Author Archives: retrovoltage

Creek 4140 S2 Overhaul and Voltage Conversion

Posted on August 23, 2015 by retrovoltage

This Creek 4140 S2 amplifier is a bit newer than most through the shop, although it’s getting up there. This particular one was constructed in 1989, and came via eBay from the UK configured for 220V power. The owner wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Projects | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New Test Equipment Day!

Posted on August 19, 2015 by retrovoltage

I’ve added a new analysis system to my stereo bench…the Audio Precision System One. Amplifier measurements just got a whole lot more precise.

Posted in Commentary, Test Equipment, Tools, Toys | Leave a comment

1963 Fisher FM-100-B Stereo FM Tuner Overhaul

Posted on August 9, 2015 by retrovoltage

Something a bit unusual came through the shop recently, an old tube-type Fisher FM-100-B Stereo FM tuner. Anyone who knows classic tube audio knows Fisher, and the FM-100-B sure lives up to the name. It’s a 12-tube FM/MPX Only tuner with … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Electronics, Radios and Tubes, Stereo, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Revitalize HP and Tek digital scopes with a NewScope LCD kit

Posted on August 1, 2015 by retrovoltage

I’ve been trying to figure out if I want to bother repairing my old HP 1222A oscilloscope which I’ve been using as a waveform monitor attached to the scope ports of my Sencore PA81 Stereo Power Amplifier Analyzer. It’s been … Continue reading →

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Sony ST-J75 Recap and Alignment

Posted on July 31, 2015 by retrovoltage

The Sony ST-J75 is a pretty well regarded, great sounding stereo FM tuner from the early ’80s. It’s one of the first forrays into digital tuning, with a frequency read-out, programmable memory, and seek/scan functionality and variable muting driven by … Continue reading →

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The Hewlett-Packard 5451A Fourier Analyzer

Posted on July 27, 2015 by retrovoltage

1972: the year launching the Space Shuttle program, the completion of the monument at Stone Mountain, Watergate, the first female FBI agents to join the force….and the new HP 5451A Fourier Analyzer, bringing unparalleled performance to the worlds of acoustic … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Photos, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Stereo Aficionados

Posted on July 25, 2015 by retrovoltage
Posted in Audio, Commentary, Stereo | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Old rocker complains about new technology

Posted on July 15, 2015 by retrovoltage

According to Rolling Stone, Neil Young is pulling his catalog from all streaming music services over complaints about the sound quality. I don’t see this impacting me personally since I don’t listen to him and indeed can’t even name a … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Commentary, Ideas, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

1950s Motorola Modded Standalone Tube Amplifier Measurements

Posted on July 6, 2015 by retrovoltage

I had an unusual project through the shop recently. It’s a Magnavox tube amp from the late 1950s. The owner brought it in reporting he’d purchased the amplifier, pulled from a damaged console stereo and modified to be a standalone … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, DIY, Electronics, Hi-Fi, Projects, Radios and Tubes, Vintage | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Eric Engineering Model 357 High-Fidelity FM Tuner

Posted on June 23, 2015 by retrovoltage

I recently got to work on something quite unusaul, the Eric Engineering model 357 hi-fidelity tuner. Built by obscure outfit Eric Engineering in Santa Monica, CA in 1961, there’s relatively little known about these units. It’s a fairly simple ratio-detector … Continue reading →

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