Grundig SV 40 (1957)
The Grundig SV 40 is a vacuum-tube reel-to-reel tape recorder from 1957. It is a dedicated tape machine with no radio tuner, and it runs on four valves: ECC85, ECC83, EL84, and an EM80 magic-eye level indicator. It draws 120 W and accepts AC power at 110, 127, 220, or 240 volts, which suggests it was built to travel across European and US mains standards. The unit measures 380 x 350 x 220 mm and weighs 11 kg. Radiomuseum.org dates it to "1957 ?" - the question mark is theirs - while hifiengine.com lists the timetable as 1957 without hesitation.
The record on this model is thin. No original price, tape speeds, track configuration, reel capacity, frequency response, or output power ratings are documented in any surviving source. What exists is one enthusiast's video, in which the presenter calls the SV 40 "one of the most beautiful old Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorders" and reports that the sounds and mechanicals are all original and work fine, with no restoration needed. That's a single-owner data point, not a general reliability assessment.
The SV 40 is sometimes mistaken for the SV 140. At least one collector's listing was explicitly relisted from the incorrect "SV 140" designation, and the two should be treated as distinct models.
- Valve/tube lineup: ECC85, ECC83, EL84, EM80 (magic eye)
- Power consumption: 120 W
- Voltage: AC 110 / 127 / 220 / 240 V
- Dimensions: 380 x 350 x 220 mm (14.96 x 13.78 x 8.66 in)
- Weight: 11 kg (24.25 lb)
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