I bought a Sony Tuner because it was heavy
- Thread starter Phil H
- Start date
Lefty
Super Member
Phil H said:I just came home from a local thrift store with a Sony ST-5000FW. (I don't visit thrift stores very often). I didn't know anything about the tuner except it was heavy. I am going to hook it up tonight and how she does.
Here are a couple pictures.
Great find, I sure hope to find one someday to pair up with with my 2000F preamp.
Let us know what you think of it after you test it out.
Lefty
dr*audio
Fish fingers and custard!
Oh my, did you make a great find without having a clue! These are supposed to be really great tuners, highly sought after! I expect to be working on one for another AK member after the New Year.
Here's what the Tuner Information Center has to say about it:
Sony ST-5000F (ST-5000FW) (1968, $450) search eBay or search eBay
Intended to compete with the Marantz 10B, the Sony ST-5000 was the first audio component widely distributed by Sony in the U.S. Built like a tank, more like military gear (or McIntosh tuners) than later Japanese electronics, it has a strong following even though the styling was not great (very typical of '60s hifi gear). The two variations had different front panels (the one with “5000F” on the front panel is the “5000FW”, as it says on the back panel) and differences in the front end, IF filter, and MPX section as well. Both had 5-gang tuning capacitors, with the ST-5000's being silver-plated. Both had an 8-stage IF filter section, and an all discrete multiplex section. The 5000's filters are adjustable LC type, and the 5000F uses the 4-pin ceramic type, so don't buy an ST-5000 or 5000F expecting to swap 3-pin filters. The ST-5000 is the earlier version and is very rare. Our contributor Charles says that his ST-5000FW has a beautiful sound, and that “in the next room, it really seems like you have musicians in your house.” He also finds it “almost as good as my KT-7500 [for DXing]... in situations that try the adjacent channel selectivity of any tuner. That's amazing performance for a 30-year-old unit with all LC filters and only one IF bandwidth.” Mike Zuccaro comments as follows: “The ST-5000 had LC IF filters, a CdS Rf attenuator in the front end, fully bipolar front end (no FET's yet), CdS muting and switchable AFC. The ST-5000F (“F” for FET), introduced about one year later, had 4 FET's in the front end- 2 RF amps, mixer and oscillator. It did not need AFC. The 3 ceramic filter blocks used in the 5000F actually each contain 4 filters (!). It's not shown this way in the schematic (just a filter block), but is buried in the circuit description ('uses 3 4-section multi-unit ceramic filters'). The 5000F had standard transistor-driven muting (no CdS cell) and marginally better sensitivity specs. Both are very highly rated tuners - I'd consider them sleepers. Replaced by the AM/FM ST-5130, which I have worked on and is a nice unit, but the build quality was not the same as the 5000. The ST-5000 was Sony's first tuner, aimed at a heavyweight (the Marantz 10B), and like McIntosh's MR-55, Sony spared no expense. Later tuners may have had equal or better specs, but were certainly 'made to a price' whereas the 5000/5000F seem to have been built with more care.” The ST-5000/5000F shows up a few times a year on eBay and can sell for $150-350. The sale price usually depends on condition, but a supposedly “like new” ST-5000 sold for just $158 in 12/03. [BF]
Here's what the Tuner Information Center has to say about it:
Sony ST-5000F (ST-5000FW) (1968, $450) search eBay or search eBay
Intended to compete with the Marantz 10B, the Sony ST-5000 was the first audio component widely distributed by Sony in the U.S. Built like a tank, more like military gear (or McIntosh tuners) than later Japanese electronics, it has a strong following even though the styling was not great (very typical of '60s hifi gear). The two variations had different front panels (the one with “5000F” on the front panel is the “5000FW”, as it says on the back panel) and differences in the front end, IF filter, and MPX section as well. Both had 5-gang tuning capacitors, with the ST-5000's being silver-plated. Both had an 8-stage IF filter section, and an all discrete multiplex section. The 5000's filters are adjustable LC type, and the 5000F uses the 4-pin ceramic type, so don't buy an ST-5000 or 5000F expecting to swap 3-pin filters. The ST-5000 is the earlier version and is very rare. Our contributor Charles says that his ST-5000FW has a beautiful sound, and that “in the next room, it really seems like you have musicians in your house.” He also finds it “almost as good as my KT-7500 [for DXing]... in situations that try the adjacent channel selectivity of any tuner. That's amazing performance for a 30-year-old unit with all LC filters and only one IF bandwidth.” Mike Zuccaro comments as follows: “The ST-5000 had LC IF filters, a CdS Rf attenuator in the front end, fully bipolar front end (no FET's yet), CdS muting and switchable AFC. The ST-5000F (“F” for FET), introduced about one year later, had 4 FET's in the front end- 2 RF amps, mixer and oscillator. It did not need AFC. The 3 ceramic filter blocks used in the 5000F actually each contain 4 filters (!). It's not shown this way in the schematic (just a filter block), but is buried in the circuit description ('uses 3 4-section multi-unit ceramic filters'). The 5000F had standard transistor-driven muting (no CdS cell) and marginally better sensitivity specs. Both are very highly rated tuners - I'd consider them sleepers. Replaced by the AM/FM ST-5130, which I have worked on and is a nice unit, but the build quality was not the same as the 5000. The ST-5000 was Sony's first tuner, aimed at a heavyweight (the Marantz 10B), and like McIntosh's MR-55, Sony spared no expense. Later tuners may have had equal or better specs, but were certainly 'made to a price' whereas the 5000/5000F seem to have been built with more care.” The ST-5000/5000F shows up a few times a year on eBay and can sell for $150-350. The sale price usually depends on condition, but a supposedly “like new” ST-5000 sold for just $158 in 12/03. [BF]
Phil H
Active Member
The Sony sounds nice. The bass really thumps the house. I just compared it to the Yamaha CR-2040 receiver that I connected it to (aux input). The Sony wins. The receivers high may be a tad better. But, I need to listen to it some more. The Sony also pulled in stations a little better, but I really want to try it more stations.
It needs a tune-up. The meter is a long way from center when it it is tuned in with the best signal strength and sound. I couldn't get anything in stereo (I get pretty poor reception with a dipole antenna). I have no idea what the "muting" and "high blend" knobs do.
Now, I really need to get an antenna. I threw together a quick and dirty j-pole but I need one of those do-hickies that goes from coax to the 300 Ω on the tuner. I should bite-the-bullet and get a directional antenna and a rotor.
It needs a tune-up. The meter is a long way from center when it it is tuned in with the best signal strength and sound. I couldn't get anything in stereo (I get pretty poor reception with a dipole antenna). I have no idea what the "muting" and "high blend" knobs do.
Now, I really need to get an antenna. I threw together a quick and dirty j-pole but I need one of those do-hickies that goes from coax to the 300 Ω on the tuner. I should bite-the-bullet and get a directional antenna and a rotor.
Yamaha B-2
registered user
So, Phil.....is that $31 you paid for that one (sticker on the front)? If so, that is one great deal! :thmbsp: Now you need a vintage Sony integrated amp to match it with. Looking forward to getting mine back from Mike. The mod he is doing to the back of mine will include installing an 'F' connector to allow direct hook-up of the coax from my attic yagi.
absolon
Super Member
Muting quiets the inter-station static and will also take out stations with a weak signal.
Hi-blend mixes in the higher frequencies in mono with the mids and lows in stereo to give a quieter signal.
These units run to $300 at auction. The lowest price I've seen was well over $100 for a really poor condition example. Word on them is getting out so expect that to rise, particularly when YB2 gets his overhauled unit back and starts singing it's praises.
If you listen to much radio, a rooftop antenna is worth the trouble and the rotator allows you to fine tune for each station. On the other hand, you may not need one if you have good reception conditions and strong stations that you like nearby.
Hi-blend mixes in the higher frequencies in mono with the mids and lows in stereo to give a quieter signal.
These units run to $300 at auction. The lowest price I've seen was well over $100 for a really poor condition example. Word on them is getting out so expect that to rise, particularly when YB2 gets his overhauled unit back and starts singing it's praises.
If you listen to much radio, a rooftop antenna is worth the trouble and the rotator allows you to fine tune for each station. On the other hand, you may not need one if you have good reception conditions and strong stations that you like nearby.
Phil H
Active Member
bob adams said:Are you sure the Goodwill didn't put a brick inside that tuner just to make you think it was a good one?
Tell you what I'm gonna do. I'll give you fifty bucks right now and you don't even have to open it up to see if they cheated you.
Open it??? I prefer smoke testing - plug it in and look for smoke. Honestly, there aren't any bricks but some rust on the sheet metal inside. I was tempted by the 50 buck offer, but I want to keep it until I get something better.
But this puts me in a dilemna. I believe it needs an alignment and I suspect other problems because I haven't been able to receive anything in stereo. I don't get a very good signal with a dipole antenna, but the receiver and another tuners I have can pull in a couple stations in stereo. So, I should spend some money to have this repaired. But, my dilemma is that I don't think I'll be able to recoup the money for repairs if I sell it latter. If the inside didn't have any rust I wouldn't hesitate. I am pretty sure that the rust is cosmetic. I lifted one of the covers and there wasn't any rust underneath
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Whitehall
Super Member
If you're worried about laying out cash for a repair of a unit that may not eventually work, why don't you offer to trade it as-is for a tuner or receiver or whatever that you can trust?
I'm sure someone here would exchange this Sony for something you can use now.
If I picked this unit up at GW, I'd probably blow $100 to $150 at the shop on cleanup and alignment, assuming nothing major wrong. In the end, I'd have a great unit worth $150 to $250 but appreciating. However, I'd listen to it and put it to good use. Of course, the "collectors" have lots of stuff to trade. To buy one on eBay that is supposed to work would cost $150 to $200 plus shipping.
Maybe someone here could offer a trade or otherwise colloborate my estimate of the economics. Of course, cross-country shipping could run $40 or $50 a unit, one way so where you live makes a difference.
What would you want in trade?
I'm sure someone here would exchange this Sony for something you can use now.
If I picked this unit up at GW, I'd probably blow $100 to $150 at the shop on cleanup and alignment, assuming nothing major wrong. In the end, I'd have a great unit worth $150 to $250 but appreciating. However, I'd listen to it and put it to good use. Of course, the "collectors" have lots of stuff to trade. To buy one on eBay that is supposed to work would cost $150 to $200 plus shipping.
Maybe someone here could offer a trade or otherwise colloborate my estimate of the economics. Of course, cross-country shipping could run $40 or $50 a unit, one way so where you live makes a difference.
What would you want in trade?
