Throwback Thursday

’70s Flashback: Forgotten Brands A-Z, Part 2

SV Staff  |  Jul 21, 2016

Nakamichi (October 1977), Nikko (December 1974), Optonica (March 1979)

Last week we presented a selection of iconic ’70s-era advertisements from long-forgotten brands with names that fall in the first half of the alphabet (A–M). Our favorites included the Carver ad showing a young Bob Carver hamming it up, Garrard’s “Improve Your Hearing for $200” turntable ad, and the iconic Maxell ad depicting a listener getting “blown away.” Here we pick up where we left off, starting with classics from Nakamichi, Nikko, and Optonica. Watch for Part 3, our final installment, next week.

Visit classicaudio.com to order a high-quality print. The ads are $7.95 each, including shipping; additional prints are $2.95 each.

What have we missed? Do you own any of the components featured in these ads or have a story to tell? Share your throwback stories in Comments!


Okay, we’re taking a few liberties with two of these ads: Phase Linear (March 1979), Panasonic (December 1972—yes, we know Panny still makes audio gear but it’s 4-track!), and Pioneer (August 1974—gotta love an ad that looks like a classic Allman Brothers album)



Quadraflex (July 1978), Realistic (December 1976), Rectilinear (January 1975)



SAE (December 1979—yes, another liberty taken given the recent rebirth of the brand but…) and two Sansui ads because they’re so cool: Sansui 1 (May 1974), Sansui 2 (July 1975)

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