Consumer Products
Audio
The following are some of the landmark audio products designed and manufactured by the Pye Company
The following are some of the landmark audio products designed and manufactured by the Pye Company
For a comprehensive and descriptive listing of Pye Consumer Products by year, please select this link
For a comprehensive and descriptive listing of Pye Consumer Products by year, please select this link
1953 - Pye Records
1953 - Pye Records
Pye entered the record business when it bought Nixa Records in 1953 and Polygon Records in 1955.
Pye entered the record business when it bought Nixa Records in 1953 and Polygon Records in 1955.
The best known artists were: -
The best known artists were: -
• Lonnie Donegan (1956–69)
• Lonnie Donegan (1956–69)
• Petula Clark (1957–71)
• Petula Clark (1957–71)
• The Searchers (1963–67)
• The Searchers (1963–67)
• The Kinks (1964–71)
• The Kinks (1964–71)
• Sandie Shaw (1964–71)
• Sandie Shaw (1964–71)
• Status Quo (1968–71)
• Status Quo (1968–71)
• Brotherhood of Man (1975–79)
• Brotherhood of Man (1975–79)
The company entered the budget-priced album market in 1957 with Pye Golden Guinea Records, priced at a guinea (one pound and one shilling).
The company entered the budget-priced album market in 1957 with Pye Golden Guinea Records, priced at a guinea (one pound and one shilling).
1954 - The Pye Black Box
1954 - The Pye Black Box
The Black Box valve record player was launched in 1954 under licence from CBS.
The Black Box valve record player was launched in 1954 under licence from CBS.
C O Stanley was so taken with the handsome lines and quality of sound reproduction that he demonstrated it himself to dealers. This endeared him to the shop keepers that Pye depended upon for sales.
C O Stanley was so taken with the handsome lines and quality of sound reproduction that he demonstrated it himself to dealers. This endeared him to the shop keepers that Pye depended upon for sales.
Contrary to its name most Black Boxes were in mahogany finish. This example is a Chinese lacquered Black Box available at extra cost.
Contrary to its name most Black Boxes were in mahogany finish. This example is a Chinese lacquered Black Box available at extra cost.
Mahogany finish Blackbox
Chinese lacquer finish Blackbox
1954 - Provost HF25 HiFi Amplifier and Proctor HF25A Preamplifier/Control Unit
1954 - Provost HF25 HiFi Amplifier and Proctor HF25A Preamplifier/Control Unit
The HF25 amplifier and matching control unit were launched to address the burgeoning interest in HiFi.
The HF25 amplifier and matching control unit were launched to address the burgeoning interest in HiFi.
It was an extremely well engineered unit with 25W Power Output with harmonic distortion of <0.1 at 15 watts and <0.3% at 25 watts.
It was an extremely well engineered unit with 25W Power Output with harmonic distortion of <0.1 at 15 watts and <0.3% at 25 watts.
1956 - Record Maker
1956 - Record Maker
In 1956 Pye launched the Record Maker. This was a record player that could play conventional records but could also record onto magnetic disks using a special magnetic record head. It came complete with a microphone and a magnet which could be used to erase the disk if required in order to re-record.
In 1956 Pye launched the Record Maker. This was a record player that could play conventional records but could also record onto magnetic disks using a special magnetic record head. It came complete with a microphone and a magnet which could be used to erase the disk if required in order to re-record.
Since it could record disks it did not attract purchase tax due to the tax rules at that time.
Since it could record disks it did not attract purchase tax due to the tax rules at that time.
Some Pye Radiograms at this time were available with a Record Maker option.
Some Pye Radiograms at this time were available with a Record Maker option.
Recording head above and conventional pickup head below .
Magnetic Recordable Disk.
1958 - 1959 The Pye “Mozart”
1958 - 1959 The Pye “Mozart”
In 1958 Pye launched the HF10 Mozart Mono HiFi amplifier and a year later the HFS20 Stereo amplifier.
In 1958 Pye launched the HF10 Mozart Mono HiFi amplifier and a year later the HFS20 Stereo amplifier.
There was also a matching FM tuner, the HFT10.
There was also a matching FM tuner, the HFT10.
The amplifiers were rated at 9W per channel with 0.2% total harmonic distortion at 8W.
The amplifiers were rated at 9W per channel with 0.2% total harmonic distortion at 8W.
They used a single ended class A output stage.
They used a single ended class A output stage.
1964 - The Pye Achoic Record Player
1964 - The Pye Achoic Record Player
Pye launched the Pye Achoic stereo record player. This was designed in partnership with CBS Laboratories in the USA.
Pye launched the Pye Achoic stereo record player. This was designed in partnership with CBS Laboratories in the USA.
The amplifier was a solid state, transformerless class B push-pull 5W/channel design using transistors made by Newmarket Transistors.
The amplifier was a solid state, transformerless class B push-pull 5W/channel design using transistors made by Newmarket Transistors.
There were 3 loudspeakers per channel.
There were 3 loudspeakers per channel.
The special Pye ‘butterfly’ pickup was designed to operate at a very low tracking weight of 2 grams in order to reduce record wear.
The special Pye ‘butterfly’ pickup was designed to operate at a very low tracking weight of 2 grams in order to reduce record wear.
1964 - Transistorised Pye Black Box
1964 - Transistorised Pye Black Box
In 1964 Pye launched a Transistorised version of the Black Box record player using Newmarket transistors.
In 1964 Pye launched a Transistorised version of the Black Box record player using Newmarket transistors.
