mbz

As above, the TT is the pick, R2R's are selling well, casettes less popular though it's a NAK, no junk there... good luck

The spkrs are probably the weak link, think you would do better than $50- for the 626 amp though not worth the full rebfurb. It certainly would be some retro bling if that's what you are after (people spend a fortune on antique furniture that is barely functional). If the amp has sentimental value then maybe spend $50-$100 on replacing some caps etc... Also better that you have a listen to it and decide if it sounds ok, it's a cap coupled amp (service manual on hifiengine) the sound may surprise you.

Store pix on a google drive or similiar and share the link

I would be reluctant to buy new from overseas, keeping in mind warranty. Would need to be a true 240Vac (not 220-230Vac, we are not yet at 230Vac) plus transit damage. Keep in mind Aust Post has a 20kg weight limit so would need to be courier. On the other hand gems can be found if buying second hand vintage, though you need diy skills to repair, refurb...

I'm into vintage... The Azur 540R is a bit of a lemon, has problems with the volume control. Picked up another 2 units for parts, all with the same problem. Needed a IC, local support was not great but they did eventually (8months) provide the IC. The A500's do chernobyl taking out a lot of real estate in the power amp. Got 2. Don't think I'd spend more than $200- buying anything CA, can do better elsewhere.

I'm into vintage gear, so there is a bias(?) Most amps 30+ years old will need some work. Vaguely recall that the Sunfire 300 is a nice amp though unsure if it has a speaker protection circuit, a must for all amps. The Sunfire 300 listed on gumtree looks nice however no mention of recent refurb, so the $1290- asking seems high. Plenty of good vintage amps (HK citation, yamaha,,,) that will do the job, once refurbished. If you don't want to do the work then suggest looking at new, March audio had a "return it within 2 weeks if you don't like it" clause. I've got a phase linear 400 that I will d

I use 2-3 power boards connected to a board with surge protection. The boards/plugs etc are rated to 10A, 240V (2400VA) so you need to be sensible about what's powered on at any time. Your turntable hum will be another issue, heaps of possibilities like check GND wire connections from cartridge to tone arm, bad solder joints on amp phono RCA connections and more...

Maybe demo the RX-V1, if you like it then $5-600 is not a lot to pay, these were huge money (3k?) new. Problem with buying vintage is that it needs a restore. Buying new at that price point gets you ok-fi only, some will disgree and point me to the SNA recommended amp buying thread. Bargains do pop up from time to time.

Depends on how many watts you need (spkrs?) $600 would almost get you a refurb'd Yamaha CA-800. Sansui AU-505/555A and Luxman SQ-505X all sound good, again comes back to spkrs. I wouldn't dismiss the RX-V1 however you can do better. The RX-V1 would be a pig to work on, lots of boards/functions not needed for 2 channel.

Use a lower wattage bulb, eg, 30-50W so as to limit available power to the amp. You've replaced Q430 and "everything" downstream. Since Q430 blows problem is likely to be upstream of Q430. Schematic has R440 as 2.2k, your replacement being 220 ohms, why? If R440 is stressed then maybe Q414e voltage is too low (so high volt drop across R440 and high current). Suggest DBT power up with 30W bulb, check voltage at Q414b or R408, compare with working channel.

+1 Or replace with a 40+year old amp like a CA-2010, CA-1010 or CA-1000. Some decent gear from that vintage from Sansui, Marantz, Pioneer, Kenwood,,,, Not familar with the A/AX range

To be fair, the balance could be anything, maybe a lazy transistor so possibly the start of something. Since the difference is audible it will clearly show up on an oscilloscope, the preferred method to track down. Service manual is available on hifiengine. Amp is "full of" relays so possibly a pitted contact. While not difficult it still takes time to track down.

At 20 years old the amp shouldn't need a recap, it should be in its prime. Maybe post some hi-res pix of the inside/check for stressed caps. Have a critical listen, vague bass? crisp highs? If it sounds great then I wouldn't touch. I've done about 30 recaps of my own gear, amps from the 70's, ie, 45-50 years old. Adjust the balance control or ocd???

I use one of these, brought online from RS or EL14 or... about 10 years ago, still going strong after 20+ amp recaps, yeah, I should buy a desoldering station but shy away from the big $$$'s

I've spent quite a bit of time with Vintage Yamaha, CA-410, 610, 710, 700, 800,1000, 1000ii, 1010, 2010, CX-1000, CX-1, C-4 also got a C-70/M-70 to repair/refurb. OK, the C-410 is the weak link, the others sound decent depending on budget. Problem is that vintage amps from Luxman, Sansui, Marantz, Pioneer,,,, also sound decent. A boring sounding vintage amp is probably sick