Want to Try a E.H Scott 800b or 16a

[wiseguy]

I would like to change my Gears in Vintage A/V
I had been reading about the Scott 800b and 16A and would like to find one to restore, but the prices on these things are all over the place, I see one 8008 went for something like $38.00 all the way up to 2990.00 buy it now or offer now on e pay.
which model really does sound better and do they have the FM broadcast band?
I read they came with a GE VR Cartridge and how do those sound?
I also read some cabinets have dual 15" and some a single coax 12"
any suggestions?

[Sandy G]

I have an 800B, sans cabinet & record player. EXCELLENT performer, STRONG FM, doesn't seem to be "Muted" almost to uselessness like most of the other postwar early FM sets are. Honestly, if a set has good chrome, as mine does, you WON'T wanna hide it in a bulky cabinet anyway.

[ggregg]

800b is a fine set, I had one. But the 16A is the better choice. Less things to go wrong and you don't have to modify the tone circuit to get it to sound the way it should. They are a lot harder to find though.

[Olorin67]

If you do buy a 800b, make sure you get both chassis, the power supply,audio amp, and half the FM tuner are on the second chassis. Maybe you can get em cheap if you find them for sale separately and reunite them.

[stromberg6]

I also have an 800-B, and it's a plus one to all the other comments. I have a number of VR pickups, along with the GE preamps, and filter networks. I use them to dub 78s, and some mono LPs. I really like the way they sound. If a VR pickup comes with its own preamp, All the better, because the load is different from a "normal" mag pickup, somewhere around 100K, versus 47K. They still sound OK used with other preamps.
Kevin

[Smoky Pond]

I realize that this is an old thread, but thought I'd chime in just the same. While I've never heard an 800B, I can vouch for the excellent audio quality of the 16A; in a word it's outrageous. Even young people are astounded by the audio quality.

I believe the Scott labeled Jensen HNP-51 exponential horn speaker is one of the main reasons for the quality and extremely high sound pressure levels available from the 16A.

Although this Scott has FM, there's not much in the way of good source material to listen to in my area. Everything is compressed and clipped to the max., so I run an iPod into the TV input of the 16A.

If you find one, make sure the chrome is good and that it has the original speaker.

Also, as Sandy G. pointed out here, if you find one with good chrome, you don't want to hide it. This is how I "display" mine:



Rear view of open baffle speaker enclosure and HNP-51:



Here is a link to the 16A page of my website:

http://www.smokypond.com/gallery/pic...ics/scott_16a/