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Even
less remembered than the Precise
P7 system, the Falcon made somewhat
swift appearances in the catalogs here and there, only to vanish
just as rapidly.
Fairly
traditional by their width and technologies, the Falcons were well
planned with a lineup complete enough to satisfy every possible
customer.
Each component was available either in silver (F)
or bronze (FB, xxx-rare), both complete
systems set to go active amping with
the TAE-20F preamp feeding directly the SA-20 or SA-10 (signal + AC power) through dedicated cables.
Said SA-20F
were quite hi-tech with their Heat-Pipe cooling system using the bass-reflex port to further enhance the
cooling and ribbon tweeter. Also present was a VC-20 MC cartridge with user-replaceable stylus and a separate TAN-15F power amplifier.
Owning
many of these components (multiple samples of each), I can safely say the TAN-15F
amplifier was the star of the show : near full Class A, quite dynamic
and very very good sounding. The ST-10 tuner is near low-fi (ok nevertheless), TAE-20 looms around there as well (completely muted sound - strange) but the TC-10/20F cassette recorders are quite good. I also have a PS-10F, a pair of SA-10F and SA-20F and the x-rare SU-10F rack cutie. I unfortunately haven't found an ST-20FB or PS-20FB.
The
common key word is "metal" : they are all built quite
well and heavy with a 2mm single aluminium plate making the top
and front plus thick steel frames completing the picture. The SA speakers' have diecast drivers frames and weigh a ton ; the rack also stands on a diecast aluminium frame with a glass shelf.
In typical
Sony fashion, alas, as usual, the excellent TAN-15F
was only available in Europe...
Rather
strangely, the Falcon systems were
dubbed as "Avatar" in the
US or "Avatar GG" in Canada. GG is the original japanese name, Falcon
being the original japanese nickname - probably made to celebrate Sony's (short) adventure into the leasing of Falcon jet planes for executives in a hurry...
Japan saw even more versions of the
above (with different names) plus a different preamp and well-designed
racks which weren't exported. The Falcon amp and preamp are also
the last Sony components to be named with the old system : TAE &
TAN instead of TA-E & TA-N.
If
I judge by the japanese list prices (up to 250,000¥ for a GG-20FB
+ rack), I understand why these are so rare... A bit stupid from
Sony as "compact" never did rhyme well with high prices
but understandable given the overall build-quality. Anyway
- if the Falcon didn't sell well, just
like the Precise
P7, it showed what hi-fi would be for most very quickly and
taught Sony how to properly make the ultimate (and worldwide bestseller)
compact system: the FH-7
in 1982, aka Heli
in Japan. |