Should You Replace Capacitors In Vintage Electronics?- Marantz Sansui Pioneer McIntosh Yamaha
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- čas přidán 12. 06. 2024
- Our thoughts on whether its a good idea to replace capacitors in vintage electronics. Do you agree? Leave a comment!
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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!
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.
As an old technician from way back I'm glad to hear there's still jobs out there :)
It feels great to have a piece of vintage audio equipment that has been recapped.
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
@@jalander8817 sorry i disagree one heck of a deal
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.
I recently had my SX-1250 restored. It made a big difference in sound. Much cleaner with no hiss or hum. MONEY WELL SPENT.
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!
Had a huge cap pop on my 1980 and I couldn't believe how expensive those things were to buy new. But I played it safe and spent the $500 bucks and changed all four. Now it sounds way more valuable! Haha. One scientific thing to keep in mind is how perception is truly all in your head. Even if there's absolutely no difference in the measurable sound, it sounds way better to me.
My Support for all you experts keeping our equipment alive !!! Regards
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’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 :)
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
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.
@@blackterminalOr decent soldering technique, you can repair them with meager tools with enough skill, comes with practice, there's PLENTY of junk out there to practice on, cheaper than a £10000 university debt.
I collect vintage QUAD and Have spent a small fortune getting my 50 year old units being fully restored by a 77 year old Quad Guru. I completely agree with you on this. In many respects my valve and solid state stuff actually sounds better and far exceeds original factory specifications
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.
Another great open and honest video. Thanks for helping me learn loads on this new hobby.
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!
Using the oil change is a brilliant example
I totally agree with you on getting preventative maintenance done now, as the techs in my area are older and before long, will be done working...
There's always be people who will do it and repair that stuff. And if it's only to change capacitor, then why you don't do it yourself ? It's not very complicated if you take the time to do it correctly. Information is more available than ever. It's not like troubleshooting or anything. I would start with something not expensive, and when you get assurance, then you move to more expensive stuff.
He is so right I bow to you loving hearing about the stuff I know about and he's on point.
very informative and helpfull. the push I needed to hear. thanks
lots of good insight into far more than replacing the capacitors - Thank You !!
Awesome commentary, and some great points. Would love to see a video in regard to the actual dissection of a few “still working”, vintage capacitors, in direct comparison to the dissected “brand new” modern replacements that would replace them. Along with your opinions on the best (your preferred) modern replacement brands, and why. Maybe consider an additional segment on replacing passive speaker crossovers, and causes of their failures, as well. Would be great. Thanks for your time. Thumbs upped, and subbed. 👍
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 !!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thanks for the input. You help me resolve by dilemma
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.
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.
Excellent video, as always. I recently had a complete restoration of my 2270 performed, and while it *may* sound a little different, those minute changes are not detrimental to the sound at all. It may be insane, but I'm so glad I took the plunge. This machine might well outlive me!
Very sensible thoughts and opinions!
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.
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 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.
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!
I think higher quality speaker crossover parts make a difference. It all makes a difference. Small things add up🔈👍🏻
Definitely makes a difference. As does the type of cap used. ditto inductors
Bet you can’t tell in a blind listening test.
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
There is so much very good advice contained right here in this video - thank you!
I have - thankfully! - the technical ability to replace the caps in most of my vintage gear. I'd best get to that, then :)
Much appreciated, Dave! Thank you
I changed all the caps in my original owner and the sound was much more dynamic and cleaner.
I agree with you ,me as a electronics rep I agree with you ,thanks for your honesty.
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.
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!
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 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 ❤
So many you said are so true. Love the way you think
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.
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
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’m glad I watched this video. My Sherwood S-7200 is in the shop. I’m going to suggest what you just advised while I have the opportunity.
Honest man, with honest opinion. Thank you sir, subscribed just because of this video.
I appreciate that!
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.
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.
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 )
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.
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!
Excellent advice!!! Thanks!!!
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?
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
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.
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.
I would love to have the skills and knowledge required to service vintage audio. I can't even explain how true that statement is.
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.
@@claytonwalton1939 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!
@@claytonwalton1939 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 !
Thanks for the video. I am going to have my Marantz 4430 serviced in the next weeks. It’s working fine , but I will ask to change the capacitors you mentioned. Thanks again ❤
As a technician, I find only some owners want to spend the money to do it right. Most want the cheapest way out. Just get it running.
Nice video, good info.. love the tee shirt!
Thank you!
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.
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
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 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.
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
You can ABSOLUTELY hear the difference in power supply caps, with the caveat that you use really good replacement caps. Look for a higher temp rating lower ESR and higher ripple current rating. I normally use minimum of 105c and 5000 hour rating. Some companies used excellent quality caps in the beginning but while quality caps were used in the Asian market units some American market units like Mcintosh used what were then called " computer grade" caps that usually were industrial quality and those units might not benefit from a cap swap.
Bare in mind that you can get really good expensive caps that cost much more than you think.
For example I rebuilt my Harman kardon Citation 16 with fast diodes and Mallory extreme high ripple current and very low ESR caps that were made for professional large scale photo flash units. The amp will do a cosine burst cleanly at over 1700 watts! I had to put thermostats and fans on the heatsinks! Those caps were over $500.00 15 years ago. Clearly the headroom was massively increased.
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!
Great points made
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.
I absolutely agree woth you. You have to change it! The idea is very practical to improve the system.
All great advice.
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.
great advice thank you
You are so welcome!
I agree with every word you said excellent video!
I used to change 100% of all caps for new ones. I love doing this in my free time, it's my hobby. But one day I saw on CZcams the work of a pro who was checking old roofs with a cool device. This is no ordinary $20 probe, it tested the ERP of caps at different frequencies. And what is surprising, the old 40-year-old caps gave better results compared to the new Nichikons. He is sure that the modern process for the production of caps cannot be compared to what it used to be. After spot-checking a few lids, he leaves it as is, saying, "This will last another 40 years." I began to think, is it worth changing 100% of the caps for new ones?
Kind of my thinking too... If they are not leaking or bulging, and measure within specs... Why change them for something of lesser quality? That is what my electronics tech stated, but he would do what I want.
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.
I totally agree, It doesn't cost that much for the skills that they perform. I recently got a Tandberg TD 2060 took it to the engineers and got a full service and a total stripdown of the tuner mechanics, lubed and received the receiver top notch for £200 which I think is really cheap. Trouble is though it hasn't taken 5 years to make it difficult to find vintage electricians here in the UK, I had to travel out of the city of Birmingham to get there and back! A major electronics store in the city centre called Mathews closed down a year ago which had been a thriving business and repaired anything before they closed. You would think some entrepreneur would get hold of the schematics for starting up the real hi-fi era again, my bet if they could afford the investment they would make millions!
So True Kevin, you can put a voltmeter across a car battery and it will read 12 volts but it won' t have the amps it did when it was new. Electrolytic caps dry out values change an when they change in a tank circuit like in tuning, which means a cap and tuning coil wrkg together, it will not be easy to get the stations you want
Good advice, with a hi Rez system a better cap in speakers does make a difference , yes small but better.
Thanks for good info again!!
Our pleasure!
I fully agree. you have it open already. do the full overhaul.
Thxs Kevin I agree with you....
Good advice.
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.
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.
For those who say, "if it isn't broke, don't fix it": it's like oil in your car engine. Don't change it, engine still working but for how long...
And for "lost art", I agree with you. That's why everyone has to fight for the "right to repair" laws (see Louis Rossmann's videos) so that there is a minimum of people able to understand electronics at the component level and not only to replace a complete board.
i've been a component level tech for 4 decades - thing is today, with high labour costs and cheap boards, it's no longer cost effective to repair boards at component level! buy a new board for $85 or spend $300+ having the old one repaired
I've actually had people tell me that about my car. That if the transmission fluid has never been changed, then it needs to be in the condition it's in in order to run properly! Same principle.
Definitely gonna be a fun one
Lots of great advice, especially having these repairs done before the experts are gone. Wish you were in my area of So. Cal. lol because I's send my Yamaha M50 to you. It's working but as you mentioned, the caps should be replaced. I'm hoping to get hold of a Concept 11.0 from an estate sale and if I succeed, I'll definitely have the caps replaced. Oh, you wouldn't happen to have a referral for someone out in So. Cal, would you? 😉
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).