I'm one of those old techs (73) you're talking about. I'm a retired EE who likes breathing life back into these old gems and making people happy doing it. Thanks for recognizing guys like myself!
I have a big Magnavox console in for servicing. My tech is 86 and works out of his house now. I live in a big city and pretty sure he's the only tech working on vintage equipment.
You have a dozen years on me but for the most part I see the same thing here, but its always been that way. When I was growing up in the 60's and 70's my dad had a buddy who did TV and Radio repair. He had learned what he knew in the air force working on radios and various equipment at the end of WWII and Korea. When he passed, his kids wanted nothing to do with it, his wife gave my dad some of his equipment, which was mostly older, tube related gear. In school, a buddy of mine had a much older brother who worked for a guy who did mainly stereo repair and CB's but wouldn't touch TVs. It was only a job to him but the work going on there interested me enough to start hanging around there and making myself useful, both to get first dibs on deals when they turned up and to learn something. When that old guy got old, I bought much of his equipment and much of his huge parts supply, and bought other parts hoards since. (I've actually gotten paid more often then I had to pay for parts just to remove it all when someone died. All of those guys were fairly old, and most that really were good at what they did are long gone. I'm far from a pro when it comes to this stuff but I've been able to repair most of what I've dug into, if the cost of the parts allows it. What I find more often is that the unit most people want fixed is either so far gone its nearly a total loss, or so low end, that parts are scarce and the shear number of parts needed far exceeds just buying another one that's not completely failed, in which case they never want to do any preventative replacement on the new unit if it plays. I've got another Sears/Fisher 50wpc receiver on my bench now, it came to me completely dead, no lights, no sound, nothing covered in dust and cat hair. It belongs to a buddy and he got it from his long since passed father and wants to save it at any cost. He brought me two used STK chips, one was bad, no clue where he got them. I found a good used one in a receiver I bought at a yardsale cheap though. Along with both STK chips being dead, its got a broken power button, (missing the entire outer button part that appears to screw in place. For now I put a pencil eraser in the hole so the switch will function. The power supply was a mess, with a failed regulator, and four burned up caps and two others leaking. Plus 9 small transistors, five resistors, and 12 tiny caps on the amp and preamp boards were burned up. Somehow it did not blow any fuses in the power supply. Having the boards out of the unit for repairs, I replaced both StK chips, 84 smaller caps, the two large filter caps, and 12 larger caps on the power supply board and amp board using only name brand caps from Digikey and Mouser. The STK chips may or may not be oem, but they do work and sound okay. I've got three days in it off and on, and its been here apart since April while he hunts parts or a parts unit to donate a few cosmetic items. He told me he's got over $200 in parts and shipping in the two used STK chips, a parts unit that didn't match up, a used lens off fleabay, four new feet, and an LED light kit for it that turned out to be useless. I ended up making my own LED bulbs to fit the fuse type bulbs. What he bought did not direct the light toward the dial leaving the dial in a shadow. While he looks for a switch and phono preamp board, which was missing for some reason, I've had it playing in the shop for several months and it sound great but if it wasn't a buddy, I can't imagine what someone would have to charge just to cover their time, let alone the parts. The caps used were not all $1 each, some were cheaper, but most were $2 or more each, The parts list alone that got ordered was over $175. I don't mind helping the guy out,and I knew his dad too so fixing the old guys favorite stereo was pretty cool too but if someone had gotten to that thing before it got played till it wouldn't even light up, the whole job would likely have been a lot cheaper and a lot simpler. It sound good now, but it sounds on par with any other 70's 50wpc Japanese receiver. Nothing I'd generally spend that much time or money on, but I new it was nothing special from the start. It sound reminds me of most 45 and 50w Realistic receivers, maybe a bit warmer than a Pioneer.
Im new to amplifiers and just got a 1965 pro reverb. Anyway there is a toggle switch on the back that says, "ground. " is there a particular position that it should be in? It just had the original caps and tubes replaced and I have them in a little bag.
Another retired EE here, age 68. I designed hardware for the industrial automation market and I completely agree with you. Aluminum electrolytics were voltage derated 50%, e.g. we spec'd a 50 volt cap for a 24 VDC circuit because reliability is paramount in that business. In consumer gear it's not uncommon to see a 25 Volt cap in a 24 VDC circuit. So when you recap, spend a little more to get a higher voltage rating and if available, 105 degree C temperature rating rather than 85 degrees. A little more filter capacitance, e.g. replacing a 470 uF with 560 or 680 in the same case size, can't hurt but the voltage rating upgrade, e.g. 25 VDC to 35 is the most bang for the buck for reliability.
One thing to remember is sometimes if you increase the filter caps, it might also be wise to make sure the rectification section can handle it. I've had a lot of guitar amps where the original bridge rectifier will blow soon after if I've increased the power supply caps. Might just be correlation and not causation. So sometimes I'll just throw in a more robust bridge rectifier or diodes since they're so cheap. Increasing the power supply capacitance also tends to increase bass frequencies.
I spotted a guy on youtube renewing capacitors on an old transistor radio that I just happen to have,so I blew the dust off it,took it apart and blown caps everywhere, so I thought I'm going to have a go at this.Since then I've spent about £200 on a decent tool kit,got loads of broken radios off ebay and pot around to me hearts content!I retired a couple of years back and was looking for something to keep me mind active and this is what passes for fun in me life these days.
People like you that have repair facilities, should be finding and inspiring young folks to train for this high demand, highly skilled and rewarding occupation as a technician. You probably already are.. Great video!
For three days i changed caps in my tuner JVC FX-50L. Most of capacitors was Matsushita and Towa capacitors so i took almost all of them out and put Panasonic and Nichicon back in and those 2 capacitors from the signal path received Elna cerafine caps and i have to say that i am blown away about the results. So dinamic so detailed and the hights are just sweet. In a shop nobody would have done such a work unless the customer requests it and than you are not sure if it will sound better or just worse. I was lucky to hit the right caps on the right spot this time, i did had changed caps in other unit and i was absolutely dissapointed. Now to be honest i don't know how did my tuner sounded for 40 years soon after it was built but i am happy with the results i got this time. It was worth the hassle. I wish all the people Happy New Year.
Try replacing the electrolytic coupling capacitors with metal film. I've never been able to hear a difference in capacitors brands or that more costly caps sounded better in power supply or decoupling stages. But after changing electrolytic coupling caps with film, very notable improvement. Especially the first stage input coupling capacitors on power amplifiers.
I totally agree with you, just acquired a Marantz 2220B spent over $300 replacing all caps, pre-amp transistors and new tungsten lights to preserve its original look and its working perfect . In my opinion money well spent . Great video and good information.
Marantz it awesome. I’ve got he same model. So if you buy a Marantz and get a good deal at $400 (which is a reasonable price if bought in the private market) then another $300 on all the work you mentioned… doesn’t sound like a great deal to me.
I just had my Sansui G8000 completely recapped in July. Lights were replaced with LEDs. Cleaned up etc. (Sounds Classic in Rockford, ILL. Thank You Mark Peabody!) I am so glad I did. This old girl is good for another 40 years. It sounds wonderful and looks fantastic. It was worth every penny! Listen to what this guy is saying. Take care of your vintage gear and it will serve you well.
I still use my two G series Sansui`s. Still going strong, never replaced a single cap, though I`ve cleaned pots many times. Sansui used some really good caps.
50 years experience in electronic repair and maintenance starting as a technician in the US Navy and retiring as the head of a 200 employee maintenance department. I have many stories of intermittent failures caused by capacitors that test good when they are cold or removed and placed on tester, however either fail or change value when current is applied or as they heat up. Yes power supply capacitors are important they insure that the power supply voltages going to all components are as close to pure DC as possible and that the supply voltages don't sag under heavy loads.
I used to restore old tube audio as well as some of the vintage solid state stuff. You are so spot on with respect to replacing capacitors. On old stuff like a HH Scott 299 or a Fisher 500 I always replaced all the coupling capacitors as well as power supply capacitors and ALWAYS replaced the bias rectifier and associated capacitors. Leakage of coupling capacitors feeding the output tubes as well as any failure in the bias supply can destroy both the output tubes and possibly an output transformer. I have seen coupling capacitors between the output tubes and phase inverter short and cause an output transformer failure which could have been prevented if the amp's owner had just had the amp properly restored prior to using it.
I'm 71 and retired. I also worked in electronic repair all my life. I purchased new in 1977 a bunch of Pioneer gear while in the Air Force. About every 5 years I take all my gear out and skin em to check capacitors for leakage or bulges and replace as necessary. My gear is still going strong and sounds great. Nice video.
I took a tour of the Macintosh factory in Binghamton a few years ago and how the guide described their build process vs anyone else was mind blowing. Im not technical enough to recall the details and I may be wrong, but it sure seemed impressive.
Agree 1,000%. I have one word for these people who claim to be able to hear a gnat fart and that word is double-blind-test. I sincerely doubt they could survive an objective test. I am a musician, electrical engineer, recording engineer and an audio freak and I learned a long time ago that when it comes to speaker wire, 12 gauge copper wire you use in low voltage lawn lighting sounds just as good as super expensive low capacitance cable. Pure BS. Thank you for your honesty.
I’ve been collecting vintage audio for over 40 years and you my friend are 100% bang on everything you said I agree totally excellent video. Thanks from Canada🇨🇦
I recently acquired a Pioneer SX 727, and given its age, wanted to replace the most critical capacitors. My local shop, which is loved and respected, in business for 50 years now is DEFINITELY in the camp of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” I’m in a bit of a strange situation now, not wanting to seem like I’m telling these guys what “best practice” would be. This vid was excellent. Now I know what exactly to ask them to replace. Thank you Kevin.
Hi Kevin, great video. Only few more things to clarify. Exchange Capacitors which are essential: do you guys can assist which are essential if maintenance manual provided? I’m pretty sure that most of electronics service shops can assist with recap but not many of them actually got knowledge of audio equipment like your self. My question is do you guys provide remote service advice based on service manual what would you recommend to change?
Your right, I have to restore my Marantz 2325 . It blew a bulb last unit everything still rocks ! I love my tank ! Looks mint , I do take the cover off every few years and take my air compressor to blow it out . Takes all the dust out. I don’t want it messed up. You’ve scared me, I have a old Harmon Kardon back up receiver . I must face it and let someone restore it. It and my Klipsch speakers are my last stereo ! I couldn’t afford to buy a new receiver that would perform like my Marantz today . My music brings me life , it makes the difference in my life . I can come in and turn my music on and change my attitude, feeling inside. Music brings me life ! Makes a dull day into a Happy,Happy,Happy Day ! Your right, time to find someone that can do the work RIGHT ! I would like to up-date it with better parts that weren’t around back in 1975 ! You are to far from Tennessee but you are right ! Time to get it done. I just worry someone will mess it up ! When you see all those parts it leads you thinking it ain’t broke , thinking ! Thank you for helping me finally make my mind up on what needs done ! It would kill me if anything happened to my receiver ! Thank you !
Have you considered that recapping is an invasive procedure? Have you considered the possibility of your tech going fubar with your precious receiver? I might also ask about your SQ expectations. You won't be able to do an honest A/B comparison. How will you know if it REALLY sounds better? If spending money getting your equipment overhauled makes you feel better then go for it. But there are definitely risks. I didn't notice Mr. Skylab mentioning any of this. He owns a repair shop, of course he's gonna be from the "fix it" camp. Just wanted you to know there's a reason for the "ain't broke" camp. Capacitors don't always follow the calendar.
I did have to replace a few caps in my 1978 Soundcraftsmen PE2217 Preamp/Equalizer. Today, I am fixing the 22 Faders and the two potentiometers for volume and left-right selection.. The Faders were in bad shape and thus were hard to slide, and were on and off non conductive. The old lubricant was a goner, and electrical contact was bad. So far so good in bringing them back to life.
The supplement guy. I'm is 71-year-old army vent I went in during the Vietnam war and I've always loved audio equipment but I really didn't know anything about electronics you know and didn't know anything about the market as it is today thank God I found your channel it's a master class in price value good sense and more importantly you explain the electronics the what's the right way to approach things and I'm writing down every word I just want to say thanks you know I really gotten the run around lately. Is first having a guy worked on the equipment and I'm going to deal with you from now on I live in California I'll have my still shipped to you or if I buy stuff I'll actually make an appointment to come to your shop and sit down and listen to it and talk to you just really thank you for doing what you're doing Carry on brother
I worked in electrical electronics off and on my adult life and now at 59 teaching myself repairs learning to trace circuits and repair, I am buying cheaper vinage components to practic on and I have been re foaming speakers for years mainly old school Bose speakers. I agree do the maintenance while it is open.
I've changed the filter caps in three different things I've had. A Sansui integrated amp. Velodyne Servo sub and a Technics receiver. In all cases the sound change was for the better. Esp the Velodyne. It was VERY dramatic! Smooth and much more musical.
Exactly. I have a Lafayette LA-375 amp I bought a few years back. Due to finances and lack of time I spent about a month listening to it as I got it after confirming it worked properly and doing the idle current adjustment. After I recapped it, the sound had improved quite a bit. I also go one further and replace all carbon comp resistors in a piece of audio gear especially the amp section as often those are out of tolerance and can negatively affect the amp section.
As an old audio repair guy myself. I think you know that once you get a bit time failure on a cap it can really blow some stuff out and cost more to fix in the end had you done a little preventive Maintenace. It's like a car with 200K miles on it. If you do not have any preventive maintence done on it you can have major failure after major failure. I agree with the age most folks don't even know how to use a meter. I'm 65 and had my own audio video shop for years until it was not worth fixing because folks didn't want to fix the gear and most new stuff was junk and well you get it. You are right find anyone who even does AV/Repairs anymore let alone someone like me who fixes Reel to Reel and things lol. I still play around with stuff and now that prices are going up. I'll start doing some restore jobs from the old stuff I hung on to. Also so many folks are buying this olds stuff for high prices and yeah it might work sort of but for how long? Lots of get it on and flip it quick artists out there. Sy you guys seem to be doing it right. Thanks for keeping the old quality stuff running as most of the average stuff now a days really isn't very much to get excited over.
Excellent video! For those who say, "if it isn't broke, don't fix it"... The issue is that capacitors not only change value (which is bad), but they can also short out and destroy power, output, and IF transformers,. Many of these devices are becoming unobtanium. While, I specialize in antique tube radios, the similarities with vintage hi-fi units is the same when it comes to capacitors. Tube devices are high voltage, low current devices. Solid state units are low voltage, high current devices. However both are the same! Because power equals current times voltage. It is the power that can destroy other devices when it leaks through a used-up capacitor. Be wise, get rid of them!
@@clayton1939 It is not the bulging ones you need to worry about. They are obvious in a visual inspection. It is the ones that still test good and yet, are bad! Heck, they may still even read somewhat close to their rated tolerance, while leaking like a slashed mustang tire at 120 mph. Or they short circuit like a lighting strike on your head while you are snorkeling in your favorite water amusement park!
Not all caps are going to go bad, but many of the paper foil, electrolytic caps, and many of the Frako/Rifa caps are definitely candidates for replacements, especially when the Rifa/Frako caps are used as across the line caps as they crack, and craze in the case and moisture gets inside, and they will go BOOM! and often take out other parts, some unobtanium now, but many others like some of the poly caps will likely be more than fine and are often left in place, unless it's visibly damaged in some way, and still in spec decades later and also, many values are more prone to failing than other values, so if they exist, the better part of valor is to replace them, especially if you start finding they are drifting out. Others the type of caps were poorly chosen, and swapping them for more stable variants to do the same job is also paramount. In the end, the performance while decent ends up being improved, and yet sound like it always had. This also goes for filter caps to reduce hum, and coupling caps may need to be replaced after 35-40 years.
I think your probably right. I’ve been running my Marantz 2325 it finally had a bulb go out. After 40 plus years and still rocking I should restore it ! You in my sixties I need restored myself !
I used to work at a shop recapping vintage radios. Wax and paper, we would replace. On hifi sets, we would take the electrolytics and replace them. This is a very sticky subject for folks and I'm glad you tackled this. I've absolute respect for you guys, but did before this video as well. If I could hit the like 10x I would.
You can burn up your expensive speakers. DC can pass in some designs , say a halfler and instantly toast your voice coils. Before you even run an older amp even from the 90's , pop off the lid and see if the caps look swollen , look at the output transistors for burn marks , then check for DC with a multimeter. At the very least put an inline fuse on the positive side . I learned this the hard way . Something like a studio amp will literally camp fire inside and take your driver's with it. Bias and caps. With high end gear it's a little different because of the build quality like say an aaragon. Then probably just leave it be.
Spot on! A better analogy than motor oil is tires. They now date tire manufacture so you know to replace them if they look good, but are 5, 10, or 20 years old. Lots of folks in the RV world get "bit" on this because most RVs don't have many miles at 5 or 10 years, but driving on old tires results in blowouts, many times damaging the surrounding wheel well area of the RV. Does that sound familiar?
Great advise. Me, I usually test and record all the stages of an old vintage unit, and if operational, listen to it. Then replaced all the electrolytic caps and other questionable capacitors. Test, record and listen after replacement, and see the difference. So far it always test and sound better.
Very good. Your talk about the lack of skilled technicians and getting the work done was brilliant. I’ve felt that changing a large old electrolytic capacitor in the power supply section to remove the 60 cycle hum was a way to improve the sound. But, I know that means it was defective. A weak capacitor might clip a large waveform passing through to the speakers in some amps, sound bad and maybe overpower a speaker’s high frequency driver to the point of burning the voice coil. Overall a nice relaxed video to listen to. Thank you.
Excellent segment sir, I have seen the differences recently in putting the work in to get a small simple unit back to its prime for not so much the sound but as safe and reliable operation. Under took a project with a tech friend of mine on a small vintage Harman kardon integrated amp, replaced many of the old parts in power supply, main filter Caps and other sections, replaced a broken selection switch, I noticed certain weird things that came from age disappeared such a the “motor boating sound” emitted from phono section and the unit did seem to perform better. Thank you again for highlighting the importance of replacing and overhauling these old units and what key areas to work on🙏🏾🙏🏾💯💯👍🏾👍🏾🔥, keep up great work!
IF you are gonna recap for someone you owe it to them to give them the old caps you removed even if they just throw them out. So they can see what you accomplished.
I’ve debated this a lot with myself. I’ve decided the best thing to do is replace the caps. But when you cut out the old ones, keep the leads as long as possible. This way you can put them back in a make it original to get top dollar when you sell it. I’ve seen people sleeve new caps in the old cap cardboard.
I just got my vintage CARVER 4.0 amp and Preamp C 4000 done recently. I had it for 35 years nothing was wrong whit it and started going on forums and they all said the same thing change the capacitors some say i could damage something .So I Did. I love the sound of the CARVER Thank to you all
I was given a nice Pioneer tuner/amp that was a bit dirty. I bought electrical contact cleaner and eliminated a half century of dust and grime. It went from uneven output and intermittent cut-outs with a forest fire whenever the volume was turned up or down to nice. silent and strong. My parents thick old vinyl sounds amazing. I have every kind of media playback, 8-Track, Reel to Reel (four channel to boot) several turntables and a cassette player. CD and digital based music is a bit too crisp, I am stuck on analogue and my children explore my collection all the time. Soon I will be transferring my source music onto flash drives to use in my vehicles. Many thanks for the insight and opinions.
It only sounds better because it sounded like it did back in 1970 whatever . Most people don't remember what it sounded like 40 or 50 years ago . Especially if you've had the same machine for all that time and listen to it everyday , you get acclimated to it , I'ma tech and I KNEW I should change the caps but I always said "Hey , it still sounds good ...." After I recapped it I was like "Holy CRAP !" memory is a very selective thing ! LOL
This really made sense to me, some really good points mate! I will follow your advice and get my "best" receivers a real service asap. My "lesser" ones will have to be my learning curve, there is so much truth in the claim that our best and most experienced techs are retinering exponentially. Thanks for the down to earth video, and solid advice.
I completely agree, recently had a friend bring me his 16 year old Harman Kardon receiver that quit working - I found the two large filter caps beginning to vent testing showed them way out of value, all other caps and such looked perfect so I changed the filter caps with Rubycons and replaced the blow transformer fuses and the unit has worked like new for months now. I also had a very similar HK receiver two years older than his with no problems yet - but I pulled the caps and they were also going out of value so I changed mine as well to avoid possible damage to other components using the same Rubycons instead of waiting for eventual failure and I feel I did the right thing - or at least the prudent thing.
I’m so glad I found your channel and this is such a great video! Excellent advice! I recently brought my Sherwood S75 CP (aka S7910) in to my service guy because after 5 years of pretty heavy use, the left channel went out. I tried detoxing first but that didn’t work. Anyway I figured why not just have him go through and recap and replace everything and make it like new. This is one of my all time lines Sherwood made in 1980 before they sold out. After the recap, the receiver didn’t sound as good as it once did. It lost a lot of its warmth and detail. These receivers in this line (S7910/S75CP S8910 S9910/S110CP and the Integrated Hp1000 and Hp2000) All have the same signature Warmth, Tone, and Clarity similar to Marantz and Fisher. Now it’s gone and I really can’t enjoy listening to it. I said I would never sell it. We’ll now I do. I know I went overboard on a unit that doesn’t really have a great resale value, but it was intended for my personal use. Any feedback?
Right on the spot on everything, specially the fact that within 5 years there’s not going to be people to fix these equipments and I know as I’m an HR professional. On the other hand something you can do as a shop is selling the recap kit as a way of helping and still do some business.
Fully agree. Capacitors are full of nasty chemicals and not doing preventative maintenance is putting your precious vintage gear at risk of much bigger trouble sooner rather than later. And putting equivalent or better quality capacitors can do no harm whatsoever. None.
Hey! This is Les. Thanks for the call. Man I love your channel. You're knowledgeable and helpful. I think I may drive up to Iowa and get you to freshen up a few receivers. Thanks.
Excellent video on the point of changing capacitors that are 50 years old. Yesterday I got a 1973 Kenwood integrated amp that was filthy and needed cleaning just from the dirt and also cleaning the switches and potentiometers. I did that and it sounds amazingly clear and powerful. BUT, as this video pointed out to me, these power and filter capacitors are 50 years old and I believe are on borrowed time. My nearest shop to have the work done is 190 miles from where I live. I would rather have them to this than my low-level beginner to do it. Thank you very much for a very persuasive presentation on the situation that I am living in right now!
This is one of the most intelligent and convincing discussions on refurbishing vintage audio I might have heard. He's doing it right, and for the right reasons IMO.
Totally agree I recapped my marantz 1200b every single capacitor and replace the original output transistors and they sound soo good I'm delighted everyday
I ve got a Sansui 7070 form ´81, and the 10000 uF capacitors ... just mark 3700 uF when tested. Capacitors did they job for all that time with honor... the price of time.
Another retired EE here. Yes replace those caps. Repaired a lot of that that vintage audio gear before it was vintage, it helped me pay for my college tuition. In addition, repaired TV's, VCR's, RF Transmitters, video games, telephone equipment, PBX's, you name it. On rare occasion I have seen caps fail badly, tantalum's catching fire, electrolytic's puking electrolytes all over the PCB. I once witnessed an electrolytic fail in a 12V/15A switching power supply, sounded like someone letting air out of a car tire. One of the best points mentioned in this video was the old guys not being around to do this kind of work. Never gave it much thought. Keep pumping out those videos. That old gear brings back a lot of memories.
From experience I would agree with swapping out the caps. I just did a Yamaha CR-620. My issue was a hum through the tone board that was caused by a bad cap on the power supply. I went on a did all caps except for the tuner section. I then discovered what they meant by Natural Sound. Much improved dynamics and soundstage, imo.
I have a CR-620 that also has a low consistent hum. I had an electronics shop work on it. They changed out a few capacitors that looked questionable. So far, the low hum problem still remains. I’m thinking about trying to replace more capacitors myself.
Absolutely. The cost is the labour. The shop in Toronto asked me BEFORE they lifted the chassis if I was onboard knowing that there was a fixed dollar amount to begin work. Totally upfront.
Good Job! I certainly believe what you say about the scarcity of trained audio techs! And that most of your techs are older guys-even my age-in the 60s- yes! Good advice! I am trying to teach myself and it is not easy and because of budget concerns, if I cannot teach myself troubleshooting, I will have to give up the idea of any "vintage stereo components" no matter how pretty they appear, and buy newer, not-as-attractive components. One of your best videos!
I'm with you on that. It may not be for everybody, but there's nothing I would enjoy more than getting into the Hi-Fi equipment I own and knowing that I could keep that thing living as long as possible.
Just ordered a kit to recap my G9000 totally. Not sure I will use all the caps, but you are absolutely correct that it isn't gonna get better with 50 year old caps in her. Great tips in a short vid.
I would also recommend replacing capacitors with a slightly higher voltage rating and 105c temperature rating. When manufacturers are producing tens or hundreds of thousands of units they will save whatever pennies are possible and capacitors will be rated at or just over the voltage rating required. If one looks at the datasheets provided by some manufacturers, capacitor life is a function of voltage and temperature, and it's not a linear relationship. The lifetime is increased considerably when 105c rated capacitors are selected and they are used well under their voltage rating. Given that capacitor technology has improved considerably in the last 50 years, there is also another benefit in that an equivalent new capacitor in a higher voltage and higher temperature rating is often the same size as the one it is replacing and usually of the same lead pitch. This means it drops straight in and looks neat rather than being a small canister stuck up in the air on bent leads.
Thanks for sharing as i do think many forget even though does work doesn't mean well due for service as capacitor don't last forever. When do fail ive seen leak and cause damage just in general. Most don't think of this of service cause today most electronics are garbage and just throw away well before due for capacitors need changed unlike vintage stuff
I just dropped my 2270 off to be completly gone thru. I told him to do whatever with the best parts possible. The only visable thing wrong was the stero light did not work. I cleaned the pots earlier so there good to go . Love your show keep on!!
I Couldn't agree with you more! I operate a small vintage radio repair shop in Canada. Replacing the filter caps at the very least is standard practice. In fact I will not offer any warranty if the electrolytics and paper caps are not replaced. A power supply capacitor that shorts will take out the rectifier tube just like that. Same with solid state. Why someone would not want to replace the electrolytics is beyond me, its called bringing it back to factory spec. Same goes for paper caps, and yes they will change the sound If they are in the signal path, again, bringing it back to factory spec. As components age their characteristics change gradually unless it is a complete failure, just like our ears. I'm 65 and about to retire, if I can. I have a 2 year waitlist for repairs and have people shipping radios to me from all over the continent, I know of three fellow repairmen that have passed in the last couple of years, and yes, I can't find someone to help in my shop either. Dying art. I read with great amusement those folks that say they can hear the difference with a $2000 power cord or little feet to lift speaker cables off of the floor. My god, what a gift to have such acute hearing! This industry has always had the "snake oil salesmen" but it seems to have gotten worse with the amount of BS on the internet. There are a lot of how to videos, go ahead, do it yourself, and after your receiver is butchered you can take it to a repair shop and have it repaired professionally. Thank you Skylab for the most refreshing, honest video that I have seen yet on this subject.
Dude, a voice of reason! This is the difference between a professional who has real world experience and a guy that has $1000 RCA cables on their system.
Totally agree. I have noticed a slight sound difference when doing a total recap. Not better or worse. Just slightly cleaner. I think the "warm" sound is leaky cap distortion.
I've got several power amps from the early to mid 1980's, and I understand that these components must be inspected, serviced and tested before being returned to frontline duty. Until then, these old soldiers will stay in storage as part of my vintage equipment museum. Thank you for this very informative presentation.
Thank you for the well-worded explanation of this topic, much appreciated. At almost 50 years old, my Sansui 7070 was just in the shop for new parts, cheap parts as you say, but the labor, not so much. Over $300.00 was spent because it one day just wouldn't power up anymore so that was money well spent.
Yes excellent video and “If it ain’t broken don’t fix “ only pertains to certain components when comes to vintage audio equipment such as TO-3 cased output transistors....but not capacitors ! For those saying you will change the sound if you recap your vintage unit , well I say yes you will change the sound....you will change the sound back to closer to what it was when that unit was new not the way it sounds today, tired after 40 to 50 years of use! Also there many of the small signal transistors that should be changed out because they become noisy with age. Now as for checking components in circuit including capacitors there are devices that can do with a good amount of accuracy. I spent 29 of my 38 years in refining working in process controls were we did a fair amount of electronics repairs. Back in the days before digital electronics most of our controls were either pneumatic or analog electronic and we did a lot of our own trouble shooting repairs on the electronic cards. Since in our industry we couldn’t afford downtime we had to do repairs fast and one device we used that was more useful than an “O” scope or a DVM was a Huntron Tracker circuit tester....it was an invaluable troubleshooting tool for checking in circuit components. These are still made today but they are not cheep! Another good one that cost far less but is only specific to capacitors is the hand held Atlas ESR capacitor tester.
I absolutely love this channel man - Not sure how I stumbled accross you guys, but I've learned so much in the last few weeks. I've gone back and watched a ton on your videos, and its been super helpfuful for a vintage noob like me. Thanks for all the informative videos! Keep it up!
I pulled out of my garage a 1970's Akai AA-2020 Receiver, and so far all that I've done is clean the potentiometers and switches with a can of Nutrol. I hooked up the turntable I also pulled out of storage and after checking all the adjustments, I started listening to my old collection of 70's and 80's vinyl records. The turnatable is an orginal Technics SL-1200 Mark II with a Grace Ruby cartridge. I have not replaced any capacitors yet, but I intend to during the winter when I will be spending more time indoors.
Been working on old Tascam Portastudios. Hesitant at first but replaced record and playback capacitors on working deck. Gained 10db and hi frequency response came back. 30~ year old deck 😊
Thank you for the video. "Replacing capacitors is like changing oil. It's not an issue of sound but necessary maintenance to avoid fatal trouble". It is most convincing explanation of this issue to date. I would like to hear your comments on replacement of capacitors in semi-vintage devices from 80s and 90s.
Yeah I had a couple small caps on a car amp that vented it worked fine and was sounding great. Then I removed them and put better new caps on and that amp has increased in volume and is way more crisp and can play maybe 80% louder.
I fully agree with you on changing out the power and filter capacitors. I own a Marantz sr6000 from 1980 that I brought on Ebay last year. It works but after 23 years it is time for the recap.
The power amp and power supply sections oh yes I can see that.. the less stressed areas I'd probably hold off until i see some leakage or a bulge. But those you spoke about I can agree with, and ask for the best quality parts to be used.
Saw this vid this morning (right before turkey prep) and want to share I changed the caps in the power supply and the primary signal path in my Marantz 7T and it changed the sound. Detail was improved as was stereo separation. Also cleaned all rotary switches, plus toggles and 1/4" jack connections. I have had this unit as original since the '70s and love the way is sounds now. Not a big difference, but noticeable. All caps tested in range, too. Also changed some caps in my Crown DC150-II for IOC issue and it's back in action. One of these days I will change the filter caps in my Crown DC300-II. Happy Thanksgiving!
Couldn't agree more. I tend to lean on replace more of them, not less. I'm 67, retiring in 1 month and do this as a hobby. Maybe I break even on a restored receiver if I resell it. But it keeps me busy, my hands working and my mind thinking - and, well, it's fun!
Without even watching this ... the answer is YES!...these electronics are going on 60 years old ... fix one problem , a couple months down the line and another one blows ... been there and done that ...now I recap them all and out of tolerance resistors to prevent call backs
Totally agree. Just do it. Or don't be surprised when the caps flame out and take out the circuit board. It's cheap insurance. And your amps and receivers will sound much better too.
I had my Denon recapped and revised. I own it for 40 years already so it was worth it. I didn't notice much difference in sound quality. It just that I know it's almost as good as new and will work for the next coming years If I buy a brand new amp it will work the same amout of time as my recapped one
A well stated logical viewpoint. Which of course means I agree. The thing about recapping (by owners/amateurs) that frustrates me is those doing so hoping to fix a problem, which probably has nothing to do with capacitors, and many times they end up causing even more issues.
So what, if they cause an issue? that's how you learn, and it's just money. If you enjoy tinkering then go for it. Throw it away, buy a new one, and try again. I fried many components on my audio journey, and it was fun.
I agree.Although I have seen some power supply filters in old Fisher tube type that still perform well.It doesn't mean I don't change them.As far as "don't fix it if it is not broken"I agree except when it comes to some of the IF strips in tube gear.You can cause yourself grief if you mess with them without doing a complete restoration/alignment.Please keep up with the good information.Thank you very much.
Hi...I am new to your channel but everything you said is correct. Even myself included I thought years ago that capacitors don't need to be changed if the unit works. But years later I am thinking once you own a unit for long time you get so used to the sound that you start thinking that it is absolutelly o.k. And then you listen to a unit which has been completelly recapped and you just stand there with a dropped jaw .......because it sounds awesome ! I was lucky to get such a unit !!!!!! It is the Marantz 4270. Before I had a Scott R-376 which has even 75 WPC at 8 Ohm. Because the rest of my components is by Marantz I went back to a Marantz Receiver.
I have a 87 year old Philco am/ short wave radio that has the original wax paper capacitors. Only the electrolytic caps have been replaced. Will be replacing all of them soon.
I have a Dynaco 416 and a Dynaco c100 energy storage system. I hooked it up to the amp and it started making a crackling noise. quickly unplugged it,no amp damage but dont know how to use the C100 dont know what its used for. The amp powers a vintage Technics rack stereo. RS9900US with RUS1700 reel to reel, and matching preamp. Im 62 and a 45 yr musician, and always been interested in electronic repair. Would like to learn the trade..
Where I live, is very very very hard to get someone to even service something from 10yrs ago ... Have gone through 2 Marantz NR150X and a SR ...[sorry forgot model], both had the same issue, the cost to repair was so high, the shop purchased them both from me for parts ... I have now gone vintage, with modern speakers and some digital playback ... The sound alone of the little Panasonic RA-6500 with only 2 speakers, is totally different to what came out of the Marantz receivers ... Now, I am on the hunt for that 'perfect' set of speakers ... Had many back in the day, when it was cheap used and lay-away existed ... Keep up the good channel,
I love your channel so much. This video is great. I’m just learning how to do this work and am beginning my first recapping project. Thx for all the great content.
maintenance, we change the oil in our cars. when caps let go they usually take out more components with them usually something expensive or unobtainable.
Totally agree. Plan on replacing the filter caps before even looking at them, along with every other electrolytic cap. They are old regardless of whether they work or not. Do them all, caps are cheap.
Just purchased a meter to measure capacitance and found some interesting measurements in my 1976 Heathkit AA-1506 120 watt audio amplifier. These were two 250uF bipolar low voltage coupling caps. However one measured about 450uF, and the other roughly 340uF. Anyhow, I replaced them with a 220uF in parallel with a 30 uF, thus giving me 250uF. I then proceeded to replace more caps in my 1978 Soundcraftsmen PE2217 Preamp/Equalizer. I was shocked to find out after a closer look that there was a mix up with 4.7uF caps and 2.2uF caps. Not good to have a 2.2uF cap in place of a 4.7uF used in the 20->60Hz band filter on the left channel. The rest of the cap mix ups were in the two phono preamp boards. Thank goodness I managed to find the PE2217 schematic.
It does not happen often but, if an electrolytic shorts out, it can cause other damage to the circuit as well. Especially in power supply and final audio output circuits. Using good quality replacements such as Nichicon, and Panasonic caps will generally last quite some time.
I have a marantz 2010 I have used daily for 15 years, with no issues, never been recapped. Also, two of the three receivers that I have had that were recapped, had a number of issues, that I am pretty sure were caused by something going wrong when re-capping. My marantz 8, most of the parts were still in spec when i rebuilt it. Not that I don't think re-capping is a good idea, because it is. but its a not necessary part of having an experience with vintage audio. Also, part of the fun of vintage audio, is the warm sound, which to some extent can be caused by aged capacitors. One of the units I recapped, I didnt like the sound as much after. Another one I really liked. I think it also depends on the parts. Specific brands and time periods can have a lot more issues then others. I have 70s stuff that the original parts test normal, and i have 80s/90s stuff where all the caps were bad. anything 1950s usually shouldnt even be plugged in without a recap, unless its on a variac, or unless its pcb oil capacitors, which seem to be invincible. My opinion/experience and two cents anyways. Vintage audio was a lot more fun when you could pick up a receiver for $50, and not be paranoid about recapping. on the other hand, It is good to see a lot of this gear being restored. Its also good to see techs still working on this gear.
You are right I found a young guy who went to school to learn this craft on repairing this vintage stuff and he loves what he does. With out him I wouldn’t have the collection that I do he’s done about 15 receivers most of them the big boys 100 watts and above that’s what I collect plus he refoams my speakers if needed he caps the cross overs really is a an amazing young tech. Almost impossible to find theres a guy in upstate Ny that specializes in restoring the early ARs I happened to buy a set of AR3 a s circa 1967 what I didn’t realize they had been restored by this guy can’t remember his name but holy crap these speakers hooked up to my marantz 2325 will hit you in the gut with tight base finding these people to work on this vintage stuff it’s all most impossible. I am very luck he also engineered and built a speaker and amplifier switch for me a smaller version of what you have for selecting different amps and speakers very cool. Any way I really enjoy your videos and sending you my rambling comments Thank you. Gary from Long Island
A massive Thank you to you all still extending the lifespan of these devices we love so much. I wish to learn this art. Any suggestions where to start?
I'd be interested in knowing the remaining capacitance of the old filter caps. Do you ever test them, and if so, how do they score ? Lost half, lost everything, nothing lost ? Thanks for sharing.
Well said and agree 100%, it’s sadly not as common to find a technician that can work on them and caps most definitely expire and can cause lots of problems. Had one speaker that everyone thought was blown but all it was, was just a bad cap!
I totally agree, replace the power supply caps of old amps. You will only prolong the life of the amp and/ or eliminate hum. I’ve even 3d printed adaptor rings to fit the old clamps and size down to the smaller diameters that the new caps are in nowadays. The only place where I believe a cap could change audio sound is if it is a cap used in coupling the audio. But as long as you use a quality cap and of proper capacity and working voltage all should sound great or better than some of the older axial lead caps in old vintage guitar amps, etc. For guitar amps the yellow Illinois brand axial lead caps are of great quality and of very low DC leakage. Keep up the great work, sounds like you do things right. I’ve been in this for the last 35 years. Maybe discuss your favorite cleaners for spraying out dirty pots in another video?I’m elated to note that I just acquired these fantastic micro size plastic 90 degree elbows that fit on my contact cleaner spray nozzle tubes . Best wishes my friend. 😎👍
Thanks, Mike! I'd love to see those adapter rings you make. We have been buying sheets of 1/4" thick rubber and cutting it the thickness of the clamp. Holds the new cap very snug but It would be nice to have something a little prettier. Thanks!
I'm one of those old techs (73) you're talking about. I'm a retired EE who likes breathing life back into these old gems and making people happy doing it. Thanks for recognizing guys like myself!
I have a big Magnavox console in for servicing. My tech is 86 and works out of his house now. I live in a big city and pretty sure he's the only tech working on vintage equipment.
You have a dozen years on me but for the most part I see the same thing here, but its always been that way. When I was growing up in the 60's and 70's my dad had a buddy who did TV and Radio repair. He had learned what he knew in the air force working on radios and various equipment at the end of WWII and Korea. When he passed, his kids wanted nothing to do with it, his wife gave my dad some of his equipment, which was mostly older, tube related gear.
In school, a buddy of mine had a much older brother who worked for a guy who did mainly stereo repair and CB's but wouldn't touch TVs.
It was only a job to him but the work going on there interested me enough to start hanging around there and making myself useful, both to get first dibs on deals when they turned up and to learn something. When that old guy got old, I bought much of his equipment and much of his huge parts supply, and bought other parts hoards since. (I've actually gotten paid more often then I had to pay for parts just to remove it all when someone died.
All of those guys were fairly old, and most that really were good at what they did are long gone.
I'm far from a pro when it comes to this stuff but I've been able to repair most of what I've dug into, if the cost of the parts allows it.
What I find more often is that the unit most people want fixed is either so far gone its nearly a total loss, or so low end, that parts are scarce and the shear number of parts needed far exceeds just buying another one that's not completely failed, in which case they never want to do any preventative replacement on the new unit if it plays.
I've got another Sears/Fisher 50wpc receiver on my bench now, it came to me completely dead, no lights, no sound, nothing covered in dust and cat hair.
It belongs to a buddy and he got it from his long since passed father and wants to save it at any cost.
He brought me two used STK chips, one was bad, no clue where he got them. I found a good used one in a receiver I bought at a yardsale cheap though.
Along with both STK chips being dead, its got a broken power button, (missing the entire outer button part that appears to screw in place. For now I put a pencil eraser in the hole so the switch will function.
The power supply was a mess, with a failed regulator, and four burned up caps and two others leaking. Plus 9 small transistors, five resistors, and 12 tiny caps on the amp and preamp boards were burned up.
Somehow it did not blow any fuses in the power supply.
Having the boards out of the unit for repairs, I replaced both StK chips, 84 smaller caps, the two large filter caps, and 12 larger caps on the power supply board and amp board using only name brand caps from Digikey and Mouser.
The STK chips may or may not be oem, but they do work and sound okay.
I've got three days in it off and on, and its been here apart since April while he hunts parts or a parts unit to donate a few cosmetic items.
He told me he's got over $200 in parts and shipping in the two used STK chips, a parts unit that didn't match up, a used lens off fleabay, four new feet, and an LED light kit for it that turned out to be useless. I ended up making my own LED bulbs to fit the fuse type bulbs. What he bought did not direct the light toward the dial leaving the dial in a shadow. While he looks for a switch and phono preamp board, which was missing for some reason, I've had it playing in the shop for several months and it sound great but if it wasn't a buddy, I can't imagine what someone would have to charge just to cover their time, let alone the parts.
The caps used were not all $1 each, some were cheaper, but most were $2 or more each, The parts list alone that got ordered was over $175.
I don't mind helping the guy out,and I knew his dad too so fixing the old guys favorite stereo was pretty cool too but if someone had gotten to that thing before it got played till it wouldn't even light up, the whole job would likely have been a lot cheaper and a lot simpler.
It sound good now, but it sounds on par with any other 70's 50wpc Japanese receiver. Nothing I'd generally spend that much time or money on, but I new it was nothing special from the start. It sound reminds me of most 45 and 50w Realistic receivers, maybe a bit warmer than a Pioneer.
@@VB-bk1lh Way too much info.
@@wacoflyer Hell, that was a good story about hpw much of a pain it can be to work on old units.I enjoyed reading it...
Im new to amplifiers and just got a 1965 pro reverb. Anyway there is a toggle switch on the back that says, "ground. " is there a particular position that it should be in? It just had the original caps and tubes replaced and I have them in a little bag.
Yes sir, will be 71 this month, and have been repairing stuff more than 50 years... Thank You!
Another retired EE here, age 68. I designed hardware for the industrial automation market and I completely agree with you. Aluminum electrolytics were voltage derated 50%, e.g. we spec'd a 50 volt cap for a 24 VDC circuit because reliability is paramount in that business. In consumer gear it's not uncommon to see a 25 Volt cap in a 24 VDC circuit. So when you recap, spend a little more to get a higher voltage rating and if available, 105 degree C temperature rating rather than 85 degrees. A little more filter capacitance, e.g. replacing a 470 uF with 560 or 680 in the same case size, can't hurt but the voltage rating upgrade, e.g. 25 VDC to 35 is the most bang for the buck for reliability.
One thing to remember is sometimes if you increase the filter caps, it might also be wise to make sure the rectification section can handle it. I've had a lot of guitar amps where the original bridge rectifier will blow soon after if I've increased the power supply caps. Might just be correlation and not causation. So sometimes I'll just throw in a more robust bridge rectifier or diodes since they're so cheap. Increasing the power supply capacitance also tends to increase bass frequencies.
I've seen vintage caps having almost double the rated capacitance in my limited experience.
Agreed
I spotted a guy on youtube renewing capacitors on an old transistor radio that I just happen to have,so I blew the dust off it,took it apart and blown caps everywhere, so I thought I'm going to have a go at this.Since then I've spent about £200 on a decent tool kit,got loads of broken radios off ebay and pot around to me hearts content!I retired a couple of years back and was looking for something to keep me mind active and this is what passes for fun in me life these days.
People like you that have repair facilities, should be finding and inspiring young folks to train for this high demand, highly skilled and rewarding occupation as a technician. You probably already are.. Great video!
As an old technician from way back I'm glad to hear there's still jobs out there :)
For three days i changed caps in my tuner JVC FX-50L. Most of capacitors was Matsushita and Towa capacitors so i took almost all of them out and put Panasonic and Nichicon back in and those 2 capacitors from the signal path received Elna cerafine caps and i have to say that i am blown away about the results. So dinamic so detailed and the hights are just sweet. In a shop nobody would have done such a work unless the customer requests it and than you are not sure if it will sound better or just worse. I was lucky to hit the right caps on the right spot this time, i did had changed caps in other unit and i was absolutely dissapointed. Now to be honest i don't know how did my tuner sounded for 40 years soon after it was built but i am happy with the results i got this time. It was worth the hassle. I wish all the people Happy New Year.
Try replacing the electrolytic coupling capacitors with metal film. I've never been able to hear a difference in capacitors brands or that more costly caps sounded better in power supply or decoupling stages. But after changing electrolytic coupling caps with film, very notable improvement. Especially the first stage input coupling capacitors on power amplifiers.
I totally agree with you, just acquired a Marantz 2220B spent over $300 replacing all caps, pre-amp transistors and new tungsten lights to preserve its original look and its working perfect . In my opinion money well spent . Great video and good information.
A Marantz is an investment... not a reciever.
@@DG-uw6wx please
Marantz it awesome. I’ve got he same model. So if you buy a Marantz and get a good deal at $400 (which is a reasonable price if bought in the private market) then another $300 on all the work you mentioned… doesn’t sound like a great deal to me.
i used to 'gain match' pre-amp transistors
Seems the hard part is getting cosmetics. Like oem knobs and such.
I recently had my SX-1250 restored. It made a big difference in sound. Much cleaner with no hiss or hum. MONEY WELL SPENT.
I just had my Sansui G8000 completely recapped in July. Lights were replaced with LEDs. Cleaned up etc. (Sounds Classic in Rockford, ILL. Thank You Mark Peabody!) I am so glad I did. This old girl is good for another 40 years. It sounds wonderful and looks fantastic. It was worth every penny! Listen to what this guy is saying. Take care of your vintage gear and it will serve you well.
I still use my two G series Sansui`s. Still going strong, never replaced a single cap, though I`ve cleaned pots many times.
Sansui used some really good caps.
50 years experience in electronic repair and maintenance starting as a technician in the US Navy and retiring as the head of a 200 employee maintenance department. I have many stories of intermittent failures caused by capacitors that test good when they are cold or removed and placed on tester, however either fail or change value when current is applied or as they heat up. Yes power supply capacitors are important they insure that the power supply voltages going to all components are as close to pure DC as possible and that the supply voltages don't sag under heavy loads.
+1
if that is all they do, could i just check those PS caps for AC milliVolts? under load preferably?
I used to restore old tube audio as well as some of the vintage solid state stuff.
You are so spot on with respect to replacing capacitors. On old stuff
like a HH Scott 299 or a Fisher 500 I always replaced all the coupling
capacitors as well as power supply capacitors and ALWAYS replaced
the bias rectifier and associated capacitors. Leakage of coupling capacitors feeding the
output tubes as well as any failure in the bias supply can destroy both
the output tubes and possibly an output transformer.
I have seen coupling capacitors between the output tubes and phase inverter
short and cause an output transformer failure which could have been prevented if
the amp's owner had just had the amp properly restored prior to using it.
I'm 71 and retired. I also worked in electronic repair all my life. I purchased new in 1977 a bunch of Pioneer gear while in the Air Force. About every 5 years I take all my gear out and skin em to check capacitors for leakage or bulges and replace as necessary. My gear is still going strong and sounds great. Nice video.
I took a tour of the Macintosh factory in Binghamton a few years ago and how the guide described their build process vs anyone else was mind blowing. Im not technical enough to recall the details and I may be wrong, but it sure seemed impressive.
Agree 1,000%. I have one word for these people who claim to be able to hear a gnat fart and that word is double-blind-test. I sincerely doubt they could survive an objective test. I am a musician, electrical engineer, recording engineer and an audio freak and I learned a long time ago that when it comes to speaker wire, 12 gauge copper wire you use in low voltage lawn lighting sounds just as good as super expensive low capacitance cable. Pure BS. Thank you for your honesty.
My Support for all you experts keeping our equipment alive !!! Regards
It feels great to have a piece of vintage audio equipment that has been recapped.
I’ve been collecting vintage audio for over 40 years and you my friend are 100% bang on everything you said I agree totally excellent video. Thanks from Canada🇨🇦
Indeed another canuck here and instated with such when most of what is now vintage was still New :)
I recently acquired a Pioneer SX 727, and given its age, wanted to replace the most critical capacitors. My local shop, which is loved and respected, in business for 50 years now is DEFINITELY in the camp of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” I’m in a bit of a strange situation now, not wanting to seem like I’m telling these guys what “best practice” would be. This vid was excellent. Now I know what exactly to ask them to replace. Thank you Kevin.
One of the most intelligent No BS videos about an aspect of HiFi that I’ve viewed in a long while. Thank you!!
Wow. Thank you. That means a lot. Kevin
Hi Kevin, great video.
Only few more things to clarify.
Exchange Capacitors which are essential: do you guys can assist which are essential if maintenance manual provided?
I’m pretty sure that most of electronics service shops can assist with recap but not many of them actually got knowledge of audio equipment like your self.
My question is do you guys provide remote service advice based on service manual what would you recommend to change?
Your right, I have to restore my Marantz 2325 . It blew a bulb last unit everything still rocks ! I love my tank ! Looks mint , I do take the cover off every few years and take my air compressor to blow it out . Takes all the dust out. I don’t want it messed up. You’ve scared me, I have a old Harmon Kardon back up receiver . I must face it and let someone restore it. It and my Klipsch speakers are my last stereo ! I couldn’t afford to buy a new receiver that would perform like my Marantz today . My music brings me life , it makes the difference in my life . I can come in and turn my music on and change my attitude, feeling inside. Music brings me life ! Makes a dull day into a Happy,Happy,Happy Day ! Your right, time to find someone that can do the work RIGHT ! I would like to up-date it with better parts that weren’t around back in 1975 ! You are to far from Tennessee but you are right ! Time to get it done. I just worry someone will mess it up ! When you see all those parts it leads you thinking it ain’t broke , thinking ! Thank you for helping me finally make my mind up on what needs done ! It would kill me if anything happened to my receiver ! Thank you !
Have you considered that recapping is an invasive procedure? Have you considered the possibility of your tech going fubar with your precious receiver? I might also ask about your SQ expectations. You won't be able to do an honest A/B comparison. How will you know if it REALLY sounds better? If spending money getting your equipment overhauled makes you feel better then go for it. But there are definitely risks. I didn't notice Mr. Skylab mentioning any of this. He owns a repair shop, of course he's gonna be from the "fix it" camp. Just wanted you to know there's a reason for the "ain't broke" camp. Capacitors don't always follow the calendar.
I did have to replace a few caps in my 1978 Soundcraftsmen PE2217 Preamp/Equalizer. Today, I am fixing the 22 Faders and the two potentiometers for volume and left-right selection.. The Faders were in bad shape and thus were hard to slide, and were on and off non conductive. The old lubricant was a goner, and electrical contact was bad. So far so good in bringing them back to life.
The supplement guy. I'm is 71-year-old army vent I went in during the Vietnam war and I've always loved audio equipment but I really didn't know anything about electronics you know and didn't know anything about the market as it is today thank God I found your channel it's a master class in price value good sense and more importantly you explain the electronics the what's the right way to approach things and I'm writing down every word I just want to say thanks you know I really gotten the run around lately. Is first having a guy worked on the equipment and I'm going to deal with you from now on I live in California I'll have my still shipped to you or if I buy stuff I'll actually make an appointment to come to your shop and sit down and listen to it and talk to you just really thank you for doing what you're doing Carry on brother
I worked in electrical electronics off and on my adult life and now at 59 teaching myself repairs learning to trace circuits and repair, I am buying cheaper vinage components to practic on and I have been re foaming speakers for years mainly old school Bose speakers. I agree do the maintenance while it is open.
I've changed the filter caps in three different things I've had. A Sansui integrated amp. Velodyne Servo sub and a Technics receiver. In all cases the sound change was for the better. Esp the Velodyne. It was VERY dramatic! Smooth and much more musical.
Exactly.
I have a Lafayette LA-375 amp I bought a few years back.
Due to finances and lack of time I spent about a month listening to it as I got it after confirming it worked properly and doing the idle current adjustment.
After I recapped it, the sound had improved quite a bit.
I also go one further and replace all carbon comp resistors in a piece of audio gear especially the amp section as often those are out of tolerance and can negatively affect the amp section.
Wish I had your ears !!
As an old audio repair guy myself. I think you know that once you get a bit time failure on a cap it can really blow some stuff out and cost more to fix in the end had you done a little preventive Maintenace. It's like a car with 200K miles on it. If you do not have any preventive maintence done on it you can have major failure after major failure. I agree with the age most folks don't even know how to use a meter. I'm 65 and had my own audio video shop for years until it was not worth fixing because folks didn't want to fix the gear and most new stuff was junk and well you get it. You are right find anyone who even does AV/Repairs anymore let alone someone like me who fixes Reel to Reel and things lol. I still play around with stuff and now that prices are going up. I'll start doing some restore jobs from the old stuff I hung on to. Also so many folks are buying this olds stuff for high prices and yeah it might work sort of but for how long? Lots of get it on and flip it quick artists out there. Sy you guys seem to be doing it right. Thanks for keeping the old quality stuff running as most of the average stuff now a days really isn't very much to get excited over.
Excellent video! For those who say, "if it isn't broke, don't fix it"... The issue is that capacitors not only change value (which is bad), but they can also short out and destroy power, output, and IF transformers,. Many of these devices are becoming unobtanium. While, I specialize in antique tube radios, the similarities with vintage hi-fi units is the same when it comes to capacitors. Tube devices are high voltage, low current devices. Solid state units are low voltage, high current devices. However both are the same! Because power equals current times voltage. It is the power that can destroy other devices when it leaks through a used-up capacitor. Be wise, get rid of them!
And yet leaving in original caps. (unless visibly bulging) just,,,,,sounds better.
@@clayton1939 It is not the bulging ones you need to worry about. They are obvious in a visual inspection. It is the ones that still test good and yet, are bad! Heck, they may still even read somewhat close to their rated tolerance, while leaking like a slashed mustang tire at 120 mph. Or they short circuit like a lighting strike on your head while you are snorkeling in your favorite water amusement park!
@@clayton1939 Disagree.
Not all caps are going to go bad, but many of the paper foil, electrolytic caps, and many of the Frako/Rifa caps are definitely candidates for replacements, especially when the Rifa/Frako caps are used as across the line caps as they crack, and craze in the case and moisture gets inside, and they will go BOOM! and often take out other parts, some unobtanium now, but many others like some of the poly caps will likely be more than fine and are often left in place, unless it's visibly damaged in some way, and still in spec decades later and also, many values are more prone to failing than other values, so if they exist, the better part of valor is to replace them, especially if you start finding they are drifting out. Others the type of caps were poorly chosen, and swapping them for more stable variants to do the same job is also paramount. In the end, the performance while decent ends up being improved, and yet sound like it always had. This also goes for filter caps to reduce hum, and coupling caps may need to be replaced after 35-40 years.
I think your probably right. I’ve been running my Marantz 2325 it finally had a bulb go out. After 40 plus years and still rocking I should restore it ! You in my sixties I need restored myself !
I used to work at a shop recapping vintage radios. Wax and paper, we would replace. On hifi sets, we would take the electrolytics and replace them. This is a very sticky subject for folks and I'm glad you tackled this. I've absolute respect for you guys, but did before this video as well. If I could hit the like 10x I would.
You can burn up your expensive speakers.
DC can pass in some designs , say a halfler and instantly toast your voice coils.
Before you even run an older amp even from the 90's , pop off the lid and see if the caps look swollen , look at the output transistors for burn marks , then check for DC with a multimeter.
At the very least put an inline fuse on the positive side .
I learned this the hard way . Something like a studio amp will literally camp fire inside and take your driver's with it. Bias and caps. With high end gear it's a little different because of the build quality like say an aaragon. Then probably just leave it be.
Spot on! A better analogy than motor oil is tires. They now date tire manufacture so you know to replace them if they look good, but are 5, 10, or 20 years old. Lots of folks in the RV world get "bit" on this because most RVs don't have many miles at 5 or 10 years, but driving on old tires results in blowouts, many times damaging the surrounding wheel well area of the RV. Does that sound familiar?
Great advise. Me, I usually test and record all the stages of an old vintage unit, and if operational, listen to it. Then replaced all the electrolytic caps and other questionable capacitors. Test, record and listen after replacement, and see the difference. So far it always test and sound better.
Very cool!
@Joey Marcos
Actually you restored the SQ to original, IF you got the unit “well used,” and all replacement components were the same make and model.
@@anthonykeve8894 Present day caps are much better than those 40-50 years ago.They will give quite better sound!
Very good. Your talk about the lack of skilled technicians and getting the work done was brilliant. I’ve felt that changing a large old electrolytic capacitor in the power supply section to remove the 60 cycle hum was a way to improve the sound. But, I know that means it was defective. A weak capacitor might clip a large waveform passing through to the speakers in some amps, sound bad and maybe overpower a speaker’s high frequency driver to the point of burning the voice coil. Overall a nice relaxed video to listen to. Thank you.
Excellent segment sir, I have seen the differences recently in putting the work in to get a small simple unit back to its prime for not so much the sound but as safe and reliable operation. Under took a project with a tech friend of mine on a small vintage Harman kardon integrated amp, replaced many of the old parts in power supply, main filter Caps and other sections, replaced a broken selection switch, I noticed certain weird things that came from age disappeared such a the “motor boating sound” emitted from phono section and the unit did seem to perform better. Thank you again for highlighting the importance of replacing and overhauling these old units and what key areas to work on🙏🏾🙏🏾💯💯👍🏾👍🏾🔥, keep up great work!
IF you are gonna recap for someone you owe it to them to give them the old caps you removed even if they just throw them out. So they can see what you accomplished.
I’ve debated this a lot with myself. I’ve decided the best thing to do is replace the caps. But when you cut out the old ones, keep the leads as long as possible. This way you can put them back in a make it original to get top dollar when you sell it. I’ve seen people sleeve new caps in the old cap cardboard.
I agree with you 100%. I purchased a teac a2340r sometime ago. I took my time after studying and replaced all capacitors. So yes,it makes sense.
I just got my vintage CARVER 4.0 amp and Preamp C 4000 done recently. I had it for 35 years nothing was wrong whit it and started going on forums and they all said the same thing change the capacitors some say i could damage something .So I Did. I love the sound of the CARVER
Thank to you all
I was given a nice Pioneer tuner/amp that was a bit dirty. I bought electrical contact cleaner and eliminated a half century of dust and grime. It went from uneven output and intermittent cut-outs with a forest fire whenever the volume was turned up or down to nice. silent and strong. My parents thick old vinyl sounds amazing. I have every kind of media playback, 8-Track, Reel to Reel (four channel to boot) several turntables and a cassette player. CD and digital based music is a bit too crisp, I am stuck on analogue and my children explore my collection all the time. Soon I will be transferring my source music onto flash drives to use in my vehicles.
Many thanks for the insight and opinions.
Nichicon gold everytime for me, but short answer Is YES! Everytime I have done it, they sound way better so you can hear the difference i.m.o
It only sounds better because it sounded like it did back in 1970 whatever . Most people don't remember what it sounded like 40 or 50 years ago . Especially if you've had the same machine for all that time and listen to it everyday , you get acclimated to it , I'ma tech and I KNEW I should change the caps but I always said "Hey , it still sounds good ...." After I recapped it I was like "Holy CRAP !" memory is a very selective thing ! LOL
This really made sense to me, some really good points mate! I will follow your advice and get my "best" receivers a real service asap. My "lesser" ones will have to be my learning curve, there is so much truth in the claim that our best and most experienced techs are retinering exponentially. Thanks for the down to earth video, and solid advice.
I completely agree, recently had a friend bring me his 16 year old Harman Kardon receiver that quit working - I found the two large filter caps beginning to vent testing showed them way out of value, all other caps and such looked perfect so I changed the filter caps with Rubycons and replaced the blow transformer fuses and the unit has worked like new for months now. I also had a very similar HK receiver two years older than his with no problems yet - but I pulled the caps and they were also going out of value so I changed mine as well to avoid possible damage to other components using the same Rubycons instead of waiting for eventual failure and I feel I did the right thing - or at least the prudent thing.
I’m so glad I found your channel and this is such a great video! Excellent advice!
I recently brought my Sherwood S75 CP (aka S7910) in to my service guy because after 5 years of pretty heavy use, the left channel went out. I tried detoxing first but that didn’t work. Anyway I figured why not just have him go through and recap and replace everything and make it like new. This is one of my all time lines Sherwood made in 1980 before they sold out. After the recap, the receiver didn’t sound as good as it once did. It lost a lot of its warmth and detail. These receivers in this line (S7910/S75CP S8910 S9910/S110CP and the Integrated Hp1000 and Hp2000)
All have the same signature Warmth, Tone, and Clarity similar to Marantz and Fisher. Now it’s gone and I really can’t enjoy listening to it. I said I would never sell it. We’ll now I do. I know I went overboard on a unit that doesn’t really have a great resale value, but it was intended for my personal use. Any feedback?
Don't capacitors need time to "break in" and the sound gets better?
@@thomasmcmillan5095 They do but I couldn’t listen to it to even find out. I ended up selling it and buying the S9910. Back in business
Right on the spot on everything, specially the fact that within 5 years there’s not going to be people to fix these equipments and I know as I’m an HR professional. On the other hand something you can do as a shop is selling the recap kit as a way of helping and still do some business.
Fully agree. Capacitors are full of nasty chemicals and not doing preventative maintenance is putting your precious vintage gear at risk of much bigger trouble sooner rather than later. And putting equivalent or better quality capacitors can do no harm whatsoever. None.
what nasty chemicals? And what sort of trouble from them?
@@emelle1283 electrolytics! PCP's! corrosive on the printed circuit board, etc.
Thats if you have the right tools to replace them properly. Otherwise boards get wrecked.
Well, unless you botch the pads or traces...
@@brianhammer5107PCBs not PCP…unless there was a party that got out of hand.
Hey! This is Les. Thanks for the call. Man I love your channel. You're knowledgeable and helpful. I think I may drive up to Iowa and get you to freshen up a few receivers. Thanks.
Excellent video on the point of changing capacitors that are 50 years old. Yesterday I got a 1973 Kenwood integrated amp that was filthy and needed cleaning just from the dirt and also cleaning the switches and potentiometers. I did that and it sounds amazingly clear and powerful. BUT, as this video pointed out to me, these power and filter capacitors are 50 years old and I believe are on borrowed time. My nearest shop to have the work done is 190 miles from where I live. I would rather have them to this than my low-level beginner to do it. Thank you very much for a very persuasive presentation on the situation that I am living in right now!
This is one of the most intelligent and convincing discussions on refurbishing vintage audio I might have heard. He's doing it right, and for the right reasons IMO.
Totally agree I recapped my marantz 1200b every single capacitor and replace the original output transistors and they sound soo good I'm delighted everyday
I ve got a Sansui 7070 form ´81, and the 10000 uF capacitors ... just mark 3700 uF when tested. Capacitors did they job for all that time with honor... the price of time.
Another retired EE here. Yes replace those caps. Repaired a lot of that that vintage audio gear before it was vintage, it helped me pay for my college tuition. In addition, repaired TV's, VCR's, RF Transmitters, video games, telephone equipment, PBX's, you name it.
On rare occasion I have seen caps fail badly, tantalum's catching fire, electrolytic's puking electrolytes all over the PCB. I once witnessed an electrolytic fail in a 12V/15A switching power supply, sounded like someone letting air out of a car tire.
One of the best points mentioned in this video was the old guys not being around to do this kind of work. Never gave it much thought.
Keep pumping out those videos. That old gear brings back a lot of memories.
From experience I would agree with swapping out the caps. I just did a Yamaha CR-620. My issue was a hum through the tone board that was caused by a bad cap on the power supply. I went on a did all caps except for the tuner section. I then discovered what they meant by Natural Sound. Much improved dynamics and soundstage, imo.
I have a CR-620 that also has a low consistent hum. I had an electronics shop work on it. They changed out a few capacitors that looked questionable. So far, the low hum problem still remains. I’m thinking about trying to replace more capacitors myself.
Absolutely. The cost is the labour. The shop in Toronto asked me BEFORE they lifted the chassis if I was onboard knowing that there was a fixed dollar amount to begin work. Totally upfront.
Good Job! I certainly believe what you say about the scarcity of trained audio techs! And that most of your techs are older guys-even my age-in the 60s- yes! Good advice! I am trying to teach myself and it is not easy and because of budget concerns, if I cannot teach myself troubleshooting, I will have to give up the idea of any "vintage stereo components" no matter how pretty they appear, and buy newer, not-as-attractive components. One of your best videos!
I'm with you on that. It may not be for everybody, but there's nothing I would enjoy more than getting into the Hi-Fi equipment I own and knowing that I could keep that thing living as long as possible.
Just ordered a kit to recap my G9000 totally. Not sure I will use all the caps, but you are absolutely correct that it isn't gonna get better with 50 year old caps in her. Great tips in a short vid.
I agree with you ,me as a electronics rep I agree with you ,thanks for your honesty.
I would also recommend replacing capacitors with a slightly higher voltage rating and 105c temperature rating. When manufacturers are producing tens or hundreds of thousands of units they will save whatever pennies are possible and capacitors will be rated at or just over the voltage rating required. If one looks at the datasheets provided by some manufacturers, capacitor life is a function of voltage and temperature, and it's not a linear relationship. The lifetime is increased considerably when 105c rated capacitors are selected and they are used well under their voltage rating. Given that capacitor technology has improved considerably in the last 50 years, there is also another benefit in that an equivalent new capacitor in a higher voltage and higher temperature rating is often the same size as the one it is replacing and usually of the same lead pitch. This means it drops straight in and looks neat rather than being a small canister stuck up in the air on bent leads.
Thanks for sharing as i do think many forget even though does work doesn't mean well due for service as capacitor don't last forever. When do fail ive seen leak and cause damage just in general. Most don't think of this of service cause today most electronics are garbage and just throw away well before due for capacitors need changed unlike vintage stuff
I just dropped my 2270 off to be completly gone thru. I told him to do whatever with the best parts possible. The only visable thing wrong was the stero light did not work. I cleaned the pots earlier so there good to go . Love your show keep on!!
I Couldn't agree with you more! I operate a small vintage radio repair shop in Canada. Replacing the filter caps at the very least is standard practice. In fact I will not offer any warranty if the electrolytics and paper caps are not replaced. A power supply capacitor that shorts will take out the rectifier tube just like that. Same with solid state. Why someone would not want to replace the electrolytics is beyond me, its called bringing it back to factory spec. Same goes for paper caps, and yes they will change the sound If they are in the signal path, again, bringing it back to factory spec. As components age their characteristics change gradually unless it is a complete failure, just like our ears. I'm 65 and about to retire, if I can. I have a 2 year waitlist for repairs and have people shipping radios to me from all over the continent, I know of three fellow repairmen that have passed in the last couple of years, and yes, I can't find someone to help in my shop either. Dying art.
I read with great amusement those folks that say they can hear the difference with a $2000 power cord or little feet to lift speaker cables off of the floor. My god, what a gift to have such acute hearing! This industry has always had the "snake oil salesmen" but it seems to have gotten worse with the amount of BS on the internet. There are a lot of how to videos, go ahead, do it yourself, and after your receiver is butchered you can take it to a repair shop and have it repaired professionally.
Thank you Skylab for the most refreshing, honest video that I have seen yet on this subject.
Really appreciate that, Ralph! Keep fighting the good fight, sir!
I changed all the caps in my original owner and the sound was much more dynamic and cleaner.
Dude, a voice of reason! This is the difference between a professional who has real world experience and a guy that has $1000 RCA cables on their system.
Totally agree. I have noticed a slight sound difference when doing a total recap. Not better or worse. Just slightly cleaner. I think the "warm" sound is leaky cap distortion.
No it's not! The warm sound can be achieved by certain brand or type caps!
My friend from the 70's owned a vintage Pioneer receiver from that era, and I replaced the filter capacitors, and that did the trick!
I've got several power amps from the early to mid 1980's, and I understand that these components must be inspected, serviced and tested before being returned to frontline duty. Until then, these old soldiers will stay in storage as part of my vintage equipment museum. Thank you for this very informative presentation.
Thank you for the well-worded explanation of this topic, much appreciated. At almost 50 years old, my Sansui 7070 was just in the shop for new parts, cheap parts as you say, but the labor, not so much. Over $300.00 was spent because it one day just wouldn't power up anymore so that was money well spent.
Yes excellent video and “If it ain’t broken don’t fix “ only pertains to certain components when comes to vintage audio equipment such as TO-3 cased output transistors....but not capacitors ! For those saying you will change the sound if you recap your vintage unit , well I say yes you will change the sound....you will change the sound back to closer to what it was when that unit was new not the way it sounds today, tired after 40 to 50 years of use! Also there many of the small signal transistors that should be changed out because they become noisy with age.
Now as for checking components in circuit including capacitors there are devices that can do with a good amount of accuracy. I spent 29 of my 38 years in refining working in process controls were we did a fair amount of electronics repairs. Back in the days before digital electronics most of our controls were either pneumatic or analog electronic and we did a lot of our own trouble shooting repairs on the electronic cards. Since in our industry we couldn’t afford downtime we had to do repairs fast and one device we used that was more useful than an “O” scope or a DVM was a Huntron Tracker circuit tester....it was an invaluable troubleshooting tool for checking in circuit components. These are still made today but they are not cheep! Another good one that cost far less but is only specific to capacitors is the hand held Atlas ESR capacitor tester.
I absolutely love this channel man - Not sure how I stumbled accross you guys, but I've learned so much in the last few weeks. I've gone back and watched a ton on your videos, and its been super helpfuful for a vintage noob like me. Thanks for all the informative videos! Keep it up!
I pulled out of my garage a 1970's Akai AA-2020 Receiver, and so far all that I've done is clean the potentiometers and switches with a can of Nutrol. I hooked up the turntable I also pulled out of storage and after checking all the adjustments, I started listening to my old collection of 70's and 80's vinyl records. The turnatable is an orginal Technics SL-1200 Mark II with a Grace Ruby cartridge. I have not replaced any capacitors yet, but I intend to during the winter when I will be spending more time indoors.
I have that same Technics SL-1200 Mark II and plan to replace the RCA cables/circuit board with upgraded ground ones. Bought new back in the day
Been working on old Tascam Portastudios. Hesitant at first but replaced record and playback capacitors on working deck. Gained 10db and hi frequency response came back. 30~ year old deck 😊
Thank you for the video. "Replacing capacitors is like changing oil. It's not an issue of sound but necessary maintenance to avoid fatal trouble". It is most convincing explanation of this issue to date. I would like to hear your comments on replacement of capacitors in semi-vintage devices from 80s and 90s.
Yeah I had a couple small caps on a car amp that vented it worked fine and was sounding great. Then I removed them and put better new caps on and that amp has increased in volume and is way more crisp and can play maybe 80% louder.
I agree 100%. And try to find a jukebox repairman in small town USA. Sadly they are all leaving us.
I wish there were more service centers with your passion and experience. Already a pain finding someone within reasonable driving distance.
Appreciate it. Sorry
100 percent. I am hoping that new generation of technicians are being born as people are getting more and more into REAL hi fi ❤
I have a Dynaco SCA-35 (late 60's) that I rebuilt. OEM PS electrolytics checked out and they are running fine to this day (50+ years old).
I fully agree with you on changing out the power and filter capacitors. I own a Marantz sr6000 from 1980 that I brought on Ebay last year. It works but after 23 years it is time for the recap.
The power amp and power supply sections oh yes I can see that.. the less stressed areas I'd probably hold off until i see some leakage or a bulge. But those you spoke about I can agree with, and ask for the best quality parts to be used.
Saw this vid this morning (right before turkey prep) and want to share I changed the caps in the power supply and the primary signal path in my Marantz 7T and it changed the sound. Detail was improved as was stereo separation. Also cleaned all rotary switches, plus toggles and 1/4" jack connections. I have had this unit as original since the '70s and love the way is sounds now. Not a big difference, but noticeable. All caps tested in range, too. Also changed some caps in my Crown DC150-II for IOC issue and it's back in action. One of these days I will change the filter caps in my Crown DC300-II. Happy Thanksgiving!
Couldn't agree more. I tend to lean on replace more of them, not less. I'm 67, retiring in 1 month and do this as a hobby. Maybe I break even on a restored receiver if I resell it. But it keeps me busy, my hands working and my mind thinking - and, well, it's fun!
He is so right I bow to you loving hearing about the stuff I know about and he's on point.
Without even watching this ... the answer is YES!...these electronics are going on 60 years old ... fix one problem , a couple months down the line and another one blows ... been there and done that ...now I recap them all and out of tolerance resistors to prevent call backs
Totally agree. Just do it. Or don't be surprised when the caps flame out and take out the circuit board. It's cheap insurance. And your amps and receivers will sound much better too.
I had my Denon recapped and revised. I own it for 40 years already so it was worth it. I didn't notice much difference in sound quality. It just that I know it's almost as good as new and will work for the next coming years
If I buy a brand new amp it will work the same amout of time as my recapped one
A well stated logical viewpoint. Which of course means I agree. The thing about recapping (by owners/amateurs) that frustrates me is those doing so hoping to fix a problem, which probably has nothing to do with capacitors, and many times they end up causing even more issues.
Agree 100%.
So what, if they cause an issue? that's how you learn, and it's just money. If you enjoy tinkering then go for it. Throw it away, buy a new one, and try again. I fried many components on my audio journey, and it was fun.
@@imLastFirst I agree. But don't learn on expensive, getting-rarer-by-the-day audio gear. That's the point I was trying to make.
I practiced on a lot of sub $500 gear, I should have said.
I agree.Although I have seen some power supply filters in old Fisher tube type that still perform well.It doesn't mean I don't change them.As far as "don't fix it if it is not broken"I agree except when it comes to some of the IF strips in tube gear.You can cause yourself grief if you mess with them without doing a complete restoration/alignment.Please keep up with the good information.Thank you very much.
Hi...I am new to your channel but everything you said is correct. Even myself included I thought years ago that capacitors don't need to be changed if the unit works. But years later I am thinking once you own a unit for long time you get so used to the sound that you start thinking that it is absolutelly o.k. And then you listen to a unit which has been completelly recapped and you just stand there with a dropped jaw .......because it sounds awesome ! I was lucky to get such a unit !!!!!! It is the Marantz 4270. Before I had a Scott R-376 which has even 75 WPC at 8 Ohm. Because the rest of my components is by Marantz I went back to a Marantz Receiver.
I have a 87 year old Philco am/ short wave radio that has the original wax paper capacitors. Only the electrolytic caps have been replaced. Will be replacing all of them soon.
I have a Dynaco 416 and a Dynaco c100 energy storage system. I hooked it up to the amp and it started making a crackling noise. quickly unplugged it,no amp damage but dont know how to use the C100 dont know what its used for. The amp powers a vintage Technics rack stereo. RS9900US with RUS1700 reel to reel, and matching preamp. Im 62 and a 45 yr musician, and always been interested in electronic repair. Would like to learn the trade..
Where I live, is very very very hard to get someone to even service something from 10yrs ago ... Have gone through 2 Marantz NR150X and a SR ...[sorry forgot model], both had the same issue, the cost to repair was so high, the shop purchased them both from me for parts ... I have now gone vintage, with modern speakers and some digital playback ... The sound alone of the little Panasonic RA-6500 with only 2 speakers, is totally different to what came out of the Marantz receivers ... Now, I am on the hunt for that 'perfect' set of speakers ... Had many back in the day, when it was cheap used and lay-away existed ... Keep up the good channel,
I love your channel so much. This video is great. I’m just learning how to do this work and am beginning my first recapping project. Thx for all the great content.
maintenance, we change the oil in our cars. when caps let go they usually take out more components with them usually something expensive or unobtainable.
Totally agree. Plan on replacing the filter caps before even looking at them, along with every other electrolytic cap. They are old regardless of whether they work or not. Do them all, caps are cheap.
Just purchased a meter to measure capacitance and found some interesting measurements in my 1976 Heathkit AA-1506 120 watt audio amplifier. These were two 250uF bipolar low voltage coupling caps. However one measured about 450uF, and the other roughly 340uF. Anyhow, I replaced them with a 220uF in parallel with a 30 uF, thus giving me 250uF. I then proceeded to replace more caps in my 1978 Soundcraftsmen PE2217 Preamp/Equalizer. I was shocked to find out after a closer look that there was a mix up with 4.7uF caps and 2.2uF caps. Not good to have a 2.2uF cap in place of a 4.7uF used in the 20->60Hz band filter on the left channel. The rest of the cap mix ups were in the two phono preamp boards. Thank goodness I managed to find the PE2217 schematic.
It does not happen often but, if an electrolytic shorts out, it can cause other damage to the circuit as well. Especially in power supply and final audio output circuits. Using good quality replacements such as Nichicon, and Panasonic caps will generally last quite some time.
always use 105degree caps too! they last 10 times longer than the 85s
Just curious, where are those above mentioned parts made today?
@@OLSKOOLOUTCASTone guess
Thank you for your Advice. I am going to replace All the Capacitors on the Power Supply of my Sansui BA-5000 ( 50 years old )
I have a marantz 2010 I have used daily for 15 years, with no issues, never been recapped. Also, two of the three receivers that I have had that were recapped, had a number of issues, that I am pretty sure were caused by something going wrong when re-capping. My marantz 8, most of the parts were still in spec when i rebuilt it.
Not that I don't think re-capping is a good idea, because it is. but its a not necessary part of having an experience with vintage audio. Also, part of the fun of vintage audio, is the warm sound, which to some extent can be caused by aged capacitors. One of the units I recapped, I didnt like the sound as much after. Another one I really liked.
I think it also depends on the parts. Specific brands and time periods can have a lot more issues then others. I have 70s stuff that the original parts test normal, and i have 80s/90s stuff where all the caps were bad. anything 1950s usually shouldnt even be plugged in without a recap, unless its on a variac, or unless its pcb oil capacitors, which seem to be invincible. My opinion/experience and two cents anyways. Vintage audio was a lot more fun when you could pick up a receiver for $50, and not be paranoid about recapping. on the other hand, It is good to see a lot of this gear being restored. Its also good to see techs still working on this gear.
You are right I found a young guy who went to school to learn this craft on repairing this vintage stuff and he loves what he does. With out him I wouldn’t have the collection that I do he’s done about 15 receivers most of them the big boys 100 watts and above that’s what I collect plus he refoams my speakers if needed he caps the cross overs really is a an amazing young tech. Almost impossible to find theres a guy in upstate Ny that specializes in restoring the early ARs I happened to buy a set of AR3 a s circa 1967 what I didn’t realize they had been restored by this guy can’t remember his name but holy crap these speakers hooked up to my marantz 2325 will hit you in the gut with tight base finding these people to work on this vintage stuff it’s all most impossible. I am very luck he also engineered and built a speaker and amplifier switch for me a smaller version of what you have for selecting different amps and speakers very cool. Any way I really enjoy your videos and sending you my rambling comments
Thank you.
Gary from Long Island
Where did he go to school?
So many you said are so true. Love the way you think
A massive Thank you to you all still extending the lifespan of these devices we love so much. I wish to learn this art. Any suggestions where to start?
I'd be interested in knowing the remaining capacitance of the old filter caps. Do you ever test them, and if so, how do they score ? Lost half, lost everything, nothing lost ? Thanks for sharing.
Well said and agree 100%, it’s sadly not as common to find a technician that can work on them and caps most definitely expire and can cause lots of problems. Had one speaker that everyone thought was blown but all it was, was just a bad cap!
Prevention is better than cure
I totally agree, replace the power supply caps of old amps. You will only prolong the life of the amp and/ or eliminate hum. I’ve even 3d printed adaptor rings to fit the old clamps and size down to the smaller diameters that the new caps are in nowadays. The only place where I believe a cap could change audio sound is if it is a cap used in coupling the audio. But as long as you use a quality cap and of proper capacity and working voltage all should sound great or better than some of the older axial lead caps in old vintage guitar amps, etc. For guitar amps the yellow Illinois brand axial lead caps are of great quality and of very low DC leakage. Keep up the great work, sounds like you do things right. I’ve been in this for the last 35 years. Maybe discuss your favorite cleaners for spraying out dirty pots in another video?I’m elated to note that I just acquired these fantastic micro size plastic 90 degree elbows that fit on my contact cleaner spray nozzle tubes .
Best wishes my friend. 😎👍
Thanks, Mike! I'd love to see those adapter rings you make. We have been buying sheets of 1/4" thick rubber and cutting it the thickness of the clamp. Holds the new cap very snug but It would be nice to have something a little prettier. Thanks!