I have an original 3020 amp, bought a few years before I was born by my Dad. It's in good condition, I even have the original box and styrofoam! Recently though, it has started to show its age with a few minor faults. If I don't use it for a while, a week or so, It takes a good couple of minute to warm up before it will produce any sound. Is this a problem? It dosn't really bother me, as I use it nearly every day, but is this an indication of an impending failure? The other problem is all the knobs, volume, tone, balance crackle quite severely. I can fix the problem by turning it off and twisting them loads but I wouldn't mind a more permenant solution. Could i dismantle it and clean the contact surfaces with contact cleaner? (I'm fairly competent with electronics, I regularly dismantle decks, unsolder replace pitch sliders, etc) or would it be worth just having it professionally done? Also I wouldn't mind cleaning the layer of dust out of it. Any thoughts onthe best way to do this? Compressed air? Or could I get away with a soft paintbrush or somthing? The amp as well as being essential for my daily entertainment also hold sentimental value, so I would appreciate any help gettin it back in tip top condition. =)
You can do all the things you mentioned. You can get an electronics cleaner from radio shack, and spray into the opening of pots - behind the the knobs you turn for volume, balance, etc.
You can do it yourself without taking into a shop. You can buy one for $100 on the ebay, so I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it to get it fixed.
J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
Posted on
Since there is sentimental value to this unit it is obviously worth more than what you would pay to replace it. The start up problem indicates power supply problems which need to be addressed before you possibly damage other components. A leaking power supply capacitor can allow DC through the system at an inoportune moment and take out several components. Unless you can diagnose these problems you should have it looked at by a professional service technician. Companies such as Audio Classics in New York are probably your best bet for this type of service, as you may not find a local repair shop that wishes to work on a twenty year old unit. The noises in the controls can be removed, in most cases by spray cleaner. If you take the unit in for repair, the tech will likely do this for you as part of the overall service. It is possible the controls are starting to wear out and will need total replacement to correct the problem for more than a few weeks. The tech can also give advice as to the best course of ation.
Vespasian
Unregistered guest
Posted on
This may not help but don't give up on this amp. It has personal history. Find a small repairer who is an enthusiast. I just had my 3140 repaired here in Oz by such a person for AU$75. And remember you have an amp that revolutionised quality listening. NAD at it's beginning took the world by surprise and probably your DAD too Cheers