Grundig

Max Grundig built Europe's living room soundtrack

History

Key Facts

Legendary Products

Grundig Satellit 650 (1960s-1970s)

Grundig Satellit 205 (1958)

Grundig Konzerthaus Series (1960s-1970s)

Grundig Fine Arts (1970s-1980s)

Sound Signature

Grundig's audio character is rooted in their radio engineering heritage. The Satellit series world band receivers deliver FM and shortwave reception with a sensitivity and selectivity that remains genuinely impressive — pulling in distant stations with clarity that makes modern portable radios seem like toys. The audio output from these receivers is warm and full-bodied, with a richness in the midrange that makes spoken-word broadcasts and music equally engaging.

Their hi-fi components, particularly the Konzerthaus and Fine Arts series, carry a distinctly European sonic signature. Compared to the bright, detailed presentation of Japanese receivers or the warm, lush sound of American tube equipment, Grundig occupies a refined middle ground — precise and well-controlled, with a naturalness in the midrange and a warmth in the bass that reflects the company's decades of expertise in audio reproduction. These are components designed for extended, comfortable listening.

Collecting Grundig

The Satellit series dominates Grundig collecting. The Satellit 650 is the flagship — a large, beautifully engineered portable receiver that represents the pinnacle of analog shortwave design. Working examples with all bands functioning properly are increasingly rare and highly valued. The Satellit 205, as the model that launched the series, holds particular historical significance and appeals to collectors interested in the origins of world band radio.

For hi-fi collectors, the Konzerthaus receivers and the Fine Arts series offer exceptional German engineering at prices that remain modest compared to their quality level — these are genuine sleepers in the European vintage market. The PS-4000 direct-drive turntable is another underappreciated Grundig product worth seeking out. Note that most vintage Grundig equipment was built for 220V European mains, so North American buyers should verify voltage compatibility or plan for a step-up transformer.

Competitors & Comparisons

Accessories

• 225 — Grundig 225 table tube radio, 1958-1959, 198 DM. Three-band FM/MW/LW set with ECC85, ECH81, ECL86 tubes and a single 17cm speaker.
• 2440 — Grundig 2440, a West German walnut bakelite tabletop tube radio from the 1960s with AM/FM/SW bands. Little documented beyond marketplace listings and one restoration log.

Amplifiers

• FA 1002 — Grundig FA 1002 (1973–1977): early black-and-white TV surveillance system with intercom, 23 cm monitor, weatherproof camera, 10 m cable.
• FA 1005 — Grundig FA 1005 — obscure mid-1970s black-and-white Vidicon video camera for Grundig VCRs. 2/3-inch tube, 9-30mm zoom. Manual available; little else documented.
• SV 40 — Grundig SV 40, a 1957 vacuum-tube reel-to-reel tape recorder with four valves including an EM80 magic eye. Thin documentation survives; known specs and collector notes only.
• SV 80 — The Grundig SV 80 is a tube stereo amplifier — what German sources call a Röhren-Vollverstärker, meaning it was a full-featured integrated amplifier
• SV2000 (1980) — Grundig SV2000 integrated stereo amplifier (1980-1984). Flat silver chassis, phono/line/tape inputs. Output rating disputed in surviving sources.

Audio Components

• GCM 319 — Grundig GCM 319 — a German-made cardioid condenser microphone from the late 1960s/70s, designed for use with Grundig tape recorders.
• GDM 308 — Grundig GDM 308 dynamic omnidirectional microphone for reporting and dictation, made in Germany 1979-1982 with 7-pin DIN connector and start/stop switch.
• GDM 314 — Grundig GDM 314 vintage dynamic cardioid microphone from the 1960s-70s. DIN connector, 80Hz-15kHz response, built-in impedance converter.

Car Audio

• AC 50 — Grundig AC 50 portable battery reel-to-reel tape recorder (1961–62). Single-speed 4-track mono, 3-inch spools, 6V battery power. Voice-oriented field recorder.

Cassette Decks

• C-200 — Grundig C-200 compact tape recorder (circa 1968), reviewed in Studio-Sound. Little documented; acoustic response measured 400 Hz–8 kHz from a small cabinet.

Cassette Recorders

• C 100 (1965) — Grundig C 100 (1965) — West German portable mono recorder using the short-lived DC-International cassette format. 3.5 kg, 6x1.5V power, rare today.

Cassette Decks

• TK-Series (1972) — The Grundig TK-Series (1953) launched a line of compact German tape recorders. What we know—and what we don't—about this obscure portable.

Microphones

• GBM 125 — Grundig GBM 125 — a 1960s cardioid ribbon microphone, rebadged from Beyerdynamic, sharing the M260's ribbon motor and transformer. Obscure but collectible.

Radios

• 1000 — The Grundig 1000 was the company's flagship reel-to-reel recorder of the mid-1950s, advertised in its home market as "Der Meister unter den
• 186 B/GW — Grundig 186 B/GW Boy (1950–1951) — early Bakelite portable superhet, medium wave only, 4 tubes, mains/battery operation.
• 2000 — Grundig 2000 multiband portable radio with clock, six-valve complement (ECC85, ECH81, EF89, EABC80, EM80, ECL86), 8.5 kg, 475mm wide. Little-documented model.
• 205 — The Grundig 205 is a compact three-valve tube radio produced for roughly a year and a half, from 1971 into 1972. It was an all-wave set covering FM
• 208 — The Grundig 208 is a compact portable radio from the 1959/1960 model year, listed in Grundig's catalog for that period at a German price of DM 148. It's a
• 2100 — Grundig 2100 stereo reel-to-reel tape recorder, mid-1960s solid-state design with reverse playback, 3 heads, and built-in tuner.
• 2400 — Grundig 2400 reel-to-reel tape recorder with built-in multi-band radio, produced 1967-1969. Three-motor direct drive, 9.5/19 cm/s, 1.7W amp.
• 3400 — The Grundig 3400 is a reel-to-reel tape recorder, though documentation on it is thin. What the record shows: a three-head machine running 19 and 9.5 cm/s
• 400 — Grundig 400: an obscure 1960s German mono tube reel-to-reel recorder. Full-track, 3.75/7.5 ips, single-knob operation. Little documentation survives.
• 4000 — Documentation on the Grundig HiFi 4000 is genuinely thin. What the record shows: this was a complete hi-fi system (“Hi-Fi-Komplettanlage”) from Grundig’s
• 500 — Surviving information on the Grundig 500 is thin. What the record shows comes almost entirely from a single Radio Museum listing, and even there the
• 600 — Grundig Studio 600 stereo receiver from the late 1960s-70s. 2x30W at 4 ohms, 498 DM original price, solid-state Class-AB design.
• 800 — Grundig music 800 (1958-1959) — a floor-standing tube music console with push-pull EL84 output, 3-way speakers, and radio/phono/tape in one cabinet.
• City-Boy 1100 — The Grundig City-Boy 1100 — also written "Cityboy" — is a 4-waveband portable transistor radio that was available around 1975/76, with some sources dating
• Satellit 1000 — Grundig Satellit 1000 (1972) — West German transistor world-band radio, 260×460×130 mm, 6.45 kg. Little documented beyond seller listings; service manual exists.
• Satellit 1400 — The Grundig Satellit 1400 is a double-conversion superheterodyne world band receiver, part of the legendary Satellit series. It was the successor to the
• Satellit 2000 — Grundig Satellit 2000 (1972) — legendary West German 21-band portable world receiver with double-conversion circuitry and SSB capability.
• Satellit 205 — Grundig Satellit 205 (1964-1966), the first of Grundig's famous Satellit world band portables, with dual shortwave tuners and turret bandspread tuning.
• Satellit 208 — The Grundig Satellit 208 — also sold under the designation "Transistor 6000" — was the premium portable worldband receiver of its day, built in West
• Satellit 210 — Grundig Satellit 210 (1969-1971): double-conversion multiband portable with 17 SW bands, maritime ship-broadcast licence.
• Satellit 2100 — The Grundig Satellit 2100 is a fully solid-state portable world receiver produced from 1976 to 1979 — a late entry in the storied Satellit line that began
• Satellit 2400 — Grundig Satellit 2400 — a heavy double-conversion portable world receiver from the late 1970s/early 80s, covering FM, LW, MW and 6 SW bands with FM stereo.
• Satellit 300 — Grundig Satellit 300 (1983–1985): Grundig's first microprocessor-controlled world band receiver, a compact digital PLL set with 24 transistors and mixed reception reviews.
• Satellit 3000 — Grundig Satellit 3000 (1977-1978): the largest and heaviest Satellit world-band radio, with double-conversion SW, built-in SSB, detachable LCD clock.
• Satellit 3400 — Grundig Satellit 3400 Professional (1978-83) — Grundig's flagship analog shortwave receiver, 1.6-30 MHz in ten bands, digital frequency display.
• Satellit 400 — Grundig Satellit 400 (1986-1989) — dual-conversion microprocessor portable with 24 memories, SSB, and a 6-watt amplifier. Successor to the Satellit 300.
• Satellit 4000 — The Grundig Satellit 4000 is an unusual hybrid: a world-band receiver with a built-in stereo cassette recorder. A Russian owner's blog from the era
• Satellit 500 — Grundig Satellit 500 (1978-1981) — top-of-line portable shortwave receiver with PLL tuning, 4 SW bands, synchronous detector, and 12 presets.
• Satellit 600 — Grundig Satellit 600 (1983-1985): the last large-format shortwave receiver in the Satellit series, covering LW/MW/SW/FM with 60 memories and SSB.
• Satellit 650 — The Grundig Satellit 650 is the flagship of the legendary Satellit series — a large, beautifully engineered portable receiver that represents the pinnacle
• Satellit 700 — The Grundig Satellit 700 is a portable shortwave receiver that, according to QSL.net, replaced the Satellit 6000 in Grundig's lineup. Beyond that single
• Satellit 800 — A portable world band receiver introduced in early 2000, featuring double conversion superheterodyne design and FM stereo reception.
• Satellit 900 — Grundig Satellit 900 (1995): flagship world band receiver prototype shown at IFA Berlin, never mass-produced; only ~10 cased prototypes; lineage continues in the Eton E1.

Receivers

• 1610 — Grundig 1610: a little-documented early-1960s German tube radio with FM/MW/LW, six-valve complement, and beech wood cabinet.
• 1715A — Grundig 1715A portable black-and-white TV, 1973-1975. A variation of the Triumph 1715 with marginal external differences.
• 2210 — Grundig 2210 (1955/56): a leather-cased tube portable radio covering LW/MW/SW, 4W output, five valves plus rectifier, original price 259 DM.
• 8072 — Grundig 8072 (1961) — a tube-based stereo music console from Germany. Little documented; known specs include SW/FM bands, phono/mic/tape inputs, 180W draw.
• C 6000 — Grundig C 6000 Automatic portable radio cassette recorder, c. 1972–1974. FM/LW/MW/2xSW bands, 4W elliptical speaker, monophonic.
• CN 700 — Grundig CN 700 stereo cassette player, Germany c. 1974-76. Entry model in the CN 700/710/720/730 family; DNL noise reduction, no auto-stop. Thin documentation.
• HIFI-RECEIVER-SERIES (1972) — A series of high-fidelity receiver units from German electronics manufacturer Grundig, representing mid-tier European audio engineering of the 1970s.
• Other Receivers (1968) — A range of versatile and well-engineered audio solutions from Grundig, spanning tuners, preamplifiers, and integrated systems outside traditional receiver formats.
• RTV 380U — Grundig RTV 380U (1969–1971): West German solid-state AM/FM/shortwave receiver, ~7.5W/ch. A compact, little-documented model.

Reel To Reel

• TK 35 — Grundig TK 35 three-speed mono portable tape recorder — 82 guineas in Britain, superimpose recording, 40 Hz–20 kHz at 7½ ips.
• TK-120 — Grundig TK-120 cassette deck. Virtually undocumented in available research—no specs, production years, or period reviews found for this obscure TK-series model.
• TK-2200 — Grundig TK-2200 battery-powered mono tape recorder. Little documented; period Studio-Sound review cites 40 Hz–15 kHz response, 47 dB S/N, ±0.25% wow/flutter.
• TK-23A — Grundig TK-23A four-track automatic/manual tape recorder, ca. 1965–1966. Featured as Tape Recorder of the Month in Amateur Tape Recorder.
• TK-245 — Grundig TK-245 transistorized quarter-track stereo tape recorder from ca. 1968. Walnut cabinet, $239.95. Specs from period reviews: 7½/3¾ ips, 50 Hz–16 kHz.
• TK-340 — Grundig TK-340 stereo tape recorder, circa 1966–1967. Quarter-track, three speeds, built-in amplifiers and side-facing speakers.
• TK-400 — Grundig TK-400 quarter-track tape recorder from c. 1966. Known only from a Studio Sound review: 7½/3¾ ips, 4W output, £49 7s. Little else documented.
• TKI-4 — Grundig TKI-4 — a little-documented twin-track mono tape recorder from the mid-1960s, known from period ads and a brief Studio Sound feature.
• TKI-8 — Grundig TKI-8 tape recorder, little-documented model known from a 1965 classified ad listing TKI8 Automatic at £32. Covers production dates.

Speakers

• Audiorama 4000 — Grundig Audiorama 4000 spherical 2-way sealed speakers (c. 1972-75). 40W RMS, 4 ohms, 13cm drivers, tulip bases or ceiling mount.
• Box 150 — Grundig Box 150, a little-documented German loudspeaker from around 1974. Few technical specs survive; this page records what is known.
• Box 153 — Grundig Box 153 — an obscure compact speaker with almost no surviving documentation. Related model Box 150a suggests a 2-way bass reflex design.
• BOX-SERIES (1965) — A compact and stylish line of portable audio units from the mid-1960s, blending German engineering with mid-century design.
• BOY-Series (1956) — A legendary line of portable tube radios from the 1950s and 60s, the Grundig BOY-Series combined German engineering with sleek design for on-the-go listening.
• HiFi Box 303Ma — Documentation on the Grundig HiFi Box 303Ma is thin. What the record shows: these are 2-way slim wall-mount loudspeakers from the German manufacturer
• MAJESTIC-SERIES (1958) — A prestigious line of high-fidelity tube radios and console systems from. West Germany, blending luxury design with advanced audio engineering of the late 1950s and early 1960s.
• OTHER-RADIOS (1955) — Grundig Other Radios (1950s–1980s) — a broad category of vintage portable, tabletop, and compact radios known for German engineering, analog tuning.
• SATELLIT-SERIES (1965) — A legendary line of portable shortwave radios from the 1960s–70s, prized for global reception, build quality, and Cold War-era design.
• STEREO-CONSOLES (1968) — A series of high-end integrated stereo furniture systems from the late 1960s and 1970s, combining premium audio components with elegant cabinetry.
• TM-SERIES (1968) — A line of high-fidelity tape monitoring and mastering equipment from German audio giant Grundig, designed for professional and semi-professional studio use in the late 1960s and 1970s.

Stereo Consoles

• SO 191 — Grundig SO 191 (c. 1960) — German stereo console powered by the renowned NF2 amplifier module: 15W per channel, four EL84s, 14 tubes total.

Tape Recorder

• TK-14 — Grundig TK-14 reel-to-reel: Grundig's cheapest tape deck, 40–12,000 c/s, piano-key transport, 35 gns new in 1961.
• TK-18 — Grundig TK-18 valve reel-to-reel, £40 19s., 3¾ i/s twin-track with automatic Magic Ear level control — no meter, no knob.
• TK-23L — Grundig TK-23L quarter-track mono tape recorder, £51 9s list in 1965, 3¾ i.p.s., Magic Ear auto level control.
• TK-30 — Grundig TK-30 reel-to-reel — a mid-range British-market domestic deck advertised at 72 guineas in 1959–60, bracketed by the TK-20 and TK-35.
• TK-60 — Grundig TK-60 stereo reel-to-reel — Grundig's first fully stereophonic deck, listed at 128 guineas and later cleared at 89. Period review notes and collectibility.
• TK-830 — Grundig TK-830 deluxe portable reel-to-reel, $419.95 in the US, 3 speakers, Magic Eye, 50–16,000 cps.

Tape Recorders

• TK 46 — Grundig TK 46 (1959–1960): two-track mono valve reel-to-reel, 19/9.5 cm/s, two motors, 5W output. Documentation is thin; basics confirmed by two sources.

Tuners

• RF-SERIES (1968) — A series of high-fidelity radio tuners from German manufacturer Grundig, prized for precision engineering and superior shortwave reception.
• RT 40 — Grundig RT 40 reel-to-reel tape recorder, 1967-1969. Four-track stereo, two tape speeds, compact 40cm chassis. Little documentation survives.
• RTV-600 — Grundig RTV-600 – a little-documented stereo amplifier or receiver from the late 1960s. Nearly nothing survives in the record beyond a single 1968 test-chart fragment showing 15W per channel into 8 oh…

Unknown

• 14L — Grundig 14L tape recorder, barely documented. Only known from a single 1965 Studio-Sound product announcement listing it among four new TK-series recorders.
• 2200 — What little is documented about the Grundig 2200 appears under the fuller model designation TK2200, a battery-powered mono tape recorder.
• 230 — Grundig 230 — an obscure model with no verified facts. An unidentified Grundig amp review in Audio-Collection is the closest lead; the product type itself is unconfirmed.
• A-903 — Grundig Fine Arts A-903 integrated amplifier (1989) — Hirsch-Houck test report in Stereo Review at $899 with measured specs; little else documented.
• SE-26 — Surviving information on the Grundig SE-26 is thin. The only period source located is a Grundig advertisement that ran in Studio-Sound from December…
• TK-12 — Grundig TK-12 reel-to-reel tape recorder, sold in Britain at 70 guineas less microphone. Mono machine, documented mainly through period advertising and dealer price lists.
• TK-144 — Grundig TK-144 (1969): a four-track tube reel-to-reel at 3¾ ips, four hours per reel. Thin documentation, but belt kits keep it running.
• TK-18L — Grundig TK-18L — a mid-1960s Grundig tape recorder known mainly from its late-1965 advertising: 41 guineas, six press-buttons.
• TK-3200 — Grundig TK-3200: a battery-powered half-track mono portable tape recorder, reviewed by Studio-Sound in March 1971. Little else is documented.
• TKI-45 — Obscure mono tape recorder from Grundig, documented only in a 1968 Studio-Sound review: 9.5 cm/s, 40 Hz–12 kHz, £53 11s.
• TS-340 — Grundig TS-340 — an obscure, undocumented audio model. Almost nothing is known; no specs or production years confirmed.

Other Models

• PS-1020 — Grundig PS-1020 direct-drive turntable, built in Germany circa 1978. Semi-automatic, brushless DC motor, 30.5 cm platter. Limited documentation survives.
• Reporter 300L — Grundig Reporter 300L (1951) — early reel-to-reel tape recorder in a green portable case. Part of Grundig's first Reporter series; original price 998 DM.
• stereos — Grundig Stereos – German hi-fi from the 1960s–1980s, including Fine Arts and Konzerthaus series. 90W amplifiers, 50kHz response, direct-drive turntables.
• TK145 — Grundig TK145 four-track reel-to-reel at 9.5 cm/s, with Easy G rotary transport control and Magic Ear three-mode AGC.