I've got a vintage Sony STR-4800SD that only plays through one speaker. Not sure what component is broken and I'm playing through a simple wire for FM
HiFi System Wiring
Ian Brown
Michael Gomez
Neat, thanks for sharing.
Colton Barnes
Just checked and it's a receiver issue, not a speaker issue.
Jacob Gray
Nobody here can help you with vintage audio they're all Linux shitters
I could but I really can't help without being there
Dylan James
I got it from a pawn shop just today and was wondering, would be more worth it to go back and change it out or get it repaired? This was a top of the line receiver back in 1978, but that was 40 years ago... Should I just get a pre-amp and a decent receiver?
Grayson Cox
I noticed that, I post here semi often about hi-fi audio and they tell me to install gentoo onto my Sony PS-X555ES....
Camden Phillips
I am not familiar with your model. If the pawn shop return policy is like 30 days and if it's like an $800 receiver it could be worth repairing. You'd have to check with your local repair shops but they're usually really backlogged, or at least the ones in my area are.
I wouldn't spend a ton getting it fixed. $100-200 if you really like it and it's a good unit.
Lucas Jones
just buy a lepai
you even save on electricity.
Jayden Edwards
Depending on what you prefer, if you really want that old (i presume) class a/b sound then go for it, if its playing only on one speaker chance is that its just few components that dont work (could be transistor on outputs), transformer and rectifier are ok, as well as inputs and fm receiver (except if its using 2 tfs, one per channel).
Not sure about return policy, but if you want something loud you should have go for some class D amp (even though these days they offer really good characteristics).
David Clark
like other user said, repairs could be more expensive than just getting another used unit
do you live in the US? is the unit "crackly" when you use the dials?
lepai is not good
Leo James
I wonder if going low-fi is the way to go to replicating authentic vinyl audio.
Ayden James
its a good idea -- more like "old-fi" through speakers that arent too fussy
when you play vinyl on more modern systems you hear all the defects of vinyl with great accuracy and its not a good thing
Nathaniel Campbell
I have a pioneer SX-650. One thing you might try is opening the unit up and putting some contact cleaner on whatever buttons change the output selection and then working them back and forth. Put a bit on the volume knob too while you're at it. This can make a world of difference. Of course, the real problem could be an electronic component that you have to replace like a capacitor or some shit. But try the easy stuff first and you might be surprised.
Brody Robinson
Could be also bad solder joint, you never know with these old units unless you take them apart
Ryder Taylor
it's good for $20.
if you want better there are other class d amps.
Christian Bell
you realize, right, that in the US, you can go to a goodwill store and find a 10 year old receiver with actual internals for $20
Blake Phillips
Jack Morgan
Gavin Morris
Best advice.
Blake Thomas
I'm OP, and I've got the option of trading my Sony STR-4800SD for a Sony STR-GX99ES and matching CD player. I have an ES turntable, and this would complete my perfect Sony setup!
Brody Watson
>Sony STR-GX99ES
looks good
good caps
good transformer
sony in general makes decent mid tier units
Oliver Cooper
You should read some of the reviews on Amazon. They're quite hilarious some of them.
When I first got the unit, I noticed that ...
ByCoreyon January 10, 2017
Verified Purchase
When I first got the unit, I noticed that it had very mediocre sound, but I expected that out of a 30 dollar amp. It struggles to drive a tiny little pair of Boston Acoustics 8 ohm Rear Surround speakers I have. I could tell at medium volume that the amp was giving me all it had and I was pushing it to its limits, so I've never tried to turn it up loud because I don't want it to clip and burn up my speakers. Finally, after about three years of very rare and sporadic usage in a climate controlled environment, the amp has started to send a loud buzzing noise through my speakers. I've tried replacing the power supply and my input cables, no change. A classic example of getting what you pay for I guess.
Charles Fisher
lots of receivers in the 35-50 dollar range on ebay - let me know if you want the search string
Isaiah Richardson
wrong lepai.
lepai lp2020 with t amp.
this is class d amp. all you need is power delivery. everything is on chip.
Adrian Wright
If the amp has a dead channel, there's a couple possible fixes.
Try turning the volume and balance knobs back and forth. If the dead channel starts making any noise, then it's an oxidation issue.
Some older amps have fuses (usually internally) for the speaker terminals. If one channels was shorted while it was playing, it might have blown the fuse.
If it's not an issue with the knobs or fuses, then there's a chance that it's a dead output transistor. And if that's the case, then you're better off chucking it out an getting another 2nd hand amp/receiver instead.
Lincoln Reed
these are hobby amps for tinkers
not for use in a real system
Cameron Garcia
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Daniel Sanders
Nah. These anons gave some good tips to start the diagnostic process:
Pic not related.