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Fix, sell, keep - need advice

bobdod

bobdod

Super Member
I've enjoyed playing the slow upgrade game of buying cool gear, restoring it, selling some, and getting cooler stuff. The problem is that I've now got too much stuff, too many projects, and I need to prioritize since I have limited time to work on gear these days (new dad).

Current inventory of working gear:
-MCS 3125 - restored
-2x MCS 3125 - working not restored
-Sony STR-7800SD - restored
-Sony TA-3060 - working not restored
-Yamaha CA-1000 - restored
-Yamaha CA-2010 - working unrestored
-Technics SU-8055 - restored
-Marantz 2226B - restored
-Sony TA-4650 - working unrestored (isn't used because death diodes not replaced yet).


Current inventory of projects:
-Yamaha CR-2020 - restored except for the pre amp boards, which are now acting up.
- Yamaha B-2 - has good v-fets, but other issues keep it from passing tests required prior to re-installling v-fets.
- Yamaha B-2 - unknown condition and vfets untested.
-Yamaha C-70 - untested, but told it has issues.
-Sony STR-6120 - needs restoration and tuner work.
-Technics SA-1000 - has issues after warming up and needs restoration.

I have room for 5 systems throughout the house, and can store a few things to rotate in and out for fun. What should I keep, what should I sell, and which projects should I prioritize? I want to get down to around 7 units.
 
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Keep the ones that have been restored already. Time and/or resources (financial, parts availability, etc) that were required to accomplish those projects in the past might not be as easy to come by in the future. Life is always throwing curve balls, things happen that have not been anticipated or would not have been predicted.

my .02¢
 
I second what roger2 said. If time is now harder to come by, the restored units are less likely to need as much attention. You can simply enjoy.

From there, pick a couple from the piles that you particularly like and hold on to those.
 
Besides the outer looks, I would keep the following amps for the following reasons:

Yamaha CA-2010 (better than the CA-1000 anyway), because it's a great sounding amplifier with a terrific pre-amp section (with the looks and finishing it has, a modern new equivalent would be > $5000)
+
Sony TA-4650, because it's a good sounding power amp section when duly renovated (pre-amp isn't great), and it has the highest damping factor amongst the Sony VFET amps of that era.
+
1 off Yamaha B-2 (no comment)

If tuner/receiver desired: then of course the Sony STR-7800SD. Again, the outer finishing is stellar and impossible to find in modern gear, and you could use the output stage of the TA-4650 for power amp service; together they will make up an impressive and good sounding set !! Side-by-side that is, as the 7800 is quite wider....The TA-4650 has jumper at the back between pre-out and main-in, so to use it as a power amp only.

All the rest, not so important. The CR-2020 is mighty on the outside but a living hell on the inside, horror to work on, and failures keep on coming back. I hate that thing :mad:.
Sell all the rest to allow restoration of the remainders.
 
Keep:
restored MCS 3125
Sony STR-7800SD
Yamaha CA-2010
Yamaha CR-2020
Yamaha B-2 (the one with good VFETs, or better yet, test the other VFETs and keep whichever one has better cosmetics)
Technics SA-1000

Sell the rest.
 
Interesting perspectives, keep them coming!

My initial thoughts on the keepers:
-Yamaha CA-2010
-Both Yamaha B-2s to pair with the C-70 (yeah, all 3 need work, but I think the B-2s can be bridged via the C-70s inverted outputs).
-TA-4650 because it sounds great
-CR-2020 because it was my first piece of vintage gear. It's a pain to work on, but I am attached to it.
-Sony STR-7800SD because it is rare and restored.
-Sony TA-3060 because it's rare and doesn't take up any space.
-the restored MCS 3125 because it sounds better than most of the other gear, despite the odd looks.

Sell list:
-Sony STR-6120. Despite killer build quality, it will not do anything the STR-7800SD can't do, and it has no pre-out/main in.
-the unrestored MCS 3125s because one is enough.
-Yamaha CA-1000 because the CA-2010 is better.
-Marantz 2226B because it's the odd man out. Looks nice, but I am more of a Sony/Yamaha guy.

The "on the fence" list:
-Technics SU-8055. It's not very special in any way, I know. However, this was an interesting project where I took a piece of trash and fully restored it, with a custom wood case added to boot. I doubt anyone would value it enough to be worth selling.
-Technics SA-1000. Well, I am really unsure on this one. It's huge, it's rare, it's valuable. Previous owner said it has some issues on one channel when it warms up, so it needs some diagnosis and work before it can be sold. If I could find someone within driving distance of South Jersey who can work on this one, I'd outsource this job.
 
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bobdod said:
-Technics SA-1000. Well, I am really unsure on this one. It's huge, it's rare, it's valuable. Previous owner said it has some issues on one channel when it warms up, so it needs some diagnosis and work before it can be sold. If I could find someone within driving distance of South Jersey who can work on this one, I'd outsource this job.
Click to expand...

It's a worthy piece indeed; I should not have shuffled it with 'the rest'
But, then you would keep 3 top end receivers with the CR-2020 and STR-7800
But again, putting one or two away in storage as a future investment might be an option in that case.
Just makes nice carton boxes with polystyrene panels in it for long term storage, protected from dust and damaging.
 
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I would keep what you really like, restored and unrestored. Sell the rest. I got into collecting and restoring SS gear for awhile. You just end up with a.bun h of equipment just sitting on a shelf. I kept what I mostly used and passed along the rest. TOLT or not. I was kind of proud of myself for thinning the herd. But then I got into tubes and it's even more fun building tube equipment. So now I'm almost back to where I was with SS gear. :D Its a sickness I tell ya! :whip:
 
Lavane said:
:D Its a sickness I tell ya! :whip:
Click to expand...

ah non, that is called passion :beatnik:.
At least, that's how I sell it to myself, having a few hundred hifi gear in two rented storage boxes....
Must admit, when reading the first post, thinking which unit I will ask to buy from him :(

Any dead VFET amp without VFETs or faulty VFETs is welcome here
 
bobdod said:
Both Yamaha B-2s to pair with the C-70
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'd be running that combo. Maybe in 20years once the kids have left home you will have more time. The B-2s will wait.
While the CA-2010 is a great amp, I prefer the CA-1000 in many ways.
 
Oilmaster said:
ah non, that is called passion :beatnik:.
At least, that's how I sell it to myself, having a few hundred hifi gear in two rented storage boxes....
Must admit, when reading the first post, thinking which unit I will ask to buy from him :(

Any dead VFET amp without VFETs or faulty VFETs is welcome here
Click to expand...

I understand this. I am trying to proactively manage my hobby from getting to two storage units out of hand.

Speaking of vfets, I REALLY want to get at least one of my B-2s working. With your advice (as well as a few others) I got pretty close with the first one, but had to put that project on hold. Since then, I got the second one as a parts unit in the hopes that I can get one working unit between the two.
 
mbz said:
Yeah, I'd be running that combo. Maybe in 20years once the kids have left home you will have more time. The B-2s will wait.
While the CA-2010 is a great amp, I prefer the CA-1000 in many ways.
Click to expand...

The B-2s will wait indeed. It has been, and remains my end amplifier goal.

Regarding the CA-1000, you are not making this easy :rflmao:
 
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bobdod said:
I shed a small tear every time I see them sitting quietly on the shelf. I need to move through some of these other projects and pass some stuff along before I can devote more time to them. I hate having stuff sit that can't be used.
Click to expand...
I'm listening to my TLC'ed B-2 right now and I can't imagine that there's a finer sounding amplifier out there except perhaps for the B-1, but of course YMMV. To my ears these are nothing short of being superb sonically and as long as the V-FET's are still good, everything else is fixable and well worth the effort.
 
Keep the ones you personally think sound (or could) best. Assuming there are no unobtanium parts of course. Hell, I have 2006 gear that have NLA parts.
 
Just my opinion, if this was my stack:
Keep:
-MCS 3125 - restored
-Sony STR-7800SD - restored
-Yamaha CA-1000 - restored
-Yamaha CA-2010 - working unrestored
-Yamaha CR-2020 - restored except for the pre amp boards, which are now acting up.
- Yamaha B-2 - has good v-fets, but other issues keep it from passing tests required prior to re-installling v-fets.
- Yamaha B-2 - unknown condition and vfets untested.
-Yamaha C-70 - untested, but told it has issues.
-Technics SA-1000 - has issues after warming up and needs restoration.

Probably keep:
-Sony TA-4650 - working unrestored (isn't used because death diodes not replaced yet).

Sell:
-2x MCS 3125 - working not restored
-Sony TA-3060 - working not restored
-Technics SU-8055 - restored
-Marantz 2226B - restored
-Sony STR-6120 - needs restoration and tuner work.

Between the 3125, STR-7800SD, CR-2020, and SA-1000, you'd have a nice collection of the better-sounding and more unusual monster receivers. The CA-2010 gives you everything that the CR-2020 has except the tuner, and the C70/B2 stack would be incredible if you can get it going. I may have a thing for vintage Yamaha equipment... The TA-4650 is pretty low-powered, but it's also pretty unusual and it seems like it's operational without much work. Marantz always sells for a premium, and the unrestored 3125s would likely be easy to sell to anyone looking to add some unusual pieces to a monster receiver collection.
 
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