A modernist design classic, this 1960s Dieter Rams Braun SK61 record player and radio is now selling on eBay.
I last spotted one of these back in 2014 and they are quite rare. The occasional one comes up in Germany (like this one), but less so in the UK. Were these ever sold here originally? I’m not sure. If they were, it would be in very small numbers. This isn’t the kind of design you see in old photos of the era. Unless you were in the house of a serious audio buff or someone with money to spare.
But this one made it into someone’s home in the 1960s and is now looking for a new home to brighten up.
As you probably know, the design is a modernist classic, dating back to 1961 (although made for a few years after) and the work of Dieter Rams in conjunction with Hans Gugelot for Braun. Rarely called the SK61, it is perhaps better known for its nickname of ‘Snow White’s Coffin’. I think you can see why.
As for the one available here, it is described as being in ‘very nice condition’ and ‘very clean inside and out’. It also looks good on the eye, which is often a key selling point of these pieces.
But look closer and it isn’t perfect. The paint is in ‘good condition’, but some of the labels are partly rubbed off and all labels for the speeds and the on and off switch are missing on the record player. Not a deal-breaker, but something to be aware of. Can you get those re-done? I wouldn’t be surprised at all. But I don’t know for sure.
Note also that the acrylic hood has no breaks and looks very good and the wooden side walls are in ‘very good condition’.
According to the seller, the radio ‘seems out of date’. But that’s probably stating the obvious. He or she adds that on FM the radio receives ‘a large number of stations’ and is also ‘loud and clear’ but with occasional dropouts. The other wavebands are ‘very loud’ and ‘work perfectly’.
Of course, you are probably buying this for the turntable/record deck more than the radio and on that front, the deck is described as ‘fully functional’. Great news for your old vinyl collection.
If you like the idea of a Dieter Rams sound system in your home, this one is at around £707 right now, which seems a reasonable price. Just a couple of days left too.
Find out more at the eBay website
Note also that a similar Braun SK5 audio system is also available on eBay out of Germany and with worldwide shipping for a much cheaper €371 right now. Well worth a look as well.
You ask whether the Braun SK61 record player and radio was ever sold in the UK originally?
Yep. My dad bought one in London somewhere and it was the record player I grew up with in the 1960’s/70’s and played the first albums I ever bought, which was the Beatles, of course. There was a DIN plug at the back via which you could connect a single matching speaker which I dangled from my bedroom window so I could listen to Mike Oldfield in my room in privacy!