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MCS 3245 q-u-e-s-t-i-o-n-s-?

Yeah, they nailed the classic silver front look on those. Not too cluttered, not too sparse.

If you do a lot of listening through headphones, the unit might be picky with them, and it can definitely push a decent pair loudly, but be careful with bass setting as it's punchy if +6 & loudness on. The scratch filter works well, as does the low filter. The loudness switch really works (I always leave mine on). If the Stereo LED won't come on, it might be a sticky Stereo/mono switch. Check that the unit has 3 amp fast blow in all 3 holders, if not, it might have been pushed a little harder at some point and they went up a fuse rating to stop the speaker fuses from popping (unit will dim the lights before that is an issue and I'm talking full on bass notes). ONE other word of warning if you buy one and decide to recap or get into it, is the wheel on the tuning shaft (white plastic wheel, on actual tuner board) can back off the shaft if you are working in the area. Unit uses strings and it's a pain to realign the station needle.


I do have extra bits laying around like the knobs, switches, etc. Regardless, GL with whatever you end up doing!
 
I'm glad this MCS thread was resurrected as I might have otherwise missed it. I too am an MCS guy with very minty 3125 and 6700TT in my main setup. I also have a shelved 3233 that works but needs to be gone over, a $10 "playaround" 6200TT with speed issues. I really love the 6700TT and think it's more attractive than the Technics SL it's rebadged from. There is some real good information in this thread. Thanks K'ers!
 
TomBig58 said:
I'm glad this MCS thread was resurrected as I might have otherwise missed it. I too am an MCS guy with very minty 3125 and 6700TT in my main setup. I also have a shelved 3233 that works but needs to be gone over, a $10 "playaround" 6200TT with speed issues. I really love the 6700TT and think it's more attractive than the Technics SL it's rebadged from. There is some real good information in this thread. Thanks K'ers!
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I have a 6700 also, is a beautiful deck, doesn't have the changer spindle, but doubt I would use it anyway.
 
Hifirob2 said:
Also, keep in mind that the art department put together the glossy MCS yearly catalogs, and there were mistakes - both in pictures and in the specs section. The giant Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter, and Christmas catalogs had pricing information, but few actual specs other than wpc. But the big catalogs got all the info. correct - so that's a plus.

MCS specs also usually listed a "nominal" rating and a "limit" rating. I usually go by the nominal rating, but some owner's manuals goofed up - and I'm not not sure which number to go by. As usual, it's best to gauge the specs with caution - and let your ears be your guide.

I'm curious if the tuner section in the 3235 is the same as in the 3245. The ones I see on ebay often have blown outputs - common issue with that generation of Taiwan models.
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It appears that the 3233 and 3235 have the same tuner. Also appears that they have the same amp and very similar or same preamp. Even though the 3235 has the same amp THD distortion spec as the 3245, the 3245 has to be better. It has one more differential negative feedback transistor and a constant current source on the bias circuit. The 3245 uses different transistors as well, the 3233 & 3235 use the same. So it seems that even though the 3245 and 3235 look very similar in styling, it's the 3235 and 3233 that are similar in design, if not identical.
 
Billy Dio said:
I've owned several 3233; first was a 1977 model (plastic top vent that sits slightly higher than the veneer, very basic looking meter backing stickers) that I ran hard (in the 90's) for years in HS after my dad gave it to me. After getting interested in older amplifiers in the past 6 years or so, I bought 2 more 3233 (mainly to see if my memory of it sounding better than modern mid-range gear was accurate or nostalgia). One gave ghost and other is recapped, with the best bits of both, including a nice Alps power switch harvested from a same period Fisher which was a 100% identical physical swap over the cheaper factory whatever.

These do NOT have relays, so inrush is an issue on bigger caps. I just deselect speakers and turn on/off. The suspect soldering issues were on the one that had the beveled holes for the LEDS and lower sitting top vent. Mainly the wires soldered to the Function and Tape selector switches. Some came off just by handling them, though it might have been a lazy worker during assembly, who knows.

Uses resistors instead of pots for DC offset, but amp board does have bias pots, though be wary of the heatsink as it'll get HOT if set too ambitiously. Pots on tuner board are for the tuning and strength needles, and the stereo LED can be set to apply earlier. Uses 2n3055/MJ2955 Motorola which I think some NAD also ran. Modern devices like cell phones too close to the top cause unwanted interference also.

I *think* I'm running the newer one with the older transformer and older amp board. I only use the AUX in and sometimes radio FM, so can't comment on Phono or tape, AM, etc.. If you can get one cheap, worth a shot to compare it. I personally think it sounds best listening to rock or old school rap music via speakers, and the stereo imaging effect is nice, especially when you are in the sweet spot. Does have a rare-for-it's line midrange pot, which is nice to have.

Definitely better gear out there than this, but prices have spiked all around so harder to get super cheap anymore. Try demoing your friend's unit with YOUR speakers, and bring some CD's you like.
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I went over to check out out the 3233 - turns out he had a Technics SU-7600 and ST-8011 tuner he wanted to sell, ended up getting those instead, beautiful condition. The 3233 was missing a knob that he replaced with one from an Onkyo, wasn't too keen on that. But he said he knows a guy that has 4 of the damn things that he wanted to get rid of, maybe I'll get one of those.
 
New info on the 3233 and 3235 tuner. It uses the same variable capacitor as the 3275, except the 3275 uses metal gears where the 3233/3235 uses plastic. The 3235 I just fixed up had the gear split and a replacement tuner board was available from a 3275. So I swapped the tuning cap and it fit nicely.
 
That's good to know. The 3275 variable capacitor is also the same as the one on the 3253, 3700, 3701 - and their NEC counterparts - all from the NEC AUT-7000E. Sometimes (not often) ebay has the MCS 3700 or 3701 for little money, if you need that one part.
 
Interesting list. I will have to put that with my info. If you look at the tuner pic above of the variable cap on the 3245, it has an external gear and housing like the one I sourced from the 3275. The 3235 has the gears on the inside of the housing and the drive pinion is plastic. So I would suppose if I ever need a gear setup for a 3245, that the 3275 or any of the others you listed would work for that as well.
 
I haven't compared them to my 3245, but the gears may work. A few suppliers were sourced for the variable cap - so many brands probably have interchangeable parts. The one in my 3710 was from Alps.
 
For what it's worth, I am currently servicing an MCS 3260. Just set bias and offset and power meters. Clips close to the 60 watt 8 ohm rating. Square-wave testing shows significant lagging phase and voltage drop at 20hz, almost square at 1khz, has a rounded leading edge at 20khz, and almost sine at 40khz. MCS 3245 from my notes shows slightly less lag and drop at 20hz, a slight leading spike at 1khz, and a small leading spike at 20khz with more of a curved swoop down from the spike than at 1khz. I didn't record when it turns to sine. MCS 3235(same as 3233) has a major lag and poor low frequency response, slightly rounded almost square at 1khz and half way between square and sine at 20khz. Although turned to sine at some point I didn't write down, it showed excellent signal power past 100khz and I had made a note about that. The MCS 3260 does not have a tone defeat, so the reason I could not get a perfect square-wave at any frequency is likely related to that. I tuned on each knob to get the form as close as possible at 1khz and went with that setup. All this compared to the best I have tested, Soundcraftsmen A5002. Almost perfect flat at 20hz to becoming sine past 100khz. None of these had any noticeable damping oscillations. Ugliest form I've tested was a Sony STR-K480P. It was terrible in every way. It was something to have such a textbook case of how an amp should not look so I could see it first hand. lol
 
I have a minty 3253 and I love it.

I'm watching an MCS 3245 on shopgoodwill, locally. What is a decent price to pick one of these up?
 
krg291 said:
I have a minty 3253 and I love it.

I'm watching an MCS 3245 on shopgoodwill, locally. What is a decent price to pick one of these up?
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I'd say $150 and under for good condition is a decent buy. I've paid as low as $65 at goodwill. I've sold recapped and tuned units in good to excellent condition for $300-$400.
 
I will honestly say that the 3245 did NOT impress me at all. I felt it was cheesy (looks) compared to the 3233. The one I owned had severe tuning drift issues. The knobs, for as big as they were, were mostly plastic and had no weight to them. What I felt back then was the 3245 had the big receiver look, but was not up to par with other MCS receivers in terms of quality. As far as the internals or specs, I can't comment much as I didn't keep it long.

I feel the 3233, 3253, 3275, and 3125 are solid receivers. 3260 and 3285 are good if you like a digital tuner. My personal favorite is the 3275, the dynamics when listening to it is really good.
 
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I would disagree on quality which could be separated into components and assembly or electrical design. From recently working on 3230, 3233, 3235, 3245, 3237, and 3260 receivers, the NEC stuff has more elaborate designs, I'll give it that. But complexity doesn't equal superiority. The knobs and levers on the 3245 are machined aluminum over plastic base. Compared to a 3260 which has plated plastic levers that oxidize through and pit badly. I had to have some made from polished aluminum to replace them. The plastic tuner buttons stop clicking and they look bad and dingy and nicked up on almost all I see. The frame is weaker and more of a cheap modern construction for both 3237 and 3260. They are also more crowded and harder to work on, as well as mechanically cheaper and cluttered. The pots are cheap and sound like a 3/8 drive ratchet on the volume. The switches and levers are a more positive action to them on the 3233,35,45 than the 3237,60. The 3245 has a good amplifier design and is much improved over the 3233 and 3235 which are the same internally. The 3260 did not tune up well according to alignment procedure in the manual, ended up going through it by sweeping tune and watching signal meter. Worked well when done, but annoying to say the least. The 3260 I had turned out nice and no one wanted it, so I took a $50 loss on it. Won't be buying another. Never went after the 3275 or 3125 because I use an external EQ on the monitor circuit and didn't like the built in 5 band and disco styling. Looks are a matter of opinion, but I think a 3245 looks better than a 3253. 3253 seems out of balance, but maybe I'm biased because I saw the 3245 first...
 
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I gotta say, I really like hearing opinions from other MCS experts. The models I prefer are all from Japan (NEC made), BUT.....I have a 3222 that impresses the hell out of me. It's pretty much mint and has very low hours on - but it is a very well designed receiver that sounds way better than it should. It was from the very first generation of MCS gear (early 1977). I had a 1979 MCS 3212 in college that never (ever) let me down. It was replaced by a 3246 (NEC made) a few years later, and it was light-years better than the 3212.

I had a 3233 for a short time in 2008, and was not impressed with it. Sold it pronto. I have two 3245s that just sit (looking pretty). The 3222 gets used a lot through headphones. I had a 3260 that was a very good performer. Cheesy plastic switch covers and all. I sold it - no WOW factor. I have two 3253s that I'll never part with. So darn good for what they are. I have no desire for a 3275. The tuner and phono preamp in the 3275 are identical to the 3253, and the amp section is easily bested by the similar design in the MCS 3865 (in dual mono configuration). The 3125 is in a class all it's own - it has no right sounding so good - and I keep the EQ bypassed.

A lot of this comes down to Taiwan made units VS. Japan made units. A current ebay listing for a MCS 3228 got me digging again on Google, because the listing is adamant that Technics made it (and most MCS stuff). That angered me, because I know it isn't correct. Why mention it? Because this receiver was made in Taiwan, and lists it's FCC ID# on the back. A quick search reveals the true manufacturer as "Capetronic". I have been wanting to find this bit of info. out for years. I know that Arvin (ARV) made some of the Taiwan units - but not all. MCS service manuals list the manufacturer as a three letter code, and now all the "CPT" coded ones are answered. The MCS service manuals that list "ITO" as the manufacturer code are all really NEC products - not rebadges, but built by NEC to Penney's specs (like the 3845 integrated amp and 3125 receiver). That may be where the confusion of ITOH Radio making some MCS pieces comes into play. ITOH was probably used as a middle man for documentation of some models - but were not the actual manufacturer. Digging through my files, it seems Capetronic made a LOT of these Taiwan units - similar markings on the rear panel and the same serial number sticker and numbering sequences.
 
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