Newbie to vintage Magnavox

I am new to this forum and am about to purchase a Magnavox Astro-Sonic console today. I found it on Craigslist and love the styling. The seller is the original owner and purchased it new in 1968. I am hoping it works as good as it looks! I will post updated pics when I get it home later this week. Does anyone know if these old console stereos can be used as external speakers for a flat screen television, and if so how do I wire it up to function in that way?

The Astrosonic's usually have a set of RCA jacks marked Tape Input, and a selector setting on the control panel for such.
This line-level input can be used for anything with line-level outputs.
AKA - CD player, tape deck, etc.

However, since this unit is 45 years old, its reliability & overall sound quality should be improved by a thorough restoration.
The electronics and record changer both require it, since natural deterioration happens to all of them.

Cabinets have been used for several years, but the only reference that I have is A Barcelona Astro-Sonic-40 from around 1966 and sold for $398.50 back in the day. It has the 15" woofers and 4x10 horns.

It may also have a W621 series turntable and some variation of an R204-XX-XX or an R214-XX-XX radio/amp combination chassis.

I had two of them, but parted one out that had the optional reel-to-reel tape deck. I keep the remaining one in bedroom #4. It really kicks butt. I paid $28 bucks for the "good one" that I kept.

As Matt said, they do have aux in/out jacks, and you can plug an external CD-player, Ipod,smart phone, tape deck into it. If you have an "Aux-In", you're good to go.

I also noticed that your upper decorative brackets are different from mine. I've been trying to explain that to a stubborn knucklehead down in Florida that the front panel is basically an open canvas to whatever brackets you want to put in there. He barely knows how to use a screwdriver or snap in a simple needle, but thinks he has the rarest console on earth, going on ad nauseum, even though it is just another Astro-Sonic 40 (Madrid - 3rd pic) with a similar cabinet and different front panels as to what we have with the same guts.

Sorry for the blurry pics...must have been taken from an old cell phone. --BB

Bobby Basham
Tucson, Arizona




The Madrid with different lower front panels

Dear Jackie,

Congratulations on your first Magnavox!! That is an awesome stereo. I along with Bobby have the same model in one of our extra bedrooms. I enjoyed that Stereo for many years, and would still be using it if it wasn't for the purchase of my former neighbors 1960 Magnavox Imperial which is in my opinion was the BEST "Stereo" ever made, with the exception of the "Magnavox Concert Grand" which was Magnavox's TOP of the line model. I tell you, I have a feelings only Doctor's and Lawyers had these types of stereo's in their houses.

I'm going to dig through my photo collection, I think I have a picture of this stereo somewhere on my computer. But, mine looks more like the one Bobby has with the handles on top. But yeah, I agree with Bobby. Magnavox made those Mediterranean Style stereo Consoles for years. I just love the "Old World" styling which is what I believe they called it in one of their brochures.

Seriously Jackie, that stereo will last you many years, if properly taking care of. I want to share some more info that I have about these types of machines with you. so I am going to "pm" you.

Just thought I'd share a little bit of other info with everyone else. In case you'd all like to know "Rosie's good ole UNRESTORED 53 year old unrestored Magnavox still hasn't burned down my house, In fact I got complaints from my neighbors that the music was making our street shake" This machine sounds brand new, and like a million bucks.

Oh, and I hope MattTech is enjoying his brand new pos Crosley Stack-O-Matic. Those things are pieces of crap, and sound even worse than the cheap parts they are made with, but they must be better because they are brand new, and not 50 years old right? Anyone who buys these are stupid.

My grandfather was one for paying over $200.00 brand new for one of these just because it was brand new and looked nice in the brochure. I told him to save his money, and buy a good ole Magnavox Portable from the mid sixties or something lol

'
Jackie,

plug your machine in, and see what it does. If it appears to be acting normally than it is working fine, and will be fine for the next 50 years. These parts were made to last forever, and to be perfectly honest, I've had about 10 or maybe more Magnavox Stereo Consoles, Some solid state, some not, and none of them ever needed to be repaired. Maybe the cartridge/needles replaced, but that's nothing. These are not hard to find, and most times local music stores can order them for you if you can't find them online. Trust me, These Maggie Consoles will last forever, even the cheaper ones!

About this "PhonoMike" contributor:

I really don't understand what his problem is, and indeed he does seem to have a problem.
His vivid imagination and accusations / assumptions directed towards me in several posts/threads on here are utterly childish rubbish.
His delusional beliefs are also annoying, I'm tiring of it, and I'll make sure the monitors on here are aware of this.

Furthermore,I do not own any "brand new pos Crosley Stack-O-Matic" as was posted by this maniac.
In fact, I don't own anything of such mediocre quality.
I'm a professional and highly regarded service tech, and what I own is of quite superior quality, but I digress.
I'm not out here to impress anyone with what I own, as this childish-acting mister Mike person seems to be - continually.

ok this might make a lot of you happy to know, that this will be my last post on here. The only reason why I made an account was in hopes that I would find a beautiful Magnavox "Imperial" Console because my neighbor wouldn't sell it to me at the time, but now that I have it and have to research on it on who I can TRUST to repair it, I really don't have to be coming on here much anymore.

However, I do like coming on every once in a while to read what people post under the "my pride and joy" section I can honestly see that some of these people are overjoyed, and some just almost as overjoyed as I was when they acquired their new piece, and when it's inherited by a family member or from someone you know, it makes it even more special.

Matt-Tech I didn't mean to state that you own a crosley, or anything like that, but I was just making a statement, because these units are newer and made in the last few years, so you must think they are better right?

All I meant by that is that the older stuff is not junk, and I know of a lot of people that would rather stick with the old, then buy new. I personally know that the Crosleys wont be around 50 years later like my Magnavox. For ex, My Magnavox is still here and Grandpa's Crosley is long gone, I just can't believe someone was dumb enough to buy it, or that he was even dumb enough to pay $200.00 brand new.

The best thing I can do is stay away from here, I don't want to argue with people like Matt-Tech. I will admit that I know nothing about electronics. YES that's true. I know nothing about whats inside these units YES that's true, which is why I don't play my unit for countless hours ev day and lee the machine powered on for hours. I work a full time job, and can't do it anyway.

But, I hardly think it will do any harm, to play it and enjoy it once in a while for an hour or so, when I have a day off. Believe me, if I heard something funky or odd with it, I wouldn't use it. I have heard this unit play in Rose's house ever since I was a young buck, and it sounds the same, if not better.

That doesn't mean that I am going to neglected it like that one guy did. I will et it fixed. But people that are professionals don't realize that some people making minimum wage walking around with only $1.00 in their pocket can't afford to repair these things.

For example, this place up in Binghamton New York, has my "Imperial Micromatic" turntable out of this unit, and they told me it was going to be well over $500.00. I couldn't believe it WOW that's expensive. I just don't have that kind of money to throw away, which is WHY I tell people, if your unit is playing fine, don't worry about it because I had 10 or more machines and they were all fine.

I have a couple relatives in my family that are professionals, and I can't stand most of them because of their know it all attitude. My one uncle hires these guys to do jobs, and then fires them almost immediately because one or two might not do things his way.

When I was growing up, I had an uncle was so bitter, and nasty, and mean that I never said two words to him growing up. I'd want to get into it with him, my grandmother could see the evil look in my eye that I wanted to tell him off, and she use to tell me to go upstairs. My grandmother knew how he was. He stayed that way for years, and one time him and my grandfather got into a huge fight and he told him the get out of the house that he didn't want to see him anymore.

I was raised to be nice, and courteous to people. I work in the hotel industry where I have to be nice to people everyday even when someone ticks me off. MattTech I'm sure you have a lot of knowledge, but please don't hold that knowledge over your head, because no one cares really, I certainly don't. no one cares that you've been working on these units for years. that still doesn't give you an excuse to be mean and nasty to people. I have seen other things you have posted on this site, and other sites, I don't think its right I'm sorry.

I'm repairing my unit only because I want to, because I want it to last me another 50 years. but that doesn't mean it needs it, or it requires it that I had it done. Last night I had a record on with Doris Day's Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, and I close my eyes, and really it sounded like Doris and the entire orchestra was in my bedroom right in front of me. The presence was AMAZING. you wont find that today anywhere.

And when I say people are jealous I'm probably right, because I was jealous of other people for many years that had a machine like this, and I didn't. They didn't give this set the name "Magnavox Imperial" for nothing.

Again, I don't feel its worth it to post on here anymore, I already found everything I was looking for INCLUDING the RCA Orthophonic SHP-12 Stereo, and I also found the RCA "New Orthophonic SHF-7" both of those units didn't sound right when I plugged them in, both had a rather LOUD hum. Which is why both units are sitting up in my attic and I am not using them until I get them restored.

But all I am trying to say to everyone on here, is trust your eyes and most of all your ears. If your machine is Malfunctioning in ANY way. you will know it. I think they built these machines to signal you when something is wrong.

Anyway I want to wish everyone a happy holiday, and again Jackie, nice stereo 's a beautiful one, I've really loved that styling on that cabinet for many, many years it's a gem!

No, sorry, I don't buy this story.
It sounds like childish babble, or someone with a childish mind.

There are snide remarks, holes, and lies all through it.

For instance:
Matt-Tech I didn't mean to state that you own a crosley, or anything like that, but I was just making a statement, because these units are newer and made in the last few years, so you must think they are better right?

This makes no sense - I'm a qualified tech - I know the cheap asian quality of these pieces of junk, and to think that I like that junk is speculating that I have no brains.

And this:
The best thing I can do is stay away from here, I don't want to argue with people like Matt-Tech.

Total lie too - This person has followed my posts on here for months and made snide comments in an attempt to discredit me.

and:
MattTech I'm sure you have a lot of knowledge, but please don't hold that knowledge over your head, because no one cares really, I certainly don't.

All anyone has to do is search his posts and it's quite clear he's "on a mission" for some reason.

This person's ignorance and delusional attitude towards his "prized" console aquisition is similar to a child's attitude, and should not be given any thought.
These old electronic items are in jepardy of failing due to critical aged components. - I see them every day come into my shop.
I've warned people about the use of such things in an effort to save them the substantial additional costs that can arise from using them "as found".
Restoration costs are expensive enough, why be stubborn and wind up paying lots more?
I certainly don't need someone trolling me on this board by telling people I don't know my business, much less advising people that it's ok to use aged equipment just because it currently works.

I've also alerted the moderators as to these condecending posts - I'm not about to tolerate any more of them.

Guys,
I am going to "lock" this topic--we strive to run an open-clean-civil discussion, here, where anyone is free to express their comments. There are very few rules--but--"Flames" are not allowed.
Let's end this NOW, before it escalates !
Ron Rich, Board Monitor