Technics SU-V90D Amplifier Service & Repair

[@MendItMark]

I want to try something new. Something more live. So I’m running a 3-part live workshop that takes us on… A Time Travel Through Vintage Electronics. We’ll rewind the clock, dive into the tech of the times… (and study the very history of how things were broken and repaired has evolved) From the 1950s all the way to 2020s. It's still just an idea. The dates and times are to be confirmed. But if you're reading this, then the workshop hasn't yet taken place. So if you're interested and don't want to miss out, you can sign up here: menditmarkk.ck.page/6e8fbd9521

[@billwoods9302]

I doubt that Mark has ever spent a single cent on an extended warranty when buying electronics. Imagine all the different electronics you own, from your toaster all the way to your home theater and 4K television set, and then imagine having the ability to repair all of it. Mark is a special tech who deserves over 1 million subs. Not just electronics repair, but also rare part fabrication and improvised solutions. Mark does it all.

[@batmandestroys1978]

You are a genius! I have never seen such a modest person! Loved the whole video. Your happy attitude and even when things went wrong, you never gave up and knew exactly what to do. Fantastic video!

[@brettkaufman2299]

Agree!

[@familiedejonge6813]

Agree!

[@Casmael01]

Agree!

[@sibandy]

Agree!!

[@Casmael01]

@@sibandy Agree!!!

[@baronofgreymatter14]

The Bob Ross of electronic repair!

[@LagrangePoint0]

Except committing a "happy little accident" with this stuff might get you killed HAHA

[@helmutkool8]

Baron of Greymatter, that was an comment on Mark chuckle levels!

[@xedasxedas]

High praise indeed.

[@elvisburgerking8675]

Mark laughs every time a problem is encountered, problems seems to give him joy. I would love to give him my 1990s Philips DCC which has given me everything but joy since the warranty expired.

[@malcolmcooke9901]

He laughs at the end of most sentences.Nervous tic ?Bit of a genius though.

[@2Sorts]

This is how the eevblog repair videos SHOULD be. What can we say about Mark? He’s an extremely competent and entertaining man. I love watching him work. You’ve a new subscriber Mark.

[@wdavem]

Yeah, this guy wastes no time on theory and gobeldygook math. Not that those things are unnecessary every time but school destroyed my ability to learn this stuff and I'm picking up the pieces with videos like these!

[@elvisburgerking8675]

I agree He and another You-Tube repair guy have recently exceeded my speculation that Mr C Labs was the best repair channel on the internet. I wish them all fame and fortune, as they deserve it for the effort they've made to share their knowledge and experience.

[@rayofcreation3996]

​@@wdavem I totally understand.

[@swedishchefdave49]

What a down to earth practical genius, his laugh is brilliantly entertaining

[@Radioman928]

Either you have a fantastic memory or keeping meticulously notes. I’d NEVER get it back together. Great job!

[@sffitx]

That amp needed a lot's of love, glad it got serviced/repaired instead of being thrown in the trash. Hopefully it will keep working for years on.

[@SCAPE0GOAT]

Easily my favourite new tech channel. I could sit and watch these for hours. Probably, like many others watching, I love how other engineers go about their fault finding & repair. It's also great to see how other bits of kit break ! Great channel. Thanks for putting the videos together Mark 👍

[@williamdavies3295]

Just found this channe. This bloke is a bloody genius tbh. He gets down to the job & bloody well gets on with it. Puts the yank repair bods to shame. No endless waffling & snail slow repairs here at all. He is so cheerful, even when getting electocuted!. Thanks Mark. Keep up uploading the great videos.

[@l88ka]

As a ex- tv repair serviceman from 1990s , i admire Mark. Such a talent,its clear that he is in this for decades. When i see someone is soldering,i know same moment how skilles is he.This man is genius.

[@slowtrigger]

Hey Mark, I recently found your channel and watched almost every video. This video gave me the confidence to give it a try on repairing a friend's Technics GX190 receiver that got fried thanks to some ale spillage. I got to troubleshooting and realized tha simply the fuses were blown! I reflow the power transistors and cleaned the beer with some isopropyl on the board and contact cleaner on the pots it was working perfectly, so gratifying. Thank you for your videos and teachings.

[@syniekos]

Another fantastic video, there’s something very calming and relaxing about watching you work on the kit you receive along with your perpetual happy demeanour and charming presenting style.

[@tpol6515]

I did the same thing as you 20 years a go. I am amaze of the professionalism and passion here.

[@pnnielsen]

Wow. I am very impressed with how you fixed the missing button labels. That is classy work indeed!

[@digamberthorve106]

आपली साफसफाई यंत्रणा, पार्ट PCB मधून बाहेर काढणे , साॅल्डर यंत्रणा, टेस्टींग यंत्रणा फारच सुंदर आहे.

[@youtubxkip]

It is so enjoyable to see that others are also doing mistakes like erasing some labels or forgetting something and having it disassembled again 😀. Thanks for this shots! It makes me feel better 😆

[@Hagemann666]

These are so compellingly watchable. I love them. I enjoy fixing my own stuff but I don't have much expertise in electronics. I can usually tell a capacitor from a diode from a transistor, I can fix a dry solder joint, and I can fix some mechanical issues but that's pretty much where it ends. So it's brilliant watching someone with so much expertise and experience who can generally fix ANYTHING. And his ability to clearly explain what he's doing, his wonderful sense of humor, and his modest demeanor are icing on the cake.

[@ganapathipai8853]

I really missed such videos. It reflects such dedication to canabalising spares and restoration. Did lots of Grundig / Sony spool players, VCrs upto DVD. I was a radio TV technician attending on site in Mumbai India 🇮🇳 1974 to 2015 LED/LCD took our jobs away.

[@Taketimeout3]

Another beyond economical repair session. You provide an unquantifiable service for there is no way all of us will ever get to see such competence and skill in the real world. And all for bugger all. Thank you Mark. You also show the frustrations and not just the solutions. This Technics is a horror story. It is extremely unlikely any sane person would bother repairing any Amp with so many failed components and dry joints. But you show it IS possible, but not really worth it.

[@diegoattenestudio]

There are few objects that are irreparable. In all other cases it depends on the money you are willing to spend to see the object as good as new, within the limits of its natural wear and tear. Mark is a talent but, believe me, he's not the only one. Many of Mark's passionate repairs are related to the channel's video production and indirectly promotional. In everyday activity a technician must balance between time and profit knowing that very often a customer will give up on a repair worthy of this video and will prefer to throw away the object. Furthermore, it is necessary to distinguish a repair from a real restoration as in this case. The restoration is a next level repair with a certainly higher cost in terms of time and capabilities external to the electronic ones. So few are willing to give economic value to that whole process.

[@ashishm1431]

You just can't have it unfinished, can you Mark ? Them stickers on wiped out text was an awesome effort. Best part of your videos is not taking yourself seriously but taking the job seriously. Just love the way you do the job. Bravo

[@Mikere5]

*those stickers NOT them

[@ashishm1431]

@@Mikere5 thou shall not make them / these mistakes so often - Jules Winnfield ( Pulp Fiction 1994 )

[@brezovak1219]

Mark I still wouldn't signed somewhere Your videos are my most watched. I watch you all the way to the Czech Republic. Thanks to you.... Thank you

[@g7puw]

Hi Mark I have only seen your videos for the last month or so which makes me a new subscriber. It very nice to see somebody resurrecting elderly audio equipment a job I used to do as a living and you always very jolly and happy soul thank you for bringing your trade to us to see , it brings back so many memories thank you again👍

[@brezovak1219]

Mark ještě bych se ne ěkde podepsal Tvoje videa jsou moje nejsledovavanější.Koukám na tebe až české republiky.Díky tobě....Děkuji

[@pcbassy9404]

Always a pleasure to watch and listen your gentle rescue missions. People like you keeps this world a place to be. I wish a had a guy like you here to fix my Toshiba XB1000.

[@rasmichael]

I swear I'm running out of "That's what she said" watching your videos. You know exactly what you are doing.

[@jimh8644]

I admire you ability to make the diagnosis and repair of these units. I would not even attempt to duplicate your abilities.

[@thejoyoffix4720]

I had a run-in with foam cleaner and some plastics back in the 80's when I worked in a Technics dealership reapairing these very amplifiers. It is pretty strong stuff and best kept for bare metal. Lovely job on the legends and cracked solder joints galore of course. TTFN.

[@Rubycon99]

One reason this is my new favorite repair/restoration channel is because "good enough" usually bothers me. :P I was a bit worried about how the labels were going to turn out based on what I've seen elsewhere, but they turned out looking pretty damn near professional.

[@jonathancolling2284]

to operate those connectors (wire grips) which got pulled from the board you push the white springy bar down and pull the wires up simultaneously. To insert without bending the wires, you push the bar and push the wires simultaneously. Onkyo use the same wire grips and I got confused how they worked too !

[@mlbabineaux]

I actually miss doing this kind of work. I was a radio and television technician for many years. Troubleshooting down to a component level.

[@matthiasmartin1975]

Same here, sigh.

[@yoogeebearproductions]

Fantastic work! Your a very happy man. One thing you need to watch not to mar any of the front facia or plated casing as once scratched you can't replace like the electronic parts. Make sure you always put something soft down before you work on this stuff or you'll get a unhappy customer.

[@usatrene]

What a skill! You are genious, Mark. So impressed. All the respect from Japan.

[@artmichel5572]

Mark, you are awesome! I wish that I could have found someone of your talent, work ethic, and professionalism when I decided to get rid of my stereo system. I purchased several thousand dollars worth of equipment in Japan while assigned there with the USN 7th Fleet back in the very early 80s. Probably my favorite was an Akai 747dbx reel to reel. Side note..I had 15hours of The Rolling Stones on reel and almost as much of David Bowie! Also two different Nakamichi cassette decks and a lot of Bose speakers. Why I got rid of it all is because I couldn't find someone like you. Dammit!

[@darrenwendell1723]

You can service my 1973 Technics amp any time. You go the extra mile. Excellent work.

[@rgoonewardene380]

Love the video. Also love the fact you left the mishaps. Also, today I saw the episode where you repaired that 25k amp. Nice work with that too.

[@fabiotrevisan8922]

What a joy to see you working! Not to brag about myself, but I see me working when I watch you...I feel quite indirectly rewarded to see someone putting quite some effort in fixing lots of little things on each project, everytime with a positive attitude like.. oh oh, here we go again... And carrying on and on. Sure enough, I don't think I'll ever have the patience to make a video of all the work, pausing the work everytime to reposition the camera, resuming the work and leave a convincing feeling that we're following you all along while you work... Oh I know how many hours go by at every case like that, with all the nuisances like monting the entire panel just to realize we forgot to put some damn knob in place before, or finding out we should not have tighten all the screws of a panel just to find out the last screws won't go in due to some slight misalignment, and untighten a dozen of screws just to get the last screws inserted and then having to tight them all over again! Thank you for your work!

[@djzio]

Mark, you are without equal! Extra gold star for the Carol Vorderman reference! 😍😍

[@IvesMarcelin]

This Guys is Extra , il répare tout ce que moi je trouverais désespéré..lui il redonne la vie à n'importe quel appareil ...👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@UncontrolleDperson]

So smooth, so confident and always with a smile on his face!!! That's a pro!

[@hnasje66]

even after watching quite a few of your videos I'm still amazed at the quality of your work, just great.

[@paulmendelsohn5562]

I'm smiling along with your accomplishments. You always go the extra mile !

[@davesdigitaldomain]

excellent video Mark. What program did you use to design those labels? Could you please do a video showing how to do this? I think this would make very interesting video and interest a lot of other people.

[@ruudslaman6966]

Mark, you are the man. You do an outstanding job. I just keep on wondering........ how do you make a living on this......... And also, please don't ever stop doing what you do.

[@philipwren7509]

This man's talent knows no bounds superb episode.

[@hernancoronel]

If you are gonna do it, you might as well OVER DO IT! Congratulations on your craftsmanship Mark! 🎉

[@Truthall]

im a big technics fan and just serviced my amp, brilliant job, really impressed by your commitment to details on the front panel text

[@petercroft3273]

Crikey Mark, you're a brave man the way you dismantle everything down to its underpants. I'm a retired tech of 40 years experience (TV station videotape/audio/graphic arts/PC and Mac networks). My philosophy is light touch - leave well enough alone. The funny thing is I've just bought a stack of old Technics amps, CD player, tuner and double cassette, seven items for $50! The lot! And a couple of the items are the same as you're working on. I'm in Perth, Western Australia. Small world.

[@jgroover]

A joy to watch-the master at work!

[@JacGoudsmit]

That is one classy restore of an amp that had a lot of hidden problems. Well done! And those labels: awesome! Thanks for posting.

[@robertgregory6678]

Hello Mark! The Circuit Board Plugs: J15 and J18 don’t need to be such a problem. You simply push down on the top of the plug assembly and then pull out the wire cable. 😂

[@jjcaruso44]

I appreciate your honesty keeping in a mistake (button caps). That is exactly what happens when you work on all kinds of equipment. Thanks!

[@zedcarr6128]

I've been a professional electronics engineer / electrician for 38 years, and you are an inspiration, Mark. Your attention to detail, professionalism and ''out of the top drawer'' work is awesome to watch. If I did what you do, my videos would sound like they are going out in Morse Code due to me bleeping out all the swearing. 😆

[@brianhoskins1979]

Me too, Zed!

[@robertbox5399]

Where's he get all that kit from? Lol. Our company has fits if you put a big order for solder in!

[@BenState]

have a degree?

[@that_thing_I_do]

Your smile and hard work leaves me smiling!

[@MBdrummer3288]

You are SO GOOD at what you do sir, it’s truly amazing. You are the best electric guy that I know of! Keep up the great work you do sir. I love watching it.

[@scossa_vr]

Your skill and your always positive way of dealing with the unexpected is impressive! All my admiration from Italy.

[@doofwop]

I had a SA-GX505 back in college. 110W per ch into 8 ohms. 15 band parametric eq w/ spectrum analyzer. The thing was so sophisticated I never really learned what was what but it sounded great and I loved it. Studied abroad and while I was gone my roommates fried it. Or maybe lightning hit it. When I graduated and moved I just left it in the house we shared off campus, along with some Cerwin Vega AT-10s, a Sony 5 disc carousel CD player, and the matching Technics dual cassette which ran off the receiver's remote. Just left it there. Whoever rented that house after us got some good gear. Hopefully that receiver got repaired, but I doubt it. Back then in 2001 there was no movement to repair like there is today. Thanks for this video, it successfully made me regret leaving my Technics behind.

[@zs6vl]

Mark, you are so committed and multi-talented, fun to watch. BTW, quite a shock to see a Technics that still has a proper discrete transistor PA stage!

[@By_Rant_Or_Ruin]

I love the upside down speaker to hold your screw driver bits. Great video journey this time.

[@AFOIKRIELA]

Amazing electronic lab.You are special electronic engineer. BRAVO !!!!!!

[@robertgregory6678]

I truly admire your humility and good nature. 😊

[@simongrove3276]

Quality repair, such a high skill level and attention to detail, a joy to watch a true craftsman

[@gerritw.rougoor663]

I've learned so much from repairing jobs and you're a nice friendly guy

[@IlBiggo]

20:30 very useful suggestion, thank you very much! I just fixed an SU-V660 with this exact problem. Two transistors were loose, "same" part but in two different spots: it's probably due to the components more than to the soldering job. I guess the terminals were dirty when they soldered them in, maybe a bad batch or bad storage. I've inspected all the boards afterwards, and those 6 joints were the only loose ones. Oh, and the front panel was _filthy,_ but I cleaned it with dishwasher soap after seeing the foam disaster O_O. Thank you for showing us what to do and what to NOT do.

[@Audiorevue]

A lot of the late '80s early '90s Technics amps suffered dry solder joints and loose connections over time. The explanation that I always understood was the culprit, is that during that time Technics started using the early generation lead-free solder. Which doesn't hold up very well long-term and causes this issue. I'm currently listening to music on an SUV 98 and as soon as I got it For a small bedroom system, even though it worked properly, I took it apart and touched up every single solder joint on it. It's been going good now for some time.

[@EricTViking]

Good recovery with the labels at the end 👍

[@Daltondoubledeuce]

Had no idea you could clean boards in ultrasonic. Love your channel, cheers from the U.S.

[@Mcqlfc]

Just found your videos. I love repair videos and I love your happy attitude. I wish I knew people like that!!

[@BobbyWF]

Bob Ross? I like that comment. It shows the value of a proper apprenticeship when coupled with someone of such obvious intelligence, patience and enthusiasm.

[@jeffhansman2829]

The labeling was a really nice finishing touch. As ever, a thorough and excellent job! I have yet to see you stumped. Makes me think of my 1969 Sansui 5000A I got in Japan.

[@robertgregory6678]

Hey, Mark, I think some of your repair bench setup ideas are great! 👍😊

[@michaelclutton8446]

Thanks for the video, your a very skilled guy. That was a huge amount of work, hope the owner pays you well, certainly well deserved

[@markwhitfield5412]

impressed with the decal print, top job.

[@OrbitalStereo]

Wow, what a video. You have given me the confidence to fault find a dead Acoustic Research amp that has been in a box since 1991 😬

[@davidcoleman6032]

I have to say, you're a genius! Wish you lived near me as I have a Technics amplifier, radio,twin tape deck combination which needs attention to the tape decks,circa 1990.I like how you check the rest of the equipment out aswell as the actual fault. Great to see traditional service!🙂👍

[@johnmarchington3146]

What can one say? The printing job you did for the front panel was outstanding. Another great video.

[@misterbonzoid5623]

We used to wash jukebox valve and solid-state amplifiers and power supply units with detergent sprays and on paintbrushes, then hose them clean before leaving in the sun in the car park to dry. I only once broke the output transformer of an jukebox amp in this way (turned it into a kettle because I hadn't bunged the shroud holes up well enough with bubble wrap). Modern electronics are pretty waterproof.

[@Jammerk40]

Beautiful work on this unit! I like how you did the labels on the front! Steady hands and presto all new again!

[@graemeyetts3465]

What a pleasure it is to see an expert at work and having fun too. I agree with his brief appraisal of Technics amps tho' they were well built. I preferred British amps Arcam, Rogers, Sudgen, Quad, Naim. There were once many brands when we had a proper manufacturing base.

[@Petertronic]

I had a Technics SU-V1X amp from about the same era, so called "new class A", and it started playing up. It was so horrifically awkward to get apart I actually gave up, and got rid of it. Really enjoyed this repair video!

[@rccc974]

Such passion is rare these days!

[@alexxbaudwhyn7572]

You're a better man than me...err, all of us, Mark 😊 I usually avoid any item used in a long term smoker environment.

[@stevenbliss989]

I love how you put labels back onto stuff, ....bloody marvellous!!!!!!!!!!

[@brianwood5220]

Beautiful job Mark. Thanks for sharing.

[@mikescalise8380]

Another feather in your cap for saving that Technics amp from the scrap yard! I'm willing to bet you have an extensive backlog of equipment to give your TLC to!

[@dangaAgadanga]

Awesome videos -- lost count of how many I’ve watched this week. This is How It’s Made version 2.0 😊

[@tony359]

such a nice and thorough repair - and such a shockingly bad PCB full of broken joints! Thank you! I admit I screamed at the screen a bit when you yanked off those connectors: those are (horrible) spring loaded ones. To remove the flat cable you press on the tab to set the wires free. Thankfully the PCB was poorly made and the solder failed :)

[@eagleflight7501]

This man is a electronic genius. Good job mate

[@chrisyates8115]

Comments are spot on! Mark is a genius to watch!

[@joefarr3304]

Thanks for these videos Mark. It's great to see how you deal with things when they go wrong, because lets face it, things always go wrong.

[@kevinjekyll1521]

Well done Sir, what a journey, but the end result speaks for itself. If people are tempted by older gear, they really do need to sit down and watch what is involved, and you must have a positive attitude as you display to tackle the challenges that will inevitably get thrown at you. I look forward to more content from you, maybe one day you will feature something I have or would like to have.

[@chriscollins9073]

One of best electronics engineers i have ever seen and a real pleasure to watch i really enjoy listening to his vast knowledge .

[@richclips]

Excellent work, very nice channel, I'm impressed at your patience, and quality of work, not to mention all the amazing test kit and tooling that you have, really great :) thank you.

[@zyghom]

AMAZING JOB, AMAZING ATTITUDE! so nice to watch it

[@trailermonkey8687]

Wow - that was a ton of work Mark!

[@JeffTiberend]

I've really begun to just love your videos! I was just thinking if you and Tech Moan could do a collaboration video since you two are on the other side of the pond from us Yanks. And, yes, I subscribed. They definitely designed theses things to be durable beyond their ability to function. I love seeing how knowledgeable and skilled you are! Love your can-do attitude!

[@jandankbaar122]

You did put on the power button with the camera not running 😉 Studied two years at technical University. Went another direction, but love your videos so much! So much knowledge and always 😊

[@junaskoumak-yh5fl]

i love all from technics it makes me feel great to see you repair that beautiulful piece . great job

[@adampoll4977]

Great work. You must be the most cheerful technician in the world ;)

[@DJNeiloSF]

Excellent attention to detail! Nice job 👍