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metaxus posted:This is also the reason that a lot of those really rare Sony turntables are now unrepairable. The magnetic strip loses it's polarization or field strength over time, the processor can't detect the platter speed, and they refuse to do anything other than spin half a revolution and stubbornly stop. I have two of these (used to be three). I've had to do a lot of work on all of them to get them working, but the speed detection system is the one thing that hasn't ever given me problems. I guess I've just been lucky.
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May 1, 2013 19:21
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savesthedayrocks posted:Yeah, from the research I've done its the exact same, but its the Canadian version with a black face/dial. Internals are allegedly the same. Recapping is just replacing the capacitors, in speakers, those are on the crossover that sends the lows to the woofer, the mids the the mid drivers and the highs to the tweeter. Usually on the Sansuis the back can unscrew off and you can see the crossover board, write down the capacitance, voltage and temperature values for each cap. You can order new ones from Digi-key, Parts-Express or anyplace like that. Remember, these are NON-polarized, you don't want to put polarized caps in this application. Just desolder and solder in the new cap one at a time. The easy way is to clip the old leads at the solder, wrap the new leads on the terminal, solder and clip off the excess. The tweeter switch adjusts how loud the tweeter gets compared to the other drivers, it's usually a rotary switch and the copper gets a black and tough oxidation. Most times they use spray contact cleaner to clean scratchy sounding switches or volume controls, but that won't even come close to getting rid of that stuff. It needs physically removed. A fine brass brush does a good job getting rid of most of it and folded 1-2000 grit wet sandpaper works where the brush can't get in. Spray with contact cleaner and work the switch a few times, just to be sure, let dry and enjoy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_switch Some SP-2000 porn. http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=144381 Oh, the 2000 has a tweeter and a mid switch. That's another one to clean. Retarted Pimple fucked around with this message at 01:28 on May 2, 2013 |
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May 2, 2013 01:07
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A few of my friends have asked me what to look for when shopping for a turntable, so I wrote a rather comprehensive how to shop for a turntable guide on my blog. It considers both buying new or vintage, also how to set it up once you get it home including cartridge and pre-amp discussion. I don't consider myself an expert, but I've been doing a lot of research the past several years so I tried to include everything I know. Hopefully it helps out some people here, but I'm also looking to improve my advice any way I can. Let me know if I've made any serious mistakes. BANME.sh fucked around with this message at 16:30 on May 10, 2013 |
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May 7, 2013 20:06
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Finally did a crazy upgrade. I bought a Little Dot MKIII tube headphone amp / preamp and hooked it directly into my model nine gx's power amp input. holy hell this thing sounds amazing.
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May 8, 2013 06:09
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My trusty Technics SL-23 needs a new power/speed selector switch. It runs reliably, most of the time, at 33 1/3 RPM, and requires a lot of futzing to get to run at 45 RPM. According to the service manual, the switch is a ESRE123K20C. I'm finding a few matches online, but are any of these retailers legit?
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May 13, 2013 00:01
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Have you cleaned the switch out yet?
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May 13, 2013 03:36
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So am I doing myself an audible disservice by running my turntable through a preamp and into my 5.1? Should I be using a vintage receiver and two bookshelf speakers?
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May 13, 2013 07:26
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It should be fine through a 5.1 receiver but I personally recommend running it in "stereo mode", (no delay/echo FR/L only) most receivers seem to have this function.
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May 13, 2013 08:09
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Yeah, if you think it sounds good, you're fine. Most modern AV receivers have decent amplifiers, and even though many vintage stereo receivers may objectively be "better", amplifiers generally don't make that much difference to sound unless they are inadequate in wattage. As for speakers, modern speakers are generally technically better as technology has progressed, but you can get old high-end speakers for bargain prices sometimes. Also, some of us just like old stuff because it looks beautiful.
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May 13, 2013 11:44
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Retarded Pimp posted:Have you cleaned the switch out yet? Yes, multiple times. If it worked after cleaning it out, I wouldn't be replacing it 
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May 13, 2013 11:53
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Ron Burgundy posted:It should be fine through a 5.1 receiver but I personally recommend running it in "stereo mode", (no delay/echo FR/L only) most receivers seem to have this function. In addition to this, my Onkyo A/V receiver has "music mode" which supposedly switches off all unnecessary internal parts so it introduces less noise into the audio signal. Might be worth checking if yours does as well.
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May 13, 2013 16:16
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Ron Burgundy posted:It should be fine through a 5.1 receiver but I personally recommend running it in "stereo mode", (no delay/echo FR/L only) most receivers seem to have this function. I go back and forth between "pure direct," which is this, and "extended stereo," the mode on my VSX-1019 where it extends stereo to all speakers. I find that I enjoy both depending on the material and what mood I am in. I have Klipsch KG 4.5 for the front L/R and similar vintage/model center and surrounds. Anyway, I urge people to experiment and see what sounds best.
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May 13, 2013 16:25
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The Leon Hikari posted:Finally did a crazy upgrade. I bought a Little Dot MKIII tube headphone amp / preamp and hooked it directly into my model nine gx's power amp input. holy hell this thing sounds amazing. How do you like it? I've seen these mentioned around a few times and taken a look at them. Can you use this as a preamp or as a headphone amp?
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May 13, 2013 19:28
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While we're on the topic of vintage vs modern receivers (specifically the home theater type), can anyone with some technical knowledge here try to explain why people always claim vintage has "better sound"? What is it about the internal components that make them superior? I've always preferred the look of vintage receivers, and in many ways you can tell that the build quality is a lot better. I've always wondered, though, exactly what makes the vintage ones better at anything? Is it purely subjective, in that they color the sound in a more pleasing way? Do they have a cleaner sound because there's less internal components causing noise (digital processing, etc)? Was there more attention paid to the internal layout? Recently a friend of mine asked me what difference he would hear if he listened to something on my new Marantz 2230 vs. his modern A/V receiver. I really didn't know how to answer him in an objective way, other than "maybe less noise or distortion". But is that even true? Basically I am wondering why nobody in today's age has simply copied the internal layout of a vintage receiver using modern components, and are able to sell it for under $200? Is it a patent issue?
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May 13, 2013 20:01
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In the last few years, a lot of discreet components are slowly being phased out. They may have a few surface mount replacements but for the most part everything can be done on a chip. A lot of things are implemented in the digital domain these days versus the all analog of old designs. They still make two channel stereo receivers for reasonable prices but they're becoming scarce since more people end up buying surround sound receivers. At least in a discreet component analog front end, you would probably have more noise and distortion as the signal passes through it. Edit: VVV I agree. Older linear power supplies sound better than modern switchmode power supplies. Patents run out after 20 years typically. Paperweight fucked around with this message at 00:05 on May 15, 2013 |
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May 13, 2013 21:57
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In general it's probably the same reasons tubes sound better, older amplifiers might suffer from TIM problems, capacitors can have aged slightly changing filter responses, some designs may have slightly higher output impedances which would produce non-linearities in speakers, this might "colour" the sound. There are also some potential reasons they might perform better as well, older amplifiers that are still in service may have been pretty expensive when new and it might be compared to a lower end modern amplifier. I suspect older stereo amplifier were more over-built, high power transistors, more powerful power supplies (this is probably more of a problem in surround systems). Using an old style AB output stage driver coupled with modern high end opamps might improve some aspects of the performance (output offset voltage would be nulled out, distortion would probably be reduced by the negative feedback action). The LM3886 has pretty excellent performance for being a single-chip amplifier, in addition to being virtually indestructible (I once had the output shorted for a good 15 minutes at high power, same chip still works today). I think for lower distortion and higher speed+power it's common to use discrete transistors inside the opamp feedback loop, this means the power of a standard AB amplifier can be combined with the essentially distortion-less performance of a high end opamp.
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May 13, 2013 22:17
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Doomy posted:How do you like it? I've seen these mentioned around a few times and taken a look at them. Can you use this as a preamp or as a headphone amp? Well, it's really good for starters. I haven't tried out tube rolling but it definitely sounds better than my model nine gx's preamp and headphone out. It can be used as both a preamp and a headphone amp. It's very plain on the preamp settings though, just a volume control. The stock tubes that come with it are very clear and warm sounding. I can't really give a true idea of the sound though, I haven't recieved my DAC yet... I'm still running onboard sound.
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May 13, 2013 22:18
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BANME.sh posted:Basically I am wondering why nobody in today's age has simply copied the internal layout of a vintage receiver using modern components, and are able to sell it for under $200? Is it a patent issue? Patents but also practicality. You sell it for $200 and a 10% profit margin for both you ($180) and a reseller so that leaves a budget of maybe $160. Modern consumers want at least a monochrome LCD display, HDMI, USB, Bluetooth/AirPlay, dock connectors, IR Remotes, etc and since no one would buy a 2-channel analog-input only device you'll have to license some Dolby or DSP tech from someone. Less distribution and UL/CE certification and you're probably down to $100 at this point to buy anything audio related. Not anywhere near enough money to convince "audiophile" greybeards to give up their old vintage tube amp made of genuine unicorn horn. Heck I spent close to $100 just for the power supply (toroid and caps) on my Leach Amp let alone all the heatsinks and actual electronics.
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May 14, 2013 19:23
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Edit: my bad, wrong thread. beergod fucked around with this message at 06:32 on May 15, 2013 |
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May 15, 2013 06:29
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Jonny Quest posted:Patents but also practicality. Not only that, but they'd cost a LOT more than $200. What did a Pioneer sx-450 run in '77? $2-300? That was a lot of money back then, now factor in inflation and you're talking 600 or 700 for a 15 W/2 channel receiver.
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May 15, 2013 11:03
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I'm moving from the states to germany later this year, am I going to have to buy a new TT when I get there? I've only got a LAB2200 but I'm itching to upgrade (needle likes to jump on the more complex parts of a song) now.
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May 16, 2013 01:31
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Pretty much the only turntables that rely on line frequency are idlers so you should be able to make it work with an inverter, although it probably already has a multi-voltage transformer inside it. Then again being Germany, you should probably find a nice Dual.
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May 16, 2013 09:08
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I've been plugging into an 80's Hitachi HTA-3000 receiver I picked up out of a late relative's estate along with two pairs of speakers, a pair of 5-7" Ampex 816s and a very odd pair of Olson 10" speakers encased in what looks to be walnut and very good looking tweed. This was all a part of the garage's "sound system," which had each speaker stations around the ceiling. I've since clustered it all together on my dresser, mostly because the Olson's are much quieter than the Ampexes, however it seems they still have great low-end handling and really make use of the subharmonic switch on the Hitachi when I want to get heavy. Each set is configured to be controlled from the receiver with A/B channel buttons, and I've found that both sets are pretty poopy alone, and yet together they sound infinitely better, much more open, I can go from the tweeters of the Ampex down to the Olsons and each one seems to contribute a much better stereophonic product. Still, the lack of drive in the Olsons makes me wonder if it has something to do with the resistance being 8ohms, maybe the Hitachi isn't able to support those as well as it does with the Ampexes (which I only assume are 4ohm?) tl;dr I probably have a poop receiver and poop speakers, but which poop should I focus on replacing, Jeff Goldblum fucked around with this message at 00:53 on May 17, 2013 |
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May 17, 2013 00:51
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Ron Burgundy posted:Pretty much the only turntables that rely on line frequency are idlers so you should be able to make it work with an inverter, although it probably already has a multi-voltage transformer inside it. Then again being Germany, you should probably find a nice Dual. Good to know, I'm probably going to buy one now rather than later. I'm planning to pick up a SL-Q30 with a Grado black for $100. Figure I can flip my LAB2200 for $60-70 on Craigslist.
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May 17, 2013 06:33
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Picked up the SL-Q30 today, was able to negotiate the price down a little too. When I first plugged it in nothing would happen when I hit play, adjusted the arm height and now it plays perfectly. Only problem I've noticed is that it starts playing as soon as I turn it on and hitting the play/stop button doesn't appear to do anything. If I raise the tone arm that will stop the table but it doesn't return completely (there's an adjustment screw for the return though). Anyone know what might be doing that or if it's "standard"? I'm going to look at the manual later to see what the expected behavior is.
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May 18, 2013 07:31
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Holy poo poo, it boggles my mind that I've been on SA for a year (and lurked for a while before that) and never noticed this thread. Anyway, no one gives a drat about my vintage stereo other than my wife and one friend. If we throw a party, I'll nerdily fantasize about someone saying, "drat dude, that's a nice vintage stereo ya got there." But no one ever pays attention. In fact, a lot of times they don't even see it, because everyone always congregates in the kitchen, as tends to happen at parties. So I just crank it up loud enough to be heard in the kitchen and curse the darkness. Since I've poured so much time, effort and $$$ into this thing, I'll post it here, because others seem to be doing the same. 1.) McIntosh C29 preamp. Turntable above it is a Technics SL1200mk2:  2.) McIntosh MC2205 amp. I really should replace the glass sometime.  3.) McIntosh MC30 monoblock tube amps. Easily the luckiest Craigslist store I've ever had ($500 for the pair). Had to beat out 40-50 other people for them and convince the seller that I wasn't a reseller to snag it. My palms were sweating and trembling when the guy called me that fortuitous evening. Unfortunately, my wife left her job a month after I got these to be a full-time mom, which ended our middle class lifestyle (I'm a lowly grad student/GTA still finishing the ol' dissertation), so I have yet to shell out the money needed to get them properly "gone through" by Terry DeWick. So they just sit on top of this table-like thing we have, waiting eagerly for their time to glow once again. I'll obviously need to get some horn speakers when they do. Also, the speakers in the background are JBL L100T's modded to L100T3 specs.  I also have a "spare" McIntosh MC2125 amp, a Marantz SD9000 cassette deck, and a Thorens TD 145 turntable in the closet. I have a hard time parting with this stuff, even when money is as tight as it is now. izationalizer fucked around with this message at 15:48 on May 20, 2013 |
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May 20, 2013 15:46
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What is that on the glass of that amp?
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May 20, 2013 19:21
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TooLShack posted:What is that on the glass of that amp? Bubbling in the paint behind the glass. I'm not entirely clear on why it happens, but it's a really common occurrence on those.
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May 20, 2013 20:09
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izationalizer posted:McIntosh Dude. Very, very nice.
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May 20, 2013 20:18
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I've read a couple of "your first turntable" guides, but I'm not completely sure how to inspect a 70s fully automatic turntable for functionality. There's a Technics SL-Q3 on craigslist locally that the seller claims has a brand new Ed Saunders cartridge. At $100, is this likely to be a better experience than buying a new Audio Technica or Sony one? What do I look for other than "sounds OK, arm can move itself onto the record"? I tried to gauge value by checking some other forums, and $100 seems a little high for an SL-Q3 but the guy claims to be firm on price.
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May 20, 2013 20:39
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The Q series was not TOTL by any means, but it is a nice turntable, and definitely deserves better than a Red Ed. I can't imagine paying $100 for it unless it had a better cartridge unfortunately. But if you really wanted it, it is fit for purpose.
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May 20, 2013 20:51
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Ron Burgundy posted:Dude. Very, very nice. They do sound sweet. It became something of an obsession when I compared my Marantz 2245b with my friend's McIntosh MAC1900 receiver several years back. I thought I had my "receiver for life" at that point, and I really, really wanted to prefer my Marantz--I'd even say that I deliberately tried to delude myself into making myself prefer the Marantz--because the last thing I needed was another stereo dragon to chase. But the Mac just sounded better. So I just spent the next few years gradually building a whole new setup. It took a lot of effort, because I didn't find anything affordable locally, and eBay prices are loving through-the-roof insane. But Craigslist AdNotifier* working several regional cities eventually did the trick. None of that poo poo was free, obviously, and it required a lot of luck and I had to do a lot of driving, but I got all the solid state stuff for about 60% of eBay price on average, which I'm very much OK with. *Searches CL every five minutes and emails you when something is posted. I never would have scored the tube amps (and probably not the other stuff either) without it. The good deals are always insta-gone.
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May 20, 2013 20:58
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izationalizer posted:I also have a "spare" McIntosh MC2125 amp, a Marantz SD9000 cassette deck, and a Thorens TD 145 turntable in the closet. I have a hard time parting with this stuff, even when money is as tight as it is now. Sell me the 145. I need a real turntable. You have a lot of nice things  Those MC30s  jesus christ
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May 20, 2013 21:17
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Nice find on that MC30. How much is it going to cost to have them checked over and repaired? Those things are chock full of vintage capacitors and resistors that will have to be checked and/or replaced. It will probably cost $250 just to retube both of them with checked, tested and matched new production tubes. Edit: That dude does nice repair work. Your 12BH7 in the left MC30 has lost it's vacuum and the getter has turned white. That tube is trashed. The shiny metallic stuff flashed to the inside of the glass is supposed to absorb the residual gasses left in the tube after it is induction heated and evacuated during the manufacturing process. All it takes is a crack in the glass or a leak around one of the pins. Luckily, they are still being made in Russia and USA made new old stock tubes aren't too overpriced. If I'm not mistaken, those are 60s era RCA 6L6s in it. Might even be factory original. I bet a quad of the reissue Tungsol 5881s would sound awesome in that. Paperweight fucked around with this message at 03:42 on May 22, 2013 |
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May 20, 2013 22:08
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You can not buy McIntosh or even decent Marantz in this country for love or money. It's almost a miracle that they sold the SL-1200 here. 
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May 20, 2013 22:14
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izationalizer posted:*Searches CL every five minutes and emails you when something is posted. I never would have scored the tube amps (and probably not the other stuff either) without it. The good deals are always insta-gone. I missed out on my dream receiver(Sansui G9000) with a pair of Altec Valencia Horns for 800 bucks. I missed it by like 5 minutes. The local ebay flipper got them. He sold the G9000 for 1500 bucks and has the speakers up for 1800 right now. You did good snagging the stuff and just holding on to it until you can get it rebuilt. When people come over and I show them my vintage stuff, they always go "Why don't you just use your Ipad". I always just point to the huge reels and go "an Ipad can never be as cool as that". Also you can't sell MP3s when you are broke. TooLShack fucked around with this message at 22:38 on May 20, 2013 |
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May 20, 2013 22:35
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Cross posting from the obsolete technology thread because I know you guys love your R2RRon Burgundy posted:Here's my boat anchor
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May 21, 2013 08:54
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Ron Burgundy posted:The Q series was not TOTL by any means, but it is a nice turntable, and definitely deserves better than a Red Ed. I didn't get a chance to think much about it, somebody bought it the same evening it went up. If all the features are working on a ~1980 entry level turntable like the SL-Q3 would it be a better turntable than a new AT-LP60 from Amazon? I'm having a hard time finding deals on the local craigslist, there are turntables but people are asking crazy money like $200 for an SL-Q5.
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May 21, 2013 16:39
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Weinertron posted:If all the features are working on a ~1980 entry level turntable like the SL-Q3 would it be a better turntable than a new AT-LP60 from Amazon? Yes, absolutely. You are able to adjust the counterweight, anti-skate, and most importantly, you can upgrade the cartridge on the SL-Q3. If you find it's too lightweight, you can always open it up and stuff a bunch of modelling clay in there (seriously, people do this).
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May 21, 2013 16:49
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Ron Burgundy posted:You can not buy McIntosh or even decent Marantz in this country for love or money. It's almost a miracle that they sold the SL-1200 here. Honestly, Australia should be renamed to "Price-gouge-istan". Here is an ebay result for a Marantz 2265B. It's scratched, dinged, the labels have been worn off in places, and it has damaged components. Overall it would probably go for ~$200 in the States (on a good day) as the damage would probably turn it into either a "parts receiver", or you'd have to buy a new faceplate to do it justice. Compare that with this 2256B in England of all places (not known for being the land of good deals) and it's in quite good shape, has a ton of service work done to it, and it comes with the wood case. How much? $760 USD! Ust a little over half the price of the one in Au. I honestly feel bad for anyone interested in vintage electronics in Australia. I can only imagine that the only places worse would be some forgotten Pacific Island, Antarctica, or possible the middle of the Brazilian rainforest. I think the best bet that you have is to go to Australia's version of the Legion/VFW (place where veterans hang out) and talk to anyone who served in Vietnam or the Navy in the 70's. A lot of them could have been through Japan and picked up some Sansui or other Japanese stereos and might be willing to part with them. You could also check obits for people who were 60-75 who served in the navy and find out if they are having estate sales.
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May 21, 2013 17:04
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