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Dual CS-508 Worth servicing - repairing ?

Rob.

Rob.

Super Member
Hi, my Dad is the original owner of a Dual CS-508. It hasnt been serviced ever. It has a humming noise and I think 1 RCA is faulty because when I jiggle it, the sound cuts in and out. Also the volume on it is very low.. I have to put the amp to 3/4 volume to get decent sound.
Is this something that can be serviced ? is it worth it ?

Heres some pics of the TT.

PS: anyone used this place for repair ?
http://www.doctordual.ca/

thanks


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Sounds like the captive interconnects are bad. Not hard to replace if you're handy with a screwdriver and a soldering iron.

Dave
 
Others will probably disagree, but I own one of those and think it's very nice. Hum can be a problem with this unit for several reasons. The first trouble spot is where the cartridge assembly mounts to the arm; rather than a pin sliding into a slot as most TTs have, this Dual design depends on a set of leaf springs making contact with each other. These can become corroded over time, and cleaning them CAREFULLY can make a big difference. This applies to the ones in the arm itself as well as the cartridge assembly.

The second trouble spot is in the muting switch; again, there are leaf springs that need to be cleaned. The third place is, indeed, the interconnects - they were the first thing I replaced when I got the TT over ten years ago.

It would help to take a look at the service manual for this TT. This particular model is not in Vinyl Engine's library, but the one for the 528 is - both TTs are identical, except the 528 is full automatic and the 508 is semi-automatic. I do have the service manual for the 508, so if you need guidance I can look at mine and try to help.

Also the volume on it is very low.. I have to put the amp to 3/4 volume to get decent sound.
Click to expand...

Are you plugging it into a phono input? Turntables won't work properly into a line level input such as "aux".

Definitely worth servicing!
 
Last edited:
1tumbleweed said:
Are you plugging it into a phono input? Turntables won't work properly into a line level input such as "aux".

Definitely worth servicing!
Click to expand...

Yes Phono.

I dont know anything about servicing these. Gonna have to take it into a shop to get it done.
 
It also has that Dual removable cart sled on the "headshell" and it can cause connection issues with age. It was a cool piece of engineering but cheaply implemented. The finger lift pivots back and forth to hold the cart on.
 
When it is all the forward it is supposed to lock the cart sled in place. If I recall correctly, the screw is what the pivot is mounted to. Try it with the lift pulled all the way forward. You can also try to gently tighten that screw.
 
I have a 506 that I recently refurbished. The Jico stylus replacement is an excellent value. That and a new set of IC's and mine surprised me with it's sound. I used an old set of component video cables and they really improved the sound. It's definitely worth the time to restore. But don't spend a lot of money at a shop. Get you a couple of foam bricks and turn her upside down, open her up. You will be surprised at how simple it is in there. Start with the cables and work your way to the tonearm. All your answers will be in that circuit. Clean and replace as needed.
 
Fasterdamnit said:
When it is all the forward it is supposed to lock the cart sled in place. If I recall correctly, the screw is what the pivot is mounted to. Try it with the lift pulled all the way forward. You can also try to gently tighten that screw.
Click to expand...

Actually, that tiny screw goes down through the headshell into the cartridge assembly. It locks the cartridge in place so that the pivot (attached to the fingerlift) won't move backwards and allow the cartridge to drop out.
 
You mentioned very low sound levels...check also if you are using a moving magnet or a moving coil cartridge...your amp may require the moving coil step up.
 
That's a standard Dual/Ortofon cartridge so not likely Moving Coil.

The headshell contact cleaning is a good first step, but be very careful with the little screw and how you move the lever to lock the holder in place. There are 2 little tabs that get locked down by that lever and it is very easy to break them. Replacement parts for those are not easy to find.

The lever will still have a small amount of play even when everything is done right so don't worry too much about that.
 
Rob Burns said:
You mentioned very low sound levels...check also if you are using a moving magnet or a moving coil cartridge...your amp may require the moving coil step up.
Click to expand...

Its been fixed. I cleaned the contacts and replaced the RVA cables. :)
 
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