[Hallicrafters] re SX-88 pricing

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Thu, Feb 5, 2009 at 9:29 AM, Bill Kirkland <kirklandb at sympatico.ca> wrote:
> I might add, is it really worth the price? What I mean by that is, aside
> from being rare, does it's performance justify a reasonable portion of the
> cost ?  I.e. I would hate to pay over 1K for a
> receiver with mediocre performance.

*In my opinin* Bill - no. They are nice receivers to be sure, very
well made with some catchy twists and turns, and they do perform well
provided they have been well-maintained and are up to spec. But you
have to ask yourself why you want it and go from there. Other
receivers like the R-390 series work much better other than not having
push-pull audio output and cost a fraction of the SX-88. So, does the
SX-88 perform say  -$5K worth or more? Not in my book. But I'm more a
user than a 'gotta have one' collector. Maybe if I spent more time
just looking at them?

A good friend bought his 88 a few years back during the big feeding
frenzy for $7K, when dogs were bringing $2K. While he does like it,
his comments on aligning it made me cringe. And if he had it to do
over again, he says he'd not do it. We both agree that it's maybe a
$1K receiver or so from a performance and enjoyment-through-use
viewpoint. Obviously there are others who feel differently and will or
have spent far more to be able to say they have one. He seldom uses
his, preferring the NC-400 or 75A-4 on the air. Since the SX-88 is
more in the vein of an entertainment receiver, I'm happy with the
performance and cost of my old SX-28A and Hammarlund Super Pro 100.
The push-pull output sounds great driving a 12" floor speaker and both
are well made and attractive.

Someone is bound to jump in and explain the higher price value to them
for the historical and collectible aspects. The opportunity to own a
fairly rare piece of history is worth a lot to some, even if they
never turn the set on. In the end, it's of course your call as to what
the set is worth to you.

73, Todd  KA1KAQ/4