BACK TO STEREO

First attempt to destroy disassemble was performed today. Pictured are my workaround (yes, I Do use a ZipLock bags and I write everything down ’cause I have misplaced some essential elements a couple of times already), power transformer already cleaned up, some panels waiting for the restoration and finally – what I left behind me today.

Got it off Bay.de … It seems the last 10 years or so it was sitting in sawmill or like. It still works (well, one channel is -20dB). Guess I’ll be playing LEGO with it soon. It does not come out with brush and vacuum, seems to have some oily ingredient mixed into the dust.

Next week I am going to test the brand new Latvian made software – EQPos from Pure Sound Technologies. I’ve heard a lot about the miracles it is capable of. The tests will be conducted using: from left to right: Bowers&Wilkins DM603, Phonar 30s and Phonar Laser 200, driven by Harman / Kardon PM660, Kenwood KA-7020, SONY TA-F650esD, ONKYO TX-SR605, connected via noName cooper wires with at least 2,5mm2 cross section, the source – SONY SACD player SCD-XE680 QS, ASUS eeePC, noName RCA connectors. Test albums – to be decided yet. I guess one of the tracks will be Getz/Gilberto “Girl grom Ipanema”, and, Nazareth’s Hair of the Dog, something with distinct drums from Genesis, etc. mp3/flac files for testing will be obtained from the CD layer of said SACDs, using EAC with Plextor drive.

A lot of pics with comments @picasaweb. Just a teaser here ! ;-)

HK PM650

wanted! :-)

I’ve been watching over the offerings at eBay of various Marantz amps. Unfortunately all of the models I encountered were either designed with STK3102/AN7062 as a voltage amps for current transistors (and I was thinking that Technics and SONY are the ones with such an ICs even in TOTL models…) or even worse. For example, Marantz PM493 is entirely built using STK4164 – a single chip power amp!!! Even PM66 Ki Signature edition is built with AN7062 as a driver.
As a result – I am going to expand my Harman Kardon PM6xx series collection for now.

Got tired of SONY TA-F419R amp, replaced almost all elements in the power amp section, still it tended to be unstable and oscilating in high frequencies, so I decided to replace the power stage with chipamp built with LM3886 (50W @ 8 Ohm). During lunch break assembled Poland made kit PCB’s and shot the interior of SONY with the abovementioned PCB’s ready to be wired.

The first one was repaired, adjusted, Audio Technica AT91 pickup installed and I parted with it. Hope the new owner will have a lot of fun. Still waiting for the hinges to arrive.
As for the other one, I decided to go the hard way. First task was the hardest one – to pick the color. Finally the graphite was chosen and the table repainted. I chose the usual thermoplastic paintingas it is easier to apply and the results are better that traditional solvent based paint.
You can see the result in pics below. The next step is to find a workshop capable to make all the lettering on the panel as close to the original as it is possible. I have scanned pics in high res (600dpi) and I matched the fonts used by Technics back in seventies. The result will be reported next week.

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