The brute has landed: NEC A820E integrated amp

Just acquired this, bought as not working.

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...o/P1030710.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...o/P1030711.jpg

Anyone know the model or have any experience or info? I can't find a date on any of the internal components.
It's certainly a big brute, rated at 80W into 8 ohm or 4 ohm speakers. It has a MM/MC phono input as well.

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/t...o/P1030712.jpg

Turns out the only thing wrong with it are the front panel indicator lights, result ;)
I did a softly softly approach to testing in case anything went bang, tested with headphones first.
Tried connecting a meter to the rear speaker terminals by inserting the 4mm plugs and got diddly squat, so thought the speaker switching or relays were US.
It turns out the terminals are not 4mm at all, I'm guessing they are for the old banana plugs :eek: Must be really old then :scratch:

I've listened to it and the bass seems a bit soft, would doubtless benefit from some modern replacements of the power supply electrolytics to sharpen things up. The frequency response seems wide but the loudness button is a bit excessive :mental:

...........and the price for this brute...........








all of €10...........whoa, hold on big spender...........

:cool: Alan

some info here:


http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/arc.../t-451118.html

It's from 1980, apparently.

Ooh doctor doctor I'm feeling funny all over...........I think I've gone hi-fi :eyebrows:

Thanks for the link Martin, it looks like there's diddly squat for any other info.
Just had the brute linked up from an old Sony CDP into some very mediocre speakers with all replacement drive units (Audiolab 6 and a half inch) and it sounds remarkably good.

Whatever's happening to me?

:cool: Alan

Quote:

---

Whatever's happening to me?

---

Looks like Pishantoitus to me :lol::D

Good one Al :)

It turns out the speaker outlets are not sockets at all, just binding posts for bare wire.
No wonder I got nothing when I tried to connect a meter :mental:

Alan

That is a great find for a euro-tenner Alan, looks to be very well constructed from here (man these binos are good) :D

Looks alright ! :)

Is the transformer potted or just a cover ? If the former it was worth the price alone just for that ! Cant help any with the light problem, I've looked for a SM but its only on one site & they want $$$ for it... Probably a reg gone down somewhere.

Can almost guarantee all coupling caps are cheap nasty 'lytics, always get a magnificent upgrade in clarity when replaced with a suitable film... Though I'm sure you know this anyway.

It's a potted toroidal transformer, agree that it's worth it for that alone.
I've tested the main supply electrolytics with a capacitance meter that has a 120Hz test frequency. They are marked 8000uF and they are all measuring 7900uF, amazing!

The front panel lights are tiny rice sized filament bulbs. Fortunately only one was blown and they are in a series string of 3. Two are used to light the 'Active Drive' symbol on the front panel with the third lighting the selected input button.
By cunningly fitting two LEDs to the 'Active Drive' with the same current draw, I now have all lamps working and a spare :carrot:

Onward and upward, probably have to fork out for an SM,

:cool: Alan

Sorted, that's what we like :thumbsup:

I've had to bite the bullet and buy (cough) a service manual. It's a scanned copy and almost impossible to make out component values, but the circuit arrangement is well shown.

I'ts a sophisticated circuit with dual FETs on the inputs of the different gain blocks and it appears there is only 1 electrolytic in the signal path, on the output of the phono stage.
Those will have to get changed.

If anyone would like a copy of the manual please shout up. It's a PDF of 1.2MB.

:cool: Alan