Remembering Lafayette Radio

For the first half of the '70's, you could have called it Quadland. Lafayette had their own line of Quad receivers and decoders. These pieces usually featured an excellent SQ decoder. This is likely the reason that they were talked about and sold reasonably well. They had it all: parts, hi-fi, ham radio, test equipment, CB radio, accessories, records & tapes.

After Allied Radio was purchased by Radio Shack, Lafayette decided to re-enter the Chicago and Milwaukee markets in '72. Their stores were popping up all over, just as Quad hit its' stride. Quad LP's, tapes, name brand and Lafayette Quad gear were prominently featured in all stores. I purchased my first Quad piece, an Akai CR-80DSS from them. Although it was on sale, being a good negotiator, I got them to throw in Blood, Sweat & Tears' Greatest on Q8, In a few months, I began working as Assistant Manager of a competitor (my first hi-fi job), and did much less shopping at Lafayette. Later, when I was repping, I sold to one of the few Lafayette franchise stores in existence.



1973 catalog featuring the top-rated LR-4000 receiver, the first anywhere with full-logic SQ:


1972 catalog:


1975 catalog:


Lafayette CD-4 demogitator:
http://www.surrounddiscography.com/...ctronics Model # CD-4, CD-4 Demodulator 3.jpg

LR-5000 Quad receiver, which replaced the LR-4000:


SQ-W decoder service manual:


1939 Lafayette catalog from radiomuseum:


1933 catalog. Originally, it was known as Wholesale Radio Service:


Lafayette tube package:


Also, be sure to check out the Remembering Allied Radio thread: https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?16959-Remembering-Allied-Radio

1933?!! My LR stash only goes back to 1962/3 catalogs from Arrow Radio, Packard Electronics and Leonard Radio. Back then, almost every retailer had their own annual or semi-annual comprehensive catalogs.

Those Lafayette amps were cheap and very clean. MY friend had a small amp and bookshelf speakers sold by them. He added a nice mag. cart TT and that little shit sounded dam good. Remember hearing Grand Funk on that little system. 1st time heard machine head was on that too.
That quad receiver @ $599.00 was a lot a money then. Then add the "highly sophisticated" cd-4 mod a TT w/correct cart, no wonder quad never took off! MY best pay then was $240.00 a month-(army pay for e-4). But the PX had all the goodies cheaper.

Boy, do I remember that 1972 cover with the big "4" on it!

I still have my F-990 Lafayette headphones I got for Christmas in 1969 and they still work perfectly. They sound better than a lot of other phones I've heard too.

$599.00 was the reason a lot of us young HiFi enthusiasts could not go head long into quad back then!



Doug

Doug G. said:

Boy, do I remember that 1972 cover with the big "4" on it!

I still have my F-990 Lafayette headphones I got for Christmas in 1969 and they still work perfectly. They sound better than a lot of other phones I've heard too.

$599.00 was the reason a lot of us young HiFi enthusiasts could not go head long into quad back then!



Doug

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And I was one of them! That was more than a months pay!

Being in the business. I could buy direct from the manufacturer at half price on accommodation. My Quad system cost less than a month's pay. More $$$ for software.

leevitalone1 said:

And I was one of them! That was more than a months pay!

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Quad Linda said:

Being in the business. I could buy direct from the manufacturer at half price on accommodation. My Quad system cost less than a month's pay. More $$$ for software.

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You chose a very fruitful ocupation. I love the bennies.

Meeting some nice people, and listening to your albums all day at work in altered states of consciousness were great perks.

The 1975 catalog must be rare. I'd guess it was the last one.

Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE8KQAXsSWg

There was a 1976 catalog:


Back cover of 1976 catalog. I've owned both these decks:

cupboy said:

The 1975 catalog must be rare. I'd guess it was the last one.

Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE8KQAXsSWg

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1930 Wholesale Radio Service (Lafayette) catalog:

Around here circa 1970, it was Radio Shack vs Lafayette. There were more Radio Snacks, as we called them, but the Lafayette stores had better stuff in them, so it was worth the drive. The Radio Shacks were starting to migrate from brand names to all Realistic Brand stuff, which made me puke. For some reason, I rationalized that the Lafayette Branded stuff was much better than Realistic. I might have been right.

My Mother dispatched me to get my father a new "stereo" for the house Christmas, I think it was either 72 or 73. I was fixated on a Lafayette LA-84 (I think) and it's companion 4 Channel Amp, and 4 speakers. Alas, my mother did not want 4 speakers in the living room. A request that no doubt killed quad in a lot of early '70s homes.

Your Radio Shacks must have been franchise stores. It's very possible that the switch to all Realspastic gear was the result that Radio Shack was buying back many franchise, especially if they were within 100 miles of a metropolitan area. In the early '70's, Radio Shack instituted SMIA, or Special Manager Incentive agreement. Rather than a franchise, an investor would invest in and manage a location. They would share in the profits, but Radio Shack would still have control of what was sold and how the store was run.

Yes, Lafayette and Allied proprietary (house brand) goods were light years better in quality than most Realspastic gear. Although not the quality of The Allied or Lafayette, Playback's Project One, Olson and Korvettes' XAM were better than the Realspastic gear.

In 1970, in Chicago, the hi-fi players were many:
Polk Brothers 12 stores
Allied Radio 9 stores
Korvettes 6 stores (5 with hi-fi salons)
Olson Electronics 5 stores
Musicraft 4 stores
Radio Shack 4 stores
Stereo City 4 stores (car-fi only)
Heathkit 2 stores
United Audio 2 stores
Alan's 2 stores
Audio Consultants
Hi-Fi Hutch
Columbia Audio/Video
Victor's
Stereo Trend
Gill Custom House
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55 stores


In 1973, when Quad hit it's stride, the landscape changed, prompted by Allied no longer carrying name brands.
Allied Radio Shack 38 stores
Polk Brothers 14 stores
Pacific Stereo 12 stores
Playback 12 stores
Stereo City 12 stores (5 car-fi only & 7 home/car-fi)
Lafayette Radio 6 stores
Olson Electronics 6 stores
Korvettes 6 stores (5 with hi-fi salons)
Musicraft 5 stores
Tech Hi-Fi 5 stores
Audio Consultants 3 stores
Hi-Fi Hutch 3 stores
Schaak Electronics 3 stores
Team Electronics 2 stores
Stereo Studio 2 stores
Heathkit 2 stores
United Audio 2 stores
Alan's 2 stores
Willard's 2 stores
Columbia Audio/Video
Victor's
Gill Custom House
---------------------
136 stores

I may have forgotten a few, but clearly hi-fi stores were proliferating by '73.

Scroll down to see links to 60's pages.
http://www.timewarptoys.com/toys2.htm

The famous 3rd leg trick.

cupboy said:

The famous 3rd leg trick.

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When I first read that on the recent posts I thought you were talking about Ron Jeremy or something...

Thanks for starting this thread, Linda. I have an LR-5000 receiver that I purchased on eBay for $75 that works very well. I'd love to get it restored, but I'm afraid to send it off. Maybe I can learn to do it myself??

LR 4000 & 5000 are just as much classic quad receivers as Marantz or Sansui.

It's no coincidence that Lafayette began waning when Quad did. It was a great store. Sad.

Quad Linda said:

LR 4000 & 5000 are just as much classic quad receivers as Marantz or Sansui.

It's no coincidence that Lafayette began waning when Quad did. It was a great store. Sad.

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I still have my LR-5000.

wow great pics of the old catalogs and adverts, lafayette store was awesome, my first quad amp was lafayette, it was excellent, a whopping 25watts per channel, good memories, thank you