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wa27 posted:Thanks, but I might need you to point out what you're seeing for me to find it in there. This thing has a crazy amount of components. I can get some pics if necessary. So unsurprisingly, my fix for this only lasted an hour or so. I did some more poking around and found that the hiss is present even on the lead coming off the head tape head! So my assumption is that the head was bad, but I suppose it could have been some component in parallel with that point. I'm not about to go searching for a replacement head so I'm probably going to give up on this, but I thought I'd post one more time to see if anyone has any suggestions. Is there some way to test capacitors on the board or would I just have to start pulling and replacing them to see if that's the culprit? None of them look bad, visually.
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Apr 10, 2015 01:58
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I don't know anything about tape decks but I know demagnetizing heads is a thing, so you might need to do that.
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Apr 10, 2015 02:01
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BANME.sh posted:I don't know anything about tape decks but I know demagnetizing heads is a thing, so you might need to do that. Seconding this. My father had a reel to reel, and we started getting a hiss in one of the channels. After a pass or two of the tape head demagnetizer the hiss was gone.
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Apr 11, 2015 03:00
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Mandactyl posted:Seconding this. My father had a reel to reel, and we started getting a hiss in one of the channels. After a pass or two of the tape head demagnetizer the hiss was gone. Hmm, ok. I didn't realize that could happen in one channel only. And that could affect it even if I play without a tape in the deck? Is there a cheap way to do that or I do have to spend $20 on something marketed as a tape head demagnetizer?
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Apr 12, 2015 05:27
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I just picked up a cute little half-size Yamaha A100 power amp for ~$20 because it had a dead channel. (not my picture) A completely dead channel usually just means a blown output fuse or something, but it turned out that it was set to mono instead of stereo, and it works just fine now  You gotta love big VU meters.
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Apr 12, 2015 16:25
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Holy crap that thing is cool!
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Apr 12, 2015 16:34
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Even better, you could get a whole line of matching accessories like EQ, mixer, reverb, all kinds of things that slotted together to make a complete half-size studio setup   The above set is going for €280 on eBay right now.
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Apr 12, 2015 16:39
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Oh god 
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Apr 12, 2015 16:50
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I love Yamahas and I love that tiny stereo. Although if anyone was wondering, Yamaha's current lineup of 2 channel amps and receivers takes a ton of design cues from their 1970's gear- with the added bonus that a lot of the amps come in both classic-looking silver and a high-end looking shiny black. Frankly, their look and fit/finish are way nicer than their price to me. I've been browsing the website since I'm thinking of getting something a little bit more modern (controllable with a remote/iOS app) for a main living room setup and moving the CR-2040. They're also quite affordably priced and the higher-end models come with built-in AirPlay and Bluetooth support. Any of the lower-priced ones would make great 'first stereo' amps for someone who didn't want to hunt around for a vintage receiver and any of the 65-100 WPC ones should be plenty for the average person.
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Apr 12, 2015 18:21
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Yamaha has been making high-quality gear for a long time, but not a lot of people seem to remember them when looking for new gear. I know their pro gear is generally top quality stuff all around.
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Apr 12, 2015 18:36
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Their low end stereo receivers are under $200. I can't find a picture of one that is silver, only black. Not to say they don't exist. I'm really happy that you can buy something that looks like this brand new but holy poo poo it's $8000. 
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Apr 12, 2015 18:41
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Here's their whole Hi-Fi lineup for the curious: http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hifi-components/ If I'm not mistaken, way more of the amps come in both silver and black than the receivers do. The AirPlay-compatible networked receivers aren't priced that far from the straight amps (at least the ones with optical inputs which seem like a no-brainer) but the figures for their power levels across the range of possible speaker impedance (2/4/8 ohm, etc) aren't nearly as impressive. The amps tend to have ~double the high power output at 4 ohms vs. 8, which I hear is a sign of good amplifier design. It makes me think that the network and radio features in the receivers were added at the cost of the electronics to keep the prices comparable- and that's lame given that the optical DAC with something like an Apple TV gives you way more flexibility anyway if, say, you wanted to throw a TV into the mix. They're all really gorgeous though. trilobite terror fucked around with this message at 19:00 on Apr 12, 2015 |
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Apr 12, 2015 18:51
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I thought I should give my SL-1500 a drop of oil for the spindle bearing, so I googled to see if I could just use some sewing machine oil or whatever. Apparently, turntable lubrication is an even more divisive subject than motor oil for cars, as hard to believe as that may be. Basically everyone thinks they have the holy grail of spindle lube knowledge, and everyone else is 100% wrong and will destroy their turntables in short order. There are flame wars about whether to only ever use the actual OEM oil or something else. And then there's the "black oil" for Linn turntables, which is a whole different kettle of fish. I think I'll just use the expensive high pressure synthetic PTFE oil that I have laying around and basically only use for door hinges anyway.
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Apr 17, 2015 15:25
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KozmoNaut posted:I thought I should give my SL-1500 a drop of oil for the spindle bearing, so I googled to see if I could just use some sewing machine oil or whatever. I had this experience a few months back and eventually just ignored it all and just used a couple drops of 10W-30.
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Apr 17, 2015 15:34
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To make up for wasting time reading about the best way to lube my spindle, I decided to check out a couple of the local record stores. I found a couple of albums I wanted, including Deep Purple - Machine Head very nice condition, with a label from some college's musicology department. Based on the condition it's in, I don't think it's been played a lot, which is actually kind of saddening, really. How can you claim to study music without playing Deep Purple all the drat time? I also got some Led Zeppelin, the Blues Brothers movie soundtrack and various oddities from the bargain bins. Oh, and I found this magnificent record for $2, in near-perfect condition:  (Yes, it's got that song on it. Track A1.)
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Apr 17, 2015 19:26
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I gave that album as a gift to a friend when he got his turntable set up for the first time. I have the 45 single of that song which I kept for myself, though. it has the instrumental on side B 
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Apr 17, 2015 19:32
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I figured I should post these here as well as in the Audiophile thread. They're early-90s vintage AFAIK, so not that old, but definitely retro-styled. This amazing set of objets d'art are currently up on a local auction site, current bid is €100:  What are they?  Why, they're a matching set of porcelain-clad pre/power amps, of course!  I could definitely see them fitting in well with certain styles of decor. You would have to find a matching set of speakers, though, maybe some of those old bookcase-size Klipsches or something. I don't the manufacturer made any sort of audiophile claims about them, or ascribed any audible effect to the porcelain, but I thought they were weird and wonderful enough to post. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 12:29 on Apr 23, 2015 |
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Apr 23, 2015 12:23
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Funeral parlor chic
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Apr 23, 2015 12:35
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Holy poo poo you're right, that's what they reminded me of.
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Apr 23, 2015 12:38
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I poked through this thread a bit looking for an answer but nothing became immediately apparent. I have an Audio Technica 120 that I'm looking to be able to play through two different power amps in different rooms. Sometimes at the same time, sometimes by themselves. It has a selectable phono/line out. I suppose I'd like to have an external preamp but using the line output is ok. I haven't completely decided the exact permanent home of the turntable, but for simplicity sake, one of the amps will be about 15 feet away and one will be about 10 feet away. What's the best way to split that signal to the two power amps? I was thinking turntable (phono) to pre-amp to an RCA splitter perhaps. Would two loads through ~25' of cable tax a preamp output too much?
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Apr 24, 2015 17:58
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Barry posted:I poked through this thread a bit looking for an answer but nothing became immediately apparent. My solution is to own a dozen record players.
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Apr 24, 2015 18:02
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Barry posted:I poked through this thread a bit looking for an answer but nothing became immediately apparent. Instead of using two amps, why don't you use one amp that has zone A/B speakers and put one pair in the first room and the other pair in the second room? That would be by far the simplest/most seamless solution. Or alternatively: BigFactory posted:My solution is to own a dozen record players.
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Apr 24, 2015 19:18
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My current amp is using both A/B to bi-amp my Klipsch KLF-20's, so that's a no go. It's also a real pain in the dick to try and hide wiring in my house (old rear end plaster and lathe with very intricate plaster work) so I'd prefer to not run too many cables around. I might end up using some powered monitors in the second room anyway, so I'd like to stick with my plan of splitting it at the line level. I think I'll just get some RCA splitters and see what happens to start with. It might be fine without adding in any additional electronics.
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Apr 24, 2015 19:24
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I'm interested in picking up my first turntable. I'm hoping for something around $100, including pre-amp, either built in or separate. Is there a "go-to" post combo that I can grab, or is it better to troll Craigslist and local record shops for deals? Seems like most older sets don't have a pre-amp, so maybe there's a go-to pre-amp and I can find a good TT on CL. Any thoughts?
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Apr 24, 2015 22:22
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ColdPie posted:I'm interested in picking up my first turntable. I'm hoping for something around $100, including pre-amp, either built in or separate. Is there a "go-to" post combo that I can grab, or is it better to troll Craigslist and local record shops for deals? Seems like most older sets don't have a pre-amp, so maybe there's a go-to pre-amp and I can find a good TT on CL. Any thoughts? There is a guide linked in the OP that explains a lot of questions you will have. Basically you are not gonna get anything decent for $100 unless you find a score on craigslist. Most people have caught onto the fact that vinyl is trendy, and are selling 1980s plastic junkers for well over $100. Depends on your area though. The AT-LP 60 is in your price range but will leave you unsatisfied.
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Apr 24, 2015 22:33
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I would say if you double your budget you'll have a lot more like finding a perfectly serviceable used table from somewhere. I think you might be out of luck for anything but seriously not worth it stuff at $100  You can find a "good enough for now" pre amp for $20, then just go to your local record shop and repair shops and craigslist and look for something decent and used. If it's your first setup getting it from a record store can be good since they'll warranty that the table is fit for use at least and can help you set it up over the phone or whatever.
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Apr 24, 2015 22:37
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Makes sense. I'll have to chill out for a bit to justify two hundred smackers, but I'd rather do that than waste one hundred. Thanks.
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Apr 24, 2015 22:42
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ColdPie posted:Makes sense. I'll have to chill out for a bit to justify two hundred smackers, but I'd rather do that than waste one hundred. Thanks. Check Craigslist every day. You can find good record players for under $100. Post in here if you have questions about a particular model.
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Apr 24, 2015 22:54
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BigFactory posted:Check Craigslist every day. You can find good record players for under $100. Post in here if you have questions about a particular model. There's a guy selling a Technics SL-23 from the 70s for $75. New belt, but "probably original" cartridge. Seems to get good reviews. Prices on turntables seem crazy, I see people from just a couple years ago talking about picking these up for $15-30. I think this guy is way overvaluing what he's got. E: On the other hand, eBay models are going for well over $100. ColdPie fucked around with this message at 07:01 on Apr 25, 2015 |
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Apr 25, 2015 06:48
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BigFactory posted:Check Craigslist every day. You can find good record players for under $100. Post in here if you have questions about a particular model. I'm going to second this, there are still deals to be found. Just from a cursory look around here, there are various turntables from Technics, Lenco, Garrard, Thorens (!), Pioneer, JVC and so on, for less than $100. Of course, none of the highly sought after models will be available at that price, but a lot of them are very good turntables nonetheless, certainly lightyears ahead of something like the AT LP60. ColdPie posted:There's a guy selling a Technics SL-23 from the 70s for $75. New belt, but "probably original" cartridge. Seems to get good reviews. Prices on turntables seem crazy, I see people from just a couple years ago talking about picking these up for $15-30. I think this guy is way overvaluing what he's got. The SL-23 is a fine turntable, and $75 seems like a decent price considering the current market, if it's in good condition. You should probably put a new cartridge on it, something from Audio Technica or Pickering or similarly affordable. I use an Ortofon OM-5E, which I paid around $60 for, and which can be upgraded later by buying the styluses from higher in the range. Pickering has a similar system. Unlike the direct drive Technics turntables, their belt-driven models don't seem to have risen that much in value, which can make for some decent deals. They're still great turntables, they just lack the geek appeal of the direct drive system. Superficially the tonearm on the SL-23 looks very similar to the one on my SL-1500, which is good, because it's a great arm (despite what some audiophiles may think). I paid $175 for my SL-1500, because I wanted something that was direct drive and preferably a Technics, and this one was in absolute mint condition with a brand-new pickup. Considering belt vs. direct drive pricing differences, you should definitely be able to get a less sought after, but good quality turntable for less than $100. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 08:21 on Apr 25, 2015 |
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Apr 25, 2015 08:13
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ColdPie posted:There's a guy selling a Technics SL-23 from the 70s for $75. New belt, but "probably original" cartridge. Seems to get good reviews. Prices on turntables seem crazy, I see people from just a couple years ago talking about picking these up for $15-30. I think this guy is way overvaluing what he's got. If that's in halfway decent shape you're going to end up with a nice record player. You might need a new cartridge (as low as like 45$ for a cheapass AT) and you'll need a preamp if your receiver doesn't have a phono stage. And you might need to sink a few bucks into a new belt at some point but parts should be pretty easy to come by. Listen to it and make sure it works before you buy it if $75 bucks is a big deal to you. If all of that sounds like it's pushing you over budget, wait a little while. There are deals out there.
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Apr 25, 2015 11:57
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ColdPie posted:There's a guy selling a Technics SL-23 from the 70s for $75. New belt, but "probably original" cartridge. Seems to get good reviews. Prices on turntables seem crazy, I see people from just a couple years ago talking about picking these up for $15-30. Prices haven't gotten THAT crazy yet. I've only been paying close attention to turntable prices for maybe five years but it's not like prices have inflated 3 times since then. There's still deals out there locally at thrift stores, garage sales, and friends/family. Craigslist can yield some good stuff if you watch it long enough, too. It won't hurt to shoot the guy an offer of $50, especially if it's been sitting on Craigslist for a while.
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Apr 25, 2015 15:42
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even the bottom end turntables from the 70s and 80s are fine if everything is working and in decent condition. You might just need a cartridge. There really isn't much to turntables. As long as the cartridge is in good shape and aligned properly (both of which you can do yourself easily) , and it spins at the right speed.
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Apr 25, 2015 16:28
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Well, the spins at the right speed can be a challenge, wiring can be, and if you have any automatic features those are probably the most likely hung to gently caress up.
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Apr 25, 2015 17:32
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Someone recycled this old hunk of junk. Anyone want it? I figure it's so heavy there are some pretty good ferrous metals in there so it's going in the bin otherwise. $10 takes it.
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Apr 25, 2015 20:34
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atomicthumbs posted:Someone recycled this old hunk of junk. Of you were in Denmark, I'd have taken that in a split second.
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Apr 25, 2015 21:05
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Dogen posted:Well, the spins at the right speed can be a challenge, wiring can be, and if you have any automatic features those are probably the most likely hung to gently caress up. anything with quartz direct drive is nigh indestructible
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Apr 25, 2015 22:56
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Well, I bought it. Turns out the guy is moving house and wanted to get rid of it, so it's actually in really great shape. Even the automatic return works correctly. It did have a very unstable spin rate. I followed this guide to clean and lube the pitch pots and speed selector and now it runs perfect.  I've been testing it on some junk records, and it definitely needs a new cartridge. I've ordered that and a pre-amp (the TC-750) and they arrive next week. Fun stuff! My favorite part is the "SIMULATED METAL BASE" label. It's wood with silver paint. Thanks again for the advice.
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Apr 25, 2015 23:07
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atomicthumbs posted:Someone recycled this old hunk of junk. I wasn't totally up on my Sansui knowledge so I had to google it to be sure. And then I laughed.
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Apr 25, 2015 23:09
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ColdPie posted:Well, I bought it. Turns out the guy is moving house and wanted to get rid of it, so it's actually in really great shape. Even the automatic return works correctly. It did have a very unstable spin rate. I followed this guide to clean and lube the pitch pots and speed selector and now it runs perfect. Awesome! I used the 750 after ditching my starter preamp and was happy with it. Glad the return works and it cleaned up fine. What cartridge did you order?
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Apr 25, 2015 23:18
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