Classic 80s Black and Rosewood - Sony STR-GX9ES

Ok, so far it looks like it’s got some life in it yet.

Two things I notice right off the bat. It runs hot. Not fry an egg hot, but there’s heat coming off it. Second, the faceplate has the same feel as the back of my phone when it’s charging. It’s got a weird electric sensation - https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/iphone-5-weird-feeling-while-charging.1494057/

Strangely, it’s only detectable on the anodized face, the internal rails and other metal do not give off this same sensation. Coincidentally, the back of my phone is also anodized. Maybe it’s got something to do with that type of coating. Idk?

Another thing is that it absolutely smells like a Sony. LOL Not sure how to describe that any other way, but I’ve owned 4 Sony receivers over the years, and they’ve all smelled exactly like this.

Anyway, while I’m happy to see it’s at least coming to life, I’m not exactly ready to call it fully operational yet. Let’s give it some time, and maybe a stretch tomorrow in the daytime when I can take it beyond -48 on the “Attenuator” - oooh Fancyy!! LOL

As for the sound, seems to sound every bit as good as my CR-1020, and that’s not a complaint at all.

Thanks for your help folks, I do very much appreciate it. Let’s hope this works out. In the meantime, gonna have to see about making some new panels.
 
I've had three 10's and a 9 and they all ran hot. Look got cohibajoe's (hope I got his name right) GX10ES restore. IIRC, he had some insight on this.
 
I've had three 10's and a 9 and they all ran hot. Look got cohibajoe's (hope I got his name right) GX10ES restore. IIRC, he had some insight on this.

It was mentioned in that thread on the other site, which I linked to in one of my first posts, that incorrect DC Offset can be responsible for excess heat. I do not have a multimeter, so I did not check that while I was inside cleaning stuff up. That will be one of the first things I do when I get one. A bonus (although it doesn't matter too much since there's one on the way anyway) is that the Sony remote I have for my 1090 runs most of the important features.

Thank you for your help throughout this process BTW, I do appreciate it.
 
Pop Quiz!

What's inexpensive, 5/8" thick, comes in a variety of simulated woodgrain finishes with a pre-finished edge that can be cut into two matching 15.25" x 5.75" panels?

Yep! you guessed it... a 12" x24" laminate shelf!

HTB1DBbRPpXXXXbiXVXXq6xXFXXXv.jpg


Now just to find the closest match. Obviously that one pictured is just a serving suggestion, but you get the idea!

Sliced right down the middle lengthwise leaves me with a finished top and front edge, just like the original.

Credit for this idea: http://www.agoraquest.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=33040
 
Well I’ve now found something I hadn’t noticed before - apparently during the shipping faceplant, though the panels took the brunt of the hit, so did the volume knob. Turning it manually, the wobble isn’t that noticeable, but running it up and down with the remote, it’s painfully obvious that the shaft is bent.

The front wheels of Clark’s car after the jump come to mind. LOL

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Unlike my Yamaha, and probably many of the stereos we talk about here, the volume knob is not surface mounted on a shaft above the faceplate, and instead comes through it as a whole, so at least its rear is not wearing a circular track into the faceplate, and there’s just enough room in that cutout that it’s not rubbing the edge there either. Guess I’ll be on the lookout for one of those mechanisms while I’m at it. Maybe I can straighten it - next time I’m inside, I’ll have a look.
 
Personally, I would make the endcaps myself out of some nice, real wood. It's not hard... I made these myself and I have approximately zero woodworking experience. Been thinking about doing some for my RX79ES and TA-E1000ESD actually.

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Personally, I would make the endcaps myself out of some nice, real wood. It's not hard... I made these myself and I have approximately zero woodworking experience. Been thinking about doing some for my RX79ES and TA-E1000ESD actually.

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I agree that real wood panels would be reasonably easy and could look as nice as yours do. The quirk with this one was that it had those simulated wood panels, a throwback to 80s nostalgia if there ever was one (remember all the simulated woodgrain during that time?); and these, up til shipping still retained all their arguably tacky 80s glory, unscathed. LOL That was definitely a selling point for me when I bought.

Not out of the electronic woods yet.

I’ve been listening to it for most of the day today. Records, input from iPhone, even some local radio stations (seemed to pull in those really nicely - too bad the ones it did are mostly top-40). All seemed to function properly and sound good.

But then, just a little while ago, it shut itself off while listening to CD input (actually that iPhone). Not because of heat that I can tell. When it came back on, it had reset everything and took the tuner display down to 76.0 with 2 signal bars. There’s just static there, but I’ve never known a US model receiver to drop below 87/88. Told to auto scan, it runs up to 90, then restarts at 76. So now there’s that. No direct station input, and it cleared out the couple stations I had saved, so I haven’t been able to get it back to the useable side of the FM dial. AM starts at 540 and goes up from there so it seems to be isolated to FM.

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Other functions that I’ve used since it came back on still seem to be operating normally.

EDIT: If it’s like other Sony receivers I’ve owned, there’s a button press sequence paired with the power button that will clear and reset everything back to factory settings. I haven’t found anything in this manual yet referring to that option.
 

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That’s the Japanese tuning scale. How odd! There must be a dual mode tuning chip inside or something like that.
 
That’s the Japanese tuning scale. How odd! There must be a dual mode tuning chip inside or something like that.

Thank you! Well this is an interesting twist. Here I thought something was electronically wrong with it.

The sudden power off, btw, looks like it turned out to be a loose wall receptacle. When I went to unplug it, it provided 0 resistance in pulling the plug. Plugging a light in the same receptacle it barely grabs the plug and makes a poor connection - light flashes on and off as I wiggle the plug. Obviously that’s not good, so I’ll need to replace that receptacle.

So could an instant, unexpected loss and regain of power switch it to the Japanese FM dial?

I’ve been searching the net to see if there’s any way to revert it back and have yet to find anything.

There’s nothing in the service manual even referring to the Japanese FM, though it does show how to switch the AM increment level.

Any ideas?
 
If it’s a soft on (standby/on) type, then press and hold it until it resets.
 
Is that a soft on switch? Or is it a positive throw?

If it’s a soft on (standby/on) type, then press and hold it until it resets.


Thank you for your help.

It’s a soft switch.

I read that in newer models that holding it will reset and put a ‘clearing’ message on the display, but I guess maybe I didn’t hold it long enough on mine. I’ll try that again when I get back to the house.
 
Ok, got back to the house and tried holding the power button ‘on’ for almost a full minute - nothing...

I’ve found a reference at another forum that in an older Sony Walkman with a digital tuner, there was a button inside the cassette area that allowed the switch between the two FMs. So it seems like there might be some type of switch or pins to temporarily jump on the tuner board that can get it to alternate between the two. Makes sense to mass produce the complete tuner board that can do both rather than 2 separate tuner boards for different areas.
 
I'm currently looking at the tuner schematic, and it is all clearly labeled - Cal Tone Select, Detune Det, Pilot Detector, Phase Detector, Level Det, etc. - a whole bunch of stuff.

Is there any identifying word I should be looking for that would suggest where that switch might be if it has one?

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I've got the hood popped open and am currently looking around on the tuner board for anything that might appear abnormal - scorch marks, burned resistor/diode, leaky cap, stuff like that, but it all looks good, to my eyes anyway. I have taken the extra step to unplug and reseat the connectors on it and the other ends where I can get to them. After unplugging and reseating the cables, I plugged it in to see if FM switched back to 88-108, but no, still stuck in 76-90.

It's *almost* an easy board to pull out, but there are 2 screws made inaccessible by the wraparound portion of the caseback, which would entail removing that as well - and no LOL, too much stuff preventing that unless I'm willing to go ahead and just disassemble the whole thing completely. The only possible lead I have outside of AK is that tech over at the other site I linked earlier in the thread. He seemed to take over that GX10ES thread once the OP drifted off, and his answers to other people's questions seemed genuine and knowledgeable. I've tried to make an account there (like we do here) but I'm still in limbo awaiting account approval, and that's been since last saturday or sunday. No way to post a question to that thread or message him directly without the account being activated, so....

It's gotta be something easy now that we know it's not a damaged or dysfunctional board, but just in Japanese FM mode.
 
Today, while I was in the hardware store picking up some PVC plumbing connectors to repair a leaky pipe, I had a browse around the store and found almost exactly what I was looking for (and even then, I might just go with it).

Simulated woodgrain shelving!

Singles, or in packs of two, various sizes, a small variety, but one kind virtually identical in color and woodgrain to these damaged ones - finished edges and everything. One larger shelf shelf, 12 x 24, cut lengthwise in half to the right height, then chop off the excess in back to the correct length, and I'd have about as close as I could get to these originals for about 7 bucks - 20 minutes, a drill, and my router, and I'd be about done. Only problem was, they're a little thin - only about 1/2in. as opposed to the about 3/4in. originals. I'm gonna keep looking for the moment to see if I can find something similar just a bit thicker, but these are definitely on the short-list now.

The other thing I've been thinking is veneer.

I've been looking at some different veneer available and have decided that if I'm going the DIY veneer route, I'm going a nice step up from original - bookmatched burl walnut in a dark reddish-brown, medium gloss finish. Somewhat more expensive, and also requires me to do more than just cutting two rectangles out of a shelf and be done with it, but if my woodworking skills could pull it off, it would look amazing. If I decide to do it this way, I should probably go ahead and get a little plank of MDF or ply and create all new side pieces. I'll still be carrying over the little screw trim insert things - and I'd even like to save the stickers off the old ones if I can for stupidity's sake, though that's not exactly necessary. LOL Doing this, though, definitely makes the case for this receiver being a top-of-cabinet receiver, not tucked halfway hidden inside an audio cabinet. These are available in 8 x 18 4-piece bookmatch on amazon. Plenty to work with, including edges. Now just to learn how to veneer! LOL

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I've had a long look at the recommended thread of this fellow member's work on Marantz cabinets, which look fantastic BTW, and am inspired to try my hand at it with these two stupid rectangles.
Just a thought, you might want send a message to AK member Asaalah.
He creates phenomenal solid wood cases and perhaps he could replicate ones for your unit if you choose not to do it yourself.

So that's where I am at the moment with this receiver.

Still no resolution on the FM tuner issue, but I've got another thread on that over in the Tuners section, and Sony's suggested a possible lead with United Radio.
 
The tuner issue has been resolved due to an interesting combination of fellow members' input, determination, and a lucky breadcrumb left on AudioKarma 14 years ago! LOL

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Short of it is, the memory capacitor was/is the culprit.

Here's the link back to the Tuners section where we've been working on it.

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....ny-gx9es-stuck-in-japan-fm-76-90-mode.816678/

Still no remote control from Canada yet, but I suspect it'll be here soon.So now I just need to figure out what I'm going to do about these side panels (and maybe go ahead and order a full recap instead of just the memory one).

Thank you to you folks in here, too, for trying to help me get this figured out. I really do appreciate it.
 
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Did you have to replace the cap? And great news!

It’s holding station memory at the moment, but I don’t really expect it to last. That cap has already been located at mouser, and I’m basically just debating ordering a full set of caps along with it.

The link earlier in this thread to the other website shows a bit of a walkthrough for the recap - IIRC even down to a list of which ones to order. There’s a part of me that realizes if I’m gonna be in there already, might as well just do it all. If this one’s already failing, odds are the others aren’t doing much better even though it still ‘works’.
 
And the remote has just arrived from Canada. In the photo below, it’s the huge one on the right. The other is the one for my D1090, which I always thought was big. But look at this one - you could serve a California Roll on it with enough room left over for a side of gari and a dallop of wasabi. (Quarter for scale, since no bananas were available.) LOL

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