A site for sore ears

I am a retired electrical engineer that grew up admiring the amazing stereo gear from 60s and 70s  – what many call the “golden era” of hifi due to the high quality of design, construction and audio reproduction.

IMHO, these are also gorgeous compared to the sterile and plain looking audio gear being sold today.  This site is for those who are drawn to the warm glow of dial lamps and artful layouts of switches, knobs and buttons that look as great as they feel when used.

It is now my pleasure to purchase and restore the receivers, amplifiers and tuners I could only dream about owning in my youth.  

I take my time with each unit to bring them up to the performance and reliability standards I feel will best enable years of continued enjoyment.

While viewpoints vary, here is what that means for me :

  • Manufacturer service manual/schematics obtained and read (free pdf or hard copy purchase as needed)
  • Applicable service bulletins obtained and applied
  • Power cord inspected and replaced as needed
  • Caps across AC mains replaced with safety caps
  • All fuses tested good and at correct amperage (per schematic)
  • All switches cleaned (contact cleaner + DeOxit D5)
  • All potentiometers cleaned/lubed with DeOxit F5
  • All electrolytic and tantalum caps replaced with high quality audio grade caps that meet/exceed original specs (Nichicon UKZ/UFG/LKG/LKS/PW, Elna RFS, WIMA MKP)
  • All notoriously noisy transistors replaced – leveraging wisdom shared on AudioKarma, etc
  • Speaker protection relay(s) replaced (if present)
  • Power transistor mica and thermal paste replaced throughout (output drivers, etc)
  • All lamps replaced (using incandescent or LEDs based on what I feel looks best)
  • Whenever possible, replacement parts ordered from quality US sources like Mouser, DigiKey or Newark
  • Power supply outputs checked for correct DC levels and ripple
  • Tuner alignment for best FM sensitivity, stereo separation, etc
  • Amplifier bias, idle adjustment before lab test of output power and distortion vs original specs
  • Noise level at zero volume measured via oscilloscope for all modes – internal grounding checked/improved to minimize hum and hiss
  • All functions verified (oscilloscope and listening)
  • Interior and exterior cleaned

All sales are cash and carry

I don’t want to deal with credit cards, paypal, etc.  I will handle Massachusetts state tax so no added charges for you.

There are many drawbacks to shipping these restored units (high cost, chance of damage, difficulty in any post-purchase support, etc).  I have acquired most of my collection using local pick-up and have enjoyed meeting with folks in the vintage audio community in the process. 

I live near Worcester, Massachusetts and will drive as far as 50 miles to meet a buyer “half way” to enable a 100+ mile radius of operation (see map below).   Those living close enough are welcome to drop in and see/hear before buying.   Otherwise please email me (address below) with any questions and/or interest in taking one of these home.

Restricting my market vs selling nationally means better pricing for New England customers.   I am OK with that.

Pricing and support

In most cases, my prices barely cover my initial purchase and cost of replaced parts.  Given this is a hobby, I do not charge for my time spent on each unit.

I am not out to make money here, but my ability to continue will depend on the extent I can cover my direct costs.

When comparison shopping, note any shipping charges (they can be substantial).  You may also see some of these terms :

  • “for parts, not working” (definitely issues)
  • “untested” (good chance there are issues)
  • “working” (could be fully functional)
  • “serviced” (often just cleaning switches and replacing lamps)
  • “recapped” (electrolytic capacitors replaced – with what?  Including the expensive main supply filter caps?)
  • “restored” (comparable to my offerings)

While I feel I have given each restored unit a “new lease on life”, they are 40+ years old and components I did not replace could therefore fail without notice.  I always listen to the last unit I restored when working on the next one so that provides weeks of testing before I offer for sale.  I will accept returns with full refund within 30 days of purchase unless parts are missing or there is obvious abuse/damage vs the purchase condition documented in my photos. 

Summing up : My goal is happy New England customers getting a good deal and enjoying these as much as I would if I could keep them all.  

Thanks for visiting!

Customer Feedback

I check in with my customers after 30 days from purchase to see how things are going.  Here are comments on some units that I sold and have reached that point:

Sansui 5000a owner :  So happy I found this site, a pure pleasure to deal with! Amazing selection of classic audio equipment, you can tell Tom has a real passion and dedication to his craft. A true professional experience with attention to customer service.  I was able to view and examine all the equipment before purchase, see the workshop, and have all my questions answered. I purchased a Sansui 5000A receiver and am very pleased. It looks and sounds superb. I cannot wait to get something else!

Sansui 2000a owner : Have to thank you for the 2000a!  I put some time in with it and it couldn’t be better!  Beautiful tone and separation – you really did an outstanding restore!  

Yamaha CR400 owner : Tom’s restoration of the Yamaha CR-400 is absolutely superb – a singular example of meticulous effort and extraordinary know-how. The CR-400 looks and sounds brand new, and that’s a bit of a problem – Tom’s restoration set the bar so high that I’m afraid I will never be satisfied with any one else’s efforts.

Kenwood KR7600 owner : I love the KR7600 I purchased!! I have always enjoyed the look and sound of this machine and Tom’s restoration is superb. Everything works as it should and I could not be happier. Tom checked in after a few weeks to make sure everything is running smoothly. If you are looking for some vintage audio gear look no further! Thanks again.

Marantz 2220b owner : Slotted in the 2220b where the 2010 used to be. It’s been working perfectly.  Thanks for making it like new again. I wasn’t sure what to do when the 2010 went on the fritz, but the 2220b has been an ideal solution.

Pioneer SA9100 owner : SA-9100 is great – have trialed it with a wide range of vintage speakers (KLH five, AR-2Ax, Large Advents), and all sound fantastic.  Appreciate the care you brought in restoring this unit!

Pioneer SA8100/TX8100 owner : Couldn’t be better, so thanks for all!

Harman Kardon HK930 owner : The HK930 is a joy to own.  No issues here.  I love the sonic character of this device…  I have had some friends and their kids over who aren’t familiar with equipment like this.  They found it very interesting and had lots of comments about how cool it looks.  

Contact info

tom@solidstatestereo.com