On the bench
What wears out in vintage amplifiers, receivers and decks, how vacuum tubes work in hi-fi, and the service documents that explain it all.
- Finding and reading service manuals and schematics for vintage audio
Where to find owner's and service manuals for old hi-fi legitimately, what each kind of document contains, how to read a schematic, parts list and adjustment procedure, and how to respect copyright while sharing.
- Vacuum tubes in hi-fi: common types, matching, testing and bias
A practical introduction to valves in audio equipment: what preamp, power and rectifier tubes do, the types you will meet (12AX7, EL34, 6L6GC, KT88, EL84, 300B and others), matched pairs, testers, fixed and cathode bias, signs of a failing tube, and the high-voltage safety rules.
- What fails in vintage amplifiers, receivers and tape decks, and what to do about it
The usual faults in 1960s to 1990s hi-fi: dried electrolytic capacitors, scratchy controls and switches, dirty relays, perished belts and idlers, lamps and drifting bias. What recapping really means, what to leave to a technician, and the safety rules that come first.
