Denon D-200 Mini System - Is it worth fixing?

[vinylvirgin]

Greetings, fellow audiophiles. It's been a while!

I am debating whether or not to keep and repair or simply junk and replace a Denon D-200 mini system (early 90s vintage as far as I've been able to determine), which I'm using in my bedroom. It looks like the one in the picture, except that it does not have its official CD player, or its remote (not a big deal since it's located right next to my bed) or its speakers (I'm using a pair of re-capped Realistic Minimus-7s).

One of the biggest issues that I have with it is that the sound will often cut out without warning, one channel or sometimes both at once, and the only way to restore sound is to turn up the volume control, then turn it back down to a more reasonable listening level.

The other issue is that the display on the tuner/control part of the unit is no longer working. The backlight works, and the radio still functions, but the LCD display is blank.

I originally bought the unit in rough but functional condition from a thrift shop. The issues I've outlined here are fairly recent. I did find a place online where I can probably purchase a service manual for it, but there is not much point if replacements for the defective parts are no longer available.

Has anyone here had experience with this particular make and model, and with the issues I've described here?

 

[Powertech]

If it's just the volume control pot 'cold spotting' you may be able to spray it with Deoxit or similar to clean it up. The other problems you have will likely be more difficult. Denon were not that forthcoming with circuit diagrams for lagacy equipment, especially units like midi systems. Also, spare parts for units like this are more or less nonexistant.

 

[SVI2004A]

Im more inclined to suspect output relay for the volume issue

 

[vinylvirgin]

First, thank you both for your replies.

@Powertech - I suspected that replacement parts might be unobtainium. I was hoping that a standard part driving a proprietary one might be the cause of my blank display, but Murphy's Law... The volume control could probably use a shot of Deoxit and Cailube.

@SVI2004A - It doesn't sound like a relay issue from where I sit. I don't hear a relay click when I turn up the volume control. Are we perhaps dealing with a voltage-controlled amplifier that's gone out of whack?

 

[Bone Yard]

Denon cranked out more mini-systems than anybody in the 90's-2000's and most seem to be pretty nice quality with plastic faces and metal chassis. I only own an MD player from around 2000 and it's nice but not as cool as vintage equipment. Maybe in 20 years, once they've aged more they'll have more of a following but they still sell for decent money.

I'd start by deoxiting the volume, do the easy stuff first. Do the components use RCA or ribbon cables, ribbon cables can be an issue and sometimes the break is really small inside the cable. People have revived LCDs, look around the internet to find how they've done it, it won't hurt but I'd also open it up and check the connections to make sure none of the internal wiring broke to the display.

Those units were hundreds of dollars when new and make great desktop or small room systems.

 

[SVI2004A]

Pitted contacts on an output relay often result in no sound or very poor sound, till you up the volume at which point the higher voltage arcs through it.

 

[Dazaa]

That system cost 4 figures new. Worth fixing in my opinion.

 

[vinylvirgin]

Thanks to all of you for your replies. You've given me a lot to consider. It is a great little system when it works properly. (Time to roll up my sleeves and get that bad boy working properly again!).

@Dazaa - just out of curiosity, how much was the unit back in the day?

 

[Bone Yard]

Funny I just found one and it has the receipt with it, a whooping $1349.00, discounted from $1400.00 in 1992. It does have ribbon cable connecting the units, hopefully VV has gotten his sorted out.

 

[Kyocerafan]

I don't have anything to contribute from a technical repair standpoint but there's so little on the net about this unit I feel compelled to comment.

I've had one of these for at least 5 years. I got it locally on Craigslist for a "I just need to get it out of here-I don't care how much I get" price. Practically free. It came with 4 changer magazines, the manual, and the remote. I didn't really need it. I just couldn't resist. I'm struggling to find a place to use it.
It's been in storage since I put it through it's initial paces and verified that EVERYTHING worked. I strangely get a lot of cheap entertainment out of setting up and testing stuff.

I needed something to mess around with yesterday, pulled it out of climate controlled storage, and everything still works perfectly. The most surprising was the cassette deck. I must have 8 cassette decks-none entry level-and NONE of them work properly. Except this one? Wow.

Starting with the cassette, it has a cool CD style drawer and Dolby B/C and HX pro capability. Auto reverse and blessedly free of stupid dual deck nonsense. Not a Kyocera or Nakamichi but fairly serious.

The CD player uses magazine changer cartridges. They're kind of scary but quite ingenious and mine seems to work fine. Makes me want a compatible trunk mounted changer in my theoretical 90's luxury car. Lexus? Sounds great and has a coaxial digital output for some reason.

The tuner does all the typical digital tuner stuff and performs quite well. It also cleverly functions as the central piece that provides power to the rest of it (3 real full sized switched outlets) and is the standby power control. Tidy.

I'm not sure what the Amp specifications are. I'm sure they are not mind blowing but it sounds good. My manual must be archived elsewhere for now. There's absolutely none online. Nothing. I'm not used to manuals scarcity in this day and age. I'll have to scan mine and get it out there.

I was surprised that the tweeters on the Denon (USC-200)speakers were cones rather than domes for the money they got for this setup back then. That said, they actually sound pretty good and are decent looking. No real complaints there. They quite often used pretty good Missions on these kind of units but not this time.

A phono input? Pretty sweet to have that built in. There's also one I/O set of analog RCA's available. Plug in a WiiM or Sonos or Bluetooth adapter and it's suddenly 21st century streaming capable. The advantages go on and on.

Those few RCA'S are the only ones. The rest of the stack is tied together with seemingly pretty sturdy ribbon connectors. Heaven help me if something ever goes wrong with those but they are pretty ingenious in their functionality.

Everything is quite beautiful to look at and the tactile experience all the way to the damped hinges on all the drop down doors is befitting the price level it was at. Pretty upscale.

Anyway, make no mistake that the Denon D200 is anything but an elegant well screwed together assemblage of pretty decent components. It could have found it's way into many a well heeled executive's office in it's day. I'm leaning more and more towards bedroom duty. It's too cool to sit in storage.

Like I say, there's not much info online about it so that's my 2 cents, for what that's worth. I'll try to get the manual online for history's sake.