Marantz 2230 recap & LED conversion

The thing is the wood enclosures are getting so much money these days. I'd love to have wood on my 2230 personally, but I agree they have a very good look without it as well. The wood is probably a bit more retro.

Agreed retro is the key. Who said anything about buying a wood enclosure? Id probably make one. Unless one comes up a bit beaten up that I can just re veneer. I like wasting my time doing stuff like that! :thmbsp:
 
Re-veneering would be good. If you're carpenter enough for veneer work you could probably make a nicer-than-new one for about the same work, 'though veneer might open up some fancier wood options.
 
Well that's it. On PatFont's advice He has put together a comprehensive list of requirements for the next couple of stages of the re cap. Next up P750 power amps, P700 phono board and a tweak on the P400 pre amp/tone board.

Hopefully they will come in good time, so I can get started with some more progress. :)
 
Agreed retro is the key. Who said anything about buying a wood enclosure? Id probably make one. Unless one comes up a bit beaten up that I can just re veneer. I like wasting my time doing stuff like that! :thmbsp:
There are a few threads on these guys for custom cases...http://mcintoshcabinets.com/pages/marantz.htm

I just had my Mac 4100 re veneered and was pointed to Mike Botts. If you want his Email PM me....Great Work!!!!
 
Well after doing some swapping around between receivers, I have decided that I actually do like the 2230 in its current state. The shrillness that I described earlier after recapping the tone board is still there somewhat, but I still haven't gone onto version 2 of this one yet due to awaiting parts. Dam holidays cocking up delivery dates! :rolleyes:

I initially thought that I had lost some bottom end 'tightness and rumble' (no comments please ;) ). I have come to the conclusion that, its not that I have lost bottom end it is that I have gained top end detail. Before there was quite an obvious ceiling to the highs and were hidden in the background (haven't realised this until this evening). Now they are very pronounced and in the foreground. It does take a bit of time to listen to, but I like going over tracks I thought I knew well and discovering new snippets of detail and sound everywhere. It is truly amazing....

So far... :music:
 
Happy New Year:) If you ever get a chance, it would be great to have a consolidated cap list or parts list for what you've done; I've done the p.s. caps only and it sounds like it might be worth going a bit further!
 
Happy New Year:) If you ever get a chance, it would be great to have a consolidated cap list or parts list for what you've done; I've done the p.s. caps only and it sounds like it might be worth going a bit further!

Happy new year to you also. I am still awaiting parts from Mouser for a few more positions. I will pm you a parts list when I have completed and am happy with it.

Definitely worth going further, you won't believe the difference a few caps make. It will show you how dull it sounds now. No offence meant, but its true. :) Made the world of difference recapping the pre/tone board on mine. :)

I haven't even touched the power amps yet, can't wait to do those. :D
 
Excellent, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to benefit from your explorations! Thanks, Mark.
 
This evening it was time to replace the panasonic stacked film caps that were never meant to be. Pat kindly donated to me a set of caps for my pre amp board to me and these were included in the kit. Having spoken with Pat after the installation, he had made some new developments with some Panasonic ECW's in the same positions and these are meant to be the meal ticket. :thmbsp: Thanks for the tip PatFont. :smoke:

Well here is the pre amp board with previous version installed.

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And here are the panasonic ECW's in the same position. It is fair to say that they are in there. I just wished I had left the wimas a little longer so I had some more breathing space. I may change them for some new ones due to my OCD not allowing this shoddy install. Please don't slag me for this, I am not proud of the angles. :no:

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Well enough said about the pre amp. I am moving onto the power amps P750 now. :)
 
I have now done both P750 power amps now. Both have been recapped and the one remaining 'original' power board that didn't fry itself got new resistors and output emitters to match the repaired one on the other side.

I have thoroughly enjoyed myself this evening, especially now I know that everything is working. :) I love the 'is it, isn't it' moment you get when switching on for the first time. :D

Some pics of my efforts this evening.

Here are the new parts awaiting installation.

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The old caps removed

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Re thermal greasing the output transistors. I used a non conductive type. Believed to last around 10 years, I'll mark it on the calendar. :thmbsp:

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Power board P750, new resistors & caps.

Before
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After, sorry about the orientation
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New Parts
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Old parts
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I think now I deserve a nice 'burn in' session. :)
 
Nice work, and you even did the resistors! And how are you liking the sound?:banana:

It would be unfair of me to comment really because it is hardly burned in. But I will. :D I am absolutely loving the sound. Recapping the amps has really brought the pre amps cards to the table, I mean hand on heart, I have never heard of anything like it. :yes: the mids are fantastic, stringed instruments are in front of me, vocals (particularly female) sound 3 dimensional and the bass I can only describe as forceful but liquid at the same time. It is such an oral feast! I really am in knots trying to choose the next songs to play to find new things about them I have missed before.

And I still haven't even touched the phono board! Hell, what is that going to do?!

I think I understand what 'soundstage' actually is, also imaging. If I close my eyes I can almost place where things are being played from in the room. Not from just left to right but front to rear. It is so clear, I really must have had my ears shut before?

I am so pleased Pat. I really owe you a massive thank you for your excellent assistance so far with my project. I think my Grandad would be proud of what I have done to his receiver. :thmbsp:
 
Too much thermal paste. It should be thinly applied to both sides of the mica. I apply a small dab and then spread it with a thin piece of plastic. I don't have a picture of mine since I started using silicon thermal pads for my to-3s but here is a picture of what a thin layer should look like.
 

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Too much thermal paste. It should be thinly applied to both sides of the mica. I apply a small dab and then spread it with a thin piece of plastic. I don't have a picture of mine since I started using silicon thermal pads for my to-3s but here is a picture of what a thin layer should look like.

Thanks for the advice fernarias, I will be sure to apply your tip next time. :thmbsp: I thought I'd rather have too much than not enough. The bottom of the transistor isn't exactly flat so at least the thermal paste would fill in the unevenness, so thus creating maximum contact area. Apart from the excess squidging out the sides does it really matter? Should I remove them all and re do? :scratch2:
 
Thanks for the advice fernarias, I will be sure to apply your tip next time. :thmbsp: I thought I'd rather have too much than not enough. The bottom of the transistor isn't exactly flat so at least the thermal paste would fill in the unevenness, so thus creating maximum contact area. Apart from the excess squidging out the sides does it really matter? Should I remove them all and re do? :scratch2:

This is a situation where "less is more". Since the thermal conductivity of the thermal paste is much poorer than the metal of the transistor case, the minimum amount of thermal paste needed to fill in the surface irregularities of the mating surface works best. Does it matter? A definite maybe: with lots of thermal compound between the transistor and the heatsink, the transistor itself will run hotter, but in real life situations it will not likely make a difference unless you run the amp stage at full power all the time.
 
Thanks for the reply Leestereo, I do see your point.

Thanks, both of you, for showing me my error. :thmbsp:

I have now removed re cleaned and reinstalled the transistors using a minimal smeared amount of compound.

I don't want to start a fight here, but I'll put across my way of thinking. Please tell me where I am going wrong with my thought process. :yes:

The way i look at it, if you apply more compound than necessary in this application (like I did previously), surly it wouldn't matter because the compound would squidge out the same as if it were applied thinner anyway? These aren't clipped down CPU chips that are likely to sit on top of the compound, they are screwed down transistors and are fitted down alot tighter? I thought the idea being not to get any air bubbles or dry spots between transistor, washer and heatsink? I would have thought a compound joint is better than a dry one? Anyway what is thermal compound designed to do, conduct heat? :scratch2:

Please understand I am not being short here, I just want to learn where I am going wrong with my thought process. I welcome criticism. :yes: every day is a day at school. :)

I know it looks rough but it can be wiped away afterwards.

Edit: This thermal compound really is not that viscous any light pressure and it moves away from the pressure point. Its more like my wife's face cream for thickness than a thick grease.
 
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The way i look at it, if you apply more compound than necessary in this application (like I did previously), surly it wouldn't matter because the compound would squidge out the same as if it were applied thinner anyway? These aren't clipped down CPU chips that are likely to sit on top of the compound, they are screwed down transistors and are fitted down alot tighter? I thought the idea being not to get any air bubbles or dry spots between transistor, washer and heatsink? I would have thought a compound joint is better than a dry one? Anyway what is thermal compound designed to do, conduct heat? :scratch2:

Edit: This thermal compound really is not that viscous any light pressure and it moves away from the pressure point. Its more like my wife's face cream for thickness than a thick grease.

To a certain extent, the heat sink compound will be squeezed out, but in practice, I have found that you cannot rely on this effect to give you an uniform very thin layer. The thermal compound does conduct heat better than air, but not as well as metal; what we are trying to do is to fill in any "air gaps" that exist due to imperfections on the mating surface of the transistor with the thermal compound.
 
I get where you are coming from. It's better to have good contact, where contact is, than a consistent bad all over contact?

I'm glad I re did them now. :)
 
Your happiness with the sound of the Marantz after the re-capping is making me want to do it to mine as well.
 
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