If you already know why you want to purchase a vintage stereo receiver console, the next step is to figure out how to select one. There are many choices that may be significant to you. Make an informed decision!

Size Of Cabinet

Stereo consoles typically measure 32 to 60 inches wide. Instead of those Ikea bookshelves you still have from your first apartment, it fits nicely beneath a wall-mounted flat-screen television. Because LPs are only 12 inches wide, the width is typically between 16 and 20 inches. This is an appropriate size for a standard living room.

Height ranges from 28 to 40 inches and is inversely proportionate to length, depending on the style. In other words, as the length increases, the height decreases and vice versa. Consider if you have more or less room in the living area if you are going to relocate soon.

Location That Can Be Turned

The best place for the turntable, in our view, is at the top. It's far simpler to change a record, and it doesn't add to the chiropractor's cost. If you want to showcase items on top of the stereo or don't plan to use the turntable much, front loading turntables are a good choice. This decision may have a significant impact on your pleasure.

Location Of Control

We think that the top electronics control position is the ideal location, similar to the turntable location. It's far easier to alter the world's best music discovery service of all time: the radio. Most stereos, on the other hand, have the controls on the front, which looks nice in photos but isn't optimal. It's like having dishes in a low cabinet: you have to constantly bend down to touch buttons or turn knobs. One advantage of this front-facing design is that your pals will think it's great but won't bother finding out what each button does.

Style

There is a significant change in the materials and finishes of the stereos every 3 or 4 years. This is quite similar to what was going on with automobiles at the same time.

Rounded edges, plastic knobs, and mono audio from the late 1950s. There is a lot of gold trim. Green and bronze tonearms are seen on certain turntables. For any mono audio equipment, two channels are combined into one.

• Angled lines, plastic knows, and stereo audio from the early 1960s. If sound quality is important to you, this is the earliest I would get a stereo. The turntables are a lighter brown colour with stereo sound.
• Mid-sixties – More straight lines, metallic buttons, and a "space-age" appearance on the outside, as well as the first circuit board layout on the inside. I like them because they have a good mix of audio quality and aesthetics. This is the last of the tube electronics in which there is a delay in hearing music after turning it on. Metal tonearms were used on black and silver turntables.
• Late 1960s–Very space age, with more silver than gold, and one of the earliest solid state machines with no warm-up period before playing music.

Brand

The brand is a personal choice, keeping in mind the primary subject of how to select a vintage stereo console. The HiFi Clinic has a soft spot for Grundig's high-quality German products. This was our first one, and we were pleased with the design and craftsmanship. The original owners have a good secondhand market for these.

Zenith, a Chicago electronics giant in the 1960s and 1970s, is another famous brand. The issue with them is that the style is very "heavy," and it is obvious that it was not inspired by Denmark's outstanding mid-century design.

Telefunken and Motorola are a few of additional brands that are available.

Color Of The Cabinet

When you receive the cabinet you want and it already has the colour you desire, it's a huge victory. It is feasible to refinish these consoles, however since the woods are all walnut veneer, there is a little margin for error while sanding off the original finish.

• Dark–I like this appearance since it is extremely contemporary and conceals dings and dents. This hue particularly pops in photographs when paired with a glossy sheen.
• Greenish/Light Brown – This is a very uncommon colour, and it's not one of my favourites. It's somewhere in the centre, with none of the drawbacks of either extreme.
• Blonde – A beautiful appearance that shows off the wood grain while still being light enough to contrast with dark furnishings.
• Custom — If your console has a flat coat, you may go with a custom colour scheme. Because the wood veneer is just approximately1/16" thick, a few of passes with a revolving sander are sufficient.

Record Storage Size

The majority of these stereos aren't built to hold a lot of records. Internal reverberation space was needed to give these machines the greatest sound, which restricted the amount of record storage capacity available. There are, however, a few alternatives to consider:

• 75–I haven't seen any cabinets with more record storage capacity than this one. This is certainly useful when you begin your record collection, but it will plainly not enough if you go too far. The disadvantage of so huge record storage is that it will outgrow the minimal cabinet size required. There are a lot of alternative record storing choices, so tread cautiously.
• 25 – Because there isn't a lot of space between sizes, this size is only suitable for a modest collection.
• Tape Drive - I've seen a lot of stereos with a tape drive on top that takes up a lot of space. I'm not a fan of squandering a unique component like this, but if it's gone, one inventive alternative is to utilise the space to keep your top 5-10 recordings. They'll usually be stored flat, which isn't the best method to keep them, but it's an alternative. Alternatively, we offer a tutorial on how to turn a reel-to-reel player into a streaming music player.

Input For Bluetooth

If you wish to sometimes slip into the contemporary era and listen to music via your stereo, this is a must-have. Your buddies will be completely taken aback. This function should be included in any properly repaired stereo. Music streaming may have put an end to iTunes, but it cannot put an end to vinyl.

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