I have a Kenwood VR-7060 that is not producting sound. I dont know much about them internally but I know how all the audio should be hooked up. Its been running fine for a long time and while I was watch TV it just stopped. I played with the setting (had Manual) and still nothing. Pretty sure my problem is internal and Im good with a volt meter but not sure where to start. The kenwood powers up fine and everthing looks fine but no sound and the mute button is off. I opened the case had all the caps look ok and I dont see anything to the eye that seems bad. Any help would be great. Thanks
If you want to keep this receiver, have it serviced by a qualified Kenwood technician - if you can find one. The receiver is, what? almost nine years old? And sold for around $400? Too much has happened in home audio receivers to spend much money on this receiver, IMO. And repair shop hourly rates are too high to put much into this unit. As far as I know Kenwood has no US support system for their previous generations of home audio gear. So parts are generally unavailable for many of the failures of those products. While the specific problem with your receiver might be a somewhat generic part, it's more likely to be the micro-processor which controls the majority of functions in the receiver. That chip is probably no longer available which would mean there is no way to repair the receiver.
You might be good with a VOM but, without a service manual, you'll have no idea what you're looking for as far as specified voltages or how to trace a circuit backwards for a possible cause. Caps no longer show the leakage which characterized a bad cap back in the '60's. A bad cap or resistor would, however, cause too much voltage to an ic which would take it out. Unless you could first identify the bad cap as the cause of the failure, replacing the ic would simply be a futile tale of another blown up ic. And the vast majority of what is inside your receiver is no longer made up of discrete caps and resistors but rather ic's and probably 16/32/64 pin ic's at that. Do you own a varaible heat soldering station? If not, then you are in no shape to begin working on this receiver. Ever replaced a 64 pin ic? Get out your magnifying glass. Identifying the problem is also a mostly large waste of time. Even if you tell the repair shop's counter person you found the bias resistor on such and such an ic to be bad, the tech is still going to spend the same amount of time troubleshooting the problem as they would if you had said nothing. That's how techs try to make certain they don't get repairs back in a few days.
As I said, if you want to have this receiver looked at, find a shop that is willing to take responsibility for a component this old. Older components tend to have problems which compund themself as they get older. Most shops aren't too interested in a repair which might come back in a month due to an unrelated part failing. Additionally, most shops do not keep their service manuals for items that no longer show up on their counter. On average a shop will nowdays cull their manuals every five or so years and there's a good chance a manual will be gone by ten. If the tech doesn't have the manual, it's very unikely they will take on a repair.
You might try a shop that speciailizes in "vintage" component repair, but they tend to focus more on the actual vintage stuff rather than just the older stuff. Try to contact Kenwood to locate a master service shop which might take a look at the receiver. Ask for an estimate of repair costs before you OK any actual repairs as you'll probably find it's not worth your cost to put money into this receiver - assuming parts are available. If you place "Kenwood receiver" in a search engine, you're likely to get a site where you can ask a Kenwood tech your question for a small fee.
Mass market HT receivers are not meant for the long haul. On average about five years would be the expected lifespan of most. Today HT receiver manufacturers stay in business by a consumer replacing rather than repairing their old product. Sorry to be so negative but I would be looking at the ads for a new receiver as well for a repair shop if I were in your position.
Yes it is an old unit BUT it is a great unit. I still have, use and love my Kenwood 6070. Maybe it's just the amp section, have you tried the preouts?
5 or 6 years use? HA!, mine has run 7 days a week for 10 years now! I use a Emotiva XPA5 with mine. But I still use the Kenwoods amp section for room 2 and Speakers B
"5 or 6 years use? HA!, mine has run 7 days a week for 10 years now!"
HA! right back at you. I have amps that are forty and fifty years old that are running 24/7. And there is a recent thread from someone owning a 17 year old JVC - certainly not a brand I would have expected to have a long life. However, expecting a HT receiver to have such extended life is a bit like expecting to see a Chrysler K car out on the road everyday.
About five years is the average lifespan of a mass market HT receiver before something goes wrong and the owner is advised it is cheaper to replace than to repair. IMO, HT/AV receivers are a poor investment unless you have shares in a repair shop. You're welcome to disagree with the statements I posted seven months ago but I stand by what I posted and a single anecdotal incident doesn't change the fact the op is going to have a tough time finding anyone to repair a HT receiver of this age when the company is no longer represented in the US consumer reciever market.
"However, expecting a HT receiver to have such extended life is a bit like expecting to see a Chrysler K car out on the road everyday."
I see about 3 K cars out on the raod everyday, Just saying...
In truth, the HT receiver is probably the worst investment in home entertainment these days. If you can afford a high end HT system that would be your best bet. If not, can you live with movies in stereo? A stereo receiver will, in all likelihood do better longevity wise than will a HT model. Even if made by the same brands, stereo models tend to be better in many ways.