mike stehr Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 About 2-3 months ago I got burgled...among the things they pinched was my Rega Planet, my best CD player I had. (at the time) Never content with common cheap CD and DVD players, I was yearning for a audio grade level CD player. I had a Bob Carver tube output CDP that I modded and always like the sound of...the variable line output volume control was always nice for connecting direct to a amplifier. I replaced the transport on the Rega Planet, and used hexfred diodes in the PS bridge, along with some Nichicon Fine gold 'lytics right at the output of the player. It was nice sounding player, although the Carver unit was a bit more "lush" sounding. Went to the garage sale forum, explaining my situation and the desire for a tube output type CDP. A excellent forum member Daddy Dee brought up that he had a Heart/Marantz tube output CDP he was willing to part with. I replied I was interested, with the usual questions. He mentioned the unit worked fine, other than the power switch was hanging up and took some noodling to get it to remain "on". I figured it would a easy fix. It was easy, but not quite as easy as I had thought. The power supply PC board (or one of them) behind the transport, had plastic standoffs that affixed the board to the main Marantz PCB. These standoffs are stick on type, affixed to the main PCB. Two of them were broken, which made the particular PCB move around when the power switch was pushed. The power switch has a long plastic rod/arm that is attached to the PCB with the broken standoffs. The main Marantz PCB has two wires, (blue/orange) that connected to the PCB with the broken standoffs. I'm pretty sure I broke the orange wire joggling that PC board around trying to go about how to fix it. (by now I have the CDP pretty much torn apart...so much for plug n play) A five minute solder job fixed that problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 I didn't want to risk picking/peeling the standoffs from the main PCB, and break something else, so I took bits of stick-on Velcro and attached them to the tops of the standoffs, and to the bottom of the PCB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 That fixed that pesky switch problem... Put everything back together, and the player works just fine. I think this CDP sounds better than the Rega Planet, more full and lush and just as analog-like in sound. I did like the fancy aluminum case, and the manual top loading of the Rega, but this unit sounds better to my ears. I repainted the top cover and botched it...I need to fix that. Someone prior to Daddy Dee had put dyna-mat or some tar based stick-on damping material on the bottom of the top cover. They didn't realize that the main board has some pretty healthy sized voltage regulators fixed to heatsinks that kick off a lot of heat. Well the regulators heated up the material enough to where it started bubbling from the bottom of the cover, and drying and cracking as well. I removed the material using a small space heater, and then turpentine to clean the tar mess off. Don't be a damping monster. A well placed piece of damping material can go a long ways...no need to go hog wild. In fact, Stoet attached a small piece of damping material to the bottom cover that is heat resistant. Dunno why Stoet didn't put ventilation holes above the tubes... The unit came with a nice pair Sylvania JAN 7308s, and Daddy Dee did a EXCELLENT packing job. Thanks again Daddy Dee, I like this player. I'll have fun wearing it out. Magnavox SEP 6BQ5 amplifier hooked up direct to the Heart/Marantz player, connected to the Cornwalls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Excellent report, Mike. I have one of these as well, although I haven't played it in months (oldest daughter still using the living room as her storage unit). When she finally moves out...again (fingers crossed), it will be like rediscovering music. Nice also to hear you like the sound better than the Rega. And isn't Dee the best? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 Excellent report, Mike. I have one of these as well, although I haven't played it in months (oldest daughter still using the living room as her storage unit). When she finally moves out...again (fingers crossed), it will be like rediscovering music. Nice also to hear you like the sound better than the Rega. And isn't Dee the best? Good to hear from you Gregg. Yup, Dee is definitely one of the good guys....a valued Klipsch forum member in my eyes... The Rega was a nice sounding player, but the Heart is more full and open sounding from what I can gather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 I'll have to try the Scott LK48B next with the Heart. The Scottie took a header to the floor when I was ripped-off...knocked off a knob and mashed the phono/tape switch. Fortunately, I was able to fix it and the unit works fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Sorry you were burgled....I'm wanting to install trap door to shark tank. Top notch Dee!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Mike. Glad you like the sound of the Heart and thanks for the kind words. I always enjoyed the sound my system with that unit as the source. Also glad you were able to get creative to fix the balky power switch. That damping material did look odd, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 Mike. Glad you like the sound of the Heart and thanks for the kind words. I always enjoyed the sound my system with that unit as the source. Also glad you were able to get creative to fix the balky power switch. That damping material did look odd, no? That damping material was nasty, all bubbled up and cracked. I spotted a drop of tar on a ribbon wire. Eventually, it would have dripped all over the circuit boards...not a good thing. There is some on the transport as well, but I left it figuring it's not an issue. At least whomever did it wasn't into putting poster tak all over the integrated chips...people have done it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 Sorry you were burgled....I'm wanting to install trap door to shark tank. If I didn't need the place to live, I'd just wire C4 to the doors. They took the LCD TV and a HT pre/pro, and in the process tore all the wires out of both units. I mean literally grab and run. My DIY 2A3 amplifier was on top of a Cornwall, which got tipped over, sending the amp to the floor about 5 feet away. Only knocked one tube out being a 2A3 of course... The Scottie hit the floor from the entertainment center. At least they didn't know about the value of the tube vintage gear...a guy like me would have snagged the Scottie and left the HT processor, filling my pockets with tubes as I go. The 2A3 amplifier had the feet bent, with a bit of case buckling. A bathtub capacitor (cathode/filament bypass) had come loose. I had tabs soldered to the caps to mount them to the chassis, and one busted loose. Didn't have them soldered good enough I suppose. I fixed that, straightened the feet, a couple tugs to unbuckled the chassis with the trannies, checked over the soldering, tightened things back up and good to go. Lucky me all the tubes tested and work fine with both units, and none were broken! When I seen a Sylvania 5930/2A3W laying on the floor I thought it was toast. But it still tested nice and strong. Good thing it's a made as a military regulator tube. A little worse for wear, but still functions and sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taz Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Don't know where I read this. Maybe even on this forum. A Burglar broke into a house and was in the process of gathering things when he heard a voice, "Jesus is watching you." He continued to gather things and he heard "Jesus knows what you're doing". He turned on his flash light and looked around the room. He seen a bird on a perch and asked, "Who are you?" The bird replied "Moses." Burglar said "who would name a bird Moses?" Bird said, "the same people who would name their rottweiler Jesus." I like a prerecorded sound of a pump shot gun being racked. Tends to get everyones attention right away! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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