I think that it's truly impressive and awesome the way you take these old receivers that were so important to so many of us back in the day and bring them back to life. Thank you for what you do. Also I have noticed that you go ahead and fix the little stuff that someone else might just ignore. That's just cool and the sign of a man who is a true professional a Craftsman. Thanks again. Keep on rocking.
Great, informative video, thank you! I have a CR-620 I brought back to life with simple cleaning and just bought a CR-820 which I'm going to do the same. This is a terrific reference should I run into any similar problems. Sharing your knowledge is much appreciated. Finding a tech with the integrity and patience you have is challenging so I'm trying to grow my skills.
I did a Technics 5360 a while back, it had bad stk's but wouldn't come up on the bench. Turned out the tuner and amps ran their ground thru the case via several the frame mounts which were removed with the set opened up for service. Pair of clipleads fixed it up for bench testing and it worked fine after reassembly.. naturally, no indications in the svc manual of the grounding situation lol, Really dig your vids maxx, I've adopted several things for my tech jobs from watching them.
WOW THANKS. I've had an 820 with the same problem for years. I don't want to sell it since I bought it for $550 41 years ago when I was 14. Your detail, sound and video work is perfect.
I could write the exact same post, but mine was a CA-800 (it was the previous years model) and I paid $434: which was alot in 1976 for a 13 year old. What was it about those that was so appealing? I was a fan of the variable loudness. I liked to laugh at people who only had on and off loudness. And they screamed quality to some one who knew a "Sound Design from Montgomery Wards" .
Brilliant diagnostic video well explained. I have the same receiver (made in Japan). Revitalised from many years in storage (video posted). Only problem I had was the output power transistors blew taking the thermal fuses. Luckily I purchased spares in the 80's which came to the rescue. Love the green LED's.
this was interesting to watch. My first repair project was a Yamaha cr-820 that had shorted driver and outputs. Being a complete novice I did not realize the chassis had a floating ground being that cross brace between the amp and tuner boards. That was a source of serious frustration till I figured it out. you sir definitely have some skills when it comes to this
So impressed that someone takes the time to breath life back into these awesome sound units. I am starting to see more and more of them at resale shops. Units that ran hundreds of dollars are now going for $10. I saw a Curtismathus last week as well as another known name brand unit that fetched big money years ago. Sadly I saw a lot of crusty stuff inside them,hardly worth repairing. If I see one looking like new mabe I will nab one to work on. Like you said,most of them will require new caps. I am getting more and more into electronics and trouble shooting. A head unit like that would fit the bill.
Glad to see you're back. Cheesy as it may sound, seeing this video gave me the inspiration to finally take out and fix a dreaded Pioneer SX-950 that had been sitting for years. I think my vintage audio sense might be addicted to Maxxarcade.
I've always loved how those 70s Yamaha receivers looked. They sound quite nice too. I personally own a CR-600 receiver, but it's developed intermittent noise in the right channel. It's probably a leaky cap or transistor in the main amp section.
This is a remarkably well-done repair and restore video. I'm getting ready to go through a seemingly, great-condition Yamaha CR-820 I acquired a year or two ago. I thank you for documenting and posting up your work. Really cannot say enough good things --Matt aka Spenser on AK
Thank you so much for the repairs on my Yamaha Aaron. Everything is hooked up nicely in my home, and I'm so happy i went with the green l.e.d.'s. Sounds awesome!
Nice job! It's great to see you bring the unit back to it's rightful place. Obviously, the owner really cares about what he owns and takes good care of it. I like what you did with the lights too. Here's to the next one...
I know you're getting this a lot by many people but I'm glad you're still somewhat posting. It made me really happy to see another video from you. Good luck with things. Cheers
Very nice! I wish you were closer by and that you had more time to do repairs. I have a Yamaha R-500, got it for a song "working". Well, it works on its own terms. I replaced the dial lamp (28v) myself, but I don't have the testing equipment required to really properly service and restore the unit. It has lots and lots of capacitors that are visibly leaking. The relay is most likely bad as it takes a tap or two directly on the relay itself to get sound from both channels. I'd imagine all capacitors in my unit need replaced. When it works, I don't have any hum or hiss, but the sound is pretty harsh with some loss at the high end. Just have to find a local shop that is as thorough as you are.
Thanks for the video, I am glad I waited til later in the night to view it so there was no buffering what so ever. Got to love older Yamaha gear (mostly) I have some older high end stuff here that I aught get running to see if I have to replace parts.
Very glad to see you back at audio restorations, you're very skilled at this and the videos are very enjoyable. Definitely love seeing vintage gear having a second chance at life
Well done Sir, having once owned a Yamaha R1000 that lived a very short life, am not too happy with their build quality that of the Yamaha Corporation.
Excellent presentation. Someone is giving me a CR-800 (Japanese FM bandwidth). I don't know the condition, apart from good cosmetics. So this may be very useful - in fact I know your dismantling demonstration will be really helpful. THANKS!
They don't make them like they used to... I still have an old Realistic stereo receiver with built in turntable and 8-track. I recently replaced all the audio power FETs, all caps, and converted the panel lamps to warm white LEDs, and she works awesomely great and looks good.
great vid!! thanks for showing how you came to your conclusions and how you addressed it. very informative and one of your best videos yet imo. thanks a bunch. Rock on!
I just discovered your videos and they are interesting. Just shows me how little I know about electronics other than how to read a schematic. I have an Adcom GTP-400 preamp with some issues and a Pioneer SX-1080 that probably needs some re-capping work done. So this just shows me what a pro can do vs my limitations.
finally,that's about time you came with a new audio repair video,you are so pro,i love your vids,hope you do some more audio repairs video this year ,lol
Hey mate, glad to see you back on amp repairs, just one question if you wouldn't mind, how much did/would you charge for a repair like that, since i get people asking me to fix their stuff and i don't want to do it because i don't know what to charge for it.
Excellent video. I just picked one up with no output whatsoever, I have looked at it for five minutes just to ensure the output devices were OK. Relay not switching.. Wish me luck as this one is also in immaculate condition. I had a bad feeling as I saw someone had been inside and cut some wires.. But it seems only the lamps and external antenna wires.. PS. The noisy transistor rabbit hole was nasty. I may have tried freezer spray after narrowing it down. Did it get worse after warming up? Anyhow, really wonderful results.
How did you find the replacement transistors? is there a website that you use to find and equivalent transistor for the bad ones?Great video, very informative.Cheers
I'm not so sure TR610 was leaky so much as it was just noisy, which is probably why your tester showed it to be good. I used to repair the gammit of audio equipment in the early 70s, a trick that I used when I encountered noisy audio was to gently heat the transistors in the string with the tip of my soldering iron, the noise would get much worse when the offending device was heated. Just my two cents.
Perhaps all the issues with reliability and proper operation explain how that receiver has stayed in such good shape? I'm thinking it might have been banished to a back room or secondary system. That whole grounding setup is as sketchy as it can be.
Dude, youre awsome!!! I really enjoy your videos. If I had the money and especially spare parts, I would send you some. I have a Kenwood KT 917 Tuner out of my father´s estate. I wanted to refurbish it, but know I heard you need to adjust the thing then... cant do that with my equipment... I wanna see more videos! The thing I really liked to see, was you try to get the best out of your things, you know, like the camera settings, or the best silent fans you bought. Thats really nice to see . Greetz from Germany! Sebastian
Have you tried Bamboo caps like those used in MARANTZ amps?, I wonder if you install an UNUN transformer would boost your antenna signal. Maybe a BFR96A duel gate MOSFET transistor in the RF preamp might go some way to getting a better signal and bringing in more FM stations.
great job as always I was wondering if you would be able to help me I have a gigabyte ga-ep43-ud3l and it is very rare but sometimes when I first turn on the tower it would start and then go off then on and stay one would that have anything to do with it being a dual bios motherboard all the best and feel better and thank you in advance
I have this 70’s Yamaha stereo receiver CR-820. I was listening to an Album while in the shower I heard a boom/pop sound and then the music was gone. The receiver is still getting power n the lights work but no sound! Would you have any ideas what this could possibly be?? Thanks
Great videos! I have a Htr 5650 running off 110 power supply. Is there any chance to change that into 220 withouth having to use the power transformer?
It would be nice to see follow ups on these type of projects. How pleased was your colleague with his repaired tuner ? Is it still good or has it developed any more issues ?
I am really surprised how well these green LEDs fit this receiver! PS: even on 1080p you can notice a huge jump in quality, both audio and video! :D PPS: What was the last song you played in this video?
I can't believe how yellow that headphone jack cover is, that cover is normally like a light gray/silver color. You could put it in a ziplock back full of hydrogen peroxide, and leave it out in the sun for a day, it would probably look brand new. I have also gotten dents out of wood and wood veneer with a wet towel and an iron. Lightly wet the dent, place a damp towel over top, and go over it with an iron (the more steam the better) for a couple minutes.
My DMM based hFe checkers have never caught a noisy transistor for me. Sometimes though, offenders like the 2SC1213's show tarnished leads where they enter the body of the transistor itself. Maybe the tarnish contaminates the junctions on some of them? Who knows.
Thanks for the excellent video. I have a CR 820 and a service center told me the whole "tuner unit" needed to be replace, but the part is unavailable. (very limited Am and FM reception) Would you have one to sell me? Thanks
i have this beast. its been in my family since new and has been passed down. about 7 months ago it failed. i now cant get the output relay to click. one of the reistors gets exceedingly hot. like it will melt plastic. any suggestions? thanks. i believe that i have a short somewhere. Oh and btw mine is a japanese one! UPDATE: in the output stage i found a 1.5k resistor that is only measuring at 0.5 ohms. i think this could be the issue or a contributing factor to the issue. What do you think?
you do know that model was bottom end. i repaired 3 of them in 20+ yrs. im a tech too. yamaha known for its cheap caps and sec grade transformer. i come across receivers at my thrift shop regularly for $29.00
Hi brother... I wish I had as much electronics practice as you do.... I'm darn good with computers, and good with a soldering iron... and I can even rock a Tube amp... Transistor amps leave me in the "rookie" stage. I have a beautiful specimen that needs help around here... an Altec 702 receiver. Wanna help me?
I am a bit surprised how 1980's-ish the PCB looks for a late 70's era. Yamaha must have been one of the first companies to adopt the "new" PCB design and layout. Out of curiosity, what brand of caps did Yamaha use?
I have this model but when im listening music ( radio or aux) i listened a click and the sound is turn off, Ive used the hand doctor to repair, I hit to the case and the sound return... why happend that? and how to repair it? greeting
Nice video! picked up one of these for my Daughter. Ascetically it is beautiful however both channels have crackling in the highs. So what's your address, LOL.
Weak FM: this receiver has no internal FM antenna. It needs an external antenna connected - at a minimum a 300 ohm dipole. Preferably, a 75 ohm coax cabled outdoor antenna. The antenna on the back panel is the AM antenna.
