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Realistic SAF-40D Integrated Amp Score

artsybob

artsybob

Active Member
I just scored a Realistic SAF-40D integrated tube amp for a pretty good price (by eBay standards). It's a Japanese-built unit (possibly made by Kenwood or Pioneer) utilizing four 7189's, four 12AX7's and a 5AR4 rectifier. From the auction description it powers on but desperately needs a recapping and a new power cord. Is this an amp worth holding on to or something to restore and resell?

I forgot to save pics from the auction so I included pics of an identical unit with a power cord
 

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Wow!!.for a 7189 based amplifier using a 5ar4 for a rectifier and the size of those ouput transformers id definately look into getting it in operational condition.
 
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The top switch is for switching between speakers and headphones, the bottom one is for speaker phasing
 
It looks as if the two can caps on top have been replaced? Could you post a pic from below, so we can see if there has been work done there?

Uh, I forgot that the pics arenot of your unit. So maybe post top and bottom pics. Tip: if the caps are grey coloured, they will need to be replaced.:)
 
I'll be sure to post plenty of pics once it comes in the mail. I'm pretty sure the whole amp will need to be recapped, especially the cans since one has a bulge
 
I have an SAF 40B that is a pretty nice piece. Plenty of volume and sounds better than the Dynaco SCA 35 I had before. I would restore it and see if you like it.
 
It finally arrived in the mail! As was mentioned in the listing on eBay the can caps clearly need replacing (especially the one with the bulge). Looking at the bottom I see a lot of gray caps that need replacing. Some of the tubes are a little loose in their sockets so maybe they need replacing? Looked at the tubes: So far none of them are the Lifetime-branded tubes it originally came with. No markings on the 5AR4 at all so no idea who made it, 3 of the 7189's are GE and 1 is RCA. Couldn't look at all the 12AX7's but one is marked "Magnavox Made in Japan" and another is a Sovtek. Needs a little cleaning up, a new power cord, and the Treble knob is loose. So far it looks like it shouldn't be too hard to restore.
 

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possible you can re-tension the sockets. If they don't hold or just seem overly crappy new ones may be in order.
 
guessing by the model number they will claim 20 a channel. 15-17 is probably a lot closer to right. My Fisher TA-600 with the same output tubes claims 40 watts. It makes 18 a channel, or 18 if I drive both at once.
 
The can capacitors are marked "40 mfd 450V X 2 Neg. Black". I'm thinking of replacing them with F&T 50mfd 500V X 2 cans. Would that be a suitable replacement?
 
artsybob said:
The can capacitors are marked "40 mfd 450V X 2 Neg. Black". I'm thinking of replacing them with F&T 50mfd 500V X 2 cans. Would that be a suitable replacement?
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If the rectifier is a 5AR4 (GZ34) that should be fine. F&T make good quality caps. I assume there are two 50uF caps in each of the F&T cans?
 
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