Bigbird- Posted May 4, 2022 Posted May 4, 2022 On 04/05/2022 at 5:32 AM, Mr Thorens said: @Bigbird- did you find someone to look after your SP10mkii? Expand Hi buddy, Yes I’ve spoken to a local guy called Billy who works on technics tables . He thinks it’s a simple power issue so he’s going find the fault and recap the power supply and caps C2,4 and 6 inside the motor unit for me . Fingers crossed that sorts the issue . Did you have somebody in mind ? That way I have a contingency plan if this one fails thanks karl
plexxx Posted May 30, 2022 Posted May 30, 2022 I've been trying to find someone to replace dead batteries in my Chord Hugo DAC. So far, nobody is interested which I don't understand since it seems like a pretty simple process of desoldering 4 connections to the old batteries, putting in new ones and soldering them in. I already bought new batteries. Anyone have suggestions for a small electronics repair shop in Victoria? I've reached out to 4 but no takers.
Geoff O Posted June 14, 2022 Posted June 14, 2022 Hi all, I have recently inherited a Marantz 2325, Linn Sondek LP12 and Gale GS401 speakers. I would like to have the Marantz 2325 serviced, possibly rebuilt. I've spoken with a number of companies but so far none have given me the confidence they could do a rebuild. Any referrals or suggestions would be fantastic. Regards, Geoff
tej Posted June 18, 2022 Posted June 18, 2022 Hi All I need to get an Accuphase E-550 serviced - I'm in Newcastle - Any suggestions would be highly appreciated. Kind Regards - Tej
Monkeyboi Posted June 19, 2022 Posted June 19, 2022 On 30/05/2022 at 5:23 AM, plexxx said: I've been trying to find someone to replace dead batteries in my Chord Hugo DAC. So far, nobody is interested which I don't understand since it seems like a pretty simple process of desoldering 4 connections to the old batteries, putting in new ones and soldering them in. I already bought new batteries. Anyone have suggestions for a small electronics repair shop in Victoria? I've reached out to 4 but no takers. Expand To say I'm gobsmacked would be an understatement.
rantan Posted June 19, 2022 Posted June 19, 2022 (edited) Sorry. Needless comment . Edited June 19, 2022 by rantan
Guest Posted June 19, 2022 Posted June 19, 2022 On 30/05/2022 at 5:23 AM, plexxx said: I've been trying to find someone to replace dead batteries in my Chord Hugo DAC. So far, nobody is interested which I don't understand since it seems like a pretty simple process of desoldering 4 connections to the old batteries, putting in new ones and soldering them in. I already bought new batteries. Anyone have suggestions for a small electronics repair shop in Victoria? I've reached out to 4 but no takers. Expand Did you try CVE Electronics? Else, I reckon there might be some skilled enough on these forums to tackle it. 1
Monkeyboi Posted June 19, 2022 Posted June 19, 2022 On 14/06/2022 at 7:00 AM, Geoff O said: Hi all, I have recently inherited a Marantz 2325, Linn Sondek LP12 and Gale GS401 speakers. I would like to have the Marantz 2325 serviced, possibly rebuilt. I've spoken with a number of companies but so far none have given me the confidence they could do a rebuild. Any referrals or suggestions would be fantastic. Regards, Geoff Expand Okay, speaking as an audio service tech and from experience. If the Marantz ain't broken don't fix it. There's a lot of BS circulating on some audio forums and YouTube which suggest stupid things like replacing ALL the electrolytic capacitors without even bothering to determine if any of them even need replacing. If it currently is performing well and to your liking then IMHO and IME don't let some gung ho idiot bugger it up. IME, things do eventually need attention (depending on the degree of use and the environment the receiver was used or stored in) are switch contacts and potentiometers (volume and tone controls). Unless worn out or faulty a good quality contact cleaner like Deoxit D5 is great for switches and Deoxit Fader F5 for potentiometers. Don't use them the other way round as they are specifically formulated for each purpose. Occasionally I encounter noisy small signal transistors in gear of this vintage but it's not an endemic problem and you'll easily hear the shot noise through your system if there's an issue. Otherwise leave well alone. The engineers at Marantz knew how to design and build a great product. Testament to the fact that all these decades later your receiver is still functioning well. 2
Bronal Posted June 19, 2022 Posted June 19, 2022 On 19/06/2022 at 1:58 AM, Monkeyboi said: Okay, speaking as an audio service tech and from experience. If the Marantz ain't broken don't fix it. There's a lot of BS circulating on some audio forums and YouTube which suggest stupid things like replacing ALL the electrolytic capacitors without even bothering to determine if any of them even need replacing. If it currently is performing well and to your liking then IMHO and IME don't let some gung ho idiot bugger it up. IME, things do eventually need attention (depending on the degree of use and the environment the receiver was used or stored in) are switch contacts and potentiometers (volume and tone controls). Unless worn out or faulty a good quality contact cleaner like Deoxit D5 is great for switches and Deoxit Fader F5 for potentiometers. Don't use them the other way round as they are specifically formulated for each purpose. Occasionally I encounter noisy small signal transistors in gear of this vintage but it's not an endemic problem and you'll easily hear the shot noise through your system if there's an issue. Otherwise leave well alone. The engineers at Marantz knew how to design and build a great product. Testament to the fact that all these decades later your receiver is still functioning well. Expand I respectfully disagree. The 2325 was produced between 1973 and 1977 and so even the youngest examples will be 45 years' old. If it were me I'd get it checked over and cleaned up just for my peace of mind. I would regard the money spent as a good investment for the future. It could be that there is nothing wrong with it but you never know what sort of life it's had. Of course, the most problematic thing will be finding an honest and competent technician who won't take you for a ride... 1
Monkeyboi Posted June 19, 2022 Posted June 19, 2022 On 19/06/2022 at 2:42 AM, Bronal said: I respectfully disagree. The 2325 was produced between 1973 and 1977 and so even the youngest examples will be 45 years' old. Expand I don't know what your qualifications or experience is in the field of electronics and servicing this gear is but just because the receiver is 45 - 50 years old doesn't automatically mean it's got to go in for the human equivalent of the hip and knee replacement or if it was a ICE car and had 300,000+ km on the odometer a "rebuild" as the OP enquired about. On 19/06/2022 at 2:42 AM, Bronal said: If it were me I'd get it checked over and cleaned up just for my peace of mind. I would regard the money spent as a good investment for the future. Expand Nothing wrong with getting it "checked out" especially if one has good reason to suggest there might be an issue. I've had plenty of similar enquiries about vintage hifi gear over the years and if it isn't showing any symptoms of a fault or the customer doesn't report a problem I would normally run a few tests to ensure parameters like output power, frequency response, THD plus IMD and noise are all comfortably within the manufacturer's specifications. Where a tuner is involved there are other things to check like sensitivity, selectivity, stereo decoding and alignment. A visual inspection for bulging electrolytic capacitors and parts likely to suffer mechanical fatigue is often worthwhile. But wholesale shotgun replacing of non-faulty components is in my professional experience a potential recipe for disaster. Having had to sort out someone else's dog's breakfast isn't a joy. It's more like a nightmare. If anything in the system that probably is worth giving getting checked out is the 45+ year old Linn Sondek LP12 turntable that would more than likely benefit from a lubrication of the moving parts by an experienced Lin Sondek tech (not some also ran wannabee) if it hadn't been serviced in quite a while. As for the Gales there might be some evidence of driver suspension fatigue on the midrange and woofers that would possibly benefit from a visual inspection. On 19/06/2022 at 2:42 AM, Bronal said: It could be that there is nothing wrong with it but you never know what sort of life it's had. Expand Given that the OP says he "inherited" the receiver along with the Linn Sondek LP12 and the Gale 401s suggests to me (and I might be completely wrong here) that it was probably owned by a relative (perhaps the OP's father or uncle). Given the other components in the system of the Linn Sondek T/T and the Gale 401 speakers this wasn't some budget barbie shed system. Given the benefit of the doubt it was probably lovingly cared for and cherished by the previous owner or at least one would hope so. On 19/06/2022 at 2:42 AM, Bronal said: Of course, the most problematic thing will be finding an honest and competent technician who won't take you for a ride... Expand On this point I agree 100%. There's a whole cottage industry emerging dealing with vintage hi-fi "restorations" (note the inverted commas). In reality nothing could be further from the truth in terms of a proper and sympathetic restoration. There's one heck of a lot of misinformation bandied around on audio forums that seems to promote fear that vintage solid state amplifiers are suddenly going to have a meltdown simply because of their age when there's almost no empirical evidence to support it. Why aren't I in favour of a restoration or re-build of this Marantz receiver? If the receiver is in good cosmetic condition the OP could easily get in excess of AUD2,500 for it as is - Vintage mid 70s Marantz 2325 125 watt stereo receiver Never Refurbished(read)! | eBay There is a possibility that in the wrong hands a perfectly good working receiver could morph into either a very expensive repair or end up as verge collection. Both scenarios would be tragic IMHO. The OP didn't report that there were any issues with the receiver. So once again I ask the question - If it ain't broken why fix it? I've worked on plenty of electronics of this era and unless due diligence and extreme care is exercised in removing and replacing components on the PCBs there is a very good chance that the copper traces can become delaminated from the board. This problem even if it can be successfully repaired (and I have the equipment and expertise to do so) still has the potential to negatively impact on the long term reliability of the equipment. Sometimes I wish @Zaphod Beeblebrox was still posting here on SNA. Trevor was the service manager for Marantz and has worked on this gear extensively over the decades and in doing so has gained a wealth of knowledge and first hand experience. I'm sure he would concur with my observations and opinions on this. 1 1
Bronal Posted June 19, 2022 Posted June 19, 2022 I have no technical qualifications or experience. I am just a punter. All I was suggesting was a visual examination, testing of values for capacitors, resistors etc, possibly lubrication of controls, checking of soldering joints, etc. If anything comes to light then things can be taken further. Replacement of bulbs would be another thing. I've seen enough videos on YouTube to know that even pristine examples of vintage gear may need some attention, even of a minor nature. I suppose it depends on whether the OP is intending to to keep it.
falcongtho1968 Posted June 24, 2022 Posted June 24, 2022 Gday everyone, I have a pair of Bills, Western Electric speaker cables, that need to be shortened. Due to a change in address, my setup has changed, position. Can anyone recommend, someone who would be able to perform that operation, with the same care, and attention to detail, that Bill carried out, with his cables. I live in South East Melbourne, and am willing, to travel... Any help, would be greatly appreciated..... Cheers Andrew
GregWormald Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 Unless the change in length is substantial then I wouldn't be shortening cables. Who knows, sometime in the future you might want to go back longer. 1
falcongtho1968 Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 Gday, unfortunately, the change in length, is substantial. So definitely need to be shortened. Cheers Andrew
Monkeyboi Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 (edited) On 19/06/2022 at 7:23 AM, Bronal said: I have no technical qualifications or experience. I am just a punter. I've seen enough videos on YouTube to know that even pristine examples of vintage gear may need some attention, even of a minor nature. I suppose it depends on whether the OP is intending to to keep it. Expand A typical example of the popularity and misinformation on YouTube from so called "restorers of vintage audio gear". In this episode the guy who shotgun replaces capacitors and transistors (not always with success) takes a Marantz 2230 receiver to the local carwash and power washes it. 228,200 views since Jan 2022, 2,500 likes, 10,400 subscribers can't be wrong or can they? Whilst the poor receiver may have initially survived this treatment, water will get into places that aren't easily seen (like the mains transformer and the I.F. transformers in the tuner section) where no doubt in an apparently squeaky clean receiver it will later wreak havoc in the not too distant future; probably after it's sold on fleabay for an absurd amount of money to some unsuspecting punter wanting to re-live the "glory days of hi-fi". Edited June 25, 2022 by Monkeyboi re-phrased comment 2
rockeater Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 On 25/06/2022 at 4:32 AM, Monkeyboi said: In this episode the guy who shotgun replaces capacitors and transistors (not always with success) takes a Marantz 2230 receiver to the local carwash and power washes it. Expand LOL In the next episode, he should try doing it with the Marantz powered up to see if he can survive it... 1
muon* Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 (edited) never mind...... Edited June 25, 2022 by muon*
bob_m_54 Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 On 19/06/2022 at 6:02 AM, Monkeyboi said: I don't know what your qualifications or experience is in the field of electronics and servicing this gear is but just because the receiver is 45 - 50 years old doesn't automatically mean it's got to go in for the human equivalent of the hip and knee replacement or if it was a ICE car and had 300,000+ km on the odometer a "rebuild" as the OP enquired about. Nothing wrong with getting it "checked out" especially if one has good reason to suggest there might be an issue. I've had plenty of similar enquiries about vintage hifi gear over the years and if it isn't showing any symptoms of a fault or the customer doesn't report a problem I would normally run a few tests to ensure parameters like output power, frequency response, THD plus IMD and noise are all comfortably within the manufacturer's specifications. Where a tuner is involved there are other things to check like sensitivity, selectivity, stereo decoding and alignment. A visual inspection for bulging electrolytic capacitors and parts likely to suffer mechanical fatigue is often worthwhile. But wholesale shotgun replacing of non-faulty components is in my professional experience a potential recipe for disaster. Having had to sort out someone else's dog's breakfast isn't a joy. It's more like a nightmare. If anything in the system that probably is worth giving getting checked out is the 45+ year old Linn Sondek LP12 turntable that would more than likely benefit from a lubrication of the moving parts by an experienced Lin Sondek tech (not some also ran wannabee) if it hadn't been serviced in quite a while. As for the Gales there might be some evidence of driver suspension fatigue on the midrange and woofers that would possibly benefit from a visual inspection. Given that the OP says he "inherited" the receiver along with the Linn Sondek LP12 and the Gale 401s suggests to me (and I might be completely wrong here) that it was probably owned by a relative (perhaps the OP's father or uncle). Given the other components in the system of the Linn Sondek T/T and the Gale 401 speakers this wasn't some budget barbie shed system. Given the benefit of the doubt it was probably lovingly cared for and cherished by the previous owner or at least one would hope so. On this point I agree 100%. There's a whole cottage industry emerging dealing with vintage hi-fi "restorations" (note the inverted commas). In reality nothing could be further from the truth in terms of a proper and sympathetic restoration. There's one heck of a lot of misinformation bandied around on audio forums that seems to promote fear that vintage solid state amplifiers are suddenly going to have a meltdown simply because of their age when there's almost no empirical evidence to support it. Why aren't I in favour of a restoration or re-build of this Marantz receiver? If the receiver is in good cosmetic condition the OP could easily get in excess of AUD2,500 for it as is - Vintage mid 70s Marantz 2325 125 watt stereo receiver Never Refurbished(read)! | eBay There is a possibility that in the wrong hands a perfectly good working receiver could morph into either a very expensive repair or end up as verge collection. Both scenarios would be tragic IMHO. The OP didn't report that there were any issues with the receiver. So once again I ask the question - If it ain't broken why fix it? I've worked on plenty of electronics of this era and unless due diligence and extreme care is exercised in removing and replacing components on the PCBs there is a very good chance that the copper traces can become delaminated from the board. This problem even if it can be successfully repaired (and I have the equipment and expertise to do so) still has the potential to negatively impact on the long term reliability of the equipment. Sometimes I wish @Zaphod Beeblebrox was still posting here on SNA. Trevor was the service manager for Marantz and has worked on this gear extensively over the decades and in doing so has gained a wealth of knowledge and first hand experience. I'm sure he would concur with my observations and opinions on this. Expand And this exactly why I shy away from adds selling "restored" "recapped" "refurbished" "modded" "improved" "upgraded" Vintage gear. I'd rather buy a known dead original amp, than one that has been stuffed around with to who knows what extent. 1 2
Eggmeister Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 On 25/06/2022 at 7:29 AM, bob_m_54 said: And this exactly why I shy away from adds selling "restored" "recapped" "refurbished" "modded" "improved" "upgraded" Vintage gear. I'd rather buy a known dead original amp, than one that has been stuffed around with to who knows what extent. Expand Except for vintage Naim kit which needs regular recapping.
bob_m_54 Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 On 25/06/2022 at 7:42 AM, Eggmeister said: Except for vintage Naim kit which needs regular recapping. Expand Nope... because you have to take too big a gamble on the competency on the person doing the job, and what parts they used.. Not to mention the possibility of major board damage by incompetent solderers. It's not about whether it needs doing, it's about who and why they did it. 1
Eggmeister Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 (edited) On 25/06/2022 at 7:45 AM, bob_m_54 said: Nope... because you have to take too big a gamble on the competency on the person doing the job, and what parts they used.. Not to mention the possibility of major board damage by incompetent solderers. It's not about whether it needs doing, it's about who and why they did it. Expand Naim supply a kit and recommend folk to do it. It's all done via Naim.. I respect your opinion nonetheless Edited June 25, 2022 by Eggmeister
ray4410 Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 On 25/06/2022 at 4:32 AM, Monkeyboi said: A typical example of the popularity and misinformation on YouTube from so called "restorers of vintage audio gear". In this episode the guy who shotgun replaces capacitors and transistors (not always with success) takes a Marantz 2230 receiver to the local carwash and power washes it. 228,200 views since Jan 2022, 2,500 likes, 10,400 subscribers can't be wrong or can they? Whilst the poor receiver may have initially survived this treatment, water will get into places that aren't easily seen (like the mains transformer and the I.F. transformers in the tuner section) where no doubt in an apparently squeaky clean receiver it will later wreak havoc in the not too distant future; probably after it's sold on fleabay for an absurd amount of money to some unsuspecting punter wanting to re-live the "glory days of hi-fi". Expand surely he's just taking the piss either that or he is a complete knuckle head.
bob_m_54 Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 On 25/06/2022 at 7:48 AM, Eggmeister said: Naim supply a kit and recommend folk to do it. It's all done via Naim.. Expand Yeah.. Nahhh.. you buy it LOL
Eggmeister Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 (edited) On 25/06/2022 at 7:50 AM, bob_m_54 said: Yeah.. Nahhh.. you buy it LOL Expand Yup.. I'm a f0ckwit. LOL Edited June 25, 2022 by Eggmeister
bob_m_54 Posted June 25, 2022 Posted June 25, 2022 On 25/06/2022 at 7:51 AM, Eggmeister said: Yup.. I'm a f0ckwit Expand ????
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