Vintage Asylum Classic gear from yesteryear; vintage audio standing the test of time.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Vintage Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

Advice to Newbies Interested in Vintage Gear

Posted by Lee of Omaha (D) on December 18, 2021 at 13:37:28

1. Any equipment 1972 or older should have its filter capacitors replaced.

2. Do not plug in equipment that hasn't been operated in more than 10 years. It should be inspected by someone knowledgeable first.

3. Electrolytic capacitors age with time, voltage, and heat. Transistors and tubes do not go bad when not in use.

4. Carbon composition resistors, which used to be in everything and now thankfully are rare, tend to drift badly with time, sometimes going 10x high in value. They are also noisy. They should be tested to see if they are in spec.

5. Make sure the voltage setting, if any, is right for your area. WARNING: Part of Japan uses 100 Volts vs US 120 volts, but uses the exact same plugs we do. I have seen equipment bought in Japan used at 120 volts in the US. Everything is stressed to early failure over time.

6. Motor run capacitors, used in some turntables and open reel decks, should be replaced. They have a hard life and often fail after 40-50 years.

Vintage gear can be fun and sound really good. Don't blow a power transformer or worse, an output transformer, by not taking precautions.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Schiit Audio

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---