The Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo B5D41A

Background:

The Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo B5D41A radio has a built-in stereo decoder and amplifier, which are covered by a wooden case. It is, in fact, a tube radio with nine tubes and four transistors, which can thus operate on several wave bands: broadcast, long-wave, short-wave, FM (frequency modulation or UHF (ultra-high frequency).

Jupiter’s Journeys:

Jupiter, a Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo B5D41A radio, finds himself on a journey across time and space in a time machine. When the machine travels back around 2000 years, landing in Rome, Jupiter visits the Colosseum and grasps that the infrastructure is also alive. It turns out that Colossus, the name of the construction, is quite intrigued by his new friend, so Jupiter decides it’s best to answer some questions to explain what he is. Realising they share a love for creating sound, Colossus and Jupiter go on a ride exploring different concepts of hearing and sound. To follow the dialogue between the two, Jupiter is marked in black, while Colossus is marked in blue.

“Wow, explaining myself to someone is way harder than I expected. Hmm… I am a radio. But you would not know what that is. I mean, a stone amphitheatre like you is 2000 years older than me. But for you to understand, I will try to keep things simple. Basically, I can produce and reproduce sounds.” “Okay, that is up to you. Do not let the time difference between us confuse you. I know more about sound systems than you think. Even though I must admit that I have never heard the word “radio.” “Really, how come? You do not strike me as someone familiar with concepts of sound. But I did hear that the past ancient technical developments paved the way for the modern audio technology of my time. Especially when it comes to the amplification or diffusion of sound and the creation of soundscapes, which is also the case for the Colosseum.” “Slow down a bit; all this radio talk is kind of confusing. What do you mean by soundscapes?” “Well, soundscape is a concept that refers to our sonic environment, which can be any ever-present collection of sound. More precisely, soundscape is any acoustic field of study. For instance, a radio program can be a soundscape. Contemporary soundscapes, in my case, can be studied through techniques of modern recording and analysis. At the same time, earwitness accounts from literature or even mythology can be used for the foundation of historical perspectives.”
“Okay, thanks for explaining. That’s a lot to take in. Tell me, what does radio do, and how does it work?” “Radio unites people. Sometimes, people use it for bad, like in the case of propaganda, but that can happen to anything. Mostly, though, it is a beautiful thing, uniting people from all over the world at the same time. Looking at the technicalities, radio is the wireless transmission and reception of electric impulses or signals using electromagnetic waves and the use of these waves for the wireless transmission of electric impulses into which sound is converted.”
Colossus takes a closer look at Jupiter, analysing his outward appearance and inside construction. He examines the wires and transistor and the built-in stereo-decoder and amplifier, which are covered by a wooden case. Jupiter is a tube radio with nine tubes and four transistors and can thus operate on several wave bands: broadcast, long-wave, short-wave, FM (frequency modulation or UHF (ultra-high frequency).

“That is so cool!!! To some extent, you do remind me of myself. People also use me for cultural purposes, serving as a medium to reinforce the shared institutions and shared values of the entire community. In a way, I also bring people together. I think it is only fair that you show me what you sound like when active?”
“Interesting! Really did not think we had that much in common. But sure, I will play something for you. Brace yourself; it is going to get loud now!” Jupiter starts playing a song recording, leaving Colossus speechless of the power and sound that is leaving the box that Jupiter is.
“It is pretty fancy, right? I can even change the frequencies I am playing on. However, since in first century Rome, no infrastructure exists to broadcast, I cannot show you that.”
“Wow, it is crazy how much things have changed in the future. Does it scare you, thinking that you will be replaced by the next best thing that comes along, refining sound and the listening experience? Look at me. In your times, I will no longer be around.” “I get where you are coming from. However, we must remember that no matter how, when and who answers these questions, the way we create, perceive and interpret sound will continue to evolve. The dynamics of social change and even the perceptions of threat that come with this process are natural progressions. Hence, while social change is a vast concept regarding sound, it can create versatility in space and time. And while it is scary sometimes, it is also exciting, do you not think so?” “Maybe. I just do not want to be forgotten. Imagine so many discoveries being forever forgotten. That is really sad.” “Rest assured, during my lifetime, people are very concerned with rediscovering things from the past, finding great ways to restore them and preserving past and present things for future generations. We have many museums; a place dedicated to showcasing and remembering all kinds of things and eras. Art museums, natural museums, and institutions solely dedicated to studying Roman antiquity. Just like that, I am sure that in the future, there will be museums dedicated to sound, radio and broadcasting.” “Are you saying that none of us will be entirely forgotten?” “Yes, I am. Just think about it. Usually, every new discovery, especially when it involves physics, is based on an older discovery. To some extent, you will always be part of a new invention. Look at you, for instance. What makes the acoustics of an amphitheatre so remarkable is the result of simple physical principles like the use of certain materials, geometry, and the location making an impact. Hence, the engineering infrastructure and architecture used in a site like yours enables sound to spread through great distances clearly, making it seem as though one was located just next to the speaker. These basics are still used as an inspiration for acoustical treatment of rooms or bigger locations 2000 years from your time.” “Wow! This makes me think that I do have a purpose in all this sound talk.” “Oh, there is more sound talk to come! For instance, you can separate hearing from the other senses, which, to some extent, reconstructs the shape of acoustic space. Thus, this space that is occupied by sounds can become something that is useful and formed for the purpose of different techniques of listening.“
“Adding to this, do you think that hearing could replace or take the form of a different sense?” “Yeah, I do believe that hearing is a way of touching at a distance. And I also feel like sounds are as close to us as our thoughts.” “Huh, again, I never really thought of sound and hearing this deeply. I enjoy this, though! Is there another concept you like telling me about?” “Of course! One of my favourite things to talk about is the poetry of sound. For me, it is the idea of the poetic in radio and sound, I mean the concept of perceiving pure sound as poetry and understanding what poetry and sound have in common, that excites me. Poetry is about sound, and there is poetry in the way we speak, particularly when we are passionate. You know there are examples to be found of poetry and sound as a binome from your time until my time. In different terms, there is and was a development of poetic forms in sound broadcasting historically and geographically speaking.” “Hmm, does that mean you can also look at the idea of poetry in radio and the concept of pure sound beyond words?” “Yes!” “Okay, but I argue that for example, the sound of stones falling on the ground, does not sound very poetic to me.” “True. However, you must know that these concepts are not only about what we hear. It is what we do not hear that allows sound to be poetic.” “So how do you find poetry in radio?” “Poetry in radio exists in many forms, the most common one being when someone is reciting a poem. Now, when reciting, the words that come out of someone’s mouth as sound only become poetry through the right intonation and intentional silence between words. While I agree to some extent you would not want to call everything poetry, I do believe there is poetry in pure sound itself.” “But how is that possible? Is this approach not too subjective?” “I mean, what I realised after some time is that pure sound can be poetic through the imaginative power of the words or silence preceding or following the sound. This imaginative power can create a picture in our minds or produce colour. No matter what it is, sound usually creates some type of reaction.” “I am not sure I agree. The ancient Greeks and my people are masters of beautiful poetry. It is the words that make it beautiful, no? That is what I believe poetry is.” “Well, what helped me understand the concept of pure sound is realising that poetry read out loud in a foreign language is just a sound to me. Would you argue with that? The words have no meaning as I do not understand the language, but only by hearing the sound can they sound like poetry. It is precisely because of this that the voice and the way we speak are so important. Nevertheless, I have to preface that pure sound can only become a narrative through the poetic impulses of our imagination, which provides us with pictures or colours according to what sound we hear.” “Put like this, it does make sense. But I still think we are masters of poetry!!” “Yes, and once you fully grasp that sound beyond words can generate poetic meaning, you will, in a full circle moment, go back to the aurality of poetry before text.” “Of course, it makes sense to believe that audible sounds can produce poetry.” “However, claiming that silence is an active thing and maybe is the most poetic sound of all is a more complex matter. For this, one must point out that silence is deeply linked to the imaginative world of the poet, the reader, or the listener. This is why silence holds so much power.” “Exactly. For example, a poet or composer can generate beauty or terror by thoughtfully juxtaposing silence with sound. This is also why a full circle moment is needed in poetry; without silence, there is no sound. This relationship between silence and sound has already existed during the time of the poets like Homer.” “True. It does so the same during my time with radios, and it will still exist. Sound can express its meaning in the space between the soundscape and the listener. This means everything that is embedded in silence is a poetic idea.” “Thinking of silence as something poetic just makes me realise how powerful sound is. And how powerful the interplay between silence and sounds is. It excites me for my next performance!!” “How I would love to experience that! Another thing to consider is the emotional impact of sounds on a community. This can be of extra relevance to you as you assemble huge crowds of the population simultaneously in the same place. Sometimes, a specific sound can create a territorial identity for individuals always living in the range of that sound. For a peasant, the noises of animals may represent his territorial identity on a day-to-day basis.” “I reckon that some sounds particularly stick out. I never thought this could be a determining factor in creating a territorial identity.” “It is! Moreover, the range of sounds, referred to as the aural border, can even delimit acoustic identities in a particular geopolitical area. Thus, radio sounds and music could offer audiences a sense of involvement and the immediate experience of collective identity.” “Wow, there are so many more questions that remain, but I feel like I have to bid you goodbye soon. Soon, visitors will enter my space to enjoy a spectacle.“ “Yeah, I better get going. It was a pleasure to meet you, dear friend.” “Thank you, Jupiter. It was fun exploring all these concepts with you and seeing how much things will change in the future. I can’t believe that the way I amplify and reproduce soundscapes is still known 2000 years from now.” “I know it all seems crazy; the proof is right here, though! Take care, Colossus!” Colossus and Jupiter say their goodbyes as it is time for Jupiter to continue his journey to a new destination. It will remain an unforgettable experience for both, and after learning so much about sound, Colossus’ perception of hearing is changed forever. During the time travel back home, Jupiter breaks and gets lost. Fifty-five years later, a radio collector acquires him at an auction and restores the radio. After some modification, Jupiter can even be connected to an iPad, playing various music and videos. What a full-circle moment.

Audio/Video

Visual Material:

Photographs from Albert Wolter’s collection: The Philips Jupiter 514 Stereo B5D41A

The Philips Jupiter 514 Stereo B5D41A: Photographs by Christelle Timis

Photograph of Röhrenradio Philips “Jupiter 541 Stereo” - Freilichtmuseum Roscheider Hof, Germany - CC0.

URL: www.europeana.eu/item/192/item_S7ZRH25LXBY6MBQENZAXJACZFWVPJI64. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

Documents on technical data of the Philips Jupiter 514 Stereo B5D41A from Albert Wolter’s collection:

Pdf. documents on the Philips Rundfunk Stereophonie from Albert Wolter’s collection:

philips02.pdf

philips03.pdf

philips04.pdf

Sources

Jupiter 541 Stereo B5D41A. Radiomuseum, URL: www.radiomuseum.org/r/philips_jupiter_stereo_b5d41a_b_5.html. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

“Philips Jupiter 541”. YouTube, uploaded by Dast, 6 Jun. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTH2bf5ScsM&t=3s. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

“Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo”. YouTube, uploaded by Сергей Здор, 1 Sep. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdYbG_juSic&t=4s. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

“Philips Jupiter 541 stereo nach Reparatur…” YouTube, uploaded by FritzKaputt, 7 Feb. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=20CZWLfMq8o&t=3s. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

“Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo & Audion Box 4680”. YouTube, uploaded by Сергей Здор, 27 May 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=esOoke07Bjg&t=4s. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

Röhrenradio Philips “Jupiter 541 Stereo” - Freilichtmuseum Roscheider Hof, Germany - CC0. europeana, URL: www.europeana.eu/item/192/item_S7ZRH25LXBY6MBQENZAXJACZFWVPJI64. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

“Röhrenradio Philips “Jupiter 541 Stereo””. museum-digital:rheinland-pfalz, URL: rlp.museum-digital.de/object/34475. (Accessed June 21st, 2023)

Timis, Christelle. “Photos Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo B5D41A radio.” 12 Dec. 2023.

Timis, Christelle. “Videos Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo B5D41A radio.” 12 Dec. 2023.

Wolter, Albert. “Philips Jupiter 541 Stereo”. Private Archives.

Bibliography

Birdsall, Carolyn. “Mobilizing Sound for a Nation at War”. The Nazi Soundscape. Sound, Technology, and Urban Space in Germany 1933-1945. Amsterdam University Press, 2012, pp. 103 – 139.

Bull, Michael. “Chapter 9. Thinking about Sound, Proximity, and Distance in Western Experience: The Case of Odysseus’s Walkman“. Hearing Cultures. Essays on Sound, Listening, and Modernity, edited by Veit Erlmann. Bloomsbury Academic, 2004, pp. 173 – 190. Bloomsbury Collections, DOI: 10.5040/9781474214865.ch-009.

Corbin, Alain. “Identity, Bells, and the 19th Century”. Hearing History. A Reader, edited by Mark Smith. University of Georgia Press, 2004, pp. 184 – 203.

Frie, Ewald, et. al., editor. Dynamics of Social Change and Perceptions of Threat. Mohr Siebeck, 2019.

Klar, Laura S. “Theater and Amphitheater in the Roman World. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History – Essays”. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2006, URL: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/tham/hd_tham.htm#:~:text=The%20first%20securely%20datable%2C%20stone,in%2029%20B.C.%20by%20T. (Accessed June 21, 2023)

Lenk, Carsten. “Prozesse der Verortung”. Die Erscheinung des Rundfunks. Einführung und Nutzung eines neuen Mediums (1923-1932). Westdeutscher Verlag, 1997, pp. 57-85.

“Radio”. Merriam-Webster, URL: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radio. (Accessed June 23rd, 2023)

Schafer, Murray. “The Soundscape”. The Sound Studies Reader, edited by Jonathan Sterne, Routledge, 2021, pp. 95-104.

Street, Seàn. The Poetry of Radio. The Colour of Sound. Routledge, 2012. Taylor & Francis Online, DOI: doi.org/10.4324/9780203143483.

Sterne, Jonathan. “2. Techniques of Listening”. The Audible Past. Cultural Origins of Sound Reproduction. Duke University Press, 2003, pp. 87 – 136.

The Poetry of Radio. The Colour of Sound, by Sean Street. Routledge, URL: www.routledge.com/The-Poetry-of-Radio-The-Colour-of-Sound/Street/p/book/9780415715430. (Accessed December 12th, 2022)

“The Science Behind the Incredible Acoustics of Ancient Amphitheaters”. Auralex acoustics, 10 May 2023, URL: auralex.com/blog/the-science-behind-the-incredible-acoustics-of-ancient-amphitheaters/. (Accessed June 21, 2023)