Benjamin Stereo 200 (1964–1966)
A whole stereo phonograph - turntable, amplifier and walnut case - in a footprint barely larger than the turntable inside it.
Overview
The Benjamin Stereo 200 packs an automatic turntable, a solid-state amplifier and a full control center into a single tabletop case. The cabinet measures just 18½ by 16 by 9½ inches. That is no more floor space than the Miracord 10 turntable alone would need. The rest of the box is built around it.
The amplifier is a solid-state stereo unit rated at 36 watts total, 18 watts per channel IHF. It uses 14 transistors, 4 silicon diodes and 2 germanium diodes. The power stage is a single-ended push-pull design preceded by a phase splitter and driver. The preamp runs two stages per channel, with the RIAA equalization in a feedback network across both. Tone controls are the lossier type. Frequency response is quoted at 10 cps to 22 kc, ±1 db, with power bandwidth from 30 cps to 12 kc at 1 percent distortion. The amplifier is meant to drive any moderately efficient speaker system, preferably 8 or 16 ohms. Benjamin's own 208 speakers were the recommended match.
The control center is what separates the 200 from a turntable with an amp bolted on. It accepts a high-level source and has tape outputs for recording. It also has an auto shut-off circuit that completely shuts the system down when the last record has played, provided the switch is in the auto position. That shut-off can be bypassed for non-record use. The package includes a stereo magnetic diamond cartridge and an oil-rubbed walnut enclosure with a plexiglass lift cover.
The reviewers were surprised by the measured performance. At 1,000 cps distortion measured 0.28 percent. Intermodulation distortion, using 60 and 7,000 cps tones mixed 4 to 1 at an equivalent 10 watts into 10 ohms, came in at 1.2 percent. Hum was 72 db below 10 watts. For a system at this price, the magazine called the performance "quite surprising."
The Stereo 200 retailed at $229.50, speakers extra, with the matched Benjamin 208 speakers at $49.50 each. Benjamin's own advertising in High Fidelity (February 1965, p.13) leaned hard on the space-saving angle - "great sound, if you have the room" - and pitched it as a component-engineered system for people who didn't have a wall to give to separates. A later version, the Stereo 200 FM, added a solid-state FM tuner into the same cabinet without adding an inch, retailing at $339.50. A 1966 compact-system guide listed the FM version at that price with speakers optional at $59.50 each.
Collectors note that the auto shut-off and the compact integrated case make the 200 usable today for someone who wants a period system without a rack of separates. The amplifier's modest power means speaker matching matters. The 18-watt-per-channel rating is honest but not generous, and inefficient modern speakers will expose it. The plexiglass cover and walnut finish are period-correct and, when intact, a large part of the appeal.
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