grundig: 4192WE Stereo; Konzertgerät

I just started restoring the export model for this radio, for the North American market, and realized that the German domestic model has a different vacuum tube/valve layout.

My question is, were these design differences done to satisfy different music tastes as well as designing a radio for the North American market intended for larger area listening coverage?

The American model uses two EL84's and the German one uses one ELL80 (two EL95's).

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> The American model uses two EL84's and the German one uses one ELL80 (two EL95's).

The ELL80 is a very rare tube, nearly unknown in the USA. I will speculate that Grundig expected ELL80 spares to be available in Europe but feared that spares would not be easily available in the USA or other "export" markets.

The EL95 is also uncommon in the USA, so a 2-tube equivalent has the same problem.

The EL84 was widely used and was very readily available under the 6BQ5 number. While the '84 is a "bigger" (more powerful) tube than a '95 or a half-ELL80, it can be used under very similar conditions to equal the ELL80/EL95 performance

OR the EL84 can be pushed for a couple more Watts output, if they thought the export market demanded more output power ("larger listening area").

When you have the B+, EL84s, and bias all working right, see if the EL84 plate dissipation is near 6 Watts (a EL95 condition) or close to 12 Watts (what an EL84 can handle). 

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Interesting that you say this, Grundig at the same time, was marketing export models, like the 5490, that sports four EL 95's!

I am thinking, that this radio, 4192 was Grundig's swan song for mono Hi Fi radios, when they bridged over to stereo units around this time.

Just out of curiousity, what are your thoughts on the German version of the 4192 using a lower tube count?

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