Pioneer VSX918 Totally Dead Finding the part that is bad

[@jubemarsh2202]

Awesome as usual brother 🤙 Wish they would've stuck with the beefy outputs that lasted 50 years!

[@andershammer9307]

I had a Sony ES High-End surround sound receiver (GA8ES) which I got working by moving parts from the surround channels to a blown front channel. This thing had 3 STK350-230 ICs in it. One of them quit so I looked in my parts bin and found a new one. Put it in and it worked fine until a few days later while listening at low volume the speakers went pop and then it went dead. I decided It wasn't worth trying to find a real and good STK pack so I stripped it for parts.

[@diogenescaruaru]

Those modules are pretty common to find at eBay for as much as 25 dollars + ship. BUT, as you said, trust that they are original genuine modules is a lot another history. I really don’t like those receivers that uses proprietary modules that are costly and hard to find.

[@DaXande135]

Got a Technics SU-V 620 for free recently, this one uses a "New Class A" power amplifier module. It had a faulty volume pot, now it's working again, luckily the amp IC wasn't bad. I just hope it will keep running a few more years since it's mid 1990’s amplifier, but if I hadn't got it for free, I probably wouldn't have bothered getting one because of these ICs.

[@12voltvids]

@@DaXande135 I changed one back a few years ago for a client. He ordered the module so I don't know how much it was but he said if he had known how much it would have cost by the time broker fees were added (Ebay seller shipped to Canada with fed-ex even though the guy specifically told him not to.) That added an additional 50.00 he said. 37.50 for broker fees. Said if he knew it would hav been that high he would have scrapped it. My reply was "now you know why I made YOU get the part" Been stung that way before. Ebay sellers won't go out of their way to fill special shipping requests. They ship whatever way is easier for them because they are not the ones paying the extra fees. The owner did say that the cost of the part by the time shipping and the extra broker fees were added made it much more expensive then it was worth, but because he had borrowed the receiver and it blew up while he had it, he felt responsible to fix it. I said I would just have handed it back and said, something is wrong with it, doesn't work. No way I would get sucked into fixing someone else junk.

[@12voltvids]

I have a love hate relationship with them. They are great because they take the guesswork out of repair. Just pop in a new module and done. I hate em because they are not reliable and drive the cost of repair up to the point that in most cases is not economical.

[@mikemattingly2859]

Massive respect for taking another look at this unit.... I have the VSX818V of this unit I bought off ebay in pristine shape for 75 plus shipping for a small room system. I love it actually.....However, yea I am not going to put a ton of money into repairing it if it is not something easy. I was happy to learn the diagnostic mode you showed, as well as a look inside what is for sure really close to my 818V for fun. I will simply replace the unit in the same manner if it gets to this point. Thanks for the knowledge and interesting video.

[@12voltvids]

You paid too much. They sell around here on facebook market place for under 50 and in second hard store for 25-35.00

[@mikemattingly2859]

Im happy with my price I paid and the unit so all good here.....its what was available to me when I needed it

[@TrevorsBench]

Avoid any amps that have modules. Genuine module can be bought from Pioneer for $75 plus shipping. These receivers are not worth fixing IMO

[@12voltvids]

Yup it's junk.

[@robertdavis5714]

Thanks for the info, surprised they still use those modulus.

[@DaXande135]

I have seen people buying after market fake ICs for Technics amps in German forums. Some say they worked, some say they didn't and some say they quit working soon after. I personally wouldn't risk getting a fake IC that may or may not work then.

[@12voltvids]

I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole. Got caught up in that crap with a certain Yamaha mixer years ago. Paypal fuxed up and tried to withdraw money from bank account (even though there was enough in the paypal account to cover, but it was apparently on hold and the bank account is only used to make deposits so no money in it. Bank charged 48.00 over draft) All the costs got passed to the customer that insisted that it was fixed. New part was no good, lasted a very short time and popped again. Guy wanted his money back. I lost my shirt. Going forward when people want expensive parts I make them get the parts, that way they are the ones stuck dealing with the fall out of bad or used parts.

[@markmarkofkane8167]

What caused the module to go bad? Heat? overload? Or just spontaneous destruction?

[@greengrayradio1394]

They are on eBay for around USD 20. But, would you trust them? I have bought 2 RF power modules that way, and one was a dud..

[@sand0077]

Planned obsolescence with unobtainium parts, manufacturers ought to be ashamed

[@technixbul]

This power amp module is probably renamed STK, if you check schematic to a similar number of pins and wattage STK, 2 of 4 will match, same goes to the car audio ICs, they was 4 channel TDA

[@KAPTKipper]

New Modules are available, but is it worth the time to pull it all apart and replace it. Labour ain't free and a 5.1 system is pretty old.

[@rogerknapman1260]

Is that fan put there by the manufacturer? It looks a bit amateurish.

[@12voltvids]

Thats pioneer garbage for ya

[@jamestom2510]

Love your vids!!!!!!!

[@FunkerVoigt]

07:56 Watch your thumb... even with an isolation transformer dangerously close to mains terminal.

[@12voltvids]

It's not that close. Camera angle make it look closer than it is.

[@AUATUWVSH]

idk what the big deal is with those modules... *usually* they're all bare die discrete transistors in there on an aluminum PCB. what stopping someone from "copying" the circuit and making a replacement PCB? is it just this niche to where nobody cares about keeping these units in service and just want to "upgrade" to a new one with wanky wifi and home integration? you should also try and open the dead module if you are scrapping that old pioneer and see what blew up, they usually are not potted

[@12voltvids]

Who is going to pay for that.?

[@peterlarkin762]

It's definitely do-able, but no one wants to invest that much in a Pioneer avr! The old STK modules on sonys etc. can be replaced with lm3886 and an affordable adapter.

[@PreshkaNaidoo]

Hi do u have a pic of the board frm the top

[@12voltvids]

I'll say no to that one

[@zx8401ztv]

Pioneer modules seem just as bad as stk or sanken. The outputs need to be on a seperate heatsink. just my opinion.

[@12voltvids]

They were a baaaaad idea

[@JoseRivera-cd8xb]

available at ebay 24$ i think worth the shot....

[@12voltvids]

Here is the problem. 24.00 for the part, 20.00 shipping. (thats 30..83 canadian plus 25.69 cdn shipping)"Dick" the seller on ebay is just being a "dick" and wont ship as requested using post. That's not his thing, he ships fed-ex because it is cheaper and more convenient for him. So the part arrives for 56.52 canadian and then Fedex sends a bill for another 41.20 for broker fees and the tax. So now we are up to 97.72 for a 24.00 part by the time it arrives. Nope. not happening. If the owner wants to order the part and bring it to me I will put it in for 80.00 for him. I don't think that is going to happen. Not worth it because these systems sell at the second hand store for about 25.00. I am not kidding!

[@scotthansen400]

@@12voltvids The FedEx / UPS brokerage scam is so infuriating. It's not worth buying anything from the US unless the seller will ship USPS.