I dug my old Marantz 2238B out of mothballs and had it serviced during the tail end of the pandemic craziness, and I am very happy with the results. It didn't require a restoration, it just needed a few bulbs, some resistors & transistors and a little cleaning. The receiver has been in my family since new, and after servicing I have been using it almost daily to hear all sorts of music out of my old ADS speakers that I found about a year ago. It's a keeper.
No matter what, recycle . Just because you can't fix it or have it fixed doesn't mean someone else can't. Keep these beautiful historical pieces alive.
when younger my better half would complain about having a lot of components later bought a bigger house and now i can use whatever i want ,there´s rooms we don´t even go there, i only sold a few components that i needed the money to buy a better one but now i repent having sold them, so i have all my equipment since late 60´s with older components ´till today and when my father died some years ago it doubled what i call my personal colection , he spent a fortune in top end 70´s material, i´m glad he did it
A couple of hints from my experience: I find a cardboard that I can poke holes and place my screws in the outline of the case/board/whatever helps me know if I've put the right ones back where they belong. Rocket Socket pedal building sockets are even better than a spanner or other metal wrench/pliers for switch and potentiometer nuts. The plastic won't scratch the faceplate.
We should also mention for folks to be careful when cleaning the radio dial of a receiver and limit to just a fine brush and light air, and no cleaning solutions. Some older receivers may be having some deterioration of those numbers and the scale that was silk screened on over 50 years ago. Some even have the dial numbers and scale screen printed to the back of the dial glass. Sometimes, directly wiping these areas, even with a dry cloth, could wipe all those markings right off, and in most cases will not be replaceable. Also, I do not recommend anyone try to replace a broken dial cord unless they really know the right process. I tried this once and it was just about the most irritating job I ever tried to do on a receiver. Luckily it was/is my own and I was just trying to see if I could do it. Finally, you earned another subscriber, nice channel and great information, thank you!
you have a very nice youtube channel, always showing good equipment from the old days, the quality of sound even in more expensive material was better then , at least all works today , more than i can say of equipment i bought in the 80´s and 90´s not that they weren´t good but already needed of repairs. In 70´s or late 60´s material only the change of already gone electronic parts , not that i notice but after being restored was noticeable the improvement in the already existing quality with around 50 year of use
Definitely restore if you going to keep it even if its working as some parts are unobtainable. I recently got a AU-719 that has black flag caps that must be replaced to save the original Sanken transistors.
Great video I just finished restoring my Pioneer SX 1050 I love it but it's a lot of work I try to work on stuff all the time but some stuff gets frustrating luxman is pretty much hell that a goofy stuff goes on some of that luxman stuff I got a Sony ta 77es power amp I called the time bomb it's not a matter of if it's a matter of when it'll blow up next I've had it since 93 I got it from the original owner he did some hackery stuff on it and now it's not working again I would say that amplifier itself is good but the switches binding post and circuit boards some of them are just garbage flimsy Whimsy but oh well I'll get back at it have a great day I really enjoy your videos I learned a lot I'm always learning and I'm a geezer when I was 10 years old my one Uncle live next door he was retiring and moving to Florida you said you want my stereo I said sure stronger Carlson an fm tube tuner turntable to monoblock two amps two giant Corner speakers I'll sell it Oak the speakers were Western Electric drivers it sounded fantastic I had it for a couple of years but then I wanted a Camaro so I sold the stereo and bought a Camaro how dumb was that oh well it don't matter now have a great day I'll keep watching I got enough projects to last me a hundred years I'm not kidding I just can't throw it away even if it's junk I hate that modern junk Black Box gibberish
I was excited when I received an old Sansui Eight in excellent condition. I cleaned it all up inside and out and plugged it in and it was disaapponting, patricular the bass was flabby and overly boomy, my recently serviced Sansui 2000x sounded astonishingly better. I paid to have it completely restored(cost almost twice what I paid for the receiver) and it was an immediate inprovement. To my surprise it got even better overtime after the new components 'burned in'. I went from wanting to sell it to cherishing it as one of my very favorite amplifiers.
Have I missed something? Are you a Geology Professor? If so, no wonder I like watching your videos! My Brunton is on the shelf, my hand lens is in the drawer ready to go, I have a small dropper bottle of dilute HCl at the ready, and my yellow field books from about 20 years of work are safely boxed up...for future reference, of course! My daughter has my field belt and leather pouch (she's an archaeologist.) I'm not exactly sure where you are in OR, but I was through there back in September. Spent the night in Albany. Keep up the good work!
I love the Pioneer SX 850 I bought one brand new when shock Electronics went out of business they had them on clearance for 300 bucks it never missed a beat I replaced bulbs and did some cleaning over the years but otherwise it is an original unit can't beat that I put mine on the dyno it made 85 watts per Channel cool have a great day
That video was so comprehensive and loaded with info, you must have had quite the outline to cover so much! Thank you and by the way, hifi engine hasn't accepted new members in over a year, I would like to join but they are not accepting new members. I feel like I am being punished for something I didn't do, and it is torture looking and not being able to join and upload and or download.
I think at this point I would suggest opening an account on Audiokarma.org to ask for help with repair of whatever piece you're having trouble with and, then, begging the helpers to get the manual for you (after explaining that hifiengine isn't making new accounts).
Had a problem with a 70s Inkel integrated amplifier. After tail chasing I had a feeling the flux on the boards is conductive. A few scrubbing secessions and now no more weird things happening. I haven't tried the products you mentioned, cept isopropyl alcohol that's my friend. Thanks your vids are a plus, yep parts can be a headache.
@Lancaster_Hi-Fi I thought bout that, replaced all the caps they read leaky and high, went on a solder rampage that improved the sound. The flux was a brown tar like stuff. Needs a trip to the tech and a oscilloscope to fine tune. Thanks again and keep em coming !
Excellent advice; however, keeping in mind that many of these units are approaching, or already a half century old, an inexperienced person even attempting to do a thorough cleaning by removing knobs and switches could very well inflict severe damage to the unit. At the end of the day, looking to save money could very well cost much more to get it restored.
What you've said is partly why I focus on B-MOTL, gear for which the cost of professional restoration might well exceed the replacement cost. Also why I'm very clear about what not to do.
I use a deep well socket to remove the face nuts. Finger use only. If you can't turn it with your fingers, you are probably going the wrong direction.. remember, righty tighty, lefty loosey
Also be mindful of removing the screen printing from some faceplates. I believe that certain Akai pieces will have the lettering wash off with soap and water.
Pionneer receivers of the 1970s/80s, back in their day, were considered only mediocre for sound quality by the more knowledgeable. Around Kenwood, but below Marantz, Sherwood, Sony, Technics, Sansui and below Luxman, back when Luxman retail prices were around $500; not $5,000. In the higher end salons, which still had reasonably priced stuff back then, Pioneer receivers and most of their amps were used as bad examples regarding sound quality. Many of these salons which would never carry Pioneer, bought a Pioneer piece, just to A/B audition it to their customers to show how superior Tandberg, Hafler, Apt/Holman, and Bedini was.
Just can't understand how much vintage Pioneer and Sansui receivers in particular, are being priced on the used market. They weren't considered very good sounding in their day, and certainly time hasn't made them sound any better. Infact, just the opposite. Maybe looks, nostalgia or monster power figures fuel the currentt interest in them. A real head scratcher, and I never did think that most people knew what they were doing as far as audio is concerned.
If it is some quality vintage hifi, which worth to keep: ALWAYS Repair, Restore or at least Recycle! Then they will outlast any modern electronics for sure, after a good service!
What an expellant guide! I've bookmarked it for next time I dig into a vintage piece. It may not be correct, but down here in Texas we pronounce it "Bree Wax". Please keep up the good work! An d Happy New Year!
I started repair in the 80s and MOVED ON the positives!! Your Information will become part of A.I. recommendations Thanks in Advance for such accurate details
I have 2 silver faced Sony and Realistic recievers, both are distorted sound in left channel. Could it be dirty balance control? What other reasons could there be. I Haven't opened them up yet . Thx.
It could be any of the pots and switches, and those are the things to check first. Past that, and depending on the nature of the distortion, many components can cause problems if they fail.
@@Lancaster_Hi-Fi Absolutely !!! I commend the hard work and so glad the point of HARD work was emphasized. My Pioneer SX-1980 was so butchered I repurposed the case with a Chi-Fi 160wpc class A/B amp board and a horizontal LCD screen .... Sounds better the other unit in Mint condition owned 2 or actually I didn't want to do all the work to restore it what's the top notch
I'm afraid I won't agree with this one. One still can get good equipment for a good price, experienced serviceman included. There's nothing worse than putting back together what once was messed up by enthusiastic owner without any experience in this stuff.
If I have to work on one more filthy, rusty amp or receiver, and they haven't specifically asked me to do the cosmetic work, I'm gonna scream. This is the video that will be required viewing for potential clients.
@Lancaster_Hi-Fi I'm not a audiophile. Plus, i cant afford marantzes, onkyos, b&o's... To much for me. I need clear sound around the 2x100w limit. And it needs to be analogue. So its cheap, used BPC for me. And there is a lot of it in Europe now, since young people are into a digital stuff now. Seling old stuff cheap.
I'm not disparaging the strategy. I recently sold a guy a Yamaha 2x100 W receiver from around 2010. Nothing wrong with it. He had asked me about getting some other, similar units fixed, and I told him it wasn't worth the money to fix them.
@Lancaster_Hi-Fi Yes, i know that. Kenwood that i'm curently using i fixed myselph. I like late Kenwood devices, but i like old stuff to. Its just too expensive for me. And to much to handle repare wise.
I dug my old Marantz 2238B out of mothballs and had it serviced during the tail end of the pandemic craziness, and I am very happy with the results. It didn't require a restoration, it just needed a few bulbs, some resistors & transistors and a little cleaning. The receiver has been in my family since new, and after servicing I have been using it almost daily to hear all sorts of music out of my old ADS speakers that I found about a year ago. It's a keeper.
No matter what, recycle . Just because you can't fix it or have it fixed doesn't mean someone else can't. Keep these beautiful historical pieces alive.
when younger my better half would complain about having a lot of components later bought a bigger house and now i can use whatever i want ,there´s rooms we don´t even go there, i only sold a few components that i needed the money to buy a better one but now i repent having sold them, so i have all my equipment since late 60´s with older components ´till today and when my father died some years ago it doubled what i call my personal colection , he spent a fortune in top end 70´s material, i´m glad he did it
A couple of hints from my experience:
I find a cardboard that I can poke holes and place my screws in the outline of the case/board/whatever helps me know if I've put the right ones back where they belong.
Rocket Socket pedal building sockets are even better than a spanner or other metal wrench/pliers for switch and potentiometer nuts. The plastic won't scratch the faceplate.
We should also mention for folks to be careful when cleaning the radio dial of a receiver and limit to just a fine brush and light air, and no cleaning solutions. Some older receivers may be having some deterioration of those numbers and the scale that was silk screened on over 50 years ago. Some even have the dial numbers and scale screen printed to the back of the dial glass. Sometimes, directly wiping these areas, even with a dry cloth, could wipe all those markings right off, and in most cases will not be replaceable.
Also, I do not recommend anyone try to replace a broken dial cord unless they really know the right process. I tried this once and it was just about the most irritating job I ever tried to do on a receiver. Luckily it was/is my own and I was just trying to see if I could do it.
Finally, you earned another subscriber, nice channel and great information, thank you!
You're quite a restoration wizard. Understanding electronic circuits is a book with 7 seals to me. But it's a skill I really should achieve.
you have a very nice youtube channel, always showing good equipment from the old days, the quality of sound even in more expensive material was better then , at least all works today , more than i can say of equipment i bought in the 80´s and 90´s not that they weren´t good but already needed of repairs. In 70´s or late 60´s material only the change of already gone electronic parts , not that i notice but after being restored was noticeable the improvement in the already existing quality with around 50 year of use
Definitely restore if you going to keep it even if its working as some parts are unobtainable. I recently got a AU-719 that has black flag caps that must be replaced to save the original Sanken transistors.
Great video I just finished restoring my Pioneer SX 1050 I love it but it's a lot of work I try to work on stuff all the time but some stuff gets frustrating luxman is pretty much hell that a goofy stuff goes on some of that luxman stuff I got a Sony ta 77es power amp I called the time bomb it's not a matter of if it's a matter of when it'll blow up next I've had it since 93 I got it from the original owner he did some hackery stuff on it and now it's not working again I would say that amplifier itself is good but the switches binding post and circuit boards some of them are just garbage flimsy Whimsy but oh well I'll get back at it have a great day I really enjoy your videos I learned a lot I'm always learning and I'm a geezer when I was 10 years old my one Uncle live next door he was retiring and moving to Florida you said you want my stereo I said sure stronger Carlson an fm tube tuner turntable to monoblock two amps two giant Corner speakers I'll sell it Oak the speakers were Western Electric drivers it sounded fantastic I had it for a couple of years but then I wanted a Camaro so I sold the stereo and bought a Camaro how dumb was that oh well it don't matter now have a great day I'll keep watching I got enough projects to last me a hundred years I'm not kidding I just can't throw it away even if it's junk I hate that modern junk Black Box gibberish
I was excited when I received an old Sansui Eight in excellent condition. I cleaned it all up inside and out and plugged it in and it was disaapponting, patricular the bass was flabby and overly boomy, my recently serviced Sansui 2000x sounded astonishingly better. I paid to have it completely restored(cost almost twice what I paid for the receiver) and it was an immediate inprovement. To my surprise it got even better overtime after the new components 'burned in'. I went from wanting to sell it to cherishing it as one of my very favorite amplifiers.
I'm glad you didn't give up on it. The Eight is special.
I have had several pieces recapped.Well worth it. H/K 730,430,Realistic 2100d,Sansui au 888, etc etc.😊
Love the HK430
Have I missed something? Are you a Geology Professor? If so, no wonder I like watching your videos! My Brunton is on the shelf, my hand lens is in the drawer ready to go, I have a small dropper bottle of dilute HCl at the ready, and my yellow field books from about 20 years of work are safely boxed up...for future reference, of course! My daughter has my field belt and leather pouch (she's an archaeologist.) I'm not exactly sure where you are in OR, but I was through there back in September. Spent the night in Albany. Keep up the good work!
I'm at Oregon State. Cheers!
I love the Pioneer SX 850 I bought one brand new when shock Electronics went out of business they had them on clearance for 300 bucks it never missed a beat I replaced bulbs and did some cleaning over the years but otherwise it is an original unit can't beat that I put mine on the dyno it made 85 watts per Channel cool have a great day
That video was so comprehensive and loaded with info, you must have had quite the outline to cover so much! Thank you and by the way, hifi engine hasn't accepted new members in over a year, I would like to join but they are not accepting new members. I feel like I am being punished for something I didn't do, and it is torture looking and not being able to join and upload and or download.
Yeah, that's awful. I added that to the description.
You can still get some manuals at hifi engine, but you can’t start a new chat.
@@jhans3278 How can you? Every time I click to download a manual it directs me to the account page.
I think at this point I would suggest opening an account on Audiokarma.org to ask for help with repair of whatever piece you're having trouble with and, then, begging the helpers to get the manual for you (after explaining that hifiengine isn't making new accounts).
Had a problem with a 70s Inkel integrated amplifier. After tail chasing I had a feeling the flux on the boards is conductive. A few scrubbing secessions and now no more weird things happening. I haven't tried the products you mentioned, cept isopropyl alcohol that's my friend. Thanks your vids are a plus, yep parts can be a headache.
The other thing is to look for cracked (cold) solder joints. Maybe the flux was the problem, but maybe you jammed some loose joints into place.
@Lancaster_Hi-Fi I thought bout that, replaced all the caps they read leaky and high, went on a solder rampage
that improved the sound. The flux was a brown tar like stuff. Needs a trip to the tech and a oscilloscope to fine tune. Thanks again and keep em coming !
Good info. I clean alu knobs in an ultrasone cleeaner.
Great videos …keep it up
great videos but id hate to challenge you to a staring contest!
I'm undefeated.
Practical information. Vintage equipment is built to last... and last... and last.
Excellent advice; however, keeping in mind that many of these units are approaching, or already a half century old, an inexperienced person even attempting to do a thorough cleaning by removing knobs and switches could very well inflict severe damage to the unit. At the end of the day, looking to save money could very well cost much more to get it restored.
What you've said is partly why I focus on B-MOTL, gear for which the cost of professional restoration might well exceed the replacement cost. Also why I'm very clear about what not to do.
I use a deep well socket to remove the face nuts. Finger use only. If you can't turn it with your fingers, you are probably going the wrong direction.. remember, righty tighty, lefty loosey
Are you in Lancaster,Pa? if so i have something you may be able to figure out
No, Lancaster is my name, not my location. 😁
I've got a philips 5781 amp that has a hot light that is always lit even when first plugged in but it works fine would like to know how to fix
I don't know that amp. I couldn't say.
nice bass you have there
Yes restore. Skilled techs are hard to.find and quality components are readily available.
Also be mindful of removing the screen printing from some faceplates. I believe that certain Akai pieces will have the lettering wash off with soap and water.
Yikes!
Pionneer receivers of the 1970s/80s, back in their day, were considered only mediocre for sound quality by the more knowledgeable. Around Kenwood, but below Marantz, Sherwood, Sony, Technics, Sansui and below Luxman, back when Luxman retail prices were around $500; not $5,000. In the higher end salons, which still had reasonably priced stuff back then, Pioneer receivers and most of their amps were used as bad examples regarding sound quality. Many of these salons which would never carry Pioneer, bought a Pioneer piece, just to A/B audition it to their customers to show how superior Tandberg, Hafler, Apt/Holman, and Bedini was.
Just can't understand how much vintage Pioneer and Sansui receivers in particular, are being priced on the used market. They weren't considered very good sounding in their day, and certainly time hasn't made them sound any better. Infact, just the opposite. Maybe looks, nostalgia or monster power figures fuel the currentt interest in them. A real head scratcher, and I never did think that most people knew what they were doing as far as audio is concerned.
If it is some quality vintage hifi, which worth to keep: ALWAYS Repair, Restore or at least Recycle! Then they will outlast any modern electronics for sure, after a good service!
Hifi Engine has not accepted new members for at least a couple years so there’s no way to download service manuals. Very unfortunate!
Yes. I've added a note in the description.
What an expellant guide! I've bookmarked it for next time I dig into a vintage piece.
It may not be correct, but down here in Texas we pronounce it "Bree Wax".
Please keep up the good work! An d Happy New Year!
I usually pronounce it the same way, but then I figured this is America, where we have "i" sounds. 🤣🤣🤣
I started repair in the 80s and MOVED ON the positives!! Your Information will become part of A.I. recommendations
Thanks in Advance for such accurate details
Thanks!
I have 2 silver faced Sony and Realistic recievers, both are distorted sound in left channel. Could it be dirty balance control? What other reasons could there be. I Haven't opened them up yet . Thx.
It could be any of the pots and switches, and those are the things to check first. Past that, and depending on the nature of the distortion, many components can cause problems if they fail.
@@Lancaster_Hi-Fi Absolutely !!! I commend the hard work and so glad the point of HARD work was emphasized.
My Pioneer SX-1980 was so butchered I repurposed the case with a Chi-Fi 160wpc class A/B amp board and a horizontal LCD screen .... Sounds better the other unit in Mint condition owned 2 or actually I didn't want to do all the work to restore it what's the top notch
Excellent soup to nuts presentation.
I'm afraid I won't agree with this one. One still can get good equipment for a good price, experienced serviceman included. There's nothing worse than putting back together what once was messed up by enthusiastic owner without any experience in this stuff.
If I have to work on one more filthy, rusty amp or receiver, and they haven't specifically asked me to do the cosmetic work, I'm gonna scream. This is the video that will be required viewing for potential clients.
I've love my grandpa, but I'll don't dig up him. 😉
Uh ...
Maintain, to less repair.
BPC goes bad, goes to trash. Buy another BPC, cheap, working.... No restorations needed, always have a working rig, cheap and easy.
I'd you're satisfied with disposable BPC, that's certainly a viable route.
@Lancaster_Hi-Fi I'm not a audiophile. Plus, i cant afford marantzes, onkyos, b&o's... To much for me. I need clear sound around the 2x100w limit. And it needs to be analogue. So its cheap, used BPC for me. And there is a lot of it in Europe now, since young people are into a digital stuff now. Seling old stuff cheap.
I'm not disparaging the strategy. I recently sold a guy a Yamaha 2x100 W receiver from around 2010. Nothing wrong with it. He had asked me about getting some other, similar units fixed, and I told him it wasn't worth the money to fix them.
@Lancaster_Hi-Fi Yes, i know that. Kenwood that i'm curently using i fixed myselph. I like late Kenwood devices, but i like old stuff to. Its just too expensive for me. And to much to handle repare wise.