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Not Worth Rehabbing My Yamaha T-1 Tuner

74.107.93.140
Posted on August 27, 2015 at 03:05:24
eleiko2@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 207
Joined: October 4, 2008
 Maybe some of you have experienced this - vintage equipment where the repair costs eclipse what the unit listed for new. Such was the case with my T-1 tuner. They wanted $350-$375 to install updated transistors and to realign it. I said no way, told them to keep it. I still had to pay the $75 diagnostic charge.

Even so, I can get a newer tuner off ebay for one-third the repair cost, and that includes the $75. In hindsight (always 20/20 right?) I should have dumped the T-1 and gone directly to ebay or forget FM altogether, because most of my FM listening is confined to the car anyway. Live and learn.

 

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yes, posted on August 27, 2015 at 05:30:15
realistico
Audiophile

Posts: 1303
Location: New England
Joined: January 12, 2003
 Unless you can fix it yourself, or know someone in the hobby who can, it is really not cost effective to have any vintage equipment repaired. Electronics are a throw away item, you use it for a year or 3, then you get a new one with the latest features and recycle the old one. Repair shops are few and far between these days and need to charge enough to survive. If you have a component that you like it is worth it to buy another one, just for spare parts.

--Matt
"When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot."
--Dalai Lama

 

RE: yes, posted on August 27, 2015 at 05:36:24
eleiko2@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 207
Joined: October 4, 2008
 But there are exceptions. The build quality of vintage hi-fi products is often better than what's been offered over the last couple decades. So, if the repairs are reasonable, it makes sense. This same repair shop "resurrected" my Nakamichi 410 preamp for about $200 in 2006, and it's been worth every penny.

 

That's way too general a statement, posted on August 27, 2015 at 05:55:25
DFaulds
Audiophile

Posts: 616
Location: Northeast Ohio
Joined: October 19, 2000
 I have vintage Gray Research, Fairchild, Grommes, Mac, etc. and all of it is clearly worth paying to get repaired. Luckily I can do a lot of the work on old tube gear, but even if I couldn't it's certainly worth paying $500 to keep a Mc 240 or Fairchild 275s running.

In fact, I'm just about ready to spend over $1,500 getting a pair of very rough Mac60's completely overhauled, including new chrome, paint and lettering. Of course I wouldn't do the same thing for my Yamaha T-1 for obvious reasons.

 

+1, posted on August 27, 2015 at 06:42:03
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 and there are much cheaper guys out there than that quote. Maybe not easy to find but still.


E
T

ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

Wew!, posted on August 27, 2015 at 08:24:25
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001

God thing you posted. I had to run out and get my Marantz 10B off the curb, just as the trash truck was pulling up! It is true that besides best of the best, tuners, like cassette decks are virtually worthless. The good new, is that I always have a stack of extremely good tuners, in case anything goes wrong with my current favorite. My current favorite is a B&K TS-108, which is actually Fanfair. It is just a killer tuner in every regard except for ergonomics, with tiny hard to read lettering and tiny buttons, but it sounds so good I put up with it. However, on deck are a GFT-500 and a Yamaha T-80. I also have a Scott 350D tube tuner that is waiting for me to sink a lot of money into it. My feeling is that if you are fixing it to use yourself, who cares what the market value is. If you just want a decent tuner, go to the thrift stores. I see more tuners than anything else!

Dave

 

RE: That's way too general a statement, posted on August 27, 2015 at 12:47:34
realistico
Audiophile

Posts: 1303
Location: New England
Joined: January 12, 2003
 Ok, yes, VINTAGE tube equipment is usually worth investing money in, as we all know, especially things you want to keep for a long time and use frequently. Still, if you bring it to a brick+mortar repair shop it will cost you as much as the component is worth to restore it, which is fine if you love it and want to keep it forever. MODERN electronics are disposable, and often can't be repaired. Try and get a 1 or 2 year old TV repaired. It's much cheaper to buy a new one with the latest features. Plus you don't even know if it CAN be repaired.

And as far as tube gear goes, I recall about a year ago following an auction on eBay. Someone had a sansui tube receiver and took it to a shop and had a full restoration done with boutique caps. If memory serves, he spent well over 600 on the restoration plus whatever he spent to buy it initially. He tried to get 1100 for it, then when it didn't sell, he put it on again for 900. At the time, working ones were selling on eBay for half that.
I think if you have classic tube gear, it's definitely worth spending the money to restore if you want to keep and use it. You'd spend more money on modern "High End" tube gear and the vintage classics would probably sound better as well.
In my opinion.
--Matt



"When you think everything is someone else's fault, you will suffer a lot."
--Dalai Lama

 

RE: That's way too general a statement, posted on August 27, 2015 at 12:59:19
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 This is also too general. Sorry, but I do get your point. There are occasions where a repair of even mid fi stuff is worth doing. We all know most old tube gear is worth repairing. Sansui though is mid fi tube gear unlike HK, Eico, Sherwood and Mac and not all models of theirs.

There are places and certain repairs that are still not expensive and worth doing. Most times in my opinion 70-80's SS mid-fi is cheaper to replace with a used piece of 70-80's SS mid-fi (Craigslist/eBay etc.) and yes there are exceptions.


There are a lot of posts on AA where we cannot generalize and a few where we can. Just goes to prove we need to take things on an item by item basis. I wouldn't have paid $75 for the check out fee on that Yamaha. Our shop had a $50 deposit until 2004 and if you refused the estimate the $50 was not refunded but turned into a store credit. The repair prices the OP quoted were borderline silly.


E
T

ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: That's way too general a statement, posted on August 27, 2015 at 17:15:45
fredtr
Audiophile

Posts: 1987
Location: Phoenix
Joined: January 4, 2005
 You're correct in a lot of cases. But one thing to consider is many problems are simple. I bought a 52" flat panel when they were expensive for $50 because it wouldn't come on. The fix cost was $3 and took me about 30 minutes.

 

RE: That's way too general a statement, posted on August 28, 2015 at 08:03:38
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 I have never seen any Sansui tube gear, but I have a Pioneer tube integrated that is extremely well built. Still, I would not expect it to be very valuable because it is not very well know or sought after in the US. Fortunately I know which end of a soldering iron to hold!

Dave

 

RE: Not Worth Rehabbing My Yamaha T-1 Tuner, posted on August 28, 2015 at 10:26:51
AudioSoul
Audiophile

Posts: 4594
Location: north central AZ
Joined: July 9, 2005
Wasn't the Yamaha T-1 tuner considered a really good one? If so I would get it fixed........

 

RE: Not Worth Rehabbing My Yamaha T-1 Tuner, posted on August 28, 2015 at 13:22:24
eleiko2@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 207
Joined: October 4, 2008
 A good tuner, yes, but not so good that I will spend close to $400 to bring it up to speed. I can get a higher level tuner (Pioneer 9800, Sony J75, Yamaha T-7, etc) for a third to a quarter the price. Make sense?

 

RE: Not Worth Rehabbing My Yamaha T-1 Tuner, posted on August 28, 2015 at 16:25:00
AudioSoul
Audiophile

Posts: 4594
Location: north central AZ
Joined: July 9, 2005
Ok got it........

 

Yamaha tuners that are worth fixing..., posted on August 28, 2015 at 18:47:19
kootenay
Audiophile

Posts: 8446
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Joined: October 16, 2007
 Yamaha CT-7000 and T-2 according to Tuner Info.

 

RE: Not Worth Rehabbing My Yamaha T-1 Tuner, posted on August 28, 2015 at 19:56:16
AudioSoul
Audiophile

Posts: 4594
Location: north central AZ
Joined: July 9, 2005
This is all good information to know. I have a working Yammie T-1 tuner, if it goes out I'll scrap it....

 

RE: Not Worth Rehabbing My Yamaha T-1 Tuner, posted on August 29, 2015 at 02:36:06
eleiko2@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 207
Joined: October 4, 2008
 I'll amend my remarks. If alignment is the only issue, I'd say go for it. But these people talked about soldering inside the tuner's guts with updated parts (caps,transistors), an operation I deemed too costly.

 

RE: Not Worth Rehabbing My Yamaha T-1 Tuner, posted on August 29, 2015 at 06:47:34
AudioSoul
Audiophile

Posts: 4594
Location: north central AZ
Joined: July 9, 2005

Yes, there is a difference from repairing and modifying. Making a vintage piece better (modifying) is sometimes worth it if it sounds better.

 

The first questions I would ask, posted on September 1, 2015 at 09:31:43
M3 lover
Audiophile

Posts: 6604
Location: SW Mich
Joined: May 29, 2005
Contributor
  Since: July 4, 2007
 is how many FM stations in my area play music I'm interested in, and what is the quality of their signal?

That would make it easier for me to decide how much I was willing to spend.

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing, if you can fake that you've got it made." Groucho

 

RE: The first questions I would ask, posted on September 1, 2015 at 09:54:18
eleiko2@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 207
Joined: October 4, 2008
 It's a question I've asked myself many times, and the answer is always the same:1. Other than listening in the car or on my Sony Walkman to multiple stations, there is only 1 station (classical) in my area that I would listen to on my hifi system, and then only marginally. Which hardly justifies the purchase of a pricey tuner or perhaps any tuner. I've got enough vinyl and CDs to keep me busy.

 

RE: The first questions I would ask, posted on September 1, 2015 at 10:17:06
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 Are there any good thrift stores in your area? Tuners are second only to cassette decks in the availability of good and cheap examples.

Dave

 

RE: The first questions I would ask, posted on September 1, 2015 at 12:27:06
eleiko2@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 207
Joined: October 4, 2008
 I haven't looked. But, like I said, I might pass on hifi tuner listening altogether.

 

RE: That's way too general a statement, posted on September 5, 2015 at 13:36:18
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 I like early Japanese tube gear but I'm a tube nerd. I own a few early Panasonic tube AM/FM clock radios too. As you said the resale value is lower on them.

E
T
ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: That's way too general a statement, posted on September 8, 2015 at 09:23:48
Crazy Dave
Audiophile

Posts: 14371
Location: East Coast
Joined: October 4, 2001
 I have the Pioneer integrated amp and a Lafayette receiver that were both built in Japan. The Lafayette is running and sounds very good. Both are well built. The only downside is I have read that a lot of Japanese gear runs the tubes hard. The transformers are nice in both.

Dave

 

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