Since we’ve raised the topic of vintage gear several times, perhaps a few pointers are in order.

While I believe SOME vintage gear plays better music than modern gear, the accent is on the words SOME, certainly not all. Yesteryear saw its fair share of poor products, just as we have today, products not worth buying, and even less worth the time and trouble of restoring. So, if in doubt, ask.

For example, vintage Marantz gear is worth the time and trouble, in my view, only if it’s sitting on what they internally called the P700 platform. This topology represents the pinnacle of their work as related to normal, standard products, i.e. discounting special editions and series. It was the basis for Marantz integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers and receivers during the 1978-1980 period only, and is applicable to 1152 DC, 1180 DC, 1300 DC integrated amps, 170 DC and 300 DC power amps, 2252, 2285 and 2300 receivers. Smaller models are different, and while not bad, they are not the Real Deal.

By the same token, other manufacturers also have models well worth salvaging from oblivion. For example, Kenwood had its 7100, 7300 and similar models, offering true dual mono technology, with separate L and R power supplies, etc. Harman/Kardon had their model 403 and later 505, also with twin transformers and true dual mono, etc.

So, before you go bidding or buying, ask. Somebody will be able to help.

Whichever you buy, bear in mind that what you are hearing is not what they are capable of, “as is” will let you hear models whose electronics are way below their true potentials. This is because everything has its useful service life, after which it may still work, but progressively way below its true potentials. Most succeptible to aging are arguably the most important parts of them namely the electrolytic capacitors. Their useful service life is 7-10 years, after which they being to show signs of serious aging. When I took the capacitors out of my own vintage gear, instead of the nominal 15,000 uF, they measured at around 7,200 uF – less than one half. I never bothered to measure their speed, I knew it was way below par.

By comparison, film capacitors age much more slowly and in many cases, can be left alone. Mylar and film capacitors have service lives of around 50 years, so they should be fine. Same goes for resistors and active components (transistors and diodes). They are best left alone, because “if works, don’t fix it”.

Notwithstanding all that, you WILL need to exchange the electrolytics. They fall into two categories, small and reasonably cheap and large and possibly not so cheap. Before you go exchanging them, be aware that in quality products, you will likely find ELNA capacitors, as they were an unofficial standard of the day. These are not at all likely to be anything high class, rather standard fare, but they could have custom ratings and sizes. This may be a problem only in terms of size, because sometimes their standard sizes were altered. This would make their replacement harder to do, but far from impossible, and the worst that can happen is to have to use similar modern caps a size smaller, yet also a size bigger, depending on the available space.

If you go for restoring vintage gear, you need to ask yourself – do I want it simply restored, or do I want to further tune it? Simple restoring means a clean replacement, or as near to it as possible, no funny business. Tuning means upgrading not only in putting new in, but also increasing sizes, going for current standards “de luxe” components, and exchanging more than just the capacitors. For example, you could have critical resistors, likely to be typical +/- 5% carbon types exchanged for +/- 1% metal film. This will yield a better focused sound, with added clarity and detail, but in the end, that will not be the serial product it was, it will be a tuned serial product. You decide before you do anything.

Who does the work? Somebody who is savvy with electronics, knows where to obtain parts and is handy with a soldering iron. If this description doesn’t describe you, then you will need a qualified serviceman for the job. Their time doesn’t come cheap, so make sure you have a deal regarding costs, or you might be in trouble. For him to be able to estimate the value of his work, you will need to show him a short list of what you want done, such as the example below:

“…
1. Change all electrolytic capacitors;
2. Use Elna for Audio or Nichicon capacitors only;
3. Upgrade main filter capacitors to larger;

…”

This makes his work easier and allows for proper agreement on the price of restoring, and if done well, inhibits any subsequent problems regarding the arrangement. Go for a complete deal, meaning that he should obtain the required parts, that’s always the safest. No subsequent complaints about sizes, values, etc. Remember, what’s not on the list is not understood.


Phase 1

Phase 1 means you only change the main filter capacitors. This is quick work, an operation which should not take over 30 minutes for a qualified serviceman, assuming he has the required replacement caps at hand, which some do. This will restore the unit by approximately 50-60% and will most audibly change the sound for the better.

Unfortunately, it’s really only the beginning, and most of the glory will still be left out.


Phase 2

In this case, you change ALL electrolytic caps, not just the main ones. This improves matters by another say 10% over Phase 1, to say 70% of the total. It can’t do more because some of the main culprits degrading your sound, the switches and potentiometers, are still untouched and may cause signal loss in extreme case (when you have to push a button 3 or 4 times before it makes something of a contact).


Phase 3

During this stage, all electrolytics are exchanged, all switches and taken aparts, cleaned, reassembled and returned to original positions, and all potentiometers are cleaned, or better yet, exchanged for new ones. This should bring the device back to its full glory, if not a full 100% then at least 98%. Do this and you will understand the point of quality vintage.


Phase 4

Optional works. One optional thing I would recommend everybody does is to take out those really very poor spring clips for eeny, weeny tiny speaker cables and in their place install some serious binding posts. What’s the sense of having super cables if they are too thick to be attached? Or have to be made thinner to fit in? This may require some mechanical work and patching up of the back of amplifiers, but it’s well worth the time and trouble. I never fail to do it.

You may also feel some internal cabling should be changed from standard copper to say high quality OFC copper, or perhaps even silver – that’s generally a good idea, but bear in mind that you are now overstepping the original products. The same is true of changing critical resistors with higher quality ones – the results will be there, but that will no longer be the original device, it will be something more.

Some will exchange mylar and mica small value capacitors for far better silver mica caps – this never fails to improve the sound, but is relatively expensive to do, and again, you will be changing the overall sound.


So, in the end, how much?

Hard to say, but almost certainly more than you paid for the item itself, at least in most cases. Typically, bills add up to about 100…200 euros for the materials, and as much for the hands, if you do it commercially, and depending on which stage you decide upon.


Is it worth it?

Answering this is by default highly subjective. In my view, yes, it’s well worth it if the job’s done properly, but others may have different opinions.

To gain any practical knowledge about this, you’d be well advised to find a model you are hunting for already restored, so you can hear it; failing that, a similar model will have to do. Also, you’d be well advised to look over the competition of the day as well, who knows, you may find you prefer an alternative.

Great post and well thought out dvv, but one thing has been on my mind, not a lot mind you but I've thought about it and that is some buyers might get the idea that if they buy any old Technics, marantz, Trio, Pioneer, etc, they have bought themself some vintage gear of value that might be worth restoring, where in actual fact is a bit of tat that not worth a tenner.

Maybe a classic guide would be a good idea of what is hot and what is not?

That would take some serious compiling, Adam. While Technics ended up as junk (more or less), they didn't start out that way. When they appeared, they were a class above the rest for the money asked for them, a sort of upmarket brand for Panasonic. But that ended quickly enough, 4 or 5 years of serious work to become recognized, and then it's payday, baby, prostitute your name to the last penny.

But I can try.

Here's my own shortlist. For the life of me, I couldn't come up with a better one, but I stress once again, it's a very personal one, and represents no more than my own taste in vintage.

Kenwood/Trio
Model 600 integrated – 2x130W/8 Ohms (1976-1979)
Model 500 integrated – 2x100W/8 Ohms (1976-1979)
Model KA-7300 integrated – 2x65W/8 Ohms, Dual Mono (1976-1979)
Model KA-907 – 2x150W/8 Ohms
Model KA-801 – 2x110W/8 Ohms
Model KA-701 – 2x80W/8 Ohms


Marantz
Integrated amplifiers:
1152 DC – 2x76W/8 Ohms
1180 DC – 2x90W/8 Ohms
1300 DC – 2x150W/8 Ohms

Power amplifiers:
170 DC – 2x85W/8 Ohms
300 DC – 2x150W/8 Ohms

Receivers:
2265 B – 2x65W/8 Ohms
2285 B – 2x85W/8 Ohms
2330 B – 2x130W/8 Ohms

Rotel
Model 2040 integrated amp, 2x120W/8 Ohms (1978)


Sansui
Model AU-22000 integrated amp, 2x180W/8 Ohms (1976)
Model AU-11000 integrated amp, 2x120W/8 Ohms (1976)
Model AU-9900 integrated amp, 2x90W/8 Ohms (1976)
Etc.

SONY
Integrated amp TA-8650 V-FET, 2x80W/8 Ohms (1976)
Integrated amp TA-5650 V-FET, 2x55W/8 Ohms (1976)
Integrated amp TA-3650, 2x50W/8 Ohms (1978)

Preamp TA-E 88 B (1980), mostly FET
Power amp TA-N (1980), 2x15W/8 Ohms Class A, 2x80W/8 Ohms Class AB


TECHNICS
Power amp SE-9600 (1975), 2x110W/8 Ohms
Preamp SU-9600, (1975)
Integrated amp SU-8600 (1975-1977), 2x73W/8 Ohms
Integrated amp SU-3500 (1975-1977), 2x41W/8 Ohms
Integrated amp SU-8080 (1978-1979), 2x74W/8 Ohms
Integrated amp SU-8099K (1979), 2x115W/8 Ohms


TOSHIBA
Integrated amp SB-820 (1977), 2x82W/8 Ohms


It is by no means a complete list, and I have left out some models, as they are practically unknown outside Germany, such as ASC 5000 V integrated amp, some Telefunken, Uher and such like products. The ASC especially was very technically and sonically advanced in its time, in many ways ahead of just about everybody, but since the company was based around open reel tape decks, the demise of tape was also their own undoing. A pity.

good work dvv, I'll see if I can find anything when Im a bit more awake.

Another classic tuner from Pionner.





Pioneer F-91 (19879
The F-91 was part of Pioneer's "Elite" series. It's quite sensitive and has excellent sound, with particularly superb bass. Our contributor PZ says: "I find the F-91 to be an interesting unit. It adjusts the IF bandwidth and tuning frequency automatically to match the need of the signal, called ARTS for Active Real-time Tracing System. [This sounds similar to Onkyo's "APR" system, with one critical difference: one can always manually override the APR settings on all Onkyo tuners. - Editor] So DXers don't have anything to fiddle with. In fact, the 8-segment meter starts at 30 dBf and goes up to 77 dBf, so it doesn't help you find the weak stations. On the other hand, 50 dB quieting in stereo is achieved at 34 dBf, better than most. So even with one bar lighted on the meter, one gets decent stereo reception." David Rich discusses the ARTS system in his article in The Audio Critic. As our panelist Bob then understood it, ARTS "uses a real time moving IF filter that moves around with the IF signal. So I believe this means it is incredibly narrow by default, and its center is moved around on the fly. I don't understand how they do it, but apparently it was so complex to build and keep aligned that they never used it again in any other model."

Look at this beauty, they don't make it like they used to, I love this Technics styling, just look at the tank like build quality.



Now that is what I call good HiFi.

Just to add it's a Technics SL-Z1000 CD-transport...

Isn't it Yamaha that have gone back to that kind of retro look.

What was the idea behind using the wooden cheeks, just cosmetic.

Are they entirely for decoration and cosmetic purposes dvv? I wondered if they were also used to control some resonances from the case.

I just thought maybe if the case was a bit thin adding some nice chunky woods pieces to each endwould help control the case from vibrating.