I have had most mixed experience with old receivers. I have an Advent 100 radio from the 70s that still sounds as it did then. I had a Fischer 500 which needed new caps, but sounded quite good, but I got tired of worrying about the caps and tubes. I had a NAD with corroded jacks. I tried to clean them but they never sounded very good. I donated it to charity.
Old Classic Receivers: A Mistake to Buy?
I was contemplating purchasing a 70's receiver, as I used to love the construction and appearance of the Sansui, Kenwood, Pioneer, Marantz. However, when I ran this by an audio friend, he said, "Forget it."
He says: They sound terrible. The caps & resistors used before the early 90s' were dreadful. The electrolytics are drying up and will start crackling and substantially degrade the sonics. The switches and controls used were almost never sealed, so they deteriorate and make noise and can't be fixed even by taking them apart and cleaning them.
Tuners: He says that nearly all non-digital tuners used varactors, which go out of alignment and cause problems, so no old tuners, with the exception of the Mac MR-78 and possibly a few others, are worth dealing with.
I am tempted to believe all that he is saying is true, but I see a market for these items, and also know that people claim they are still using these pieces for 25 years.
What's the truth here? Can some of the techies enlighten me?
He says: They sound terrible. The caps & resistors used before the early 90s' were dreadful. The electrolytics are drying up and will start crackling and substantially degrade the sonics. The switches and controls used were almost never sealed, so they deteriorate and make noise and can't be fixed even by taking them apart and cleaning them.
Tuners: He says that nearly all non-digital tuners used varactors, which go out of alignment and cause problems, so no old tuners, with the exception of the Mac MR-78 and possibly a few others, are worth dealing with.
I am tempted to believe all that he is saying is true, but I see a market for these items, and also know that people claim they are still using these pieces for 25 years.
What's the truth here? Can some of the techies enlighten me?
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- 101 posts total
I'm in the middle of re-capping a Marantz 2230 receiver right now. It's not hard - just unsolder the old ones and solder in the new ones. This receiver has 70 electrolytics, so it takes a while, but it is fun. Since the new caps are much smaller than the old ones, I was able to double the power supply capacitance and double the output cap values for more bass and punch. Here's a picture with the main filter cap and output caps replaced - the filter cap is a Panasonic THA, 10000uF, 80V, the output caps are Nichicon KG Gold Tune 4700uF, 80V, bypassed with a 1uF Solen polypropylene. Total parts cost is ~$50 for the entire re-cap and I paid $20 for the reciever at a flea market. Outstanding bang for the buck!! Marantz 2230 re-cap |
I'm the original owner of a 1975 SX-1250. All of the things your friend says about the parts are pretty much true. BUT, the receiver CAN be restored by a knowledgeable repair outlet. The original caps are not available but better substitutes are. The sound of a restored SX-1250 is a bit better than a non-restored piece and still possesses the trademark warm and almost limitless power. I am less certain about resale value. The key would be to fine that individual looking for that specific model. -Scott |
I bought an old Sansui G9000 on here years ago and sent it to an electronics guy that completely recapped and realigned and cleaned everything and I'll have to say that it sounds absolutely fabulous and it's a beautiful piece also. Something about the pure power,clean sound that really comes through. I'm sorry to say that it's very close to my Cary Tube amps that cost thousands more. |
- 101 posts total