Hitachi HA 610 Recap - Elna Silmic vs Nichicon Gold?

[Ohmagoo]

Prior to the recap it was a little dull and not "lively". When I first got it (about 3 weeks ago) I thought my Hitachi SR 603 sounded better. After the recap, it was better and seems to be getting better the more I listen to it. At this point it sounds better than the SR 603, with a little bit better channel separation and soundstage. I think the caps were just old and out of spec because dull is definitely not what Hitachi's late 70s stuff is supposed to sound like. I only replaced the Electolytics, I probably will not replace the fusible resistors. I'm glad I replaced the caps as there were quiet a few questionable looking caps. I see your in Saskatchewan, I'm not sure where you purchase your caps but I could send you my Mouser project that has all the Electrolytics that I ordered if you would like.

It took me about 9hrs here and there over the course of three days, but I took my time to make sure polarity and values were in the right spots. I like little projects, so yes I think it was worth it.

Totally agree that dull is not Hitachi's sound signature, to me the best description I can think of would be "clean" or maybe "neutral", not colored or muddied at all - it just lets the music be what it is. I hope yours keeps getting better as the caps break in. Its nice when youre listening to a piece of music youve heard 50 times before, and hearing bits and pieces you never knew was there. Putting in 9 hours isnt too bad an investment to insure youre getting the best you can from the amp, plus knowing it should be healthy for quite a while to come.

I appreciate the offer of your project file, Mouser would probably be where I would order from also, just the Canadian version. I will send you a pm.