beograd07 exactly...we need to see the quickie ones too...call them shorts if you like...not all fixes are rebuilds...some are simply loose connections...and this Amplifier is the most awesome power amp i've ever seen...obviously it has a separate pre-amp...i'd love to see what it's paired with...the total Watts per channel must be outrageous...you wouldn't live in a terraced house or flat with this output...my bookshelf speakers would blow the cones as soon as it's switched on...
Now *that* is a build quality and design that would actually justify a four-digit purchase price.. unlike that crate of Velleman kits from T.E. recently..
Nakamichi! I didn't know Mr. N himself died that's a shame. RIP Mr. Nakamichi. Back in the 80's I owned a Nakamichi 482 3-head cassette deck that was wonderful. Then I bought a 682ZX that was EVEN BETTER! You calibrated the recording parameters according to the individual characteristics of the cassette you were using, which only took 30 seconds or so. This set the deck up to achieve the maximum performance, regardless of the tape used. What a magnificent unit that was! With Dolby-C & TDK Super Avilyn (SA) cassettes, switching between the music that was being recorded ONTO the tape, then playing back the actual recorded music a half second later (because, again, of the 3 separate heads), the sound quality was indistinguishable. Geez I loved that deck! This amp, as has been said, was built after the Mr. Nakamichi era. And yes, losing a channel simply because a bloody stupid plug had fallen out would not have occurred in their heyday I'm sure. Mr. N would have rolled in his grave I'm sure after hearing what happened to this amp! Still, 'only a plug fallen out' is not that major a repair after quite a few years! I have a Nakamichi tuner/amp (350 in the model number I think) somewhere that I was given years ago, that I must return to one day to repair.
SA-X was better and only a little bit more than the SA. For the $1 at the time extra cost the performance increase was substantial. I know I extensively used both and stopped using SA's even if they were on special. I still have the Akai GX-7 3 head which I used these on. I can't bear to part with it. I also have a 6 head Akai GX-635d reel to reel which is just a joy.
I also had a Nakamichi cassette deck around the 1980's I believe. One channel didn't work so I opened it up only to find poor build quality and an open circuit replay head on one channel! Once that was fixed and azimuth set up correctly, yes it was a great deck. Unfortunately we got burgled and it was stolen!
This is a very good example of the value in people like yourself and Repair Cafes who are willing to take a look at electronic devices. The vast majority of the items we fix are really simple, but without manufacturer support they would otherwise be destined for the scrap heap. Kudos.
Are Molex like type connectors often causing problems? I'm into making pro audio devices, lately we are seeing such connectors even in one channel devices where there is more than enough space to soldered connections which almost never fail. Switching supplies are also getting very common, i like them for applications where lots of power is needed, but not for low current draw because linear supplies are cheaper, simpler to repair and typically last a lot longer if made properly.
Gosh, what a tease! Thanks, as always Mark, for placing a big smile on my face. Your always-happy face is really a pleasure to watch. What an excellent example you set for all! I'm already looking forward to your next video. All the best to you fine sir.
One wonders how such a fault occurred. That plus the potential capacitive coupling between grounds makes me think that maybe Nakamichi quality isn't all it is hyped up to be. Thank you again Mark for making and sharing another interesting video.
Maybe a litz weave on those grounds to banish any coupling. Ground wires were a hasty pudding afterthought maybe? I thought a better solution would have been on the underside, with possible shielding by the caseworks, shorter wires in any event.
A grounded solid brass or copper bar to connect al those channel pcb's to, with short wiring, will do a better job. Or a ground plane construction. The way Nakamichi did this is completely bullocks.
Nakamichi died in 1998 when Niro Nakamichi left and the company was bought by Grande Holdings in China. Same with Sansui, Akai, loads of other great historical brands. Post 2000 Nakamichi's relied heavily on the name to keep up sales.
Nakamichi still has some hits. The Dragon 11.4.6 Atmos surround system (which capitalizes on name from the coveted tape deck from the mid-late 1990s) has been very positively received. But it's also ludicrously expensive for what it is.
@@jafa1402 My dad had one. Specifically tuned to two specific brand/type of tapes. One normal and one high quality/bias/chrome. Combined with a Quad amp it sounded great.
I know the feeling when we used to get a "just re seat it" and it worked😊 on an Aircraft, I'm a retired Aircraft tech. (Must be ready by Morning 😢) , an extra brew rather than none at all 😂 Thanks Mark for taking me back 20 years 👍
Nice one. Makes me smile when audiophiles are demanding gold plated connectors etc for phono leads and inside it just goes through a cheap plastic clip lol.
I call them audioplakes. They are happy to spend thousands on interconnect and speaker cables. They would rather have five shiny pennies instead of a tarnished quarter. Just as they were duped by Mobile Fidelity, when the audioplakes thought their "great sounding" vinyl LP's they paid over a hundred dollars for were cut from the original analog master tapes and they find out they were cut from a DSD digital master tape that was made from the original analog masters.
The one I like from the "audiophile" community is directional cables. Yeah, so you want to couple an ac signal with something that works better in one direction....... ok then.
I think you are all too polite. They are just snobs. TBH it's straightforward to discern which speaker is better but amplifiers, cd players and mini disk players it's hard to discern any appreciable difference. Turntables, like speakers, are easy to seperate the bad or ordinary from the good ones. For many people a decent ceramic cartridge is good enough and a standard magnetic cartridge is more than good enough. And when you are old enough to afford the crazy prices your hearing is shite so you won't be able to appreciate IF they sound any better than a good system from Sony or Dynatron costing a lot less.
The idea isn't so bad, you have the gold plated for the external connector because that's what'd otherwise get tarnished and dirty, the inside doesn't really matter because that's just gonna sit there unless you need to repair it. But yea it's probably overkill for something like this unless you live in a very humid environment, near the sea, stuff like that.
Recently discovered your channel new sub thanks. Nothing wrong with posting a simple fix.. in fact its just as important to the complex fixes if there are any electronics techs and DIYers trying to learn fault effecient find process.. I struggled when started this game in the 1980s. I always went for the complex way. Lol then my boss sat down with me and said. "Always start at the power supply 9 times out of 10 most you'll find the problem from there". Sure a gross over simplification but it forced me to do the most basic chks first and it worked. Love your stuff keep em coming 😊😊
Only recently discovered your channel Mark. Watching your videos is just the best way to chill out! I only have a very basic knowledge of electrical things, but your videos are just brilliant. I need more uploads though because I've been hinge watching your content. Thank you for your videos. You're is now my go to channel. Love all of your videos and content.
I had a Nakamichi stereo amplifier. The most 'entry level' kind. The organization inside the chassis was just... Beautiful... So clean and tidy, resistors all in the same direction, circuit board seperated into sections and clearly labeled... Just felt like a work of love and pride. (A bit like what I'd have expected that Tom Evans amp to be) Still feel like I shouldn't have sold that one... But my Akai AM-32 worked wonderfully at the time too. (And I thought: who needs 2 high end amplifiers?) That Akai lost the R channel the literal same day I sold that Nakamichi... Probably a solder joint.. That thing is powerful, but also gets hot
Thank you for being so modest I'm a hobbyist electronics man and you always present evreything new and old with same passion and even show you getting electrocuted every once in a while. Then you throw an amp like this in. A lot of people obviously hold you in very high regard but at the same time with no pretence you make theese wonderful videos that make what you are doing understandable to the common folk. Thank you however I now 'NEED' a spectrum analyser is there any chance you could have a word with my missus because the bench top LCR meter I just bought did not go down well.....
I'm very glad I found your channel. You're an absolute Jack of many trades with an astounding set of machines and skills. Congrats! subscribed, of course.
Seeing the very ordinary hook up wire on the inputs between sockets and board shows what a waste of money ‘audiophile” interconnect cables are! Nice video - don’t knock easy repairs always good to see inside the box!
Don't get me started!, but yeah, now if this was built like test equipment with a good manufacturer, those connector would be banned, instead firmly bound to the PCB using a high quality interconnect. There is really no help for those audiophile monkeys, they believe anything!
Hi Mark I really enjoy your videos and learn a lot from you! Please keep uploading your repairs and restoration projects as you do a terrific job at educational videos! Great job 👍
Hello, I watch your videos and I admire your talent and your level of knowledge, I am also dedicated to repairs but only at the user level, doing small restorations of audio systems from the 90s. Your lab is tremendous, with everything a technician would want. I currently have a Sony TC-U6 cassette deck in my collection and I would love for it to go through your workshop and be repaired with your seal of quality, but I am from Chile and we are a bit far away. Greetings and thanks for sharing your great work and your knowledge.
So interesting. Sacrificing performance in the way that the amp ground is laid out just to make it look cool and "audiophile." Something most people will never see...
@@jean-philippefahrni8415 , The Niro brand mini systems were also complete crap and they all failed prematurely due to crappy capacitors. There was no doubt that it was all over for the original nakamichi company when they started building junk like the Music Bank and Soundspace series aimed at the Sharper Image customers.
@@WeinStefan32 I've repaired a number of PA5 and PA7 amplifiers. There were A versions and series 2 versions and also the E version of these and each had their own unique issues but the one common problem was that they all ran quite hot and the solder joints would break down, and the foils would delaminate from the circuit boards, as well as drying out capacitors prematurely from the heat. The driver and especially pre driver transistors were undersized for the job and ran quite hot and so we used to upgrade to larger more rugged devices and add heat sinks. The virus and DC offset trim pots often cracked and became intermittent or drifted in value and setting and so I would use install 20 or 30 turn replacement trimpots in order to keep the bias setting stable.
Still a great video sir! I used to work in TV and stereo repair years ago, still do repairs for fun these days. Some jobs end up like this! Still a good thing to point out for other techs to look for! Well worth the time making the video. First time commenter here. Love your channel, keep up the good work!
I've ended up with a few decent pieces of hifi because I bought them cheap as 'broken' and found they only needed cheap repairs. Thats how I got both my Adcom amps. The 5x5 series have internal fuses you can't see unless you take the cover off. Both of mine were DOA, but fired right up after the fuse was replaced. I toned them and tired to find whatever caused the fuse to blow in the first place. That was years ago. Still pounding the ground with my JBLs all this time later.
This channel just took me back in time to the 80s when the Nakamichi tape deck was the most unobtanium expensive legendary device for teenage music lovers
@@MrSlipstreem None of us could ever buy one but like all legendary brand icons the legend is generally way better than the fact and most of the acolytes have never tried them...Like Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Am trying to diagnose a low output problem with a Yamaha sw500 amplifier. Seems to make sound but at very low levels only. No crackling or other nasty sounds, amplifier and speaker in very good condition visually. Speaker tests well using another amp. Will be looking through a few of your videos. Happily just found your channel. Subscriber straight away!! Open to any video suggestions or specific tests to perform. I don't have a scope but do have decent multimeters/clamp meters. Cheers!!
Oh, and also have a Transistor Tester Capacitance Meter ESR NPN PNP MOSFET tester, but no idea what to test with it. -a forum member suggested i buy one but i can't remember which forum, who it was or what they suggested as it took forever to arrive!!
First time here - I Enjoyed your video it was very clear , educational and you have a positive personality good work Mark. Hello from Ontario Canada. Unique amplifier as well. I never see Nak stuff around these parts and seems to retain the ethic they put into the familiar tape machines.
No cheap plastic chassis pieces to break, good supports for the boards, attention to grounding and cable layout, a METAL cabinet for good shielding and rigidity. Something that little teddy didn't look at in his OVER PRICED POS "pre amp"!
Have you see what Niro Nakamichi did with Mechanical Research Corp? Built and presumably sold two fantastic looking amplifiers. But within a few years, all they made were A/V amps. Those 'Niro' amps are a sight to look at although the big exposed heatsinks on one are in a poor orientation for convection..
How about a dab of hot glue on that connector? Looked like the base had been pulled up off the PCB pins. A couple of dabs of hot glue would prevent that from happening again? I'd also have done the same on the other connectors for preventative measure. But we do all like when an easy one comes along.
Your intro always makes me cringe when you get that jolt. Watching I feel like an apprentice all over again. Glad I found your channel. Excellent work as always.
That's funny because I have one of those exact amps. It had another fault with it, it would trip the start up circuitry when the massive toroidal powered up. I found that it was supported by a company in the uk. They sent me two upgrade kits for free of charge, one fixed the issue and the other addressed some noise issue
I don’t think they ‘demand’ gold plated anything, it’s the manufactures who think there’s a need for it. However, as an audiophile myself, I do expect a connection which doesn’t degrade too much over time so I use cables mainly with nickel plated plugs which don’t cost an arm and a leg. Some audiophiles are proper nerds and will believe all what the manufacturer will tell them. One just has to have a listen and judge for yourself.
0:48 ahahaha genuine lol I use a "broken" Marantz SR-18 as a stereo amp. is 5 channels with one blown, dead pre-amp and most low voltage regulators so shot only the volume control functions as it should. all other digital switching doesn't work, likely from spoiled voltage regulators. amp section weakness was poor power output transistor pin bending & soldering. That's been corrected after the rear blew. Amp is fantastic, and still super quite.
A local band I followed back in the late 70's had a Marantz power amp that they ran their audio thru. On the front, it had one large knob. That's it!! All the mics & instruments went thru a mixing board and then to the power amp. Don't know what the max power out was.
oh my god you are a real machine, doctor of electrical engineering hats off. where is your workshop located? what is your address to send for service?? I love watching you, you are funny and professional.!
what a lovely piece of kit - what would this amp be aimed at - orchestral music or very loud rock music? A great channel Mark...I wish I knew something about electronics like you do...this channel is a You Tube Hidden Gem!
No Tom Evans shenanigans here, just quality build.
And the best part: Nakamichi builds more than 10 in a year of theese...
c'mon the genius himself invented the Lithos voltage regulators!!
and it came at a price of 2000. not 24000
Even if it is an easy fix it is still worth filming it as we have a chance to have a peak inside of rare beauty like this one. Thanks for that upload.
I agree.. even running a Hi-Fi business you don't get to see items such as this every day! Great video!
@@jacksonsystemslimited Stuff you need a hand truck, and a strong lad or two to transport safely.
@@thomasmleahy6218 32kgs
beograd07 exactly...we need to see the quickie ones too...call them shorts if you like...not all fixes are rebuilds...some are simply loose connections...and this Amplifier is the most awesome power amp i've ever seen...obviously it has a separate pre-amp...i'd love to see what it's paired with...the total Watts per channel must be outrageous...you wouldn't live in a terraced house or flat with this output...my bookshelf speakers would blow the cones as soon as it's switched on...
I agree, even the simple fixes are entertaining.
Now *that* is a build quality and design that would actually justify a four-digit purchase price.. unlike that crate of Velleman kits from T.E. recently..
Film everything even if its an easy repair. I always learn something. Thank you for all your videos.
It's good to see that sometimes it actually is just a loose wire. That Amp seems pretty well made with a big transformer and large caps.
Watching this after watching the Tom Evans fiasco - what a difference in build quality!!!
I know nothing about electronics but can’t get enough of this channel it’s awesome. Binge watching all the videos😂.
Nakamichi! I didn't know Mr. N himself died that's a shame. RIP Mr. Nakamichi.
Back in the 80's I owned a Nakamichi 482 3-head cassette deck that was wonderful. Then I bought a 682ZX that was EVEN BETTER! You calibrated the recording parameters according to the individual characteristics of the cassette you were using, which only took 30 seconds or so. This set the deck up to achieve the maximum performance, regardless of the tape used. What a magnificent unit that was! With Dolby-C & TDK Super Avilyn (SA) cassettes, switching between the music that was being recorded ONTO the tape, then playing back the actual recorded music a half second later (because, again, of the 3 separate heads), the sound quality was indistinguishable. Geez I loved that deck!
This amp, as has been said, was built after the Mr. Nakamichi era. And yes, losing a channel simply because a bloody stupid plug had fallen out would not have occurred in their heyday I'm sure. Mr. N would have rolled in his grave I'm sure after hearing what happened to this amp! Still, 'only a plug fallen out' is not that major a repair after quite a few years!
I have a Nakamichi tuner/amp (350 in the model number I think) somewhere that I was given years ago, that I must return to one day to repair.
i still have a 600 from my dad. i will not give that thing up.
SA-X was better and only a little bit more than the SA. For the $1 at the time extra cost the performance increase was substantial. I know I extensively used both and stopped using SA's even if they were on special. I still have the Akai GX-7 3 head which I used these on. I can't bear to part with it. I also have a 6 head Akai GX-635d reel to reel which is just a joy.
I also had a Nakamichi cassette deck around the 1980's I believe. One channel didn't work so I opened it up only to find poor build quality and an open circuit replay head on one channel! Once that was fixed and azimuth set up correctly, yes it was a great deck. Unfortunately we got burgled and it was stolen!
This is a very good example of the value in people like yourself and Repair Cafes who are willing to take a look at electronic devices. The vast majority of the items we fix are really simple, but without manufacturer support they would otherwise be destined for the scrap heap. Kudos.
Are Molex like type connectors often causing problems? I'm into making pro audio devices, lately we are seeing such connectors even in one channel devices where there is more than enough space to soldered connections which almost never fail. Switching supplies are also getting very common, i like them for applications where lots of power is needed, but not for low current draw because linear supplies are cheaper, simpler to repair and typically last a lot longer if made properly.
Gosh, what a tease! Thanks, as always Mark, for placing a big smile on my face. Your always-happy face is really a pleasure to watch. What an excellent example you set for all! I'm already looking forward to your next video. All the best to you fine sir.
Hi Mark, it doesn't matter about the length of the video, it's the content that counts and as usual, you haven't let us down. Keep up the good work.
Nakamichi tape decks are a beauty to behold. lovely amp, nice fix Mark. Glad You did filmed It. Can't wait for the next one.
Yeah, though you'd think this amp was actually quite modern!
93 / 5.000
Congratulations on the quality of your work and videos, they are excellent! A big hug from Brazil!
One wonders how such a fault occurred. That plus the potential capacitive coupling between grounds makes me think that maybe Nakamichi quality isn't all it is hyped up to be. Thank you again Mark for making and sharing another interesting video.
Maybe a litz weave on those grounds to banish any coupling. Ground wires were a hasty pudding afterthought maybe? I thought a better solution would have been on the underside, with possible shielding by the caseworks, shorter wires in any event.
A grounded solid brass or copper bar to connect al those channel pcb's to, with short wiring, will do a better job. Or a ground plane construction. The way Nakamichi did this is completely bullocks.
Nakamichi is not the brand it was. The name now graces some pretty woeful equipment.
It might have been one you wouldn't have filmed, but seeing the inside of that beast was a real pleasure. A beautiful piece of gear inside and out.
Nakamichi died in 1998 when Niro Nakamichi left and the company was bought by Grande Holdings in China. Same with Sansui, Akai, loads of other great historical brands. Post 2000 Nakamichi's relied heavily on the name to keep up sales.
Ah, that makes sense. It looks like a bunch of Aliexpress boards thrown in a box.
Top people at Nakamichi left and started a company called Sound Sream apparently
Nakamichi still has some hits. The Dragon 11.4.6 Atmos surround system (which capitalizes on name from the coveted tape deck from the mid-late 1990s) has been very positively received. But it's also ludicrously expensive for what it is.
I remember Nakamichi tape decks from the 80s/90s were the greatest.
@@jafa1402 My dad had one. Specifically tuned to two specific brand/type of tapes. One normal and one high quality/bias/chrome. Combined with a Quad amp it sounded great.
Glad you filmed it. Nice to see inside that brute. Red circuit boards!
I know the feeling when we used to get a "just re seat it" and it worked😊 on an Aircraft, I'm a retired Aircraft tech. (Must be ready by Morning 😢) , an extra brew rather than none at all 😂 Thanks Mark for taking me back 20 years 👍
Hahaha. Re-racked LRU IAW AMM (insert manual and chapter here) All ops now check normal. I’ve written that in logbooks many times!
@@Fireship1 Me too ✋️ further air test required, no fault found, satis , 😊, and invariably, it was okay 👌 after.
Nice one. Makes me smile when audiophiles are demanding gold plated connectors etc for phono leads and inside it just goes through a cheap plastic clip lol.
I call them audioplakes. They are happy to spend thousands on interconnect and speaker cables. They would rather have five shiny pennies instead of a tarnished quarter. Just as they were duped by Mobile Fidelity, when the audioplakes thought their "great sounding" vinyl LP's they paid over a hundred dollars for were cut from the original analog master tapes and they find out they were cut from a DSD digital master tape that was made from the original analog masters.
The one I like from the "audiophile" community is directional cables. Yeah, so you want to couple an ac signal with something that works better in one direction....... ok then.
@@mistermac56 Audiophools for me 🤣
I think you are all too polite.
They are just snobs. TBH it's straightforward to discern which speaker is better but amplifiers, cd players and mini disk players it's hard to discern any appreciable difference.
Turntables, like speakers, are easy to seperate the bad or ordinary from the good ones. For many people a decent ceramic cartridge is good enough and a standard magnetic cartridge is more than good enough.
And when you are old enough to afford the crazy prices your hearing is shite so you won't be able to appreciate IF they sound any better than a good system from Sony or Dynatron costing a lot less.
The idea isn't so bad, you have the gold plated for the external connector because that's what'd otherwise get tarnished and dirty, the inside doesn't really matter because that's just gonna sit there unless you need to repair it. But yea it's probably overkill for something like this unless you live in a very humid environment, near the sea, stuff like that.
That amplifier is beautiful, I want one
There's iota, tonewinner, and emotiva.
Same oem
An easy repair, but what an amp! It makes my Kenny from your earlier video look very domestic! Great video as ever.
Recently discovered your channel new sub thanks.
Nothing wrong with posting a simple fix.. in fact its just as important to the complex fixes if there are any electronics techs and DIYers trying to learn fault effecient find process..
I struggled when started this game in the 1980s. I always went for the complex way. Lol then my boss sat down with me and said. "Always start at the power supply 9 times out of 10 most you'll find the problem from there". Sure a gross over simplification but it forced me to do the most basic chks first and it worked.
Love your stuff keep em coming 😊😊
Great! If you had not decided to video this repair I would never got to see what it looked like inside! I'm happy! Thanks.
Hi Mark your still a fascinating guy to watch sort things out, no matter how esy. Thanks 👍
Only recently discovered your channel Mark. Watching your videos is just the best way to chill out! I only have a very basic knowledge of electrical things, but your videos are just brilliant. I need more uploads though because I've been hinge watching your content. Thank you for your videos. You're is now my go to channel. Love all of your videos and content.
I had a Nakamichi stereo amplifier. The most 'entry level' kind.
The organization inside the chassis was just... Beautiful...
So clean and tidy, resistors all in the same direction, circuit board seperated into sections and clearly labeled...
Just felt like a work of love and pride.
(A bit like what I'd have expected that Tom Evans amp to be)
Still feel like I shouldn't have sold that one... But my Akai AM-32 worked wonderfully at the time too. (And I thought: who needs 2 high end amplifiers?)
That Akai lost the R channel the literal same day I sold that Nakamichi...
Probably a solder joint.. That thing is powerful, but also gets hot
Was actually really nice to see faults can be really easy to fix. Although it makes you wonder how the connect moved!
Mark is amazing. Love watching you work, very talented even with "easy" problem solving!
got to admire the OCD construction on that thing. Always be thankful for easy fixes! better than some microcontroller rubbish.
Thank you for being so modest I'm a hobbyist electronics man and you always present evreything new and old with same passion and even show you getting electrocuted every once in a while. Then you throw an amp like this in. A lot of people obviously hold you in very high regard but at the same time with no pretence you make theese wonderful videos that make what you are doing understandable to the common folk. Thank you however I now 'NEED' a spectrum analyser is there any chance you could have a word with my missus because the bench top LCR meter I just bought did not go down well.....
I have a hp 3561a searching for a new owner 😅
Please do not tempt me the sofa is not as comfortable as the bed and been there for a week already on the back of the LCR meter.
In nice to see the easy ones too as it shows it not always needed to have a ton of tools to fix things , thanks for shareing.
"It knows it's overweight".. That was worth the price of admission right there
I'm very glad I found your channel. You're an absolute Jack of many trades with an astounding set of machines and skills. Congrats! subscribed, of course.
Love what you do. Really interesting and relaxing. Thank you.
Seeing the very ordinary hook up wire on the inputs between sockets and board shows what a waste of money ‘audiophile” interconnect cables are! Nice video - don’t knock easy repairs always good to see inside the box!
Don't get me started!, but yeah, now if this was built like test equipment with a good manufacturer, those connector would be banned, instead firmly bound to the PCB using a high quality interconnect. There is really no help for those audiophile monkeys, they believe anything!
I’m really enjoying your videos and choice of repairs to share. Also, I wish I was as jolly as you (I mean that in the most respectful way!)!
Hi Mark I really enjoy your videos and learn a lot from you! Please keep uploading your repairs and restoration projects as you do a terrific job at educational videos! Great job 👍
Hello, I watch your videos and I admire your talent and your level of knowledge, I am also dedicated to repairs but only at the user level, doing small restorations of audio systems from the 90s. Your lab is tremendous, with everything a technician would want. I currently have a Sony TC-U6 cassette deck in my collection and I would love for it to go through your workshop and be repaired with your seal of quality, but I am from Chile and we are a bit far away. Greetings and thanks for sharing your great work and your knowledge.
I did not notice the red nail polish going back on! tisk tisk
LOL Great repair!
So interesting. Sacrificing performance in the way that the amp ground is laid out just to make it look cool and "audiophile." Something most people will never see...
Nakamichi made some very nice equipment.
And some scrap, like the sound space 3 😂
And then also there’s this?
Yeah, I remember amps like the PA7E, it was amazing, still sad I sold it
@@jean-philippefahrni8415 , The Niro brand mini systems were also complete crap and they all failed prematurely due to crappy capacitors. There was no doubt that it was all over for the original nakamichi company when they started building junk like the Music Bank and Soundspace series aimed at the Sharper Image customers.
@@WeinStefan32 I've repaired a number of PA5 and PA7 amplifiers. There were A versions and series 2 versions and also the E version of these and each had their own unique issues but the one common problem was that they all ran quite hot and the solder joints would break down, and the foils would delaminate from the circuit boards, as well as drying out capacitors prematurely from the heat. The driver and especially pre driver transistors were undersized for the job and ran quite hot and so we used to upgrade to larger more rugged devices and add heat sinks. The virus and DC offset trim pots often cracked and became intermittent or drifted in value and setting and so I would use install 20 or 30 turn replacement trimpots in order to keep the bias setting stable.
Nakamichi, oh man their tape decks were awesome. Didn't knew they made amps tough! Thanks for this insight.
Wow! They even painted the edges of red circuit boards in black. Quality.
I like the easy ones. just once in a while you get lucky with a fault that stares at you.
Far better than having to remove any of the pcb's.
Still a great video sir! I used to work in TV and stereo repair years ago, still do repairs for fun these days. Some jobs end up like this! Still a good thing to point out for other techs to look for! Well worth the time making the video. First time commenter here. Love your channel, keep up the good work!
I've ended up with a few decent pieces of hifi because I bought them cheap as 'broken' and found they only needed cheap repairs.
Thats how I got both my Adcom amps. The 5x5 series have internal fuses you can't see unless you take the cover off. Both of mine were DOA, but fired right up after the fuse was replaced. I toned them and tired to find whatever caused the fuse to blow in the first place. That was years ago. Still pounding the ground with my JBLs all this time later.
It is a power system that consists of equal modules per stage. magnifico!. an input breaks down and you can repair it by checking the ones next to it.
This channel just took me back in time to the 80s when the Nakamichi tape deck was the most unobtanium expensive legendary device for teenage music lovers
...even though there were plenty of other manufacturers making equally good cassette decks. There's a sucker born every minute!
@@MrSlipstreem None of us could ever buy one but like all legendary brand icons the legend is generally way better than the fact and most of the acolytes have never tried them...Like Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Your channel was recommended by a mate... WOW! what a find. Subbed here.
Am trying to diagnose a low output problem with a Yamaha sw500 amplifier.
Seems to make sound but at very low levels only.
No crackling or other nasty sounds, amplifier and speaker in very good condition visually. Speaker tests well using another amp.
Will be looking through a few of your videos.
Happily just found your channel.
Subscriber straight away!!
Open to any video suggestions or specific tests to perform.
I don't have a scope but do have decent multimeters/clamp meters.
Cheers!!
Oh, and also have a Transistor Tester Capacitance Meter ESR NPN PNP MOSFET tester, but no idea what to test with it.
-a forum member suggested i buy one but i can't remember which forum, who it was or what they suggested as it took forever to arrive!!
I love to watch servicing of electronic equipments.
First time here - I Enjoyed your video it was very clear , educational and you have a positive personality good work Mark. Hello from Ontario Canada. Unique amplifier as well. I never see Nak stuff around these parts and seems to retain the ethic they put into the familiar tape machines.
just about to start studying, but I got time to watch a Mend it Mark vid..love this channel :)
Short vids are ok too - gives us a better sense of the kind of issues you get landed with. Anyway, I enjoyed it!
Very nice to get an easy one for a change. Thank you for posting
Yes! A new video! 🙂
Nakamichis attention to detail and overall quality was impressive.
Killer amp.
Simple to you but worth every penny to get it sorted
Nice work Mark fingers crossed on My little machine 🤞🤞🙏
You know what didn't look standard? That bow of the PCB at 3:43
Beautiful work of art!
No cheap plastic chassis pieces to break, good supports for the boards, attention to grounding and cable layout, a METAL cabinet for good shielding and rigidity. Something that little teddy didn't look at in his OVER PRICED POS "pre amp"!
Love Mark and his clips!! ❤❤
very bingeworthy channel, thanks for all the videos ! .. even learned a few things ;)
The eye of a tiger. Well done mate.
Nice dig at the surround sound mob :)
I’m on a run of easy fixes - i can feel an absolute bar steward coming soon.
An absolute fudge king bar steward as well.
Mark you and your channel are awesome!!!
“There is even an extra foot in the middle… it knows it’s overweight”. Lol
Have you see what Niro Nakamichi did with Mechanical Research Corp? Built and presumably sold two fantastic looking amplifiers. But within a few years, all they made were A/V amps. Those 'Niro' amps are a sight to look at although the big exposed heatsinks on one are in a poor orientation for convection..
Still good to see a new video!
How about a dab of hot glue on that connector? Looked like the base had been pulled up off the PCB pins. A couple of dabs of hot glue would prevent that from happening again? I'd also have done the same on the other connectors for preventative measure. But we do all like when an easy one comes along.
Man I wish I live in the same region as you mate, good vid keep it up!
That's beautiful in and out!
Great nice easy one Young Marko! but phew! what a QUALITY amp!!!!
Your intro always makes me cringe when you get that jolt. Watching I feel like an apprentice all over again. Glad I found your channel. Excellent work as always.
Glad you did filmed it, sometime it is just easy.
Gold-plated connectors on one side, glued down dip connectors on the other side.
Nice.
The Naka amps were pretty sought after.
Especially the Stasis(??) series, which I for a while was drooling on.
Mostly because of it's reputation.
Yea but, sometimes its those easy things we miss! Good example of that... Cheers!
This looks like an emotiva amp, modular
That's funny because I have one of those exact amps. It had another fault with it, it would trip the start up circuitry when the massive toroidal powered up. I found that it was supported by a company in the uk. They sent me two upgrade kits for free of charge, one fixed the issue and the other addressed some noise issue
Wow this design is really a form of beautiful art. I am very impressed.
Made in China
I can't understand how Mark can do all these fixes without a single "Bob's Your Uncle" at the end.
Great amp. Bought mine for £399 in 2015, brand new.
Nice easy fix on an amp that easy to service, wish they were all that good.
I don’t think they ‘demand’ gold plated anything, it’s the manufactures who think there’s a need for it. However, as an audiophile myself, I do expect a connection which doesn’t degrade too much over time so I use cables mainly with nickel plated plugs which don’t cost an arm and a leg. Some audiophiles are proper nerds and will believe all what the manufacturer will tell them. One just has to have a listen and judge for yourself.
0:48 ahahaha genuine lol
I use a "broken" Marantz SR-18 as a stereo amp. is 5 channels with one blown, dead pre-amp and most low voltage regulators so shot only the volume control functions as it should. all other digital switching doesn't work, likely from spoiled voltage regulators.
amp section weakness was poor power output transistor pin bending & soldering. That's been corrected after the rear blew. Amp is fantastic, and still super quite.
Quite super "quite" I'm shooer.
Great video sir ❤❤
The joys of finding a easy repair..🥳👍
A local band I followed back in the late 70's had a Marantz power amp that they ran their audio thru. On the front, it had one large knob. That's it!! All the mics & instruments went thru a mixing board and then to the power amp. Don't know what the max power out was.
I feel cheated!! But since I paid nothing for the video, what a bargain!!
Ya I felt screwed but then he removed all those screws 🪛😅
@@supercompooper He should have charged by the bit rotation on that one!
You're amazing friend!
Mark, you are amazing.
oh my god you are a real machine, doctor of electrical engineering hats off. where is your workshop located? what is your address to send for service??
I love watching you, you are funny and professional.!
From 🇮🇳 India with love. Had only heard the name Nakamichi thanks for showing the insides. 🫡
Nice quick fix = more pub time! Cheers!
what a lovely piece of kit - what would this amp be aimed at - orchestral music or very loud rock music?
A great channel Mark...I wish I knew something about electronics like you do...this channel is a You Tube Hidden Gem!
It's a power amp 'aimed at' AV use, obviously.
@@BTW... For the Loud TV crowd. They should've sent that ground fix back to the engineers for an intelligent re work.
Its a 5.1 meant for surround sound as in TV and Video.
Thanks for this Mark. Nice bit of kit that. If only I was rich...
First one that I could diagnose and fix!