zenith console stereo

[robertd]

i have an old zenith console stereo model mm2605 that i aquired. i turn it on and get a loud hum through the speakers. i'm looking for a little help trying to figure out what i need to do to resolve this. would love to get it working again. if not, i'm thinking of gutting it and turning it into a liquor cabinet

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

Here’s a state-by-state list of repair shops that specialize in vintage audio gear.

http://www.oaktreevintage.com/repair_links_outside.htm

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[markw]

The first place I'd start is replacing the big filter capacitors in the power supply.

After that, I'm out of ideas.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

The first place I'd start is replacing the big filter capacitors in the power supply.

After that, I'm out of ideas.

After that I would recommend asking people whom actually like "rustic" audio equipment at audiokarma forums

 

[Ponzio]

I've always fantasized, as a goof, of cannibalizing the innards of those units and replacing them with the latest receiver/amp, cd player and some high-end bookshelf speakers. I have very fond memories as a kid of my immigrant father purchasing ('67?) a faux French Provincial style cherry wood Magnavox entertainment cabinet. I was the official DJ, for all those raucous family parties and entrusted with not scratching his records.

The audio equipment sickness began then and continues to this day, albeit at a higher price point and u don't even get a nice piece of furniture to hide it.

Keep us in the loop if u decide to modify & update the electronics. We love pictures. Good luck.

 

[3db]

Gawd.. I remember those...My parents had one...the wood was worth more than the electronics inside. My parents unit had an RCA receiver and an automatic turntable that could play 6 LPs one after the other. It had a record speed selector that went from 16 up to 78. The speaker pairs consisted of a 10" woofer with a fairly big motor structure and a dome tweeter. I don;'t recall seeing a crossover network buut then again at that age, I didn't know what they were so I wasn't looking for them.

 

[slipperybidness]

The first place I'd start is replacing the big filter capacitors in the power supply.

After that, I'm out of ideas.

+1

 

[zieglj01]

Threads like this, make me think of how fast time has gone by!

 

[Ponzio]

Threads like this, make me think of how fast time has gone by!

at that time those units were considered cutting edge technology in consumer audio. most households had one if they were music lovers. the Magnavox turntable could handle 6 LP's at a time, stacked up, one on top of the other but I remember I would only play one record at a time because I was convinced that it would damage the records. even as a small fry I recognized the importance of being nice to ur records.

 

[CSG]

This is a 1969 Zenith Z931 I picked up last year for $125. Everything works just about perfectly, including the turntable. Because it also has inputs for the optional tape deck, I plugged in a little Bluetooth receiver and stream whatever music suits the mood at mealtime (the console is in our dining room).

These things were terrible for good audio and I hated them as a kid. Now, as someone who was 18 when this model was made, I cherish them.

Could the hum be a grounding issue?

BTW, I'd thought about the idea of getting one with a clean cabinet and installing new gear but then this one came along at a local electronics fix-it shop and I snapped it up.