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Another Beautiful DeLuxe German Table Radio 1957 Model 517K by Graetz, with FM AM SW and LW Bands, Phono Tape Aux Inputs, and a 3-speaker system with Surround Sound 4R and Acoustic Compressor, All Original - Mint Serviced and Working
In a Nutshell
Raumklang mit Schallkompressor = Surround Sound with Acoustic Compressor
That's Graetz' 1957 slogan, I'm afraid you have to learn German and read refs.3,4 to really appreciate what that means
Introduction:
In the 1950's, shortly after UKW (Ultrakurzwelle = FM) but before transistors and stereophony (not available until 1963) came up, a large number of big German tube table radios flooded the market from manufacturers like AEG, Blaupunkt, Graetz, Grundig, Koerting, Loewe Opta, Nordmende, Saba, Schaub-Lorenz, Siemens and others. The phenomenon was part of the "Deutsches Wirtschaftswunder" (economic miracle), a period of post-war prosperity under chancellor Konrad Adenauer and his minister of economics Ludwig Ehrhard (born in Grundig town of Fürth in Bavaria). I can be very short about radio manufacturer Graetz, since there is an excellent on-line museum (ref.1), where all major Graetz radio series are extensively discussed. This includes the "Musica" series, which was produced between 1954 and 1965. Musica 517K (K for Kurzwelle = short wave) was produced in 1957/58 and features a refined surround sound system, based on wave guides with well positioned openings (Schallkompressor, ref.3). The radio not only has bass and treble control, but alternatively 3 tone control push-buttons for voice, solo, and orchestra (pict.14), and the surround sound can be disabled with another push-button. The resulting crisp treble presence is an unforgettable aha experience indeed. A call for action had been required since Max Grundig in 1954 introduced the "3D-Klang" (3-dimensional sound) with additional side speakers. The original price tag was 368 DM (purchasing power today US$~1200).
For the techies only:
No techies, since everything is well documented in the references given below, and the radio works just fine.
Additional information:
ref. 1. http://www.del-service.de/graetz_radio.htm
ref. 2. http://www.del-service.de/musica_serie.htm
ref. 3. http://www.del-service.de/images/pdf/Schallkompressor.pdf (in German)
ref. 4. http://www.del-service.de/images/pdf/Schallkompressor%20Duko%201957.pdf
About my radio:
The radio has its original piano laquer finish, that has got a nice and uniform fine crazing, as usual for this model. After cleaning the chassis, replacing the two filter capacitors, and repairing the on/off switch (that had been bridged by the former owner with a new switch at the back) the radio plays loud and clear and with superb sensitivity and selectivity on all bands. All tubes have been tested and found to perform within specifications, including the magic eye tube EM81 (see pict.36, it is labeled 6DA5, which is equivalent to a EM80/6BR5). When restoring the radio, I noticed a crack on the very lower left corner of the glass dial, best seen in pict.13, but hardly noticeable, which caused the "near mint" for the radio. The rich tone controls on this radio, the powerful EL84 audio stage and the phono connector (Tonabnehmer) at the back (pict.33) are ideal to play-back (mono) modern components, like turntables, CD and mp3 players etc. (see movie file clicking on pict.50). Please
e-mail me (Kris) for any questions, ich spreche Deutsch, je parle Français.
Here are the specifications:
| Technical Description of Item |
| Manufacturer |
Graetz, Altena (Westfalen), Germany |
| Model |
517K |
| Type |
6-tube LW, MW, SW, FM Superheterodyne radio receiver |
| Features |
Klangregister, Raumklang mit Schallkompressor, phono tape aux inputs |
| Production Year |
1957/58 |
| Serial Number |
778109 |
| Cabinet |
Walnut wood with piano finish, golden metal |
| Dial |
Illuminated reverse painted glass |
| Knobs |
2 original bakelite knobs with brass fittings |
| Frequency Range |
LW 140-320 kHz, AM 510-1630 kHz, SW 6-19 MHz, FM 87.5-100 MHz |
| Controls |
Volume, tuning, tone ctrls, push-button function and tone selectors |
| Tube line-up |
ECC85, ECH81, EF89, EABC80, EM80 (EM81=6DA5), EL84 |
| Speaker |
9"x5" oval main, 4" tweeter, pressure chamber with acoustic compressor |
| Price in 1957 |
368 DM (purchasing power today ~US$ 1200) |
| Size (WxDxH) |
24" x 10" x 14", 61 x 26 x 36 cm |
| Weight |
23½ lbs = 10.6 kg |
| Comment |
Original and near mint condition, serviced and perfectly working |
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