I love your videos and enthusiasm. I could imagine spending many a happy hour down the pub with you chatting about vintage hi fi and how I naively took my NAD 3020 to the tip thinking nobody would want yee olde amp these days. I was gutted when I realised there was so much enthusiasm for this equipment.
Hey Mate. THIS IS IMPORTANT: If an amp hasn't been turned on for years, or if you buy a used one, always check the speaker outputs for DC. Caps can have collapsed so the amp send a lot of volts DC into your speakers which can kill them. If you measure more than 1 volt (tops) on the speaker outputs - DON'T CONNECT YOUR SPEAKERS. (and don't buy the amp). Caps can sometimes reform which some might point out, but my advice is: If you measure more than 1 volt DC - Get the caps changed before connecting your speakers. A simple cheap multimeter is a great tool for any hifi lover, and can mean the difference between life or death for your speakers. Always bring one when looking at used gear. Stay cool and awesome. Best wishes from Denmark.
PS. When buying a vintage amp/receiver, always keep it turned on all the time for a couple of month. Especially if you don't know it's history. Seen more than one example of killed speakers within a month because the owners despite warnings turned them off after use too soon and the caps gave up the ghost.
My personal favourites are 1. not connecting the power (really) 2. switching the speakers off by accident and 3. having the tape loop switched in. If I do all three, I go to the pub to think it over😊
The tape monitor input of your integrated amplifier will have the shortest signal path and bypasses a lot of the input switching. So, try plugging an audio source into this input and then toggle the tape monitor switch. Likewise, if your integrated amplifier has jumper links in the back (that connect the pre-amplifier and power amplifier stages together) these jumpers can be removed to test the function of each of the amplifier stages separately. If you have a DAC or streamer with a volume control the outputs can be directly connected to the power amplifier.
Another way of checking the amplifier is to inject a 50Hz hum signal into each channel. Connect an audio lead but have one end free such that you can briefly touch the centre pin of the RCA plugs. There is always a background 50Hz produced by radiation from electric power grids. Your body will pick up this signal and the amplifier will hum in the appropriate channel. If there is no hum, then the channel is not working. This eliminates the source component from the troubleshooting exercise. It is also helpful to be mindful of the last thing you changed in the system. If it worked prior to the change, then you might simply have misconnected one of the audio components.
Hi Kelvin, instructive and creative as usual..had a channel loss today on a Cambridge amp... A.B.output problem..those micro relays can after time, burn out there contact to the signal path as you know...Thnxs as alway's cheers pal.
Your comments about lose wires and young people is funny. My 19 t/p son and his friends get a kick out of me trying to fix things by banging them and shocked when sometimes it works. Different technology!
I had a problem with the last cd player that I owned. The output on one channel was faulty so sound only came from one speaker unless I fiddled with the RCA interconnect on that channel. The cause was a dodgy output connection inside the chassis.
The biggest problem I have with my hi fi is , "GRANDKIDS " ,one 4 the other 7 yrs old. They cant leave things alone. Particularly the 4 yr old. Inputs changed, balance controls moved, speakers switched out. Recently found some lovely biro Mark's in the plinth of my garrard 401. Today he stood on the arm of the sofa and removed the second hand from an early electric art deco style clock. Still love em though.
Sounds more like poor parenting and/or supervision. How do they learn right from wrong if they just fiddle with other peoples possessions as they please?
I just had the experience of hooking a pre-amp up to a kenwood KA-4002. I could faintly hear the radio playing in the speaker - but there's no tuner in a 4002. I guess the RCA cables were acting as antennae, but i still don't understand how it happens. Apparently it indicates bad caps, at least. I was getting it on both aux inputs. Today i switched the cables, ironically, to the tuner input, and no radio signal coming out of the speakers. Unfortunately, with today's prices, a repair would be about twice what i paid for the amp, at least.
@@dylanemeraldgrey It may come and go. I don't know which preamp you put in the power amp, I assumed the preamp had a tuner. I f you don't, you might have picked up an AM station with your cables (as you suggested).
@@dylanemeraldgrey searche for “tuner crosstalk” on google. I was also concerned about crosstalk through inputs on my pre, and figured it’s quite normal at the very low level it shows in my case.
Thanks, Kelvin. This is a familiar experience. This gets worse if you have all separate components. Is it the pre amp? Is it the Amp? Is it the DAC? One time I found out the unlikey, that something was wrong. It was the speaker rely switch. I had it fixed by a professional. Another time, it was a speaker wire connection. I was happy!
For newbies, always always always have a notebook and write sh!t down. TAKE NOTES. I can't stress this enough. You make a change to your chain, write it down. Take photos too if need be. Nothing worse at getting something working really good and then making a change that degrades only to not remember what you changed.
Really enjoy your channel. Another thing worth checking with older amps that have pre out and main in connections. Are the jumper plugs connected between them? That one's caught me out a few times!
Kelvin (I hope I'm getting that right), the first 25 seconds of this had me howling. I also change my gear all the time, and half the time, SOMETHING or other goes amiss. Happens so often that I don't even panic anymore. hahaha! I haven't even watched the full vid yet, but stopped just to comment. Cheers!
Time after time electronics cleaner and De Oxit will restore knob / relay problems. Even fixed dead left channel. I usually take the cover off , clen off dust with paint brush, turn it on its side and HOSE it down with Electronics cleaner.
Hi Kelvin wonder if you could give me your expert advice on this one. I bought a Pioneer SX-838 earlier this summer. Works great except for an odd happenstance which has happened probably 5 or 6 times in last month. I often listen to FM radio every day. Well most of the time this is great. But maybe every 3 or 4 times I listen to my stereo, all of a sudden the signal stops silent. I wait maybe 5 or 10 seconds and hear a pop then it comes back again, the radio signal. The meter signal goes from the right (strong signal) to 0 (full left). I have ruled out speakers. Is this possibly the black legged transistors problem in Pioneer receivers. The receiver is 50 years old. I have had it for a few months. But I heard from several guys on UA-cam that Pioneer receivers are known to have troublesome black legged transistors. Is this a symptom of that? Thanks. Every time it goes silent for only a few seconds but there are hours and hours between this happenstance of perfectly great audio.
When wireing the streamer to the amp and outputs on the streamer are lined up like that it is very likely you will connect analog right out and coax out 😂
I'm having problems like this right now. Haven't played any records for months. Need to borrow an amp to check, can not be bothered with trying any more.
My receiver keeps shutting off at random times. I recently sold my speakers and haven't purchased new ones yet. I just listen to the receiver with headphones. I'm wondering if having no speakers connected could be what is making it shut off sometimes. It never shut off before when I had speakers connected. Hmm...
Quite correct!. After checking balance & correct input selection, out come the headphones. Rather damage my phones than expensive jbl’s. If you cannot find tin foil, why not cut down a six inch nail!.
I have more than one amplifier with only one working channel. I'm pretty sure the fuses are blown. How easy / cheap is it to get this fixed? Or should I just get sell them as faulty to get rid of them?
Could be a number of things. Cracked soldier joint, dirty volume pot, low input volume, low efficiency speakers, poor amp speaker matching etc. SOOOOO many things.
I once had a problem after changing a lead at the back of amp that I had a weedy sounding phono output. It turned out that I accidentally flicked the MM switch to MC😂😂😂
I watch a lot to you BUT please sort that aweful microphone out. For a channel with a super hos whosw into sound , it's let down by the cheap sounding mic. Keep up the good work Kelvin.
I love your videos and enthusiasm. I could imagine spending many a happy hour down the pub with you chatting about vintage hi fi and how I naively took my NAD 3020 to the tip thinking nobody would want yee olde amp these days. I was gutted when I realised there was so much enthusiasm for this equipment.
Readily available online 👍🏻
Hey Mate.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: If an amp hasn't been turned on for years, or if you buy a used one, always check the speaker outputs for DC. Caps can have collapsed so the amp send a lot of volts DC into your speakers which can kill them. If you measure more than 1 volt (tops) on the speaker outputs - DON'T CONNECT YOUR SPEAKERS. (and don't buy the amp).
Caps can sometimes reform which some might point out, but my advice is: If you measure more than 1 volt DC - Get the caps changed before connecting your speakers.
A simple cheap multimeter is a great tool for any hifi lover, and can mean the difference between life or death for your speakers. Always bring one when looking at used gear.
Stay cool and awesome.
Best wishes from Denmark.
PS. When buying a vintage amp/receiver, always keep it turned on all the time for a couple of month. Especially if you don't know it's history. Seen more than one example of killed speakers within a month because the owners despite warnings turned them off after use too soon and the caps gave up the ghost.
Thanks. Good advice my friend. North London
Wow this is some legit info, tyvm.
My personal favourites are 1. not connecting the power (really) 2. switching the speakers off by accident and 3. having the tape loop switched in. If I do all three, I go to the pub to think it over😊
One Channel only working could also be a dirty Speaker Select switch / dirty Tape Monitor or dirty Input Select switch as well. Great Video
Yes, true
The tape monitor input of your integrated amplifier will have the shortest signal path and bypasses a lot of the input switching. So, try plugging an audio source into this input and then toggle the tape monitor switch. Likewise, if your integrated amplifier has jumper links in the back (that connect the pre-amplifier and power amplifier stages together) these jumpers can be removed to test the function of each of the amplifier stages separately. If you have a DAC or streamer with a volume control the outputs can be directly connected to the power amplifier.
good stuff thanks
👋KELVIN,THANKS,😅BEEN THERE,DONE THAT… Great advice for newbies and people trying older amps🤗💚💚💚
Another way of checking the amplifier is to inject a 50Hz hum signal into each channel. Connect an audio lead but have one end free such that you can briefly touch the centre pin of the RCA plugs. There is always a background 50Hz produced by radiation from electric power grids. Your body will pick up this signal and the amplifier will hum in the appropriate channel. If there is no hum, then the channel is not working. This eliminates the source component from the troubleshooting exercise. It is also helpful to be mindful of the last thing you changed in the system. If it worked prior to the change, then you might simply have misconnected one of the audio components.
Hi Kelvin, instructive and creative as usual..had a channel loss today on a Cambridge amp...
A.B.output problem..those micro relays can after time, burn out there contact to the signal path as you know...Thnxs as alway's cheers pal.
Great video for newbies, now waiting for vintage speaker reviews for us oldies......
Your comments about lose wires and young people is funny. My 19 t/p son and his friends get a kick out of me trying to fix things by banging them and shocked when sometimes it works. Different technology!
I had a problem with the last cd player that I owned. The output on one channel was faulty so sound only came from one speaker unless I fiddled with the RCA interconnect on that channel. The cause was a dodgy output connection inside the chassis.
The biggest problem I have with my hi fi is , "GRANDKIDS " ,one 4 the other 7 yrs old. They cant leave things alone. Particularly the 4 yr old. Inputs changed, balance controls moved, speakers switched out. Recently found some lovely biro Mark's in the plinth of my garrard 401. Today he stood on the arm of the sofa and removed the second hand from an early electric art deco style clock. Still love em though.
Sounds more like poor parenting and/or supervision.
How do they learn right from wrong if they just fiddle with other peoples possessions as they please?
@@michaelb9664 I knew someone would say that . I'm 70 yrs old, disabled and trying to watch 2 lively grandkids isn't easy.
I just had the experience of hooking a pre-amp up to a kenwood KA-4002. I could faintly hear the radio playing in the speaker - but there's no tuner in a 4002. I guess the RCA cables were acting as antennae, but i still don't understand how it happens. Apparently it indicates bad caps, at least. I was getting it on both aux inputs. Today i switched the cables, ironically, to the tuner input, and no radio signal coming out of the speakers. Unfortunately, with today's prices, a repair would be about twice what i paid for the amp, at least.
it's called crosstalk and depending on how loud it is, you might have to live with it
@@lorenzosoldi If you read the last part, you'll see how I "solved" it. But how does it receive and "play" a radio signal without a tuner?
@@dylanemeraldgrey It may come and go. I don't know which preamp you put in the power amp, I assumed the preamp had a tuner. I f you don't, you might have picked up an AM station with your cables (as you suggested).
@@lorenzosoldi No tuner in the amp or pre. That's why i was so surprised. The pre is a DAC/AMP. Anyway, thanks for the reply.
@@dylanemeraldgrey searche for “tuner crosstalk” on google. I was also concerned about crosstalk through inputs on my pre, and figured it’s quite normal at the very low level it shows in my case.
how many hours have been wasted chasing a fault only too find the wall socket isn't switched on (or plugged in)
@vineshnaidoo9402 so very true, mind you toke before and procrastinate is always an option
Thanks, Kelvin. This is a familiar experience. This gets worse if you have all separate components. Is it the pre amp? Is it the Amp? Is it the DAC? One time I found out the unlikey, that something was wrong. It was the speaker rely switch. I had it fixed by a professional. Another time, it was a speaker wire connection. I was happy!
For newbies, always always always have a notebook and write sh!t down. TAKE NOTES. I can't stress this enough. You make a change to your chain, write it down. Take photos too if need be. Nothing worse at getting something working really good and then making a change that degrades only to not remember what you changed.
fair point
Really enjoy your channel. Another thing worth checking with older amps that have pre out and main in connections. Are the jumper plugs connected between them? That one's caught me out a few times!
Yes and yes
Kelvin (I hope I'm getting that right), the first 25 seconds of this had me howling. I also change my gear all the time, and half the time, SOMETHING or other goes amiss. Happens so often that I don't even panic anymore. hahaha! I haven't even watched the full vid yet, but stopped just to comment. Cheers!
Time after time electronics cleaner and De Oxit will restore knob / relay problems. Even fixed dead left channel. I usually take the cover off , clen off dust with paint brush, turn it on its side and HOSE it down with Electronics cleaner.
Hi Kelvin wonder if you could give me your expert advice on this one. I bought a Pioneer SX-838 earlier this summer. Works great except for an odd happenstance which has happened probably 5 or 6 times in last month. I often listen to FM radio every day. Well most of the time this is great. But maybe every 3 or 4 times I listen to my stereo, all of a sudden the signal stops silent. I wait maybe 5 or 10 seconds and hear a pop then it comes back again, the radio signal. The meter signal goes from the right (strong signal) to 0 (full left). I have ruled out speakers. Is this possibly the black legged transistors problem in Pioneer receivers. The receiver is 50 years old. I have had it for a few months. But I heard from several guys on UA-cam that Pioneer receivers are known to have troublesome black legged transistors. Is this a symptom of that? Thanks. Every time it goes silent for only a few seconds but there are hours and hours between this happenstance of perfectly great audio.
When wireing the streamer to the amp and outputs on the streamer are lined up like that it is very likely you will connect analog right out and coax out 😂
I'm having problems like this right now. Haven't played any records for months. Need to borrow an amp to check, can not be bothered with trying any more.
Hey there, a bit off topic but may I ask what you think of the B&W 805 D3 compact speakers? Thanks
Check your balance control too
My receiver keeps shutting off at random times. I recently sold my speakers and haven't purchased new ones yet. I just listen to the receiver with headphones. I'm wondering if having no speakers connected could be what is making it shut off sometimes. It never shut off before when I had speakers connected. Hmm...
Quite correct!. After checking balance & correct input selection, out come the headphones. Rather damage my phones than expensive jbl’s. If you cannot find tin foil, why not cut down a six inch nail!.
been watching the repair shop ?
Great advice kelvin 😊
did i spy , koss pro4A headphones from 1973?
Yes, I done the speaker button mistake only the other week on my old pioneer 😂😂😂
The leads search 🤣
I have more than one amplifier with only one working channel. I'm pretty sure the fuses are blown. How easy / cheap is it to get this fixed? Or should I just get sell them as faulty to get rid of them?
don't sell if they are any good
you can get fuses its not super hard
i have to crank mine to 75% vol to hear anything!! could it be a bad cap??
Could be a number of things.
Cracked soldier joint, dirty volume pot, low input volume, low efficiency speakers, poor amp speaker matching etc. SOOOOO many things.
your certain all switches are right
What is it?
@@chloedevereaux1801 oh btw.... Check your input isn't going into the OUTPUT of the tape loop that will do this.
I once had a problem after changing a lead at the back of amp that I had a weedy sounding phono output. It turned out that I accidentally flicked the MM switch to MC😂😂😂
Everyday🤣
I watch a lot to you BUT please sort that aweful microphone out. For a channel with a super hos whosw into sound , it's let down by the cheap sounding mic. Keep up the good work Kelvin.
I hear ya
👍