I just wrote this in the Norwegian group hifisentralen (translated from Swedish), but thought why not post it here as well. The topic was the Huldra 9 and if it is underrated? It is maybe one of the least talked about Tandberg models. Some don't like it's design, some love it. I wrote in defence of the Huldra 9 and I think it is a hidden gem among the more famous Tandberg models.
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I want to add a little about my Huldra 9. The question came up again in the NRHF Facebook group, when I said that Huldra 9 is the "forgotten jewel" and seems underrated. At first I think the design is incredibly nice. It's very vintage but almost feels a bit modern at the same time?
I use it mainly as an amplifier, not so much the radio. But the sound as an amplifier is really good! It sounds, in my opinion, not like the other models I have, perhaps because it is one of the oldest. But I think it has a different character - it is "gentle", natural, a sound that is not in-your-face. That makes it an excellent amplifier for vocal jazz, singer-song-writer, opera, acoustic music, etc. I almost always play it without the "Loudness / Bass" function, which I think is a bit too boomy.
My brother, who is a modern audiophile, was at my house listening to it. I did not think he would be particularly impressed, considering that he has an MBL amplifier for 8000 euro and such. But he sat on the floor in front of it, "nearfield listening" he said, and my Hifi System 15 and really listened, he said "here you have an amplifier you can really sit and just listen to". An incredibly good review I'd say. It's sound is effortless, harmonious, soulful, crisp and airy.
I think the speaker combination is very important for Huldra 9. Mine is picky on the choice of speakers. If they are too big, it won't show it's best character. I have Seas kit 60 and it works but these require a little more power. However, with Hifi System 15, it is a match made in heaven! Also good with other medium-sized closed boxes, such as TL-5010, TL-5020 or TL-3520. I have not tried to combine it with anything more modern. It would be interesting to try.
My Huldra 9 is totally overhauled. I bought it for 30 euro and renovated it myself as it was in poor condition, one channel completely dead, the other weak and distorted.
The restoration is documented on my page Tandbergista (I am only an amateur..). The disadvantage of it is that it's a bit cumbersome to troubleshoot, due to it's construction,I think, but nothing that can't be solved.
Hello
Have you tried Huldra 12 ? I restored it for my brother 🙂
Pawel
@pawel
😀 Never tried it. Nice! What is your experience with it, it's sound? Any particulars with it's circuits?
Hello
The dancing Huldra in the middle of the scale doing the job 🙂 . It looks really perfect, very unusual color grey/blue. The amplifier is based on TR2030, the radio part - typical TR2000 series +AM part. Sound - warm, detailed, good stereo, but it's only 40W as I recall. Not easy to find , I had only two in my history.
Pawel
Hello
The dancing Huldra in the middle of the scale doing the job 🙂 . It looks really perfect, very unusual color grey/blue. The amplifier is based on TR2030, the radio part - typical TR2000 series +AM part. Sound - warm, detailed, good stereo, but it's only 40W as I recall. Not easy to find , I had only two in my history.
Huldra is not really dancing. What you may think is at foot behind her is really a long tail 😉
Hmmm, I have to find my glasses one day, however:
A Huldra who lost their tail and hollow back would often dance a rune dance and in the mornings you would see what appeared to be a Witch Circle (Also know as A Druid Circle).
, but I am not expert !
Pawel
Thr Huldra 9 is visually probably, if not THE best, one of the best designs they ever did. I love the more masculine design of the H10/SS11 and upwards which in modern time has become what symbolises Tandberg, but the Huldra 9 was somerhing else. A full frame of wood, borderless, clean, stylized. It was timeless in a way they hadn't done before and wouldn't do after.
The downfall I think was the time of development. They released into the market at a time when competitors would soon surpass them, but in the blown up sales term "music power". To name one, Radionette Soundmaster 50 came out the year after, at 50watt(2*25) but could only really do 16.
So Tandberg upgraded the H9 to do an actual 25W instead of 15W.
Then came the new, rougher design with the next series(10 and 20), and never really changed until the 30-series, which was sort of a modern revamp with some new visual elements.
Hello, my name is Piet, from Holland, member since last weekend.
Nice to be between Tandberg freaks !!
I agree with Tandbergista : Huldra 9 IS a forgotten jewel.
I have almost all types from the Tr10xx and TR20xx series, also Ta300m, tr 200, 220 and 3012.
Great stuff, better then almost all Japanese gear from those years. (I also own much Sansui, Pioneer, Marantz etc from 70ties)
But Huldra 9 beats everything, soundwise., smooth, sweet, sensitive, perfect stereo picture, warm but VERY detailed.
Tandbergista describes thr Huldra 9 perfect, that is how she sounds....!!!
My favourite!!! Daily driver, beats the 10xx and 20xx series ( to MY ears ofcourse)
Drive my Huldra 9 with old Jamo 101 speakers ( think mid 70ties speakers).
Jamo 101, 3 way nearfield speakers, perfect couple with Huldra 9, very detailed, deep bass, great mids, trebles like butterflies, very airy sound....
Cd Philips 880, topmodel with TDA 1541 silver crown DAC chip,
Great combo with Huldra 9.
regards from Holland, Piet
Great! Old Philips CD players (100/200/300/101/202/303/104/880/960 and some others) are very good with Tandbergs
Does anyone know how many different versions of H9 that was made? I thought it was only 2 (2 x 15W and 2 x 25W), however, I do now have 3 different versions of the 2 x 15W.
@tr-hi-fi, what do you mean with three different versions of the 2x15W, how do they differ, internally or just externally?
I know of two main versions, but there may be some alterations along the way.
I am not an expert on the different Huldra 9 versions though. Lets see if we can get some of the knowledgeable Norwegian guys to join our thread.
By the way, I just bought a Grundig CD 8200, with the mentioned TDA1541 chip. It's a superb combination with the Huldra 9! Specially, again, playing via the TL-5010 speakers, or the Hifi System 15.
I have 13 Huldra 9. All of them are a bit different one way or another. The main differencenses among the 2x15 are the heatsink on the backpanel. The output cards have at least two very different layouts and on the the first models the volume knob was named STYRKE and not VOLUME as on the later models.There were at least two different layouts on the black pushbuttons. I have also one with RCA connectors in addition to the DIN. There is also an internatonal version with no stationnames on the front and my version has a headphone connector on the right side panel but no RCA on the back panel.There are also 2 different knobs used. I thought that was a difference between the 15 and 25w versions but that is not always the case. The lower front flip plate was made in black on some models. I have read that the designer wanted the front to be completely black but Vebjørn Tandberg said NO! This was only about the 2x15 version. So, how many variants? I don't now!
I have just completed Huldra 9 and the optional radio stereo decoder surprised me ! So I have version with the mono card in the stereo decoder slot ... The rest of the amplifier is stereo 🙂 . Marketing I guess !
Pawel
