Also, washing your hands before installing the belt helps because fingertips are covered by sebum, an oil secretion of the skin which can deposit on the belt if working without gloves, thus causing the belt to slip a little.
I found hella old cassets in my basement, and my friend just gave me his walkman. It turns on but it doesn’t work. Im not good with tools so i might take it to the shop. I just wanna say thank you because this video is very well made, well informed and you reply to every comment. Thank you
Thank you man! And about the Walkman, it should be easy to fix if you can access the belt compartment. If it needs de soldering then probably is best to take it to a shop. Hope you can fix it so you can listen to all those cool cassette you've found 🛠️
If the wow and flutter still persist after changing the belt and you know it is as good size as it can be (ashorter and longer belts of closest length from a bag of belts sound worse, or you have a new belt specifically meant for your model), it could be a lot of other things. The pinch roller can be deteriorated. The capstan can be too smooth or too rough. The motor can have worn brushes. Not enough lubrication. Or, like in my case, none of the above, just that the walkman was hit by the previous owner and the bottom capstan bearing that was in some plastic holder broke off. If your capstan feels wiggly (you can move it a bit angularly to the sides), remove it, and see if the bearing is attached firmly and undamaged. And lube it while you're at it, but DON'T lose or damage the circlip. You will have to destroy several computer fans to find one that is the right size if you do, and even then it can make it loose or tight and worsen the wow and flutter. I fixed my bearing mount by CAREFULY gluing it back with superglue, after degreasing and roughening the glued surfaces, and making absolutely sure the hole stays completely glue-free and aligned with the top bearing (carefully used the capstan itself for it). It works WAY better now, as good as my pre-Tanashin mini stereo tower that I don't use much anymore, but still nowhere as good as my deck. Also cleaned the motor brushes before trying that, to cure the electrical buzzing noise from the motor. And it helped, but I'd strongly advise against that unless: you've already checked the ground connections between the head and chassis, head and board, chassis and board, and motor and chassis, checked the ESR to be good or replaced all motor-related electrolytic capacitors, lubricated the motor bearing externally, didn't find a replacement motor online for reasonable price, tried to add small (100nF-10uF) capacitor to motor leads, tried powering the motor from a separate power supply to confirm the noise is transmitted via RF rather than through direct connection, etc. You can ruin the motor by bending the brushes or make it worse by resurfacing the commutator and the brushes unevenly, so be careful. It will probably also drift a bit in terms of speed for some time after commutator resurfacing, getting a new belt/pinch roller, or other mechanical work in these regions, so you should let it spin overnight before calibrating speed. Also, when shopping for a walkman, get one with a brushless motor if possible. They cost the same (at least if we count the non-Sony good ones like Aiwa or Panasonic), and you won't have motor noise or bad brushes problem. The battery life is better as well.
Thank you for this. I recently got a wm702 and was wonder why it wasnt workin so i wento check the back and the belt had melted basically, fused with the pulleys. Now i just gotta wait for my belts to arrive to replace em.
Great video! I just had a question, so I hope you see this even though it's many years later :) when measuring the belt between the two pins, should i stretch the belt out to its full capacity? or measure it how it sits naturally with no stretch? thanks so much! I'm really excited to get my old walkman working again!
Hey there! Hehe I'm still around :) The belt should just be extended but not stretched out. There should be no extra tension apart from the one needed to lay it down flat.
Estimado, ya le cambié la correa a mi EX5 por una para ese modelo en particular y ¡quedó super, gracias a ti y este video! Sólo me queda un problemilla, y es que siento que el sonido en los agudos suenan algo desafinados, ¿a qué crees que se deba esto? Ya ajusté la velocidad de reproducción, ya limpié cabezal y rodillos y demás... ¿Crees que tenga algo que ver con que pueda estar magnetizado o que necesite grasa??Espero tu respuesta, ¡gracias!
Buena Tito! Me alegro que hayas solucionado un problema al menos. Con respecto a que algunas frecuencias suenen algo desafinadas, eso debe ser por el wow and flutter del reproductor. Estas pequeñas variaciones en el pitch, son inherentes al formato y son más pronunciadas en las cassetteras con correa. Ahora, si realmente suena mal, puede ser que el cabezal esté magnetizado.
There's always the soldering barrier. Sometimes it's not such a difficult task but not many people own a soldering iron. Probably gonna make a video about it in the future ✍🏻
That's quite unfortunate. I was lucky enough to stumble upon fixyouraudio the very first time I looked for a belt. I've been recommending him since then. If the models you own are beautiful enough then it's worth the try. All the best 🤙🏼
@@soundelegy5987 I have both, experience and soldering Iron, but opening (and closing) the two flagships from Aiwa, i.e. HS-JX707 and HS-J08 is a headache. I bought a non-working 707 to "train" myself. Yes i did open it, but now it lies open for the last 6-7 years, because some sellers sent me 3 times the wrong belt, until i contacted a really great guy from "Fix Your Audio" who sent me the correct one. But after all these years i forgot how to assemble it back and i also lost the mood to do it. In the meanwhile, a few more hi-end Walkmans are desperately awaiting for their own Belt...
My walkman is making a humming sound when I play anything for some reason. Do you know why this is happening or how to fix it? Also your videos are great.
Hey there! Uhm, maybe it's the magnetic head that's dirty? Have you done a proper cleaning in the last couple of months? Or maybe it's the noise reduction that's off? Just guessing here :p
Great video. Thx. I have 3 Sony WM-D6. I bought one of these myself, brand new, many years ago. The other two I bought cheap on Ebay knowing that they had issues. I bought the 3 belt kits on Ebay from Marian at FixYourAudio in Slovakia. Excellent site. My original unit had rewind and fast forward working but play did not work. I replaced the main belt in my original unit. No other parts needed replacing. It works as good as new now. I replaced the main belt in the other 2 units. The problem there is different. Play (capstan) is working but but the drive sprokets are not and the tape can de-spool. Fast forward and rewind to not engage even with the new main belt. What could be the cause of this problem?
Hey Barry! If the drive sprockets are not tracking at all, could it be cause they are too dirty or too dry and stuck? Have you lubricated and cleaned the unit properly after the belt replacement? Maybe the problem is the gear that's stuck too.
@@soundelegy5987 Thanks for your quick response. I know that both rewind and ff runs for about 2 seconds than stops. The cassette sprockets do not move however. It is as if the motor is detecting resistance and then the button pops out and turns off automatically. The good news is that I have a working version so I can watch movement and compare to the other two units that I am working on.
Hey there! Good question. Unfortunately, I'm not into the 3D printing game yet. But seen many people creating spare parts for their devices. Amazing stuff. Good luck with that!
@@marsharamchurrensingh569 Okey! So for what I understand, your walkman does not have a belt so you're trying to get the right belt size. Which model is it? Maybe I can help you research online.
Hey there! I never owned that model but in this forum there's good info about it: www.stereo2go.com/topic/index.php?board_oid=193392314111653483&content_oid=230267562622067036
i got a WM-EX562 us beautiful condition but the motor it either needs lube or its dying. It keeps tripping the over current protection. I already replaced the belt (i used the same store to get a new belt :3)
That's weird cause it sounds like a typical belt replacement issue. Did you use any type of lubricant on the pulleys? Try to play a cassette with the playback mechanism exposed and see if you can spot the issue.
Hello Sound Elegy, first off all: Thank you for this great piece of advice! I have already ordered a replacement for my beloved EX-674 thanks to your suggestion. Im still really puzzled by the sounds my recorder makes though. There is a destinctive *clack* sound wich doesn't seem to be a belt issue. Would you mind looking at some footage of my opened player? Maybe you can find the problem. I'm really looking forward to the replacement belt, maybe it fixes these issues too, you never know. Anyway, I wish you all the best and keep up the good content! Peace!
Hey there! Sorry for the delay. I've checked the footage and sounds like one of the pulleys has an uneven side or it's broken. Have you tried opening your Walkman and run it while it's open to see where the clank comes from? That's a difficult repair job. Check fixyouraudio.com they do good repairs and diagnoses. Cheers!
Did you manage to fix your WM-EX674? I couldn't find your video of the sound but mine also has an audible tick every second or so, and I can even feel it. I'm thinking it's from one of the gears behind the circuit board.
@@megakek4457 I have same problem. It's a crack in central gear clutch. As I know, there is no any new gears in sale. Try to find way solve the problem. If you have any information. Type here)
Hi i don't know if you'll answer this after a year, my Walkman DDII does white noise when playing cassetes.. do you know any way i can fix that or what causes the problem in the first place
Hi there! It depends on how loud the noise is. Ferric Cassettes tend to have a high level of noise floor and there's very little we can do about that. You can clean the magnetic head with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol and see if you notice any difference. Also check the speed calibration by playing a song on the cassette and the same song on the DDII and see if it draggs or plays too fast.
I have a portable Panasonic cassette player that is playing way too fast. It looks like the pinch roller is working. Can it play this fast with old belts? Nice channel! Br, Olle
I just reaplace the central gear of a ex651 to my beloved ex5 and now it works like it should. The list of walkmans that share this gear are: WM-EX3, WM-EX5, WM-EX7, WM-EX9, WM-EX900, WM-EX527, WM-EX550/552, WM-EX560/EX562, WM-EX570, WM-EX610, WM-EX615, WM-EX651, WM-EX660/662, WM-EX631, WM-EX650/652/654, WM-EX655/668, WM-EX678, WM-EX910, WM-EX921, WM-GX688, WM-GX670. There's algo a chinesse store like "Taobao" where you can find new ones, but as all the sellers ship only to China, you must use a purchase agency. Good luck, bro!
Do u know how to open walkman panasonic rq-v77 model faceplate? I want to replace new belt but this walkman doesnt have any screw. Afraid if i break it 😓
Hey there! I'm not familiarized with that model but here's the link to a website with its Service Manual that shows how to open it: servlib.com/panasonic/audio/rq-v77e-rq-v77e1-rq-v77ej.html
I liked the video,I need help, my walkman sanyo M-5550 keeps pilot light on but does not rotate, I put new batteries and does not rotate, can be the rubber belt? can you help me please
Amorphous heads are made from glass and therefore last longer (technically). The trebles are supposed to be clearer as well. They were introduced in the late 80s
I recently received a walkman WM-A10. The man I purchased it from said he wasn’t sure if it worked or not, but I got it dirt cheap so I wanted to take the risk. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work, when I put in a cassette and press play it does nothing nor does the fast forward and rewind button. Does it have something to do with the belt? Or do you think it might be something else? I personally have no clue, apologies if my question comes off ignorant.
Hey there! Most of the times it is the belt but of course it could be a different issue. I would change the belt and take it from there. Open it up and check the state of the Walkman and see if you actually have access to the belt without soldering. Let me know how that goes!
hello i had also recently replaced the rubber band (i bought the right one) but the music goes a bit too fast (the music goes at 1.25 speed or something) is there a way to solve this?? (model: sony walkman WM-EX560)
Could be many things. Open it up, check if the battery makes contact, check the belt is still in position, check that all cables are solder to the Mainboard, etc.
How about repairing headphone jacks? I have a nice Sony Walkman but just started experiencing a "phasing" sound when my headphone jack was fully plugged in. Oddly enough, if I pulled the headphone jack out just a tiny bit, it sounded normal. Any thoughts on how to repair this?
I never replaced a headphone jack in a Walkman. It shouldn't be that complicated if you're good with soldering. The problem might be finding the right piece. Check in fixyouraudio.com maybe they have those spare parts. Cheers
Greetings If the motor speed of the deck is not adjusted and we record the frequency with the same defective deck, can we use the same cassette for adjustment?
You cannot unfortunately. The tape with the frequency should be purchase or recorded from someone with freshly calibrated recorder. You can find those tapes on ebay or fixyouraudio.com
I only own one of them but I've tried DDs too. If it had to be only about sound quality then probably I would take the DD. Although the EX5 sounds really good, it has an amazing design and it's very easy to have a belt replacement.
aiwa hs jx869 no es sencillo de reemplazar las bandas este tipo de reproductor tiene que ser desmontada cuidadosamente para llegar donde están las bandas que necesitan el reemplazo
Hola, buenas. Lamentablemente, hay varios tipos de reproductores que necesitan de-soldadura. Si bien el proceso no es tan complicado, el hecho de que se precise comprar una estación de soldar pequeña, lo hace bastante inaccesible. Hoy en día una máquina así cuesta 30 dólares en Amazon.
hello, my wm ex 660 does make a ratling noise if i press the play button or the rewind button when no cassette is placed in. First it spins or starts to play and then grrrrrrrrrrr..... noise and it stops. Is it because ni cassette is placed in? i dont have a cassette here to test unfortunately. The Walkman is in brand new condition never been used before. So i think it isnt defective. i can make a video if it helps. thanks
@@soundelegy5987 are you sure about it? Becaise first it starts to play and then when its realizing that no casette is in it it makes grrrrrrrrrr......i made a video to show what the walkman is doing exactly. here is the video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jds0NRk-t6g.html Also can you give me a good source where incan buy the belt? Found 2 seller on eBay. One is from Ukraine and costs 3 euros and the other one claims high quality and asks for 6 Euros. Any advice? Thanks
It actually does sound like a belt that's too wide to gain traction in between pulleys. Exactly like it does in the demo on my video. I'm pretty sure is the belt but to be sure, you should open it up and see it yourself. I use fixyouraudio.com But other sources can be also good. Try to go for a good quality belt so you don't replace it again for some time.
@@soundelegy5987 hi, i think its the belt too! Found this video and it does the same noise and after belt replacement its fine. Ill try to find a good belt! But how? Allmof them say high quality on eBay and cost about the same. How long will a new belt last? Does it make sense to buy another one for later replacement? Or will the belt get old anyways? Here is the video of the guy ive mentioned above : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Pg5LGXawTXY.html
@@gaboaaa23 All the information is in the video. Where to find it and how to calculate the length if you need to. Every belt will eventually get old. Buying two makes actual sense if you use your walkman frequently.
Hello, I have a problem with my Walkman (Philips AQ 6480). Without any cassettes in it, the take up reel rotates with normal speed but when a cassette is lodged in, it finds difficulty in pulling the tape thus playing too slowly. What could be the problem? Please reply 🙏🏼
my walkman worked great until now i put a tape in it plays perfectly for a few seconds and that the tape stops and if i hold the play button in the tape spills out the casette. do you know whats happening? it is a general electric 2-band stereo casette player. model no 3-5444A. i would just get a new one but this one was my grandmothers and i dont want to get rid of it.
@@soundelegy5987 I fixed all the mechanical issues with mine but then after running it a bit it died randomly. The motor and everything still works but no audio not even a hum. There was a transistor inside that got so hot it burned me so I'm wondering if having it properly running for a few minutes exposed another issue haha
Not sure if you can answer this question, but I recently replaced a belt on my sony wm-ex60. It plays tapes now. However, if I take the tape out and press play it makes a loud squeaking noise. Is there something I can do to address this?
Hey there! I'm thinking, it could be that the belt is not the right size so the grip is not strong enough. Or maybe you need to give the unit a good clean with alcohol and lub up the rollers?
For the lubrication of the metal parts like bearings and levers, is best to use High Grade Watch Oil. Do not use it on plastic parts tho. Use IPA or Kontakt to clean any dirt and plastic parts. You can lubricate metal and plastic parts with good quality grease as well.
@@soundelegy5987 I ordered mine off Facebook market place after I was told it worked "great" tape player sounds like all the singers are tripping on lsd and the instruments are drunk
@@soundelegy5987 yeah I definitely will be doing that from now on but I'm getting a manual for how to take this thing apart. I got the back case off and noticed the belt is under the circuit board I don't know how to move the board so I put it back together and ordered a manual. I hope I don't have to remove the tape door looks difficult for a first timer.
Unfortunately many Walkman models require soldering just to do a belt replacement. Those models being sometimes decades old of course the belts are unusable already. It's key to check the service manual of each Walkman you wanna buy before the purchase and see if belt replacement is easily accessible.
Hello love your videos especially this one but something I don’t understand is why I can’t hear the cassette or the radio in my Walkman WM-FS221 which is odd