ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Electrical Nostalgia SABA Radio

I wondered if anyone might be interested in this.

It is a very poor picture of my old SABA valve radio. I think, dated 1965, it must have been one of the last valve radios in production -- alongside those *superb* old Philips sets. As far as I know, the last Philips valve set came off the market in 1966.

I bought it in Luxembourg about six years ago.

The reason why I refer to it now is the East German connexion. On BBC Radio 4 the other day there was a super documentary about number stations. The SW on the SABA is limited, so that one on that cannot get much leeway into SW bands where number stations broadcast, although I can still get plenty of "official" SW stations like Bucarest. When one looks into the innards, one almost suspects it was done on purpose. I remember hearing the scary gongs in about 1978, on an old AIWA set.

The SABA's output stage is a masterpiece.

It uses a pair of ECLL801 valves. And very good speakers.

The FM detection modules in it are semiconductor.

It is the most interesting radio I have ever restored.

Now it is back in good health, it is also the *best sound quality* radio for the whole street, and on MW/LW, also it is the most selective, even though there is no external antenna. A couple of friends of mine cannot tell the difference between the SABA and the proper HIFI with all the 1975 Celestion loudspeakers, 1977 Boothroyd Stewart amplifiers, and proper Marantz source equipment.