Show me your ****(embly), and let me get in your guts baby!

1131416181942

Comments

  • ka7niq
    ka7niq Posts: 577
    edited October 2007
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    Here's a grab shot of the innards of a Fisher X-100 I recently re-hab'bed for a local. Parts from Jim McShane and Antique Electronics Supply.

    Cathode biased, push-pull 7189s. Very sweet sounding amplifier; glorious midrange (maybe even a tad nicer than my HF-81).

    P1020673.jpg
    P1020649.jpg
    P1020647.jpg
    Nice Work!
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    Hello,
    The Amber pre-amp should sound good. I used to sell the Amber Series 70 amplifier and it was excellent sounding. I didn't have much experience with the pre-amp, but should be good. The designers may have taught electronics at U of VA, I seem to remember.
    Enjoy, Ken
    Your recollection seems plausible, sir.

    I donated Amber to a West Coast Audio Asylum member whose (much higher end) preamp had a sudden and unexpected meltdown. Based on several hours on a Flame Linear 200 and my little Ohm Walshes (unknown models), though, Amber got the job done.

    P1020691.jpg
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    Nice Work!
    Thanks... it's a nice amp. I think its owner is pretty pleased with it.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited October 2007
    Hello,
    I've been looking at the bottom of my Fisher 500C recently, replacing the filter caps and filament selenium rectifier with a kit I bought. I have to remove some capacitor mounting brackets and terminal strips to allow for the new board to fit underneath the bottom plate. I had to take out the chassis fuse holder and epoxy a fuse holder to the inside chassis itself. I used a Dremel with a cutoff disc to cut off the terminal strips and capacitor bracket that was riveted to the chassis. Now I have to install the new circuit board and run the connecting wires to the places in the circuit where they need to go. There's a tremendous amount of point-to-point wiring, good grief somebody probably made $2.00 an hour in those days. Quite a process.
    Ken
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    The good thing about the Fisher receivers, though, is that there's a fair amount of room below decks and things are neatly and thoughfully laid out. Compare a Fisher 400 or 500C to, say a Pioneer SX-34 (or its clone, the Allied/Knight 333) or even a Sansui 1000A. All of these units were roughly contemporaries.

    That Fisher amp was a little crowded around the outputs. The receivers, though, are quite pleasant to work on IMNSHO.

    The output zone of a Fisher 400:
    couplingcapsncathoderesistors.jpg

    The same neighborhood on a Knight 333:
    Knight333underneath.jpg

    Replacing the coupling caps in the latter was a pain in the tuchus
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited October 2007
    Hello,
    Things got a little tight under there, here's the link to the circuit board:
    http://www.triodeelectronics.com/sds500cbrdprts.html
    I discovered a neat trick that someone could market. If you look on the photograph you have for the receiver look at the shielded wires near the right had side of the photo. When I am tinning wires I put the wire between the shielding and the metal part of the chassis. It is a great way to support a wire while you work on it. Someone should make something similar as a great accessory wire holder for soldering. A platform with a spring connected at two points that can hold a wire.
    Ken
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    Great tip!

    I use one of those "third hand" thingies with articulated alligator clips, Ken. They're still "available everywhere", maybe even Radio Shack (which is where I think I got mine).

    http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=360-670

    360-670L.jpg

    The plastic magnifier is cheesy, but the rest of it is quite helpful.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited October 2007
    Hello,
    Oh, yes, had those for many years. There's a variation on that available from Micromart that has four arms and a different kind of base that has a threaded locking mechanism. With this one you can attach it to the sides of the component's chassis then use the four arms to hold various parts steady. So if you tend to work with the chassis upright you can attach the holder firmly to the unit itself. When I'm joining two wires I like to have both wires held in place then that frees up both hands to heat and hold the solder.
    I bought replacement end caps for the Fisher knobs, new front panel lamps and am considering a new cabinet from the Fisher Doc to really get it looking spiffy. I've cleaned and polished the faceplate with Flitz and have to get the on/of selector working. I might have to take it apart and clean the wiper arm, not looking forward to trying that.
    Then I can get back to the Altec.
    Ken
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    Did you add cathode resistors?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited October 2007
    Hello,
    Not yet, the original issue was a "something's burning" smell coming from the receiver. I suspected the selenium rectifier so that was my beginning point. Thanks for reminding me about the 10 Ohm resistors. I believe VTV offers a circuit upgrade kit for coupling caps, etc. This receiver is used with a pair of Spica TC50 on Chicago stands with a XRt12 tuner. My wife has a small office in the basement and this is her audio source. I used to have a CAL CD player with it, but the XM tuner has replaced it.
    Ken
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    Unless you really don't feel like the doing the legwork, I'd recommend sourcing all the parts yourself. PM me if you want more info.

    Back to the carnality...
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
    edited October 2007
    Hello,
    You've been PM'd sir.
    Thanks, Ken
  • MikeC78
    MikeC78 Posts: 2,315
    edited October 2007
    Monster Power Center HTPS 7000 MKII
  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2007
    Here's the guts of my McIntosh MX115. :D
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    No top view of the MX-115? :-(
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    I was cleaning up an old Technics SA-5270 35 wpc receiver tonight in preparation for its going to a new home :-) Snapped a few photos while the hood was up; thought I'd share them here.

    P1020734.jpg
    P1020736.jpg
    P1020737.jpg
    P1020738.jpg

    Dunno if you can tell in the last two photos, but all of the panel lamps on this ca. 1976 receiver still light! Interestingly they're large-diameter, fuse-like lamps extremely similar to those found in vintage Fisher 400s and 500s. Never saw such lamps in a Japanese receiver before.
  • speakergeek
    speakergeek Posts: 555
    edited October 2007
    mhardy6647,

    Those are some great photos of good vintage receivers there! That Technics has some decent caps.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    It's quite a bit nicer than the next model year's SA-300 or the following SA-303, I can tell you that.
  • LBrize
    LBrize Posts: 58
    edited October 2007
    The first three are Harman Kardon DVD-22
    Next we have Rotel RB-951 (Mark One)
    Finally, Rotel RB-985 THX Mark II

    Enjoy!
    I'll have to take a few tops off, but I should have some more to add pretty soon!


    Edit: I hooked up the 951 to test it, (I bought it for surround channels to complete a 7.1 setup) but it sounds better than the 985 Mk II. Puts me in a pickle, because the little 50wpc amp sounds so laid back, musical, and relaxing that I'm going to have a hard time putting the 985 back on the mains.

    Any thoughts?
  • LBrize
    LBrize Posts: 58
    edited October 2007
    Picture comparison between the RB 951 Mk I and the Mk II.
  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited October 2007
    Nice thanks for joining Polk Forum :)


    Question,

    Does the Mk I and the Mk II sound different, or the same?

    Speakers
    Carver Amazing Fronts
    CS400i Center
    RT800i's Rears
    Sub Paradigm Servo 15

    Electronics
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
    Parasound Halo A23
    Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
    Sony CX400 CD changer
    Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
    WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR


  • LBrize
    LBrize Posts: 58
    edited October 2007
    I really don't know if the Mk I and Mk II sound any different, but I do know that, at least in my case, the smaller amp sounds better than the bigger amp I own. I tried today for it to not, I hooked up the 985 and listened to some good stuff; Fourplay, Norah Jones, Sinatra, then moved on to Def Leppard and some modern pop stuff, then I switched back to the 951. The difference is too much to ignore.

    I don't own the Mk II, I grabbed that picture from this board. Thanks whoever owns that pic. :0)
  • del44
    del44 Posts: 686
    edited October 2007
    The inside of a Bryston 4BST before cleaning.:)
    [IMG][/img]DSC00494.jpg



    Pic of the left side after it's removed from the body. This needs to be done in order to remove the rack handles



    [IMG][/img]DSC00495.jpg


    Body, after the side is removed. Sorry for the bad pic.


    [IMG][/img]DSC00497.jpg
  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited October 2007
    del44 wrote: »

    Body, after the side is removed. Sorry for the bad pic.


    That's OK take some more nice piece :)

    Speakers
    Carver Amazing Fronts
    CS400i Center
    RT800i's Rears
    Sub Paradigm Servo 15

    Electronics
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
    Parasound Halo A23
    Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
    Sony CX400 CD changer
    Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
    WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR


  • beardog03
    beardog03 Posts: 5,550
    edited October 2007
    niiiice !!
    Cary SLP-98L F1 DC Pre Amp (Jag Blue)
    Parasound HCA-3500
    Cary Audio V12 amp (Jag Red)
    Polk Audio Xm Reciever (Autographed by THE MAN Himself) :cool:
    Magnum Dynalab MD-102 Analog Tuna
    Jolida JD-100 CDP
    Polk Audio LSi9 Speaks (ebony)
    SVS PC-Ultra Sub
    AQ Bedrock Speaker Cables (Bi-Wired)
    MIT Shotgun S1 I/C`s
    AQ Black Thunder Sub Cables
    PS Audio Plus Power Cords
    Magnum Dynalab ST-2 FM Antenna
    Sanus Cherry wood Speak Stands
    Adona AV45CS3 / 3 Tier Rack (Black /Gold)


    :cool:
  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,663
    edited October 2007
    Nice guts you got there.

    engtaz
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    I don't think I ever posted photos of this EICO AF-4 single-ended EL84 integrated amp in this thread. This one's been in the family since it was new. My father got it in a "grab bag" from his TV parts supplier in the late-1960s and gave it to his sister. His sister used it for some time, then put it in storage. Last year, she (kindly) passed it on to me.

    AF-4rfront.jpg
    AF-4topview.jpg
    AF4inaction0222.jpg
  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited October 2007
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    No top view of the MX-115? :-(
    Here's the best I can do for now. :D
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    That's a start :-)

    That's nice...
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,813
    edited October 2007
    Not to post-ho', but today's project was to (finally) upgrade the unshielded power transformer in my (very early) Bottlehead Seduction phono preamp to the shielded PT. I've only had the shielded PT sitting on my workbench in the basement for about 2 years...

    Before:

    P1020755.jpg
    P1020760.jpg
    P1020759.jpg

    After:

    P1020763.jpg
    P1020762.jpg

    (I flipped the chassis upside-down in its stock base to work on -- and to photograph -- it)