You can see how you would get hooked by this, I inherited it in 1973.
It had a Viking 2 track tape deck in a drawer (I have it and some extra parts).
Viking 75, has 3 heads, so it could play either In-Line (the agreed standard eventually) or Staggared, the 3rd head was advanced 1.25", an equal amount to the two tracks which were recorded staggared. A switch changed which head it picked up the 2nd track from.
Original Stereo Tape, 1956, was original mono head, and a second mono head added 1.25" away, upside down, thus 2 track staggered. Then, a separate 2 track in line head was developed. Two WIDE tracks! Best sounding tapes I own.
A Garrard Changer in another drawer, I tossed that out.
My uncle was an opera critic, and friend of Avery Fisher. They came to his NYC Apt and added a pair of preamps to convert the cartridge from ceramic to MM.
I bought a fisher multi-plex to get Stereo FM out of the 80 FM Tuner.
It was a very short period when Live Binaural Broadcasts existed, just prior to Armstrong Stereo FM.
Stations, i.e. CBS had CBS FM (mono), and CBS AM (mono). They would mic the left side of the stage and broadcast it CBS FM. Simultaneous right side mic broadcasting CBS AM.
Control Panel to FM, tune CBS. Control Panel to AM, tune CBS. Snap the control panel to Stereo Radio, there you had live binaural.
It had a pair of 35 watt Mono Blocks, Mullard EL37’s, or use EL34 for 30 wpc, or any substitute for either of them.
16, 8, 4 ohm taps.
Drivers and Crossovers and rheostats ’Presence’ and ’Brilliance’ all 16 ohm, thus I needed early Cayin A88T with 16 ohm taps. (sadly interior bias pots)
Oh yeah, a programmable clock.
All in 1958.
I used the mono blocks for many years, then added the Chase unit for remote balance and remote volume, then changed to Cayin Integrated and McIntosh tube tuner/preamp mx110z
I used to play McIntosh SS MC2250 (McIntosh tested accurate to 305 wpc), with McIntosh SS C28 preamp. Then blindly switch to Fisher tube 80z (az?) 30 wpc, EVERYONE ALWAYS chose tubes.
The fisher amps, and a 3rd spare are downstairs now, no need to compare tubes to tubes.
Stood in line at store’s electronic tube tester a week before Thanksgiving every year, tested 38 tubes. Flip charts, bags, tape with id on faded writing, my feet hurt thinking about how long it took.
I said "I want my own tube tester". Got off the train 1 night, my birthday, and Nancy drove me to a driveway and said, that guy has something for you. She had run a wanted add, got me a small portable tube tester.
https://www.ebay.com/i/323712928966?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=323712928966&targetid=858380238160&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9003512&poi=&campaignid=6470719340&mkgroupid=77931583832&rlsatarget=pla-858380238160&abcId=1140476&merchantid=115026223&gclid=Cj0KCQiAs67yBRC7ARIsAF49CdXegta_aPtAMx5HIpkE0sCOWla3mDqpokxO3Jk6zc077v8j_Bl0fC4aAsJ6EALw_wcB Sadly she died young, age 39, needless to say, that tester is one of my best memories and possessions.
I got 2 more big testers, gave one away. I find the small one always agrees with the big one
