Fix and enjoy on the cheap

[Nolan Woodbury]

If I didn't already have one (and two other very similar sets) I'd snatch this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/AM-FM-Zenith-Woo...QQcmdZViewItem

The seller says this Zenith T2542 table radio is the same as a K731, but in reality they have different chassis numbers. The sound and (I think?) construction are the same and many feel this style is one of the most handsome that Zenith ever produced. I agree. Judging by how things go on eBay, most buyers will be scared off by the broken leg, but not the smart buyer. What a great everyday listener! Mine serves faithfully at my office desk daily.

[steve gibson]

Thanks for the tip. I placed a bid. I wanna see why everyone is raving about this radio.

[compucat]

Besides that great tube sound, why does everyone rave about this model? From what I've noticed, when you get past the bakelite cabinet era, the build quality goes down noticeably. A lot of those nice tube radios from the Sixties were mounted on pc boards and housed in styrene cabinets and are so heat damaged they are often unrestorable. I have a mid-Fifties Zenith am/fm radio in a bakelite cabinet with full steel chassis. It is the one you see all the time with the grille cloth front, big round dial which is part of the cabinet and external dial pointer. Now that's a good amfm tube radio.

[Chad Hauris]

All of the Zenith tube type radios (and the early solid state ones) have hand wired chassis and seem to have the best performance out of any tube type table radio made during this time.
The Zeniths use 3 FM IF stages, using a limiter and discriminator system rather than the 2 IF stages and ratio detector of, say General Electric. The FM sensitivity seems to be a lot better than most others of the time period. The later model Zeniths also use a silicon diode rectifier, good quality electrolytic capacitors, and no paper caps, and are often still working well today.
The Zenith Tone control actually has fairly flat tone in the center, accentuating bass when turned to one end and and treble at the other, rather than just decreasing treble. The radios often have electrostatic tweeters too.
The only tube type FM table radio that I have seen superior in performance to the Zenith is a Grundig.

[Nolan Woodbury]

I have a beautiful, burgundy/bakelite K725 compucat and I love it. Still, side by side sound comparisons with newer tube Zeniths in my collection reveals quite a difference in tone, clarity, reception and especially bass reflex. The clear advantage belonging to the later radios. My wife? She likes the 'purple one' best. *Sigh*.

I'll refer to Chad and the other vets here to internal quality and chassis integrity, but after buying, working on and using all sorts of tube/table sets (GE, Arvin, Emerson, Philco, RCA...even Hallicrafters) the Zeniths are, by and large, more reliable and clearly process better sound quality. Far fewer 'Gorilla Restorations' I would imagine, with usually only filter caps, the odd paper cap or a tube needing replaced. Yeah, lots of folks here rave about the K731 (for good reason) but I still feel the C/G 730 models are even more handsome and sound as good, if not better. The radiused top and bottom cabinet of the G730 is a good as it gets, style wise. Move forward to even newer sets, like the 8-tube C/H845 sets, or the 10-tube MJ1035 extension speaker/stereo and the reviews glow brighter still. To many though, these sets lack style. Even though the internet is full of posts raving about them, they're still dirt cheap.

And anyway compucat, or anyone else wondering what all the fuss is about, eBay has an almost shocking supply of these sets up for auction right now, with many clearing the week with no bids. A few months ago, Zenith table radios were red hot, but that has really cooled. Take advantage!

Good luck on the auction Steve! I can help with the leg if you need it. Chad? I'm way ahead of you on the Grundig...