Grundig RT 40 (1967–1969)
The Grundig RT 40 is a four-track stereo reel-to-reel tape recorder produced from 1967 to 1969. It's a compact machine — roughly 40 x 10 x 30 cm — with two tape speeds: 4.66 cm/s and 9.53 cm/s. Those speeds are the slow end of the consumer spectrum, which suggests the RT 40 was aimed at economy and long recording times rather than maximum fidelity, though it would have been a perfectly typical pairing for a late-1960s Grundig deck aimed at the home market.
The record on this model is thin. No original price survives, and no frequency response, signal-to-noise, or distortion figures are confirmed for the RT 40 specifically — the 18 Hz–24 kHz figure sometimes seen attached to this model belongs to the related RT 42 and should not be conflated. There is also minor naming inconsistency across sources: most use "RT 40," but at least one reference writes it as "RT40." Whether this reflects a regional badge difference or simply sloppy cataloguing isn't clear. Contemporary magazine coverage of the era discussed such reel-to-reel decks in the context of orchestral and avant-garde recordings, as seen in HiFI-Stereo (June 1968, p.95).
Known specs:
- Type: Reel-to-reel tape recorder, 4-track stereo
- Tape speeds: 4.66 cm/s and 9.53 cm/s
- Dimensions: 40 x 10 x 30 cm
- Production: 1967–1969
If you have a manual, brochure, or service sheet for the RT 40, the Archive would welcome a scan — the record could use it.
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