[Frank]

Last year, I had four of these in my house! Two of each model; the top early version and the later front control model. First I completed the restoration of the early lid model, then sold the remaining one to a friend here locally. I still have the other two front control models. One chassis is completely restored, and I should pick and complete one of the cabinets this spring. Then decide what to do with the other.

I have to comment on how well these 680 Philcos perform. I've come to the conclusion that if I had to keep just one Philco radio, it would be the 680. Even over the 690 models. I have a 38-690 that I've restored, and recently was made a strong offer on my 37-690, and sold it with no remorse. While the 690 radios currently are in demand, and bring a fair amount of money, they really do not perform that much better. Of all, the 37-690 benefits from the bigger speaker vs the 680, but there are other considerations too. I think when the 680's and 690's were designed, there were different parameters in play. The 680 offers more of a pure radio design, without some of the features of the day like the mechanical tuning which required AFC to lock in. The 680 has the four gang capacitor where as the 690s utilize a common three gang tuning capacitor. The 690s have two small, parts packed chassis along with the RF deck requiring removal for complete service. The 680 uses one large chassis that in general, has ample room in which to work. The 680 has triode output as does the 37-690. (38-690 uses 6L6 beam power). The audio in a 680 is very clear to my ears, and I can listen to one all day without fatigue, where as I could notice a different type of sound with the 690 sets. Then there are the cuts made to the 38-690 vs 37 where the trimmers were removed from the RF deck.

All of this is simply my observation and opinion, and of course, I'm sure an opposing view can be made. We all have our preferences.

In the Philco brochure for the 680, they discuss some of the effort put into designing this radio. Hazeltine labs were utilized in the process of its design. They provide various graphs of it's RF and audio performance. And even discuss the function of each of its tubes. They were sure proud of this radio.

I never understood why they changed cabinet designs with such a low volume model, and why it happened within the same model year.

I see more early lid models than later front control models. These radios are very much under the radar screen for most radio collectors. Many don't know what to pay for one when they find one. But of the high fidelity Philco sets, 201's, 680, and 690's, this one is my preference.


Frank
KD0RUC