Come with me this time, as I dive deeply into the repair and restoration of one of the best solid-state preamplifiers of all time – the magnificent Krell KRC-HR. NOTE – for a bunch of different shots and angles, check out my detailed Krell KRC-HR video overview! If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard of Krell […]
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You may have seen my article about repairing a gorgeous Yamaha MX-1 power amplifier. This time I’m servicing a matching Yamaha CX-1 preamplifier. Yamaha made some really superb hi-fi gear back in the day, as I’m sure many of you know. There were the B series VFET amps like the B-1 and B-2, the legendary
These latest additions to the Hall of Shame are two of the worst cases of hi-fi electronics bodgery I’ve ever seen. This shocking case of Krell destruction, in this case of a Krell KRC preamp by a so-called ‘expert’ has to be seen to be believed. Visit my Hall of Shame for all the horrifying
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This lovely McIntosh C220 tube preamplifier fell victim to a growing problem – modern Pb-free production processes. The McIntosh C220 is a hybrid tube/transistor-based preamplifier, featuring a phono preamp and microprocessor control. It’s a well-made unit, though not like the McIntosh of old. The board is high-quality fibreglass and the internal layout is clean and
I’ve just serviced a Quad 44 preamplifier. In this article, I’ll show you what the Quad 44 looks like inside and explain some of its features. Along with a Quad 405 power amplifier, I recently serviced this Quad 44 preamplifier, both owned by the same customer. I’m told he purchased them after a chat we
The Audiolab 8000Q preamplifier is a really nice piece of gear, let down by cheap parts. In this article, I repair a misbehaving Audiolab 8000Q. The Audiolab 8000Q preamplifier in this article came to me with a fault which would see it sometimes take a long time to turn on. By a long time, I
Wow, I’ve just serviced a complete Kenwood L-1000 hi-fi system! This is incredible gear, beautifully constructed, with stellar build-quality. The Kenwood L-1000 series are becoming rare now, so to find a complete system in the hands of its original owner is something pretty special. This stack of gear consisted of the Kenwood L-1000M power amplifier,
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I recently restored a gorgeous Luxman M-4000A power amplifier and this stunning matching Luxman C-5000A preamplifier. You can read about my M-4000A restoration here. This post looks at the C-5000A, a rare and beautifully built preamplifier, from the somewhat enigmatic manufacturer, Luxman. Service Data The Luxman C-5000A is so rare that, despite searches and contact with the
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A customer of mine recently purchased some great new Accuphase gear and brought a couple of pieces over for me to look at. First up, we have an amazing Accuphase C-280 preamplifier. This was Accuphase’s statement preamplifier in the 1980s and it is an amazing piece of engineering. With complete dual-mono construction, including two transformers, the
I have been lucky enough to have a brand new Primare R32 Phono Preamplifier to audition over the last few weeks and I wanted to share my experiences in this review. The Primare R32 phono preamplifier is designed in Sweden and is a fully discrete, solid-state, DC-coupled, class-A phono preamplifier. The Primare R32 has three
