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Interesting. I'm ldavid puddy posted:I went from an ART DJ Pre II or whatever they're called to a NAD 1240 (which seems to sell for about $100-150) and I think it sounds noticeably better. Plus it's way nicer to have volume, balance, treble, bass etc knobs to fiddle with if I want to. I have my eye on their PP2i, I used to have a lot of NAD gear and was pretty happy with it (particularly their amps).
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Jan 29, 2014 03:34
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I have a friend with a Sansui 9090db that is not putting out the right channel in stereo mode but will do mono. Multiple TTs and the aux input produce the same behavior. Thoughts? Dedicated stereo store repair time?
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Jan 29, 2014 18:29
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I recently acquired a Marantz 2235b. I hooked it up to my turntable and my kef c30s and it mostly works. I need to get a new light for the front display (wasn't expecting this to work anyways, and the right channel goes in and out pretty much at random. I've found that if I tinker with the volume I can usually get it to cut back in again but most of the time this is temporary. I'm really interested in restoring it but I honestly don't know where to start. Any ideas with what might be wrong with it? I know I didn't really provide a whole lot of information but any resources regarding Marantz repair or any links to part vendors would be really helpful. I've got to say though the few times that I have gotten it to work this receiver has gotten me praying to the tube receiver gods. The album 'Live Alive' by Stevie Ray Vaughn especially got me with the 'loudness' setting on 
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Jan 29, 2014 18:48
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Here is a decent guide that will show you how to use Deoxit, which will clean the dirty POTs and switches on your new Marantz. Over the years the contacts in the switches and pots get dirty/oxidize and cause funky things to happen. http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=207005 Also, I think the 2235B is a solid state amp.
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Jan 29, 2014 18:57
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TooLShack posted:Also, I think the 2235B is a solid state amp.
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Jan 29, 2014 20:05
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64bit_Dophins posted:The album 'Live Alive' by Stevie Ray Vaughn especially got me with the 'loudness' setting on I'm not 100% sure about Marantz, but the way the 'loudness' setting works in every vintage amp I've seen is to just cut the midrange volume and/or boost the high and low register. 'Loudness' is generally for nighttime listening when you want to play music without bothering others. I really wouldn't recommend it for general use as it sounds pretty "off" at anything but low volume. If you want loudness, just turn the volume up. 64bit_Dophins posted:Just looked it up and you're right - welp :/ it still sounds good to me. Thanks for linking the guide, I'll definitely get at this asap. Don't feel bad about it being solid state. Vintage solid state gear has character and a sound signature that's usually totally different from modern stuff. Tube heads sometimes rag on SS as being "clinical" or "cheap" sounding but that's stupid and pretty wrong. Plus, a major component of tube sound's "uniqueness" is run of the mill distortion. I'm not saying that tubes are worse or anything, and I like them quite a lot, but being solid state doesn't make your Marantz any "worse" of a receiver. Both have their strengths and faults and it's better to think of them as alternative options worth trying than as one over the other.
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Jan 29, 2014 20:55
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I use the loudness setting depending on the album. It's a quick and dirty EQ that seems to make flat albums pop out a bit more. Though I live in a condo and I am always paranoid about bothering my neighbours, so I listen at pretty low volumes exclusively. I remember reading about the Harman Kardon's version of loudness, called "contour", which actually diminishes the effect the more you turn up the volume. So if you turn it up loud enough, the contour button actually does nothing. I wonder if it's like this for every brand with a loudness switch.
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Jan 29, 2014 20:59
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Loudness is sometimes a dynamic range compression, functioning similar to the "night listening mode" on some modern receivers. By limiting the peaks, the peaks and the valleys are closer, giving a louder sounding program.
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Jan 29, 2014 21:37
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I've met a lot of people who just turn up the bass and treble controls to full and turn on loudness as well. I mean yeah, I boost the bass and treble in my car, because otherwise the road noise drowns out everything. But wacking everything up to 11? That cannot possibly sound good. My dad usually turns treble way up, but with the amount of hearing loss he has from playing the drums for 30+ years, there's only so much you can do. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 21:42 on Jan 29, 2014 |
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Jan 29, 2014 21:39
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Finally got my top loading tape deck sorted out, it's an Akai GXC-75D, did a complete belt job on it. It had an issue with a stretched out counter belt, which prevented it from playing for more than 3 seconds. If I manually moved the counter wheel the deck would keep playing. Of course the belt is the hardest one to get to. See it? It's the one under all this crap.   There, finally to the belt I need to replace.  Here it is in it's new home.  Gonna work it out for a few days, so far it sounds fine. When I toss on my tapes it's when I'm working and sound quality is not the highest concern.
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Jan 30, 2014 07:18
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It's a satisfying feeling fixing this stuff. I'd do it for a job if I wasn't so sure it would kill the magic.
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Jan 30, 2014 10:03
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I just found these for sale on a local auction site. They're Avance Concrete 200s from the mid-80s. Lime. Green. Concrete. Perfect for any living room!
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Jan 30, 2014 11:26
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They're on wheels!
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Jan 30, 2014 13:49
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You have to buy those
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Jan 30, 2014 13:50
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 They're at ~$115 right now. I may just do it.
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Jan 30, 2014 15:23
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They're pretty boss looking. I'd do it.
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Jan 30, 2014 22:52
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KozmoNaut posted:
They are amazing. Get it.
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Jan 31, 2014 02:45
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wow. what a find. you must get these legendary speakers
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Jan 31, 2014 06:36
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I recently found an old Stanton L720 cartridge while clearing out some attic boxes. It was still in the package and looks new but would I be better served by just buying a new one? Its probably 10 years old at least.
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Feb 1, 2014 19:53
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I'm still using the original Shure V15 Type II cart (new needle) that came with this Miracord 50h in 68-70ish and it sounds just fine.
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Feb 1, 2014 20:17
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I bought a receiver from a guy who smoked. When I fired up the receiver at home it smells like smoke (not sure why it didn't occur to me that would be an issue). I'd like to do what I can to minimize the smell and the internet recommends a pretty wide range of solutions from leave it outside in the sunshine, clean it with alcohol, spray it down with electrosolve, dunk it in dishsoap, etc. I was planning on giving the case a good cleaning and getting some electrosolve and a box of qtips, but I'd appreciate any recommendations or tips.
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Feb 2, 2014 04:05
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I've had good luck bushing the insides down with alcohol and cleaning the outside real good with all purpose cleaner. I've also left it out on the back porch to air out some. Just be lucky it wasn't speakers, recent pair of B&O S75s I got stunk so bad(dude must have been a chain smoker), I resorted to fabreezing the grills and cleaning the best I could, but the drat stuffing inside smelt so bad. I just gave up and pulled the working speakers and tossed the cabs in the trash not but 20min ago.
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Feb 2, 2014 07:03
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Was going to buy a Harman Kardon A50K today. It had been recapped and whatnot about 8 months ago so I assumed it was good to go. Sadly, the balance did not work right so I did not pick it up. Oh well, either it'll get refixed and I'll buy it or I'll run across something else.
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Feb 2, 2014 07:24
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I called the guy who I bought the Dual off to get the Garrard Lab 80. The guy tells me that the person who bought it plans to gut it... To make a record lathe. That turntable has nowhere near enough torque for that. So essentially a great 50+ year old British turntable is being destroyed for nothing. Nice work dickhead, whoever you are.
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Feb 2, 2014 08:31
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This is a dumb question, but I have a Kenwood KD 4100 turntable that is in pretty good shape (Not quite as automatic as it should be, but it doesn't affect play), and so far I've completely neglected to upgrade the cartridge. It's got a stock Kenwood (or at least it has the kenwood/trio logo on it, who knows who actually manufactured it) that probably came with it when it was purchased in 1980 (the original warrantee came with it!). Now it plays, and it sounds fine, but maybe I don't know what I'm missing either. The stylus is definitely crooked, so I need to do something about that. Any recommendations for a good cartridge? It's a top-mount head if that makes a difference. I listen to mostly garage sale/thrift store records, so low surface noise would be a selling point. Or should I just fix or replace the stylus? Edit: It's a 4100, not 3100. BigFactory fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Feb 3, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 20:13
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You can probably only find a lovely 3rd party replacement stylus for that old cartridge these days, and it would be fairly below average. What is your budget? The Shure M97xE is recommended a lot as a good entry level cartridge for about $75. I have one, and so do many others around here I think. You can't really go wrong with it. This cartridge has the added bonus of being able to upgrade to a super fancy Jico SAS aftermarket needle later. The AT 120E is also highly recommended at about $120. And the AT 440MLA even more-so at $200. This one is apparently extremely good at cutting out inner groove distortion, and supposedly minimizes clicks and pops better too. BANME.sh fucked around with this message at 20:46 on Feb 3, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 20:43
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$75 sounds about right. Will I hear a night and day difference going to a cartridge that's actually properly aligned? I'd swap it out anyways just so I'm not croaking my records, but it would be nice to hear a difference, too.
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Feb 3, 2014 20:47
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BigFactory posted:$75 sounds about right. Will I hear a night and day difference going to a cartridge that's actually properly aligned? I'd swap it out anyways just so I'm not croaking my records, but it would be nice to hear a difference, too. You'll probably hear more of a night and day difference going to a needle that is new vs. one that's 30 years old. Properly aligning it will give you more subtle improvements that you may not notice on every album. It's worth doing, though. Takes a few minutes and then you can just forget about it.
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Feb 3, 2014 21:04
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I own a Shure M97xE and a AT 440MLA, the 440MLA is the the better cart, it really does cut through the dust on older records and can make a lower grade record sound better. But the M97xE is great if you are spinning newer stuff and amazon always has good deals on them. Get the M97xE it comes with a nice case with some tools and a alignment do hicky.
TooLShack fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Feb 3, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 21:10
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On the topic of bringing old records back to life, I came across this guide on how to "clean" scuffed up records using sandpaper. http://www.instructables.com/id/Bring-Ruined-Records-Back-to-Life/#step1 I haven't tried it out yet, but I've been meaning to with some cheapo albums I have lying around. The basic idea is that surface scuffs make up the majority of clicks and pops that you hear on old albums, and you use extremely fine paper (1500 grit) to sand them away. Obviously won't work for deep gouges or flat out worn records. These are some before and after shots of an album that had been cleaned using standard methods. Then the one below is after sanding:   Same guy also made a DIY power washer for his records using a high pressure water pick (used for washing your teeth) http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-Wash-Your-Vinyl-Records/#step1 BANME.sh fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Feb 3, 2014 |
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Feb 3, 2014 21:15
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BANME.sh posted:You'll probably hear more of a night and day difference going to a needle that is new vs. one that's 30 years old. Properly aligning it will give you more subtle improvements that you may not notice on every album. It's worth doing, though. Takes a few minutes and then you can just forget about it. Yeah, my big stereo (that the Kenwood is part of) is literally thousands of dollars worth of gear (at original MSRP, not what I paid for it), and CD's sound incredible, but records just sound ok. My second system with a crappy Sony TT I bought at Circuit City in the mid-2000's sounds a little fuller. I've just been too cheap/lazy to do something about it. On the bright side, I found a great deal on a Technics SL-3300 that I'm going to pick up later this week, so I can do a side-by-side and see what's going on.
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Feb 3, 2014 21:35
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BigFactory posted:Yeah, my big stereo (that the Kenwood is part of) is literally thousands of dollars worth of gear (at original MSRP, not what I paid for it), and CD's sound incredible, but records just sound ok. It's probably because CDs are a far superior medium  Also worth mentioning that with phono cartridges (and IMHO with any 2-channel audio but that's beside the point here), price means fuckall. One of the best all-around systems out there is the Audio Technica AT95E which costs 20-40€ here (depending on where you buy from).
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Feb 4, 2014 10:44
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Jerry Cotton posted:It's probably because CDs are a far superior medium Neil young doesn't want to be your friend anymore.
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Feb 4, 2014 12:45
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BigFactory posted:Neil young doesn't want to be your friend anymore. That's ok, we don't need him around anyhow.
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Feb 4, 2014 12:51
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Just found an AT95E for $40 free shipping from Staples of all places, so I ordered that.
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Feb 4, 2014 15:13
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Jerry Cotton posted:price means fuckall. Hmm, beyond a certain point yeah. In regards to needles, something can be said about shape and diameter of the diamond tip especially when you can directly hear a difference with inner groove distortion (assuming they are both aligned properly). In any case, any new needle will probably be way better than the old crusty one you were using before.
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Feb 4, 2014 16:58
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I checked in this thread a couple weeks ago, looking a receiver, turntable, and speakers. I ended up with two receivers: a Sony 6040 and a Yamaha CR-800. Both were about $50 and need a cleaning. Is the best place to pick up DeOxit locally RadioShack? Or a local electronics store? [Edit] Suppose it's worth mentioning - the Sony sounds clear and nice until I touch the volume knob, which Google tells me is a contact issue and will likely be fixed by cleaning. The Yamaha sounds tinny through speakers but great through headphones (except the right channel is intermittent), in which case which Google tells me to clean it and then hope it's not some kind of pre-amp problem. SteveMcQueen fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Feb 8, 2014 |
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Feb 8, 2014 00:19
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slothzilla posted:If you were going to spend a few hundred on a receiver, would you buy something vintage or used modern? I'm looking at a Marantz 22xx at the moment, but I'm conflicted. As a poor college student I bought a Marantz 2220 on ebay in ~2007 for $40 and paired it with some $100 Athena Technologies bookshelves. It sounded and looked loving great, especially for the price. After I graduated, I had signing bonus money to burn so I bought a b-stock Outlaw RR2150 for $500 and paired it with some Paradigm floorstanding monitors for $700. It sounds good but I still preferred the 2220. Last year when I moved across the country I was trying to eliminate possessions so I sold the 2220 because it needed a lot of TLC that I didn't have to time to give. I kind of regret that now and would say go vintage if you can find something in good condition. The RR2150 is a modern option with a tuner if you have the cash.
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Feb 8, 2014 00:42
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SteveMcQueen posted:Is the best place to pick up DeOxit locally RadioShack? Or a local electronics store? Try your local Guitar center, they always try to keep it in stock at my local one.
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Feb 8, 2014 04:56
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Ditto, try a music instrument shop. It's where I got mine, however I was passed around to about 3 different salespeople before one of them knew what I was talking about or where they stock it.
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Feb 8, 2014 06:40
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