Technical Details
Brand: Stella
Model:ST 454
Application:Portable
Electronics:Tube
Equalization:IEC
Country of Manufacture:Austria
Release dates:1960 - 1963
Original Price: $£38
Tracks:1/4 Rec/PB
Speeds: 3 3/4
Max Reel Size("): 7"
Number of heads: 2
Head Composition: Permalloy
Head Configuration: Mono - Full Track
Auto Reverse?:No
Voltage(s): 220-240v
Frequency Response:( 3 dB): 50-14,000c
Wow and Flutter:7(average RMS): less than 0.3%
Sound quality rating:5 / 10
Long-term reliability rating: 5/ 10
Additional Details
Description
The European-made Stella ST 454 was a single speed (3¾ ips) all-tube quarter-track mono recorder which could replay stereo tapes when connected to an external amplifier-speaker.
Like almost all of the Stella recorders the ST-454 was little more than a Philips in disguise, in this case the EL3541. Be that as it may, this was still a very good recorder as the vintage test report from Tape Recording Fortnightly, January 11th, 1961(reproduced below) bears out.
Price when new (in the UK) was £38 17s which included a crystal microphone, empty spool, reel of tape and radio lead.
Additional Info
Inputs: microphone – 3mV / 100K. diode – 3 mV / 1Mohm. phono – 150mv / 1Mohm / Outputs: diode – 1Mohm / 1V. headphones – (1kohm / 100mV. speaker – 3 to 7ohm / 2.5w. stereo output – 1 Mohm / 5 mV / Output power: 2.5 watts / Speaker: 4″ high efficiency / Dimensions: 15¼ x 12½ x 6¾” (387 x 318 x 171 mm) / Weight: 19 lbs (8.64 kg) / quarter-track mono record