Kevin....very informative! I didn't quite understand all the technical terms used but think I learned something in concept!
Thanks.
To the Technics bashers...
- Thread starter quatsino
- Start date
Kevin....very informative! I didn't quite understand all the technical terms used but think I learned something in concept!
Thanks.
Kevin's Rack
Technics-aholic
Thank you!
Believe it or not, I actually tried to "trim out" as much information that I could that would be over people's heads. There are engineers who make their living from just designing power supplies alone. From my observation of my SA-700 schematic, the power supply is nothing short of shabby.
Oh, and another little tidbit of trivia: The reason you see 2 large capacitors in the receiver is because the transformer is center-tapped, meaning the ground potential lies halfway between the two ends of the secondary coil, which gives us positibe and negative "rail" voltages. Ergo, there must be a capacitor in parallel with the positive tap AS WELL AS the negative tap. Every amplifier that I've seen that's class AB (which is the category that a majority fall under) is a dual voltage supply so that both the negative and positive portions of the sound wave are amplified. If there's DC offset, which is not only deadly to coils, the sound quality suffers since perhaps the positive portion of the wave is greater amplitude than the negative portion (or vice versa) and will cause distortion in either the first or second harmonic (not quite sure off the top of my head) and the sound just wont sound right.
/More jargon.
Hey, at least you guys enjoy my design information!
Believe it or not, I actually tried to "trim out" as much information that I could that would be over people's heads. There are engineers who make their living from just designing power supplies alone. From my observation of my SA-700 schematic, the power supply is nothing short of shabby.
Oh, and another little tidbit of trivia: The reason you see 2 large capacitors in the receiver is because the transformer is center-tapped, meaning the ground potential lies halfway between the two ends of the secondary coil, which gives us positibe and negative "rail" voltages. Ergo, there must be a capacitor in parallel with the positive tap AS WELL AS the negative tap. Every amplifier that I've seen that's class AB (which is the category that a majority fall under) is a dual voltage supply so that both the negative and positive portions of the sound wave are amplified. If there's DC offset, which is not only deadly to coils, the sound quality suffers since perhaps the positive portion of the wave is greater amplitude than the negative portion (or vice versa) and will cause distortion in either the first or second harmonic (not quite sure off the top of my head) and the sound just wont sound right.
/More jargon.
Hey, at least you guys enjoy my design information!
Technics SA-5350
Hi, New guy on the block. I've owned Technics gear since the mid 80's and have enjoyed it very much over the years. I recently picked up a vintage SA-5350 and it has cleaned up nicely. To finish the restoration I'd like to perform an alignment of it. Does anyone have a copy of the service manual? I've noticed the Marantz and Pioneer folks have put a lot of their service manuals here on AK. I've searched but don't see Technics anywhere. If for no other reason than historical purposes it would be nice to archive these pieces as well. AK does seem to be the premier forum for all aspects of vintage gear of any brand and I've learned a lot just by lurking around you folks. Keep the music playing!
Hi, New guy on the block. I've owned Technics gear since the mid 80's and have enjoyed it very much over the years. I recently picked up a vintage SA-5350 and it has cleaned up nicely. To finish the restoration I'd like to perform an alignment of it. Does anyone have a copy of the service manual? I've noticed the Marantz and Pioneer folks have put a lot of their service manuals here on AK. I've searched but don't see Technics anywhere. If for no other reason than historical purposes it would be nice to archive these pieces as well. AK does seem to be the premier forum for all aspects of vintage gear of any brand and I've learned a lot just by lurking around you folks. Keep the music playing!
Technics SA-5350
Hi, New guy on the block. I've owned Technics gear since the mid 80's and have enjoyed it very much over the years. I recently picked up a vintage SA-5350 and it has cleaned up nicely. To finish the restoration I'd like to perform an alignment of it. Does anyone have a copy of the service manual? I've noticed the Marantz and Pioneer folks have put a lot of their service manuals here on AK. I've searched but don't see Technics anywhere. If for no other reason than historical purposes it would be nice to archive these pieces as well. AK does seem to be the premier forum for all aspects of vintage gear of any brand and I've learned a lot just by lurking around you folks. Keep the music playing and may your vellum never turn yellow!
Hi, New guy on the block. I've owned Technics gear since the mid 80's and have enjoyed it very much over the years. I recently picked up a vintage SA-5350 and it has cleaned up nicely. To finish the restoration I'd like to perform an alignment of it. Does anyone have a copy of the service manual? I've noticed the Marantz and Pioneer folks have put a lot of their service manuals here on AK. I've searched but don't see Technics anywhere. If for no other reason than historical purposes it would be nice to archive these pieces as well. AK does seem to be the premier forum for all aspects of vintage gear of any brand and I've learned a lot just by lurking around you folks. Keep the music playing and may your vellum never turn yellow!
terra1
Addicted Member
I got a Technics SU-V9 Integrated. 120 watts of wow factor.
Makes a pair of Optimus speakers I set aside as too boomy now sound clearer and well ... good. Vocals are very smooth. Bass is punchy.
Glad Technics is bashed. Means good value for the rest of us. If it had one of the more famous brand name followings and a more conventional look, it would have cost me twice as much. To me sound is Job 1. Value is smart.
Looks better in person. I think it looks sleek and sexy with its smoked glass door. And boy is it heavy.
Weaknesses for those who care are funky twist-um speaker terminals and no Pre Out Main INs.
Makes a pair of Optimus speakers I set aside as too boomy now sound clearer and well ... good. Vocals are very smooth. Bass is punchy.
Glad Technics is bashed. Means good value for the rest of us. If it had one of the more famous brand name followings and a more conventional look, it would have cost me twice as much. To me sound is Job 1. Value is smart.
Looks better in person. I think it looks sleek and sexy with its smoked glass door. And boy is it heavy.
Weaknesses for those who care are funky twist-um speaker terminals and no Pre Out Main INs.
SoCal Sam
Lunatic Member
$300! I saw a black faced SA-700 in person and was not impressed. Nice styling is all I can say about it.
Susurus
Resolution:6.62×10^-34
I am enjoying it. Made up a nice little spreadsheet to compare that figure of 2600/per each for my gear, with orig ratings.
So my SX-1050 with 2 x 22000uF, 4 amp elements is 111% over the 2600/per? Or is that figured using the right number of elements? (assumes United_Chemicons from ~1977 still operating at nominal...doubt it, but don't have capacitance tester to check).
FWIW it's the second harmonic that's associated with non-symmetrical (positive/negative) waveform amplitudes there.
CHeers,
Susurus
...More jargon! Less wank!
to paraphrase a frequent poster here...
Susurus
Resolution:6.62×10^-34
Oh to be on topic, I like the few Technics I have,
(1) SL-10 TT
Don't bash on my SL-10! Replacing the cart would be very hard to do.
(2) tuner ST-8600.
Sonics/ tone warmthness scale it's somewhere between Pioneers and Kenwoods. Just a bit etched, mid-highs a bit flatter than my best tuner but my best is 3 price-classes above it and beyond astonishing.
(1) SL-10 TT
Don't bash on my SL-10! Replacing the cart would be very hard to do. (2) tuner ST-8600.
Sonics/ tone warmthness scale it's somewhere between Pioneers and Kenwoods. Just a bit etched, mid-highs a bit flatter than my best tuner but my best is 3 price-classes above it and beyond astonishing.
I like it when something I enjoy and think is quality equipment is trashed endlessly - I just drop by ebay and pick the stuff up for a song.
MY OPINION - Marantz is no better then Pioneer, Sansui, Kenwood - but it commands a premium because on the chat boards, people love them and is considered top notch. Same for Pioneer and Sansui -
They each have a different sound - so if I prefer the sound of the Sansui, I am going to rave about it.
No one likes to be different(except me) so everyone jumps in, loves the stuff recommended by the "experts"and the legends begin.
A "expert" somewhere trashes a technics - so everyone bashes it, most without even hearing it. Some one will read one person's comments about it, then pass it on as their opinion......
Pretty much give me about anything made in the late 70's. Even stuff considered "low end" at the time - still has ten times the quality of ones being built today (under 2k to 3k)
I would take a Kenwood, Technics etc any day.
Check out some of the stuff realistic put out - even in it's day was just not considered "cool" enough", man, some of what was their mid line stuff is very good equipment
May want to keep it down though. Audiokarma is always one of top google hits, price of technics could start going up....
I am building a small system for my 2nd garage. I can pick up a 40wpc enwood for a song on ebay.....decent speakers and people are just amazed how good it sounds, thining I have invested a small fortune. I just happen to like enwood because that is what I had in the late 70's - tho I may start checking out the Technics as their price point is lower yet.....
MY OPINION - Marantz is no better then Pioneer, Sansui, Kenwood - but it commands a premium because on the chat boards, people love them and is considered top notch. Same for Pioneer and Sansui -
They each have a different sound - so if I prefer the sound of the Sansui, I am going to rave about it.
No one likes to be different(except me) so everyone jumps in, loves the stuff recommended by the "experts"and the legends begin.
A "expert" somewhere trashes a technics - so everyone bashes it, most without even hearing it. Some one will read one person's comments about it, then pass it on as their opinion......
Pretty much give me about anything made in the late 70's. Even stuff considered "low end" at the time - still has ten times the quality of ones being built today (under 2k to 3k)
I would take a Kenwood, Technics etc any day.
Check out some of the stuff realistic put out - even in it's day was just not considered "cool" enough", man, some of what was their mid line stuff is very good equipment
May want to keep it down though. Audiokarma is always one of top google hits, price of technics could start going up....
I am building a small system for my 2nd garage. I can pick up a 40wpc enwood for a song on ebay.....decent speakers and people are just amazed how good it sounds, thining I have invested a small fortune. I just happen to like enwood because that is what I had in the late 70's - tho I may start checking out the Technics as their price point is lower yet.....
SoCal Sam
Lunatic Member
I'm glad to clear the field for your Technics bid. Good luck!
Dr. Music
Super Member
These are my thoughts exactly. Some of the component brands I didn't even think of considering 30 years ago I can sure appreciate when I see them come around now.
Theres a beautiful 5760 on the bay which is gonna go for a pretty penny when the auction ends in a few days. My guess is there are a few AKers watching that auction with great interest at present. I'd love to have one but I have plenty of good candidates of their lineups at this point. As can be seen by my sig, I'm certainly one in the ranks of fans of their equipment and have been since I bought my first SA-5170 new in 1977.
terra1
Addicted Member
+1
Very precise out of the box. 101.5 is right on 101.5. Strong tuning up and down the scale. AM was a little off, but easily fixed. fmtunerinfo review was right on.
this unit was posted in D&S several days ago, before it was on eBay. not being a technics expert, i had still recommended the OP grab it for $325 from CL. it will be very interesting to see how high goes. i hope it was passed up do to a lack of funds or a better deal!
Methinks the original poster doth protest too much. I haven't seen much Technics bashing on this site. In fact, I think the reverse might be true -- for better or worse, Technics is identified with direct drive turntables, especially the SL1200, and in the direct/belt/idler drive controversies, which will rage as long as there are vinyl users, the SL1200 fans are as chauvenistic as any other group of true believers, or more so. I think this is particularly true of people coming out of the DJ world (where their claims may be quite reasonable).
I like some of the Technics turntables -- I had a dump find SL M2 for a while which was magnificent. But I admit to being one of the few, the proud, etc. who doesn't care for their electronics. I have owned the same big reciever that started this thread, and thought it was so so sounding, have had one of the bigger SU V series integrateds, with the same feeling, and actively disliked the sound of a couple of the integrated chip output recievers (though they certainly are pleasing to look at). It wouldn't surprise me at all if the issue is not the design or construction,but aging -- maybe Matsushita used a specific kind of cap or something that changes over time, but my experience leads me to leave most Technics stuff so that its lovers can get a chance at it.
I like some of the Technics turntables -- I had a dump find SL M2 for a while which was magnificent. But I admit to being one of the few, the proud, etc. who doesn't care for their electronics. I have owned the same big reciever that started this thread, and thought it was so so sounding, have had one of the bigger SU V series integrateds, with the same feeling, and actively disliked the sound of a couple of the integrated chip output recievers (though they certainly are pleasing to look at). It wouldn't surprise me at all if the issue is not the design or construction,but aging -- maybe Matsushita used a specific kind of cap or something that changes over time, but my experience leads me to leave most Technics stuff so that its lovers can get a chance at it.
2DualsNotEnough
Addicted Member
There was a post a few years back where an AKer bought this huge rack mounted Technics system with R2R.The woman gave him a killer deal,but he had a really hard time getting it down the stairs.That looked like a DAMNED fine system to me.
Jimmy
Jimmy
rallyguy
Member
All Technics stuff is utter crap. Useless - boat anchors. Throw it all away as quickly as you can! In fact - to help you - IM me and I'll swing by and exorcise your shop, garage, listening room of all this evil garbage. I'll even offer this service at NO charge!
Further - when feeling the familiar temptation of picking up a sweet pair of SB-7070's - or the like, be strong - don't do it. Call me - I'll talk you back from the edge and even go so far as to snag the piece before you get a chance to bid/buy - alleviating any chance you'll backslide.
Just doing my part to keep you on track to Technics-loving recovery. : )
RK
Further - when feeling the familiar temptation of picking up a sweet pair of SB-7070's - or the like, be strong - don't do it. Call me - I'll talk you back from the edge and even go so far as to snag the piece before you get a chance to bid/buy - alleviating any chance you'll backslide.
Just doing my part to keep you on track to Technics-loving recovery. : )
RK
