With a slight rewiring the riaa to the 2nd central earth created by the big caps. I think has a minor improvement.

Plus using microphonie reducing rubber on the tubes. (Plan to change to long ecc83)

https://sonocite.wixsite.com/marantz-collector/rest-philips: Google translate: “I have been looking for a long time for this Philips chain, consisting of the AG9018 amplifier, the A6X38AT tuner, and the AG2230 record player for two reasons: the first is that we had this chain at home in the 60s, the second is that these devices were a “hinge” in Philips production: the amplifier is the latest Hi-Fi tube amplifier, and the tuner, the first “all transistor” manufactured by the brand. As for the record player, it was their first real P.U. high fidelity, as evidenced by its high manufacturing quality.

These devices were built with good quality components, in any case much better apparently than today …:

The amplifier, equipped with 11 tubes (4 x EL86 output – derived from the famous EL84), gives a nice impression of robustness, and is of a flattering aesthetic (let’s not forget that we are in 1964).

No gadgets, only the necessary: ​​two groups of selectors, PU – tape – tuner, mono-stereo, classic tone controls, volume and balance controls, and finally the Power switch “and its beautiful green light. It has the distinction of having two groups of HP outputs, either 8 or 16 ohms selectable by bridging inside the device, or 800 ohms (direct output without output transformer), suitable for the AD5055 baffles that were part The power of 2 x 15 watts (800 ohms) or 2 x 10 watts / real 12 watts / music (8 ohms) is sufficient with baffles with an output of 90 dB / 1W / 1M.

The retro-looking tuner has some very interesting features: FM band from 88 to 108 MHz, MW, LW and 4 short wave ranges! We even managed to pick up the radio signals (safety beacons to inform the boats). The FM part is very sensitive, and the stereo decoding easy. A mechanical clutch system selects one or the other hand depending on whether you are in AM or FM.

The turntable, developed at the same time, had to ideally complement this beautiful set. The general aspect exudes quality, is endowed with a special drive (however without fine adjustment of the speed) and is in agreement with the look of the amp and the tuner, by sporting the same materials and colors, teak, brushed aluminum and gray lacquer.

The AG9018 amplifier:

It comes from France; found by classified ad, it’s always a little bit quit or double: we see a camera on a photo but we don’t know what we will receive!

But here, no disappointment, the device arrived well packaged, in one piece, here it is as is (this is the photo of the ad):

As soon as received, immediately disassembled to test it, and there, surprise: no trace of previous repair, no component with questionable appearance, the measurements join the characteristics of the time, the power is there, the background noise very low , no sign of notorious snoring !!! Only the wooden case, the appearance of the grilles, and the interior dust betrays its advanced age. Not bad for a 49 spring device, the current manufacturers would do well to take the seed !!! but then pure profit was secondary. We did not put 1/8 th watt resistors, most of the non-polarized capacitors were of the “mustard” type.

So let’s go for a deep cleaning, direction the “bathroom”: degreasing and dusting.

It is not very dirty, despite all the years:

All the parts that can be dismantled are, for cleaning or deoxidation, or even repainting:

I repaint with a gun with a beautiful gray of my composition, presenting better than the sad gray – medium – original khaki, then drying at good temperature:

The fabric covering the front grille falling to shreds, I replace it with a piece of mosquito net: it will allow better ventilation than original. A small polishing of the shields of the preamp tubes and the aluminum plate is essential:

Here it is, all beautiful, very clean, being reassembled, above and below:

I clean and glue the acronym in the right place:

The real teak wood case is carefully sanded to 400:

After revarnishing in a shade a little warmer than the original (Philips had fairly dull woodwork tones at the time), complete reassembly after having replaced the outlet tubes with Sylvania Black Plate, which gives more richness sound, and here it is again, I hope, for another half a century!

The A6X38AT Tuner:

Also found through a p.a. of 2èmemain.be, it presented much less well …

No doubt he stayed in an attic, or worse, a cellar. The wooden box is very damaged, and has a depression on the top. The plating is to be repaired at this place, fortunately, the defective solid-state amplifier which is part of the sale will give the piece for”