Hi there and welcome to my ‘About Me’ page.

 

Who am I? My name is Sam, and I live in the beautiful Central Highlands region of Victoria. I travel to Melbourne every weekend as I do part-time work there, and this also allows easy pickup or delivery of goods for Melbourne residents.

 

What do I sell? My passion is vintage audio equipment. I sell equipment of all ages, but am most interested in equipment from the late 1960s – mid 1980s. I specialize in solid state, but enjoy listening to and working on valve equipment when it comes my way.

 

What work do I do on equipment I sell? Everything I sell (unless otherwise stated) is fully checked and serviced by me. I am careful to check items thoroughly, and will make a point of checking for common faults and issues. Aside from any specific repair work an item might require, the following will give you an idea of the work I would normally do on an item before being satisfied that it is ready for sale:

 

AMPLIFIERS and RECEIVERS:

• Check all switches and controls for consistent and quiet operation
• De-oxidise above as required using Caig De-Oxit spray. This is, in my opinion, the best quality spray. It costs more and is hard to get in Australia, but it is worth it!
• Listen for consistent performance / sound quality at both high and low volumes
• Check / adjust output bias current and DC offset (where applicable)
• Check circuit boards for dry solder joints – especially around moving parts, switches, heat-producing parts etc
• Check consistent contact in output protection relay (where fitted). Carbon build-up on relay contacts is a common cause of channel drop-outs in many amplifiers.
• Check all indicator lamps, backlights etc are operational. I have access to a wide range of replacement bulbs, so I will replace with correct type or as near to as possible, rather than butchering in a generic lamp. When more than one lamps has failed I will usually replace all lamps in a unit as I figure that the rest are nearing their use-by date soon.

 

TURNTABLES:

• Check all functions for correct and smooth operation
• Replace belt if required (I’ll pretty much always do this unless the belt is in tip-top condition). In the case of idler drive turntables I will check and usually re-surface the idler drive wheel.
• Check the condition of the stylus for wear, damage to diamond or cantilever etc. I will often include a new stylus as well for good measure, even if the old one is still good.
• Check for speed stability, pitch accuracy etc.
• Lubricate moving parts as required. This often means cleaning out old dried up lubrication first, and using suitable grease or oil (rather than spraying blindly with CRC!).

 

TAPE / CASSETTE RECORDERS:

• Check all functions for correct operation, including recording, fast wind modes etc.
• Check condition of drive belts, idlers, pinch roller etc. Replace or re-surface as required. This ensured ongoing reliable operation, and avoids common problems like sluggish fast wind modes, servo mechanisms stalling etc
• Clean tape path, heads etc.
• Demagnetise heads.
• Replace meter backlights, indicator lamps etc as required.

 

SPEAKERS:

• Check all drivers for damage and correct operation. Check cone movement for free travel (no polling etc). I pay special attention to tweeters and mids, where polling can not be felt and may only be audible under certain conditions.
• Assess condition of foam surrounds (where fitted), and replace or advise where necessary.
• Repair / replace damaged or unreliable connectors.

 

I value my feedback rating, and always work to ensure each sale runs smoothly. In the rare case that a buyer should have a problem with an item I will take the time to advise, repair, replace or refund.

 

I pack items well for postage – I use brand new biodegradable bubble-wrap, which I buy in commercial quantities. I generally use recycled boxes but take the time to choose ones that are strong enough to protect the item it will carry.

 

I am a lower volume seller than some others who sell audio and electronics on eBay. I prefer to take more time preparing each item for sale so that I am happy with it, rather than rush through too many items.

 

F.A.Q

I have a piece of equipment that needs repair – do you take customer repairs?

Generally no – I prefer to work on my own equipment in my own time. However I will occasionally consider jobs where I have specialist knowledge that may be hard to find elsewhere.

 

Do you buy faulty equipment?

Yes I am always looking for equipment for parts or restoration. Bear in mind that if your item is in good working order you will be better off listing it on eBay yourself.

 

What training / experience do you have as a technician?

I have been repairing old electronic equipment since I was a teenager (that’s about 20 years). I am predominantly self-taught, but I did complete an Audio-visual certificate at RMIT, and worked professionally in the audio-visual field for several years. I do not claim to be an expert on everything, but I have often repaired items that have been deemed irreparable by technicians who really should know better (I am thinking about several name-brand and factory authorized repair centres here – but I won’t name names…). I prefer to work on old equipment, as most of it was well made and designed to be serviced, rather than disposed of.

 

What audio equipment do you use yourself?

Currently my main system consists of a Luxman L-55A (first of the Duo-Betas), DCM Time Window speakers, Marantz CD-84 CD player, and Aiwa LP-3000 turntable (a very exotic beastie). I am also a fan of early Bang and Olufsen equipment (predominantly from a design point of view) and other unusual pieces like my Bellini designed Brionvega Totem, Braun equipment by Dieter Rams, and other unusual and exotic pieces.