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Looking for local stereo repair

cmnparlance

Active Member
I am located in the East Bay (SF Bay Area) and I’m looking for a reputable electronics repair person to take a look at my receiver, a vintage Realistic.

I know/knew a couple freelance guys with very reasonable rates, but neither of them is available at the moment. It seems like the few remaining stereo/electronics repair places around are going to want a few hundred dollars minimum to do any kind of work, and while I understand they have to watch their bottom line, I just don't have the budget to sink that kind of money into this thing.

Does anyone know someone--even just a guy working out of his garage--who you would recommend in the Bay Area? Or, would any of you in the AudioKarma community be interested in picking up some work? There's quite a wealth of information and knowledge in these forums, and I know some of you must live near me!

I'm willing to pay someone a reasonable rate for their time, I just want to find somebody who's trustworthy and knows what they're doing.

If you have any recommendations or are interested in doing the work yourself, reply here or message me directly, and we can talk about details. Thanks!
 
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I think it might be helpful for your cause to state what the problem is
with your receiver here.

Give people a rough idea what is involved.
 
Yes, of course. I did write an AudioKarma post summarizing the issue, I should have linked to it:

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...sound-realistic-sta-820.930097/#post-14139587

The upshot is, the thing (a realistic STA-820) powers on but no sound. I've tried all the functions, with headphones and with speakers. The pots have been cleaned and the unit was serviced recently, but I could try cleaning them again of course. The buttons are hard to reach as they're under the tuner display, but I could try to get to them if it might help.

Thanks.
 
I am located in the East Bay (SF Bay Area) and I’m looking for a reputable electronics repair person to take a look at my receiver, a vintage Realistic.

I know/knew a couple freelance guys with very reasonable rates, but neither of them is available at the moment. It seems like the few remaining stereo/electronics repair places around are going to want a few hundred dollars minimum to do any kind of work, and while I understand they have to watch their bottom line, I just don't have the budget to sink that kind of money into this thing.

Does anyone know someone--even just a guy working out of his garage--who you would recommend in the Bay Area? Or, would any of you in the AudioKarma community be interested in picking up some work? There's quite a wealth of information and knowledge in these forums, and I know some of you must live near me!

I'm willing to pay someone a reasonable rate for their time, I just want to find somebody who's trustworthy and knows what they're doing.

If you have any recommendations or are interested in doing the work yourself, reply here or message me directly, and we can talk about details. Thanks!

Define to you what a reasonable rate is. Most technicians today are in the $75-$80/hour range or higher. Test equipment isn't cheap. A store front rent isn't cheap, neither is education, experience, and knowing how to diagnose and repair electronics. You being in the Bay Area, know that overhead for a shop is extremely higher, due to your cost of living being among the highest in the USA, as you're in $1200/month for a broom closet rent territory.
 
I second some of the things being said here. Professional audio gear repair techs are a niche breed anymore, and finding them in the Bay Area is probably harder than other parts of the US due to the incredibly high COL (and therefore higher business overhead) there. Particularly if you are after quality work for more affordable rates.

Short of finding other locals who might be able to fix it (other than the backlogged techs you already know), I recommend trying to learn as much as you can about DIY repair - especially if you want to keep rocking vintage gear. Vintage gear is getting pretty old now, and it WILL need periodic love to keep going. Techs are sparse, and the labor costs can add up fast with "problem child" gear specimens.

With that said, I'm still a learning novice myself, but I did read about the issues you're having. If you can't get any sound at all (whether headphones or speakers), it could be a possible issue with output transistors or something in the output stage. It's probably going to require a multimeter and some other tools to diagnose. If you happen to have a multimeter, have you checked the DC offset and bias?
 
IMO....

Considering someone on the bay took 3 relistings of your receiver
at $50 + $36 shipping in working condition but had dirty controls
that needed cleaning. Seemed to be in good condition overall.

Given the gamble of finding a "budget" tech that does the job right.
And your not wanting to drop $200. I dont blame you on this. Putting
that much into a receiver that on a great day is only worth $150.

Id personally suggest finding a working receiver locally for $100-200.

I see great examples of receivers / amps of sorts. Vintage and semi
vintage (90s-early 2000s) for such prices all the time. Im a huge advocate
of home theater receivers from the late 90s to early 2000s for cheap money
and they were often units that sold for $500-$2k+ in their day.

No offense or anything. But personally the idea of paying someone to
fix that receiver wouldnt even be a thought to me. That is unless it was
a unit of personal sentimental value to me.

Take all this from a man who spent WAYYY WAYYY too much paying
people to fix gear that often broke after the fact. And got ripped off by
techs who didnt know what they were doing or flat out stole from me
see (casper of stereo rehab). Ive learned to be more self sufficient
since those times.

Find an affordable solution for yourself and move forward. At 40 watts
thats receiver does theres allot of modern chip amps that do the trick
that can be had for under $100 new and ready to go I would add.
 
When looking for a tech just ask a simple question. Are you a C.E.T. ?
Any tech who is worth his salt would have been certified to be competent by international standards.
We never had a union and needed a way to prove we were professionals.
The license guarantees you're knowledgeable and not just a tube jockey, parts changer or a hacker.
I passed the test in 1971 and far as I know it is still a valid way to determine competency.
Maybe contacting I.S.C.E.T could provide qualified techs in your area.
 
I second some of the things being said here. Professional audio gear repair techs are a niche breed anymore, and finding them in the Bay Area is probably harder than other parts of the US due to the incredibly high COL (and therefore higher business overhead) there. Particularly if you are after quality work for more affordable rates.

Short of finding other locals who might be able to fix it (other than the backlogged techs you already know), I recommend trying to learn as much as you can about DIY repair - especially if you want to keep rocking vintage gear. Vintage gear is getting pretty old now, and it WILL need periodic love to keep going. Techs are sparse, and the labor costs can add up fast with "problem child" gear specimens.

With that said, I'm still a learning novice myself, but I did read about the issues you're having. If you can't get any sound at all (whether headphones or speakers), it could be a possible issue with output transistors or something in the output stage. It's probably going to require a multimeter and some other tools to diagnose. If you happen to have a multimeter, have you checked the DC offset and bias?

IMO....

Considering someone on the bay took 3 relistings of your receiver
at $50 + $36 shipping in working condition but had dirty controls
that needed cleaning. Seemed to be in good condition overall.

Given the gamble of finding a "budget" tech that does the job right.
And your not wanting to drop $200. I dont blame you on this. Putting
that much into a receiver that on a great day is only worth $150.

Id personally suggest finding a working receiver locally for $100-200.

I see great examples of receivers / amps of sorts. Vintage and semi
vintage (90s-early 2000s) for such prices all the time. Im a huge advocate
of home theater receivers from the late 90s to early 2000s for cheap money
and they were often units that sold for $500-$2k+ in their day.

No offense or anything. But personally the idea of paying someone to
fix that receiver wouldnt even be a thought to me. That is unless it was
a unit of personal sentimental value to me.

Take all this from a man who spent WAYYY WAYYY too much paying
people to fix gear that often broke after the fact. And got ripped off by
techs who didnt know what they were doing or flat out stole from me
see (casper of stereo rehab). Ive learned to be more self sufficient
since those times.

Find an affordable solution for yourself and move forward. At 40 watts
thats receiver does theres allot of modern chip amps that do the trick
that can be had for under $100 new and ready to go I would add.
Thanks for the replies. I hear what you’re saying and you make several good points. A couple things in response:

First off, I prefer vintage gear. This is mostly a visual and tactile thing, to be honest, but it’s important to me. So, the idea of getting a ‘90s/2000s unit isn’t really appealing.

I do see plenty of nice looking vintage gear for sale online, most of it in the $200-400 range for the kinds of things I’m interested in (I don’t need a monster amp), and I’m often tempted. The thing is, on top of the hassle of buying (and as I’m not a tech myself, I’m don’t always know how to evaluate something beyond “well, it works”), there’s the fear that the thing will crap out or have problems down the road, and then what? Then I’ve got two expensive door stoppers instead of one.

One obvious solution: learn to do the work myself! I would love to, and one day I hope to. But I’m not there yet. So I’m looking for someone who can help me now, and who knows, maybe teach me some things along the way?
 
First off, I prefer vintage gear. This is mostly a visual and tactile thing, to be honest, but it’s important to me. So, the idea of getting a ‘90s/2000s unit isn’t really appealing.

I do see plenty of nice looking vintage gear for sale online, most of it in the $200-400 range for the kinds of things I’m interested in (I don’t need a monster amp), and I’m often tempted. The thing is, on top of the hassle of buying (and as I’m not a tech myself, I’m don’t always know how to evaluate something beyond “well, it works”), there’s the fear that the thing will crap out or have problems down the road, and then what? Then I’ve got two expensive door stoppers instead of one.

Gotcha. This at least explains your mindset on things.

For kicks I looked over your local Clist listings briefly.

I found this Nikko STA-7070 for $100. Same power as your Realistic. And to me its in the same build quality
give or take. Dunno. He gives no description but might be worth reaching out to get the story.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/d/san-francisco-vintage-nikko-sta-7070/7198177105.html

Also found a HK 330A for $100. Seller seems honest and disclosed what he could. Only 20wpc but that vs
40 actually isnt night and day. If you dont listen loudly these have a MASSIVE following. I own and heard many
and the sound is very pleasing.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/d/san-francisco-harman-kardon-330a/7202840180.html

Then theres this Sansui 7000 that over in Winton (not too far from you) for $275. Stated as working but looking
at the pics may need some bulbs replaced at minimum. If I were in your mindset and knew I wanted a vintage
receiver. Id personally buy this and pay a competent tech to do a once over on it and BE DONE!!! Ive owned
allot of Sansui receivers and feel they are wonderful vintage examples. This one is a cap coupled output stage
amp and has plenty of power for most peoples vintage receiver needs to be end game. And at the price and
the cost of a proper refurb wont be out of line. I really wouldnt put money into a vintage receiver that really isnt
anything special in the scope of whats out there. I dont see something like a 7000 going down in value any time
soon. And it would look really impressive with a proper rebulb and polished up. This really seems like a great
deal on a great receiver that would make any fan happy to own.

https://merced.craigslist.org/ele/d/cressey-vintage-sansui-7000-receiver/7187843576.html

If you wish to find a tech to pay to fix your receiver thats cool and I understand. And I wish you the best of luck.
I simply see your mindset as nice in that you know what you want. I was never in that place till recent times.
That the reason Im encouraging you to buy a nice vintage receiver at a great price then pay to restore it and
be done.

Again best of luck on whatever you go with.
 
I do see plenty of nice looking vintage gear for sale online, most of it in the $200-400 range for the kinds of things I’m interested in (I don’t need a monster amp), and I’m often tempted. The thing is, on top of the hassle of buying (and as I’m not a tech myself, I’m don’t always know how to evaluate something beyond “well, it works”), there’s the fear that the thing will crap out or have problems down the road, and then what? Then I’ve got two expensive door stoppers instead of one.

One obvious solution: learn to do the work myself! I would love to, and one day I hope to. But I’m not there yet. So I’m looking for someone who can help me now, and who knows, maybe teach me some things along the way?
Well here's the thing. I don't blame you at all for wanting to stick w/vintage gear, but understand that because most of the good stuff is 40-50 years old now (give or take a few years from this range), there's always going to be some risk that something in the unit could fail and require repairs - unless it's a fully restored unit at least (And you're only likely to come across TOTL monster units that are fully restored). IMO, it's a risk one must be willing to accept if going w/vintage gear.

If you want to pick up another receiver to use instead of the Realistic, I'd recommend going w/the best thing you can afford - and ideally a serviced unit that's been checked over. Consider that the more desirable/valuable the unit is, the more "worth it" it is to have a tech work on it if it does need attention. No need to buy a monster unit either - in addition to the fine choices mentioned/linked already, you could also consider stuff like a Marantz 2230, or Pioneer SX unit (I'd recommend either the SX-x3x or SX-x50 series). These are quality units that offer great sound and hold their value. They're also relatively easy to keep operational/get parts for.

I'd still keep the Realistic you have though - while it's probably not something worth spending lots of money on for major repairs done by a pro, it'd be a great unit for you to hang onto for learning on if you do want to get into repair (And you can take your time learning while having another unit to listen to). Check out this thread if you have some time.

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...udio-gear-eh-heres-the-tools-you-need.333423/

There's a lot more to learn than what's covered in the thread, but it's a great starting point. Don't worry about trying to obtain all of the tools listed right away either.
 
Gotcha. This at least explains your mindset on things.

For kicks I looked over your local Clist listings briefly.

I found this Nikko STA-7070 for $100. Same power as your Realistic. And to me its in the same build quality
give or take. Dunno. He gives no description but might be worth reaching out to get the story.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/d/san-francisco-vintage-nikko-sta-7070/7198177105.html

Also found a HK 330A for $100. Seller seems honest and disclosed what he could. Only 20wpc but that vs
40 actually isnt night and day. If you dont listen loudly these have a MASSIVE following. I own and heard many
and the sound is very pleasing.

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/ele/d/san-francisco-harman-kardon-330a/7202840180.html

Then theres this Sansui 7000 that over in Winton (not too far from you) for $275. Stated as working but looking
at the pics may need some bulbs replaced at minimum. If I were in your mindset and knew I wanted a vintage
receiver. Id personally buy this and pay a competent tech to do a once over on it and BE DONE!!! Ive owned
allot of Sansui receivers and feel they are wonderful vintage examples. This one is a cap coupled output stage
amp and has plenty of power for most peoples vintage receiver needs to be end game. And at the price and
the cost of a proper refurb wont be out of line. I really wouldnt put money into a vintage receiver that really isnt
anything special in the scope of whats out there. I dont see something like a 7000 going down in value any time
soon. And it would look really impressive with a proper rebulb and polished up. This really seems like a great
deal on a great receiver that would make any fan happy to own.

https://merced.craigslist.org/ele/d/cressey-vintage-sansui-7000-receiver/7187843576.html

If you wish to find a tech to pay to fix your receiver thats cool and I understand. And I wish you the best of luck.
I simply see your mindset as nice in that you know what you want. I was never in that place till recent times.
That the reason Im encouraging you to buy a nice vintage receiver at a great price then pay to restore it and
be done.

Again best of luck on whatever you go with.
So, I actually already followed up with the Nikko guy last week, but he wasn’t very communicative. He said he didn’t know if it worked and doesn’t have speakers or components to test it. Of course I could bring headphones and test at least some of the functions myself, I suppose. I was considering doing that, since $100 seems like a good deal as long as the thing is basically functional (I don't know anything about Nikko, but people really seem to like them). BUT his location is a bit too far to make it worthwhile to me, if the item doesn't work out (would have to pay a toll to cross the Bay, plus deal with lots of traffic). Same with the HK one.

And Winton, CA is about 120 miles away from me! So again, probably not worth the trip. However, this Pioneer is a lot closer to me and looks good:

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ele/d/fremont-pioneer-sx-650-am-fm-stereo/7189110582.html

I emailed this guy and he was helpful--said he's the second owner, bought the thing in the late '70s and no repairs or maintenance have been done. It's been sitting idle for 15 years, but he's "powered it up a few times recently and it seems to be working fine." I like the look of this one and I think would work fine for my purposes. And to be honest, if I could spend the $250 and get a few years of hassle-free use out of it, I'd be fine with that--but of course that can't be guaranteed.

On a side note, but related: one thing that always throws me off with AudioKarma is that if you look up any of these vintage pieces you'll inevitably find a thread of someone asking "is this worth X" (where X is usually something like $50-$100), with lots of responses like "I'd only pay $75 for that if it was in pristine condition" and "$50 seems a bit high for that, given that it has some cosmetic blemishes"--and this is for items that are routinely listed at $300-$500 in my area! Granted, the threads are often several years old, but still. Has the value of these things gone up THAT much in the past 5 years??
 
If you look at my signature...I am a Rat Shack groupie!! :rflmao:I tend to go overboard when it comes to their gear and I PERSONALLY think it is worth my time/money to keep them alive. I am not real familiar with your piece...but I do know LOTS of RS receivers have issues with their tape monitor switches getting cruddy. Is there access to the switch through the bottom of the unit? Can you post a pic of the bottom? I know on my old STA-90, it took quite some time to get the switch clean and working properly.
 
I emailed this guy and he was helpful--said he's the second owner, bought the thing in the late '70s and no repairs or maintenance have been done. It's been sitting idle for 15 years, but he's "powered it up a few times recently and it seems to be working fine." I like the look of this one and I think would work fine for my purposes. And to be honest, if I could spend the $250 and get a few years of hassle-free use out of it, I'd be fine with that--but of course that can't be guaranteed.

On a side note, but related: one thing that always throws me off with AudioKarma is that if you look up any of these vintage pieces you'll inevitably find a thread of someone asking "is this worth X" (where X is usually something like $50-$100), with lots of responses like "I'd only pay $75 for that if it was in pristine condition" and "$50 seems a bit high for that, given that it has some cosmetic blemishes"--and this is for items that are routinely listed at $300-$500 in my area! Granted, the threads are often several years old, but still. Has the value of these things gone up THAT much in the past 5 years??

Ah gotcha again.

Yeah what a shame the Nikko seller seems VERY unmotivated. No shock it hasnt
sold. For $100 anyone would simply want to know if it at least works on the basic
level. If he cant be bothered to test it beyond powering up he needs to cut that price
in half IMO. Thats about all that unit is worth when working.

Just a FYI that Pioneer SX-650 uses the VERY problem prone Power Switch + Speaker Switch.
Theres loads of threads here explaining this issue. Ive owned and worked on allot of receivers
over the years and personally encountered this very problem switch on Pioneer and Kenwood
receivers. Some folks have opened up the switch and cleaned the arcing metal within. But its
not super simply and not a guarantee fix. Also IMO $250 is top top dollar for a stock 650. Heck
a couple years ago I had a hard time selling 780 receivers I recapped for similar $. Here in WI
there seems to be far more affordable vintage and semi vintage gear up for grabs all the time
for more down to earth pricing. Heck I have a bunch Im going to be listing soon. Over in CA I
agree there seems to be more sellers with much higher expectations.

Im going to continue to root for that Sansui unit I mentioned. Given its similar $ to that 650 for
me it would be a no brainer to go with the Sansui. Maybe you could reach out to him and as
if you added $20 in gas if he would meet you half way? I dont know if you have your own car
or the ability to get a ride easy enough. Also if you reach out to him and he comes off as helpful
and friendly and someone you might want to work with???

Heck Id even be looking on the bay at whats up for grabs for your $ with shipping and buy it now.
These days seems loads of folks are unloading gear and with the bay you have their protection
so if it wasnt described truthfully or arrives damaged your not SOL.

Again good luck on the hunt and Im sure youll find something with your budget.
 
If you look at my signature...I am a Rat Shack groupie!! :rflmao:I tend to go overboard when it comes to their gear and I PERSONALLY think it is worth my time/money to keep them alive. I am not real familiar with your piece...but I do know LOTS of RS receivers have issues with their tape monitor switches getting cruddy. Is there access to the switch through the bottom of the unit? Can you post a pic of the bottom? I know on my old STA-90, it took quite some time to get the switch clean and working properly.
That gives me hope! As I think I said in my full summary of the situation, the tape monitor button was the culprit with the initial problem (the right channel being quieter and sometimes dropping out).
I actually don't know where the access to the button is--it doesn't look like it can be accessed simply by taking the faux-wood top off. The main pots can be accessed that way, but the buttons are blocked by the tuner face, so they may be accessible only via the bottom, as you suggest.

I will take a pic later and post it here. The schematic is available on hifiengine, if that helps.
 
Well here's the thing. I don't blame you at all for wanting to stick w/vintage gear, but understand that because most of the good stuff is 40-50 years old now (give or take a few years from this range), there's always going to be some risk that something in the unit could fail and require repairs - unless it's a fully restored unit at least (And you're only likely to come across TOTL monster units that are fully restored). IMO, it's a risk one must be willing to accept if going w/vintage gear.

If you want to pick up another receiver to use instead of the Realistic, I'd recommend going w/the best thing you can afford - and ideally a serviced unit that's been checked over. Consider that the more desirable/valuable the unit is, the more "worth it" it is to have a tech work on it if it does need attention. No need to buy a monster unit either - in addition to the fine choices mentioned/linked already, you could also consider stuff like a Marantz 2230, or Pioneer SX unit (I'd recommend either the SX-x3x or SX-x50 series). These are quality units that offer great sound and hold their value. They're also relatively easy to keep operational/get parts for.

I'd still keep the Realistic you have though - while it's probably not something worth spending lots of money on for major repairs done by a pro, it'd be a great unit for you to hang onto for learning on if you do want to get into repair (And you can take your time learning while having another unit to listen to). Check out this thread if you have some time.

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...udio-gear-eh-heres-the-tools-you-need.333423/

There's a lot more to learn than what's covered in the thread, but it's a great starting point. Don't worry about trying to obtain all of the tools listed right away either.
Thanks for the reply and the advice. I often have to remind myself just how old this vintage stuff is--even my Realistic, which came at the tail end of hi-fi's heyday, is now 40 years old. And that's why, given that I like the STA-820 that I have all right, I'm more inclined to try to find someone who can get the thing back up and running, rather than take a gamble with another unit (which will probably itself need servicing sometime down the road, most likely sooner rather than later). It's a "the devil you know" situation, to my mind.

Every day I'm tempted to just bite the bullet and buy one of the many pieces I see advertised locally for a few hundred bucks. But--and maybe I'm just a pessimist--I have visions of it dying (or malfunctioning in some way) after a month or two and then I'm back to square one. I'll definitely take a look at that thread on the tools needed for audio repair, and I'll try not to let myself be too daunted!
 
Ah gotcha again.

Yeah what a shame the Nikko seller seems VERY unmotivated. No shock it hasnt
sold. For $100 anyone would simply want to know if it at least works on the basic
level. If he cant be bothered to test it beyond powering up he needs to cut that price
in half IMO. Thats about all that unit is worth when working.

Just a FYI that Pioneer SX-650 uses the VERY problem prone Power Switch + Speaker Switch.
Theres loads of threads here explaining this issue. Ive owned and worked on allot of receivers
over the years and personally encountered this very problem switch on Pioneer and Kenwood
receivers. Some folks have opened up the switch and cleaned the arcing metal within. But its
not super simply and not a guarantee fix. Also IMO $250 is top top dollar for a stock 650. Heck
a couple years ago I had a hard time selling 780 receivers I recapped for similar $. Here in WI
there seems to be far more affordable vintage and semi vintage gear up for grabs all the time
for more down to earth pricing. Heck I have a bunch Im going to be listing soon. Over in CA I
agree there seems to be more sellers with much higher expectations.

Im going to continue to root for that Sansui unit I mentioned. Given its similar $ to that 650 for
me it would be a no brainer to go with the Sansui. Maybe you could reach out to him and as
if you added $20 in gas if he would meet you half way? I dont know if you have your own car
or the ability to get a ride easy enough. Also if you reach out to him and he comes off as helpful
and friendly and someone you might want to work with???

Heck Id even be looking on the bay at whats up for grabs for your $ with shipping and buy it now.
These days seems loads of folks are unloading gear and with the bay you have their protection
so if it wasnt described truthfully or arrives damaged your not SOL.

Again good luck on the hunt and Im sure youll find something with your budget.
Thanks again for the detailed response.

As for the Nikko, I was intrigued mostly because the price seemed reasonable and the brand was described as "under the radar" in a few places--I like the idea of something that costs a bit less because it's not the most recognized name out there.

As for the Pioneer, that's good to know about the problem switches. I'm definitely reluctant to buy anything with known common issues, for obvious reasons. In terms of the pricing, that's probably just a function of the Bay Area being such an expensive place across the board. I guess I can't fault people for their pricing if the market will bear it, but it is a bummer to hear that things are cheaper in other parts of the country.

The Sansui is probably a good deal assuming everything is functional, but I just don't know that it's worth it to make the trek out there--we're talking 2 hours one way, with no traffic. And I wouldn't want to ask the guy to meet me halfway unless I was absolutely sure I was buying it...which I'm hesitant to do, sight unseen.

I do look on eBay from time to time, although I'm always a bit put off by the shipping fees and the worry that something would get damaged in transit. But if as you say that should be covered by buyer protection, maybe I'll consider it more seriously.
 
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