Scott T-33S (1975)
The Scott T-33S was a digital stereo FM tuner, and it was the company's entry into the high-end tuner market of the mid-1970s. High Fidelity (December 1975, p.73) reviewed it alongside the Accuphase T-100, Marantz 150, Sequerra Model I, and Yamaha CT-7000. That was serious company, and the T-33S held its own at a then-steep $999.95. The metal case measured 17 15/16 by 5 13/16 inches across the front panel, with a depth of 11 9/16 inches plus room for connections.
The tuner offered semiautomatic scanning. The user started a station search by pressing either a STATION or STEREO button. The same review noted that 40 dB of channel separation at 1 kHz was met and exceeded in one channel and barely missed in the other. Separation fell to less than 30 dB in both channels by 10 kHz, which is acceptable but not class-leading at the extreme end of the audio band. The mute function was nonadjustable. A pair of panel meters were back-lit when the panel illumination was turned on, though High Fidelity found the needles harder to see under that condition than in ordinary room light (December 1975, p.83). The tuner included a quad detector output but had no Dolby de-emphasis or Dolby decoder. Some contemporaries were beginning to incorporate noise-reduction circuitry for FM.
What little else is known comes from the same feature-comparison table. Mono sensitivity was measured at 1.5 µV, and the three-year parts / two-year labor warranty was generous for the period. Beyond that 1975 roundup, the only other trace is a brief classified mention in Audio (August 1980, p.88) suggesting the T-33S still saw some secondhand trade. Almost nothing is recorded about production years, total units made, or how it fit into the broader Scott lineup of the era.
Known Specifications
- Type: Digital stereo FM tuner
- Dimensions: 17 15/16 × 5 13/16 in. (front panel); 11 9/16 in. deep plus connections
- Price: $999.95 (1975)
- Warranty: 3 years parts, 2 years labor
- Mono sensitivity: 1.5 µV
- Channel separation: 40 dB at 1 kHz (one channel met/exceeded, other barely missed); <30 dB by 10 kHz
- Quad detector output: Yes
- Dolby de-emphasis: No
- Dolby decoder: No
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