My weekend was pretty good

Soundork

Super Member
Actually, the last two weekends were excellent. I was dumpster diving last Saturday and hit gold with this:

1. Yamaha CR220 - does not power up.

2. Pioneer SX-3500 - like new and works perfectly. I am just not into it, but I really, really like how it looks. It is going to either get sold, or I am going to finally materialize a project that has been on the backburner for a long time: To design an amp and install it in a vintage piece.

3. HK330C. OMG, this is like a mini-Marantz on steroids. It sounds so sweet (read tubey), but I am mostly impressed by the clarity with which it reproduces music. I also dig its looks: Its ugly, but that ugly that you fall in love with from first sight.
It was the only damaged piece of all three. The shaft of the balance potentiometer was bent and the whole knob was sitting crooked. I promptly straightened it out and it has been playing in my office for the entire week.
Today I cleaned the controls with DeOxit and then the exterior as there was crud and dirt in the grooves of the knobs in addition to tape glue, dirt and dust all over the case. Inside was like new. I really realized what I had once it got cleaned.
This is like a time capsule. There is no scratch on it and all original inside and out. The textured vinyl with which the metal case is covered is in pristine condition.
I have a Marantz 2220B which I dearly love. Not, because of its looks, but for its sound. I admit, I find the "warm", "tubey" sound very pleasant. I have gear able to reproduce material much more faithfully at volumes unachievable by the Marantz, but find myself either cranking up the base or just listening to the Marantz. The further you turn the base knob clockwise, the entire soundscape graciously gets warmer, it feels just like getting closer to the fireplace. You know how woodburning stoves and fireplaces put out that warm heat that penetrates your body without burning? This is exactly what I am talking about.
The Marantz was another dumpster find. I rescued it from a trip to the landfills couple of years ago. It had some issues, but I nourished it back to health and then upgraded most of its solid state components and recapped it in the process. Despite that, the untouched HK has a barely noticeable edge when it comes to clarity. Both of them are able to reproduce deep bass, but the HK somehow gets less tinny when you turn the bass knob counter clockwise. I just bought a non-working unit that am going to fix and replace the components that I consider detrimental to sound quality just as an experiment.

I will stop now, just wanted to let you know that for first time in my life I am very content with what I have, gearwise that is...

Best

Soundork

P.S. Here is a picture from a week ago when I had just plugged it in. As you can see, dirty and tired, but eager to please...:)
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Good job! That works for me on so many levels. Makes me wonder how many receivers are buried at the land fill.
 
You dont want me to go engineer on you with this one...:)

But...I visit the town dump three or four times a year. We moved to Connecticut four years ago and for this period I managed to save from trip to the landfills the following:

1. The three receivers discussed above
2. Criterion MkVII
3. Marantz 2220B
4. JVC JR-S300 Mk II

I am pretty sure that had I gone more often, my house would have been filled to the ceilings and brimming by now. Some of the towns close by are amongst the wealthiest in the country and am pretty sure that if I were to visit their recycling stations on a regular basis, I would be posting a lot more often...:)

Best

Soundork
 
The "for parts" unit was delivered yesterday. Little dusty, but once cleaned it would be in mint condition.

I don't know how the previous owner managed to blow the two speaker fuses. I replaced them and it works perfectly now, including the "stubborn" needle dial indicator.

I do not have a picture of my own yet, but have attached the one from the original listing. Admittedly, I should have matured by now, but the first thing that grabbed my attention was the reflection of the owner. You're welcome.
 

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That HK piece is awesome! I owned the 440 in the late 70's, and that thing was a workhorse. Ugly? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder! Congrats on the finds. Wish I had dumpsters like that around me!
 
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