Frequently asked questions about the service and repair of hi-fi electronics, vintage hi-fi gear, how and when repairs are viable, warranty etc.
I’d be happy to, but hopefully you read this before blowing anything up! If you’ve purchased equipment from Japan and it has blown up, though, we will need to establish what damage has been done. This is done through a careful hands-on assessment of the unit in question. Line Voltage Different regions use different AC […]
I purchased equipment from Japan and it blew up, can you help? Read More »
Yes, everything human-made requires some form of periodic maintenance, the more complex, the more maintenance, Nothing is exempt from this need. Maintenance, such as cleaning, lubrication, adjustment, or parts replacement, is simply a designed-in element. Complex electromechanical equipment, containing hundreds of parts and often operating decades beyond its intended design life, has the greatest need
Based on what I’ve seen over the years, most people shouldn’t even take the lid off hi-fi electronics, let alone spray anything into it! Sorry, but not sorry really, because remember what my job is – SAVING classic hi-fi equipment! Now, let’s qualify this and note that if you have access to good commercial-quality products
Should I spray contact cleaner into my equipment? Read More »
I use various cleaning techniques, depending on the equipment make and model, the parts I’m cleaning and how dirty it is, some of which I’ll briefly describe here. Exterior For most metallic, painted, plastic and composite exteriors, I recommend starting by carefully dusting the surfaces to be cleaned. Then, a microfibre cloth and mild detergent/water
Both electronic and mechanical components experience wear over time. Electronic Components Many will know that capacitors degrade over time, specifically wet aluminium electrolytic types. Wear rates vary according to type, quality of construction, thermal loading, age and hours of use. I’ve seen capacitors fail after 5 years and older parts that are still perfect after
