8101B v 8100A

[Studio1]

I'd never even heard of the 8101B until recently, and from first appearances it doesn't look too different to the 8100A.

What's the deal with the 8101B and would it be considered an upgrade if you already had an 8100A?

 

[local oscillator]

Stu, the 8101B is an 8100A without the stereo generator, so it has L & R outputs instead of composite.

 

[Studio1]

Thanks for that Greg, good to know. I did Google but there's not a heck of a lot of info on it.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

I learned something "new" today. I didn't even realize that was made...

 

[HarrisGatesFM10H]

Yep no stereo generator, been using a 8101B for years on my home stereo system and it works great!

 

[TomT]

A little off topic--but those Optimod TV stereo geni's showing up on E-Bay are useful for one interesting reason--they use a pair of cards that are identical to the #3 and #4 cards in the 8100A and the ST chassis. Also the #5 card in the TV unit is also very similar to a stock #5 card from an 8100A. The TV version has a second switch added above the proof switch and a small one IC circuit that changes release time.

You will see ST chassis for sale which are missing these cards--since the ST was sold with a pair of replacement 3/4 cards that were nothing more than an isolation amp. You were supposed to pull the cards out of your Optimod & install them into the ST. Fast forward 20 years and the cards go back into the 8100 to be sold, leaving the ST an orphan. I've successfully resurrected one of these gutted ST's with cards from a Optimod TV unit. Make nice out-board stereo processors for various purposes.

 

[rorban]

Anotehr way that the 8101B diffes from the 8100 is that the 8101B has Hilbert-Transform Clipper cards in slots 0 and 1. In a 75us preemphasis environment, these are more optimized for speech material than for music and can be bypassed if the user wants to emulate the 8100's processing exactly. However, they can be very good if the unit is used in a non-preemphasized environment (which requires that the 8101B be substantially modified to remove its preemphasis filters). At 50us, it's something of a wash as to whether the Hilbert Transform Clippers are better than the standard 8100 distortion cancelled clippers with music.

Bob Orban

 

[Studio1]

Thanks Bob for that info. It's good to know about this equipment - some of us are still using it, despite the plethora of digital boxes on the market today.