Hello!!....and your $.02 would be appreciated!

[tlin]

Yup - newbie. Officially, second post. Me:

• Wondering what happened to the last 15 years...went by in a blink.
• Happily married with two little girls and a dog (female) - yes, I'm sorely outnumbered when it comes to all-things-estrogen (not looking to stir up any heated discussion on this topic, leave it alone :nono.
• Finally getting around to pursuing an analog system. Originally thought I was going to go the DIY route (speakers and tube) but am having too much fun surfing CL and learning about vintage audio......hence joining AK.

Now on to the fun stuff.....if you have STRONG opinions or reason to pick one vs. the other, I'd appreciate your thoughts (you all know this stuff better than I do).

Criteria:

• Am building a system from scratch, want to stick to < $500 for stereo, TT, speakers. Room is large and open (living room and kitchen which opens up to a loft upstairs - decent volume of space I want some good sound for).
• Stereo receiver - I'd love to pick up a unit I can rely on. I don't mind maintenance/repairs that I can tackle myself (I enjoy it) but also don't want to be cracking the lid on a regular basis.

Stereo Receiver - items I'm considering (yes, CL finds):

• Yamaha Natural Sounds Amplifier CA-810 and AM/FM Tuner NFB PLL MPX CT-610 II - right price, right era, would you buy one??
• Fisher 500 C - I'm sure the Fisher needs to be refurb'd but its selling price seems fair. It would, however, be a big % of my target budget once done. If this is a SIGNIFICANTLY more desirable receiver, I could stretch the budget to accommodate but don't want to unless it makes sense.

So, if you have reason for me to pick one, I'd appreciate knowing. Which receiver would you choose?

Thx for your time, looking forward to joining the ranks!!

--t

 

[Big Tuna]

Hi tlin, and welcome to AK! Your options are great ones. Listen to all of them and choose the one that sounds best to you. Just my 2c worth.

 

[Sandy G]

Welcome ! Nice t'have ya ! Are yr girls old enuff to enjoy music w/Dad yet ?

 

[Sansui Louie]

Well, when we talk vintage, it's hard to tell which is more reliable than what. It largely depends on the life the unit has led til now. Apart from parts made of "unobtainium" (and I'm not the person who can advise on that), there are people who can and will fix any issues you come across. Find whatever appeals to you and seems to be in good, operable condition, and don't pay too much for any of it. It is, after all, old, but not fine art, fine wine or from an Egyptian tomb.

 

[UncleAng]

The Yamaha's were very well made in the late 70's specifically their intergrated amps.
The CA810 was I believe 65 watts a side and since your room is large and open you'll need fairly efficient speakers (90 db per watt or higher). Your daughters will love it as mine did.

 

[dspear99ca]

If you're serious about sticking to your budget, forget the Fisher as it'll eat that up fast especially if it needs tubes. They do sound good when done up right. Actually they sound spectacular with the right speakers.

The CA-810 is a solid performer and should give you no headaches. It should be cleaned and have the bias and offset checked and adjusted. Replacing all the electrolytics is a subject of some debate so I'll leave that choice up to you. Depending on the FM performance you may wish to have an alignment done, but unless you (or a previous owner) mess with the adjustments they usually work fine for decades.

The CT-610 a low-end tuner. That doesn't mean it'll sound bad... I've got a Sansui T-80 that I find kicks the butts of other more expensive tuners. It's not worth more than about $25 plus whatever you feel the value is of a matching tuner and amp.

The Yammy will match okay with more speakers than the Fisher, it has more power and a higher damping factor.

 

[ev13wt]

You need to listen to speakers. In your room.

Your budget, double it.
Consider other brands, stick to top of the line.

Find something you really like, some gear you can make an emotional connection to, and run with it!

Welcome!

 

[tlin]

Woohoo!

Bought the Yamaha combo....$50!! Poor guy wasn't ready for me and I was in the mood to haggle . He was selling for his mother-in-law, it was an absolute mess (wasn't cared for, sitting out in a garage) so he was primarily interested in getting rid of it. It's cleaned-up nicely and I've been listening to it this evening for a couple hours now - SOUNDS TERRIFIC!

A few "issues" I'll need to attend to:

1. Lamp for amp's analog meters is shot. The gauges themselves work just fine.
2. Speaker selection knob is missing and same selector is also "frozen" (won't turn at all, definitely locked in place). Will need to crack the case this weekend.
3. Tuner knob doesn't float the dial as freely as I'd like - nothing "bad" but can only traverse ~50% of the stations in one big turn.

Time for me to start to learn how to properly refurb a few key pieces, thx for all the input above. It helped me confidently push for the purchase and get started with my analog voyage.

Thx!

 

[tlin]

Welcome ! Nice t'have ya ! Are yr girls old enuff to enjoy music w/Dad yet ?

Not quite, more interested in Barbies than they are in audio. Darn cute and loads of fun, no complaints from me .

 

[westend]

Bought the Yamaha combo....$50!! Poor guy wasn't ready for me and I was in the mood to haggle . He was selling for his mother-in-law, it was an absolute mess (wasn't cared for, sitting out in a garage) so he was primarily interested in getting rid of it. It's cleaned-up nicely and I've been listening to it this evening for a couple hours now - SOUNDS TERRIFIC!

A few "issues" I'll need to attend to:

1. Lamp for amp's analog meters is shot. The gauges themselves work just fine.
2. Speaker selection knob is missing and same selector is also "frozen" (won't turn at all, definitely locked in place). Will need to crack the case this weekend.
3. Tuner knob doesn't float the dial as freely as I'd like - nothing "bad" but can only traverse ~50% of the stations in one big turn.

Time for me to start to learn how to properly refurb a few key pieces, thx for all the input above. It helped me confidently push for the purchase and get started with my analog voyage.

Thx!

Nice acquisitions and a fair price!
AK member Dgwojo is the go-to guy for lamps. Tell him what you need and he'll set you up.
Read the sticky thread on the use of Caig Deoxit, you will need to clean and deoxidize all of the controls and clean up the terminations on the back of your gear to get the most out of it. Deoxit is sold at Guitar Center.
The tuner knob can be lubed so that it spins freely and is damped to some degree. That you can figure out.
The speaker selector switch may be repairable and may not. Maybe a post in the "Yamaha" section of the forum would turn up a replacement.
Good luck with your Yamaha gear and welcome to AK.

 

[Sansui Louie]

Nice acquisitions and a fair price!
AK member Dgwojo is the go-to guy for lamps. Tell him what you need and he'll set you up.
Read the sticky thread on the use of Caig Deoxit, you will need to clean and deoxidize all of the controls and clean up the terminations on the back of your gear to get the most out of it. Deoxit is sold at Guitar Center.
The tuner knob can be lubed so that it spins freely and is damped to some degree. That you can figure out.
The speaker selector switch may be repairable and may not. Maybe a post in the "Yamaha" section of the forum would turn up a replacement.
Good luck with your Yamaha gear and welcome to AK.

Great gear, and great advice. One point, not all tuners ran from W to E with a single spin of the tuning knob. My Yamaha receiver, CR-620, goes about half to 2/3 of the way...yours might be normal.

 

[tlin]

Thx for the advice guys, this weekend will be spent giving it a proper clean. I'll provide updates (w/ better pics) as I progress.

I'll start a new post since I've moved past asking for your advice about which receiver to purchase.

Thx guys!

 

[Oerets]

Do not try and force the selector switch. Look it over from the backside to see if anything is loose or binding. You do not want to replace that switch if at all possible.


I like the Yamaha separates, they do sound sweet!



Barney

 

[avionic]

Thx for the advice guys, this weekend will be spent giving it a proper clean. I'll provide updates (w/ better pics) as I progress.

I'll start a new post since I've moved past asking for your advice about which receiver to purchase.

Thx guys!

PM me..I have ka'nobs..

 

[avionic]

Tuner knob doesn't float the dial as freely as I'd like - nothing "bad" but can only traverse ~50% of the stations in one big turn.

I have found that the shaft bushings probably have gummed up lube.Needs to be carefully removed , cleaned with degreaser ie. acetone,relubed with thin coat of white lithium grease and reassembled.One spin from end to end..:thmbsp:

 

[tlin]

I have found that the shaft bushings probably have gummed up lube.Needs to be carefully removed , cleaned with degreaser ie. acetone,relubed with thin coat of white lithium grease and reassembled.One spin from end to end..:thmbsp:

Good to know - seems/sounds straightforward - low priority now. Per other post above, and after giving it additional consideration, it's actually working pretty well. I just thought the "golden rule" was that a good spin should come close to gliding from one end to the other. I can live with its current response, maybe look at it closely down the road.

PM me..I have ka'nobs..

You've been PM'd

Do not try and force the selector switch. Look it over from the backside to see if anything is loose or binding. You do not want to replace that switch if at all possible.

That sucker's definitely locked in place (will NOT budge!!). I won't be forcing it. I've already taken the case off but have some work to do to get to the back side of that knob, need the kids to go to sleep! Thx for the warning.....

This feels like being a kid at XMas....having a blast with this thing. As a kicker, my neighbor just gave me some old Technics 3-ways he had in his basement. They're....free.....but will get some use (pretty darn bright, cabs are featherweights, cones all seem to be in perfectly good shape but the tweeters have some weird down-angle shields to help with dispersion/coloration I guess.....did I mention they're free?).

I just need a TT and I'll have a complete system to enjoy. You guys are great help, this is the best forum community I've encountered - esp. in a very short period of time. Thx all!

 

[tlin]

Nice acquisitions and a fair price!
AK member Dgwojo is the go-to guy for lamps. Tell him what you need and he'll set you up.
Read the sticky thread on the use of Caig Deoxit, you will need to clean and deoxidize all of the controls and clean up the terminations on the back of your gear to get the most out of it. Deoxit is sold at Guitar Center.

I forgot to mention - Dgwojo already contacted - will place an order shortly - thx!! I also picked up the Deoxit today from Guitar Center, I hope I got the right one (I got the spray Pro, they didn't have one with a brush application).

 

[tlin]

Closing the loop.......

So a few weeks after it all began, wanted to follow-up and especially thank those who helped out. My Yamaha amp/tuner combo has:

• been cleaned up!! knobs/dials/faceplates/wood shells are looking as good as they're ever going to without replacing pieces
• new lamps with a green tint for the amp meters (looks great!) - many thanks to Dgwojo who came through in a timely fashion with my order!! He also gave me a link to someone else's writeup to do the actual installation itself - it was a cinch
• new knob on what I thought was a "frozen" dial…..all it needed was the FREE knob/set-screw combo that Avionics sent me - THANK YOU!!!
• been deoxed (I'm sure I spelled that wrong).....and everything is working GREAT!

(Off topic) - I've also picked up some Klipsch KG 4.2s off of CL (this week). This combo sounds nice. The 4.2s are "brighter" than I'm used to but playing with the bass/treble from the amp has produced a good sweet spot. They're a great addition to this system build for our cabin, can't wait to get these pieces up there.

I am truly appreciative of all the help and quick input I've received in short order. You guys are terrific.

I'll try to update with some shots after I get it moved and set up (I still need a TT!!!).

Have a good weekend.

 

[4seatPilot]

Bought the Yamaha combo....$50!! Poor guy wasn't ready for me and I was in the mood to haggle
Thx!

.... you're in trouble now!! Nice choice. Great price - really great!

It started with one silver Yamaha CR for me... now I have 7.
Some work, some don't... but that's the fun!

 

[tlin]

Signs of an addiction (infection?) ?

.... you're in trouble now!! Nice choice. Great price - really great!

It started with one silver Yamaha CR for me... now I have 7.
Some work, some don't... but that's the fun!

No kidding.....I've spent more time watching CL for vintage equipment than what is likely considered sane. And for the FIRST TIME EVER, I stopped in a pawn store two nights ago asking about audio equipment. I'm hosed!!!