clinic because, really, they have most to gain from it. We gain, too, of course, but they have a
strong opportunity here to win customers and friends. In addition, we are restricting the clinic to quality cartridges. We don't test the cheapies because the test takes 15 minutes of time. We feel that helps qualify the consumer who comes in, particularly for the benefit of the dealer. We also ask that the dealer perform the stylus examination while we do the rest of the test. That has more credibility and it also involvés the dealer with the consumer right on the spot."
The Small Speaker Revolution is here
It's not how big you make it, it's how big you make it sound.
The day of the big speaker box has past. It's no longer true that the bigger the speaker, the better the sound. A revolution in speaker design is occurring with the introduction of an accurate, highfidelity loudspeaker that fits comfortably on atable-top, bookshelf, in a corner or even in your car or van. A speaker you can live with that doesn't dominate your living space and make you aslave of your sound system. Six small speakers The Davide series from Visonik of America is agroup of six loudspeakers dedicated to the proposition that "big" is not better. The revolution starts with the pintbottle sized D-30, D-50 and specially modified D-30M0 speaker system (with mounting bracket for car and RV music systems). Also included are the larger twoway D-60 and three-way D-80 and D-100 speaker systems. Although small, they are progressively larger with deeper bass response and greater power handling capacity.
Don't be aslave to the big box. Each speaker is the result of extensive research and design ... German craftsmanship wedded with high technology. The listener will find the Davide speaker
dered
extremely linear and accurate with wide dispersion characteristics. They provide full, rich, high-fidelity sound that is comfortable to listen to; there is no coloration, strident highs or boomy lows. The Davidse naturally outperform speakers many times the size and price. Your ears won't believe your eyes. Join the revolution--audition apair of Davide speakers and get all the specs at your Visonie stereo dealer.
VISONIK-DAVID
1177 65th Street /Oakland, CA 94608 /(415) 653-9711 In Canada White Electronics, Malton, Ontario Manufactured by Heco,Hennel & Co. KG. Berlin. Germany
· Regatered Trademark, Veered KG · ¡TITS/non& of Amer. Inc
Visit Booth R7 at WCES -- Las Vegas. See the New Davids ,sub-woofer and the Euro speaker line.
JANUARY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 107
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After the races, . come to the Jockey Club.
After an exciting day of racing around at the CES Show, you need abreak. Come over to the Jockey Club, relax
and talk with us about your Bose business and how we can help you.
Jerry Ruzicka, Vice President Allan Evelyn, National Marketing Manager Lee Drady, National Field Sales Manager
Brian Flood, Advertising Manager
January 5-8, 4p.m.-9 p.m.
108 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
SELLING
(Continued from page 94)
ons will build the profitability and dollar volume of the sale as well as greatly enhance your commissions. You can increase most sales by 30e( or more just by selling related items.
LETTERS
(Continued from page 24)
efficiency speakers offer more dynamic range and ability to deliver peaks of high level with low distortion (translation: the transients are reproduced more accurately).
The low efficiency system costs about $2,400; the efficient one about $1,200 in 1955 dollars.
Thus in answering the third question first, the first and second questions get meaningful answers. If the money is judiciously spent, the distortion will be inversely proportional to the loudspeaker cost, and the amplifier power needed will also be almost inverse to speaker cost.
Now about Question 4: Quad is asales gimmick; most demonstrations of it exhibited excessive distortion, and it doesn't "reproduce" anything in the nature of original music. I certainly agree with Charlie Swift in his appraisal of Quad vs. Stereo.
With Swift's further questions and answers, Ihave only to agree. The various answers could be elaborated upon to the extent of abook on each subject, which the salesman hasn't time to read. Iwish that noise suppressors didn't produce their own distortions: Bell Telephone Laboratories described a system over 40 years ago that changed gain slowly enough to avoid transient distortion, but it took an extra track.
About "Damping Factor": I wish the inventor of this term had simply referred to the internal resistance of the amplifier. One "bother" to salesman and customer is "how much is enough?".
I'd rather define "enough" as being the amount that affords lowest amplitude modulation distortion (AMD) and transient intermodulation distortion (TIMD).
If the salesman has time to read some of the Engineering papers, he can find plenty of, and reference to, as much further reading as he can stand. I'd suggest The Audio Papers, abinder full of reprints of important papers on Audio*.
Paul W. Klipsch Klipsch and Associates
Hope, Arkansas *The Audio Papers are available for $10 (check or money order) from Klipsch and Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 688, Hope, AR 71801.
To the Editor: Irecently read your High Fidelity Trade News and, without adoubt, it is the best publication of its type Ihave ever run across. Please send asubscription.
Gregory H. Ford, partner Circle Stereo
Reno, Nevada Editor's Note: That was fast. Thanks, and your subscription is on its way.
EXCITEMENT
(Continued from page 46)
jected onto its screen from the rear; and the second type, in which the screen is separate from the rest of the unit and is free standing or wall mounted. There are also afew subdivisions within these two areas, i.e., does that particular model use asingle gun projection tube or three separate tubes or a modified TV with a lens? Although there are several different systems the key to selling video projection systems is to stress the benefits, not the differences.
Those of you who are just getting into video projection systems sales
now are doing so at the ideal time. The video projection industry is on the upswing and there are many fine video projection systems presently available from Advent, Sony, Muntz, and others, with ESS/Tinsley, Matsushita, Mitsubishi and Sharp expected to make their units available soon. Projection TVs have been improving constantly. The products are excellent and consumers will readily buy if you present them properly. So here are afew suggestions that will help you to cash in op the video projection boom:
· Make certain you have a good TV antenna connected to the projection TV you are demonstrating. Even mild ghosts that would be hardly noticeable on a TV screen will be huge annoyances when projected onto the large screen.
· Connect avideo tapedeck to the projection system and have a wide variety of recorded tapes on hand for your demonstrations. Using the video tape recorder has two advantages. First it will allow you to demonstrate the subjects which most interest the prospective purchaser and which will most likely induce him to buy. Second, it facilitates the selling of the video tape recorder as an add-on.
· Find out what your customer's viewing interests are and key the demonstration to that person's preferences using suitable program material and by relating the appropriate features to that person's needs.
· Make the demonstration exciting, but keep it short.
· Don't let the economic status of the prospective purchaser prevent you from trying for the sale. An Advent spokesman told me that one of the best sources of sales comes from the low income group, since for many, TV is their primary source of entertainment, and consequently they are willing to buy avideo projection system even if they have to make time payments on it for years.
· Try to close the sale as soon as you detect interest.
· Don't give up. If you are unsuccessful the first time you ask for the sale, it is because there is a problem or an obstacle preventing the customer from buying.
JANUARY, 1978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS 109
Tandberg Poised For Expansion
"The situation for Tandberg of America is looking extremely interesting," says Kjell Hoel, president. Which is an understatement, since the company has recently gone through a liquidity crunch in their Norwegian home base, a situation that was solved by gaining funding from the Norwegian government.
"This retrenchment puts Tandberg -- and Tandberg of America -- in a better position than ever before," Hoel explained, "as it gives us great reserves and support to draw upon (the Norwegian government is currently floating on a sea of oil profits from the North Sea).
"In addition, Tandberg, which is the largest consumer electronics manufacturer in Norway and the country's leading exporter of finished goods, is going to cut back on our less-sophisticated, non-high fidelity products, take an unprecedented step in its 44-year history by cutting back employees, and will close one or two of our non-hi fi factories. The effect of all this will enable us to better utilize our tremendous capital assets and achieve an excellent equity-to-sales ratio in 1978."
The net result will be atremendous boost for their American dealers, said Hoel, as greater management and R&D emphasis will be put on high fidelity products. "This new concentration will give our U.S. dealers more and broader products geared for their market.
Kjell Hoel
"Frankly speaking, we expect to double our business here in the U.S. We calculate that we represent between 4-5% of each of our dealers' business at the present time, but have become very successful in becoming more of afactor with them, so we figure on doubling that percentage in a couple of years.
"We are 30% ahead of last year in sales, and 1976 was our best year to date. In addition, we are offering more products in the U.S. than ever before."
In addition to their stereo receivers, cassette and reel-to-reel recorders, the company is planning aline of separate components.
"Our dealers have asked us to
consider making this category of electronic product," said Hoel. "For example the tuner portion of our receiver is perhaps one of the best designs in any receiver on the market today when you compare it spec for spec, outranking even many of the finest separate tuners. As aresult, our dealers have asked us to make this tuner on a separate chassis. These products are being developed right now. ."Eastern manufacturers have taken over the cheaper side of the market. This is an area where we
have never competed, nor do we
intend to. An added boost for us has been the yen increase; in the past we have traditionally suffered from the dollar devaluation. This time we are not affected, but the Japanese are.
As part of an aggressive new merchandising plan, the company has dropped their dealer co-op, and is using that funding for regional advertising. "We have worked this out with our dealers," said Hoel, "and when we explained how they will benefit from
the program, they are almost all in favor of it. In addition, this will allow us to maintain auniformity of image that is vital for adealer
selling Tandberg product." Product-wise, the company is
putting greater emphasis on receivers, "as we have to overcome asituation where people only think of Tandberg as a tape recorder factor.
"Actually, we have a tremendous story to tell about our receivers, and we plan to push hard with it from now on. As an illustration, our top-of-the-line receiver offers: "· Tuner specifications that equal or surpass many of the finest separate tuners on the market today. "· We are the finest and only re-
ceiver manufacturer to openly discuss rise time, slew rate, DIM and TIM figures in our receivers. "· Our top two models feature pushbutton electronic diode switching, something that no other receiver manufacturer offers. I think that this alone says something about the type of thinking that goes into our product. "· Our top-end receiver is also a mini-recording studio; with one button the home user can insert the tone and filter controls into the Tape 2output. "· With its provision for two turntables and its electronic switching, the home user can cut or fade from one turntable to another."
In cassette decks, the company is going to be offering a third model in the near future.
In reel-to-reel merchandise, the company says there's apickup of interest in this product category, and they will be offering anew machine as one of several new products being offered this year.
In another area, Tandberg has had an unexpected success with its Fasett speaker, a small 2-way system in white, black or orange that can be put on the floor, hung on a wall, set on a bookshelf or hung from the ceiling.
Tandberg is an off-site exhibitor at the Las Vegas Hilton during Winter CES.
110 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY. 1978
Isn't it about time there was
anational trade show exclusively for
high fidelitydealers?
These exhibitors think so.
AVIndustries Acoustique 3A International, Inc. Adcom AmcoElectronics American Audio Port Analog Engineering Associates Ariston Turntables Armstrong Audio Audio Digest Audio International Audio Magazine Audio Times Audio Trade News Audio-Technica, U.S., Inc. Avid Corporation Ball Corporation/Sound Guard
Barcus-Berry Sales Corporation Harold Beveridge, Inc. Bolivar Speaker Works
Boothroyd/Stuart Meridian Bose Corp.
BPI Celestion Industries Cervin -Vega Dempa Publications, Inc.
Discwasher Group Drorbaugh Publications
Dubie Tape Aid Corporation Dynaco, Inc.
ESS, Inc.
Electro-Voice, Inc.
Elpa Marketing Empire Scientific
FONS International GBL, Inc.
G.L.I.. Inc.
HAL Corporation
Harman International
Harman-Kardon
Herald Oectronics High Fidelity Trade News Hitachi Sales Corp. of America Infinity Systems
JVC America Company Jensen Sound Laboratories KLH Research & Development Corp. Kelso Imports Kenwood Electronics Koss Corporation James B. Lansing Sound Le-Bo Products Co., Inc. Lux Audio of America MXR Innovations, Inc. Merchandising Magazine Monks (Audio) Ltd., Keith O'Sullivan Industries
Off Duty Magazine Ohm Acoustics Orion Marketing Philips High Fidelity Laboratories Ltd.
Pickering & Company, Inc. Rectilinear Research Corp.
Rhoades National Corporation
Rotel of America, Inc. Roth,Sindell Royal Sound, Inc.
H.H. Scott, Inc. Sefton International Ltd. (U.S.A.) Showco Mfg. Corp.
Solar Textiles Company
Sonic Research, Inc. Sonic Systems Stanton Magnetics, Inc.
Superex Electronics Corporation TDK
TSS Sound Systems, Inc.
Tannny/Ortofon
Tapco, Inc.
TEAC Corporation of America
Tedinics by Panasonic Transcriber Company, Inc.
U.S. Pioneer Electronics Corp. United Audio Products, Inc. Visonik of America
Ziff-Davis Publishing
See thousands of new high fidelity products, most which will be seen for the first time at this Show.
Meet the principals of the high fidelity manufacturers whose products you sell.
HTIHGEHIFMITDEELRINTAYMSOHNOALW May 19-21, 1978 World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga.
Attend the convention sessions which will give you essential information on how to sell, merchandise and advertise.
Name Title
MAIL THIS COUPON TODAY
Do not niss the IHF Show and Convention, by and for the high fidelity industry exclusively.
This is your Show--tailored to meet your needs. Plan to attend now.
Save time. Return this advance registration form to receive your free admission badge.
Firm
Street
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Zip
Please check below your business classification.
D Hi -Fi Specialist D Dept. or Chain Store ID Catalog or Mail Order D Radio/TV or Music Store D Auto or Photo Store D Premium Buyer I: Distributor D Importer El Mfrs. Rep. D Manufacturer D Other
Minors under 18 wili not be admitted.
INTERNATIONAL HIGH FIDEUTY SHOW
331 Madison Avenue. New York, N.Y. 10017 (212) 682-1802
JANUARY. /978
HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS III
From Germany's "Cambridge": Canton
Canton is not yet ahousehold word among U.S. audiophiles, but guided by the marketing touch of Adcom's Newton Chanin the German speaker label may one day enjoy something of the reputation and widepsread appeal those wellknown New England-based speaker labels enjoyed in the 1960's.
The analogy is not inappropriate. Canton's home base in the Taunus Mountains northwest of Frankfurt is the "Cambridge" of Germany, and the reputation of the Canton line in Germany and throughout Europe is not unlike that of the aforementioned U.S. speaker companies here.
Canton, launched five years ago with the introduction of a record care product before it began to market speakers, is acombination of two words, cantare -- to sing, and ton -- sound. Out of those words came Canton, and out of Canton came a line of well-reviewed speakers that quickly established the company as amajor factor throughout Europe, despite the fact that speaker companies there are about as relatively numerous as they are in the U.S.
Perhaps that fact encouraged Canton, when they were ready, to believe they could crack the U.S. speaker jungle. Newton Chanin's marketing savvy and depth of experience both here and in Europe as a former principal in Ortofon may be the key to success in a country with many quality speaker lines available.
There are five speakers in the U.S. line and there will be asixth, according to Chanin: a high-performance car/home sub-mini speaker, introduced this month. "I had been talking to Canton for several years about bringing the line in, but this is the first time they've had sufficient product to be able to go ahead," says Chanin, who already has about half of atargeted 100 dealers set up around the
Newton Chanin of Adcom
country. "We're offering dealers ahighly
regarded line exclusively and they're dealing with a marketing organization (Adcom) that knows the market and its needs. We started six years ago to import and distribute Ortofon. Adcom also handles Braun and Elac. Partly as a result of our Ortofon distribution experience, Adcom has in place ahigh-end distribution network of quality reps and audio specialists," Chanin explains.
Chanin hopes to accomplish with Canton what he did with Ortofon: develop a10-fold increase in business within avery few years without adding new dealers beyond the targeted goal of 100. "We can do this based on ahighlevel commitment from dealers and high turnover," predicts
Chanin. "Canton," he says, "presents
the same type of sell. A small number of qualified and motivated dealers can accomplish our goals. Because of Adcom's history and credibility, we have already won virtually immediate acceptance for the Canton line. Adcom didn't have to prove anything to dealers who have done business with us over the years."
Canton, Chanin reveals, has more to come. The company has just gone into the electronics business with its first receiver expected to be available early this year at aprice about $1,250. Features reportedly include simultaneous digital and analog readout, preselected tuning and other high-end attractions. The unit is made by Canton in their new factory.
In terms of product, the Canton line will, with the addition of the auto speaker, cover the spectrum from floorstanding home models to car. In fact, its L-300 minispeaker was originally conceived as a home product, but a certain percentage of units sold are employed in mobile applications. More appropriate, perhaps, would be the HC-100, a speaker designed for universal application and priced at about $90. "It's a spectacular value considering its price/quality relationship," says Chanin.
The Adcom chief sees important growth in the U.S. for mobile hi fi stereo equipment. "Hi fi has made the consumer much more aware of quality sound. That, coupled with the fact that many consumers probably have more listening time in the car than in the home, should mean there's an important market there."
It's an emerging market Canton expects to play a strong role in, and one which Chanin expects will reinforce current efforts centered on those audiophile households.
112 HIGH FIDELITY TRADE NEWS
JANUARY, 1978
Select what you want in arecord cleaner.
n Convenience in use ind storage.
You shouldn't need aseparate shelf, elaborate motions or an act of Congress to clean your records. A comfortable, hand-held instrument that works best on arotating turntable is ideal.
[1] Effectiveness against micro-dust.
Tiny, invisible dust particles hide in delicate record grooves and can be ground into the vinyl. Only a slanted (directional) fiber using special ultra-small fiber tips can scoop up, rather than rearrange, this micro-dust contamination.
11 Effectiveness against chemical contamination.
Fingerprints and vapor-borne oils will deposit into channels of arecord groove. Such contamination hides from adhesive rollers and all dry cleaning systems. Only aspecial fluid plus micro-fibers can safely remove such audible, impacted deposits.
Total removal of contamination/fluid.
Capillary action--the lifting of fluid by small fiber surface tension--is totally effective. You want to get contamination off the record, along with any
nfluid traces. Lasting construction
You want quality. A record cleaner can last alifetime. A plastic wonder can crack into oblivion--or you can purchase the hand-rubbed elegance of milled walnut befitting the rest of your audio system.
Ultimate economy.
The value of atruly fine record cleaner is justified by the cost of replacing your record collection. Fifteen dollars is asmall investment in longterm protection.
El All of the above. DISCWASHER, the Superior Record Cleaner.
See the finer audio dealers for ademonstration.
discwasher, inc. 1407 N. Providence Rd., Columbia, MO 65201
I fact: one mistrack damages grooves more than 25...50...even 100 plays.
The Optimist's View:
CBS STR 100 Played 75 Times With aV15 Type Ill Cartridge.
The cartridge that tracked the grooves shown in the top photomicrograph caused no PERCEIVABLE wear after 75 plays. But
because these grooves are cut at relatively low velocities and have a
continuous 20 kHz signal (only on one channel), they don't present a very challenging test. As a matter of fact, any reasonably good
cartridge should produce the same results. However, under greater
magnification these same grooves would probably reveal some amount of record wear (although not enough to alter sound quality).
That's because record wear is agradual but constant phenomenon .. like tire wear every time you drive.
L. CHANNEL WALL
TheTerrible Truth:
The middle photomicrograph shows a record of musical material cut
at today's "hotter" velocities after only one play with awell-known
competitive cartridge at its rated tracking force. This cartridge
mistracked the record. Clearly, critical damage resulted. Notice the
deep gouge marks on the groove walls.
A single mistrack can result in MORE damage than 25, 50 or even
Mistracking Damage A Commercial Recording After Just One Play With Top-of-the-Line Name Brand Cartridge at 1.0 Gram Tracking Force. Mistracking -- Critical Damage.
100 plays of a record! Continuing our tire analogy, a mistrack is like a blowout. Once your cartridge mistracks a record passage, the damage has been done and that passage will never sound the same.
TRACKABILITY is the single most meaningful yardstick by which to
measure cartridge performance. That's because TRACKABILITY
encompasses virtually every performance factor by which acartridge
is judged ...including velocity of the recorded signal, frequency,
compliance, and effective mass.
The bottom photo shows the same groove played
50 times with aV15 Type Ill at arecord-
and stylus-saving force of only one gram.
Clearly, there is no cartridge you can buy
-- for any amount of money -- that will
protect your record collection more
The Same Commercial Recording After 50 Plays With Shure V15 Type Ill Cartridge at 1.0 Gram Tracking Force. Normal (Inaudible) Wear -- Excellent Tracking.
from the damage of mistracking than the Shure V15 Type III.
Shure V15 Type HI
S-1L)FREE
Outperforms the best of the rest
Shure Brothers Inc., 222 Hartrey Ave., Evanston, IL 60204, In Canada: A. C. Simmonds & Sons Limited Manufacturers of high fidelity components, microphones, sound systems and related circuitry.
Foxit FXPDFA 1.2 PDF Compressor 8.2.10.12