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What the heck do you guys do with half working equipment???


Tom Adams

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I've got a Denon AVR-3300 that works great except for one small problem......

The main display has crapped out. [:@] [:(]

So what do you guys do with stuff like this?? I mean, I'm sure that the cost to fix it is more than it's worth. And I can't bring myself to dumping it in the trash can for that just seems wrong some how. But what good is it otherwise? I can still use it but only because I've had it for so long that I've kinda memorized how to navigate around. The biggest issue is not knowing what the volume level setting is. Twice now I've scared the ever loving sh*t outta me and the dog when I switched settings and didn't realize I had the volume up WFO!!!

I bought a B stock Denon AVR-2106 to replace it, but the notion of just plopping it in the trash with banana peels and old pasta noodles and my yard work shoes that have finally given up the ghost just ain't right in my book.

What to do......what to do???????

Tom

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I've got a Denon AVR-3300 that works great except for one small problem......

The main display has crapped out. [:@] [:(]

So what do you guys do with stuff like this?? I mean, I'm sure that the cost to fix it is more than it's worth. And I can't bring myself to dumping it in the trash can for that just seems wrong some how. But what good is it otherwise? I can still use it but only because I've had it for so long that I've kinda memorized how to navigate around. The biggest issue is not knowing what the volume level setting is. Twice now I've scared the ever loving sh*t outta me and the dog when I switched settings and didn't realize I had the volume up WFO!!!

I bought a B stock Denon AVR-2106 to replace it, but the notion of just plopping it in the trash with banana peels and old pasta noodles and my yard work shoes that have finally given up the ghost just ain't right in my book.

What to do......what to do???????

Tom

Post on EBay or Audiogon just let them know what is wrong with it.

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See if it has any tubes worth pulling. I have a two piece Heathkit amateur radio reciever/transmitter set that was built in 1960. Looking inside I found a Mullard 12AX7 tube. I see that this very highly sought tube from the late 50's is occasionaly available on the internet for $200. It is a very nice tube, which now resides in my Fender Deluxe Reverb guitar amplifier in the V1 socket where it comprises the two gain stages of the Normal channel. There is no way on Earth I would pay $200 for this tube, but the fact that I have it and it sounds so beautiful just makes me feel wonderful. Just wonderful!

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What has crapped out about the main display? It just doesn't turn on?

Considering that the entire amp still seems to work, I would suggest

opening the cover and seeing if you can't find any loose wires or caps

gone bad or anything that looks easy to fix. I have a hard time

believing the entire display went bad all at once - thems a lot of

little lights going on in there.

For what it's worth, the Denon 3300 has an on screen display (OSD). It

will display the volume level and pretty much anything else you might

want to know on your TV (except the input you've got selected, but that

can be done with the remote). Granted it requires that the TV be on,

but that's normally on except when listening to music (but then you

don't really need the front panel).

Speaking of the remote - you might find that you get more money if you

auction the remote seperately. A replacement for the RC-860 is

something like $250 to $500 depending on the overstock warehouses you

can find them at. [:o] I think they typically go for around $150 used

on ebay, but it's been a while since I've looked. I have a friend with

a Denon 1800 or something like that and it uses the same remote...I

sold it to him a while ago because I wanted a remote and it was cheaper

for me to upgrade to the 3300 that I have now. If you actually end up

throwing your stuff away, I would be very interested in hooking my

friend up with the remote (that way he doesn't keep asking to borrow

mine from me).

Another thing you might look into is purchasing another broken 3300 on

ebay and then salvage parts to come up with one working receiver.

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I have to admit that I too find it hard to believe that the whole display quit working all at once, but that seems to be the case. Oh....and I can't seem to get it to display the OSD info on my TV.

Anyhow....I think I'll probably do a couple of things suggested here and that is open the thing up and see if anything jumps out at me at being wrong. And second - I'll probably just relegate it to doing duty in the garage.

Tom

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See if it has any tubes worth pulling. I have a two piece Heathkit amateur radio reciever/transmitter set that was built in 1960. Looking inside I found a Mullard 12AX7 tube. I see that this very highly sought tube from the late 50's is occasionaly available on the internet for $200. It is a very nice tube, which now resides in my Fender Deluxe Reverb guitar amplifier in the V1 socket where it comprises the two gain stages of the Normal channel. There is no way on Earth I would pay $200 for this tube, but the fact that I have it and it sounds so beautiful just makes me feel wonderful. Just wonderful!


After reading your post, I got so excited!  Yes, I have a Deenon 3300 as well, too!  I've gotten the tube bug myself, and knowing there might be a valuable tube in there was gnawing on me.  Yesterday I opened her up and started looking around.  I pulled out a lot of parts that might be tubes, but I'm not sure exactly what they look like.  Can you post a picture of a tube(s)?
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Tom,

It actually could be a very inexpensive fix. Many times the display doesn't work because the voltage going to the display has dropped. Many times this can be corrected by pod adjustments and a bit of cleaner. It might be worth checking out considering the Denon still has a decent value to it.

The point being is it may be an inexpensive fix. I wouldn't trash it just yet.

Harry

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If you need to send it to a tech there is a probably a hefty fee just to open it up, regardless of what the final problem is. That is why I am skeptical of inexpensive fixes (they usually do no exist). Also, they may not be willing to "fix" something, it may be the case where they would ultimately replace the entire board or whatever, regardless of the specific problem.

OTOH, you can always put it into your freezer for a week. Audiophiles love cryogenically treated equipment. It really does open up the sound and reveal the inner detail (or whatver the phrase is ....)

Good Luck,

-Tom

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I used to keep old, dead or comatose gear forever, "for doing something with it someday". As we say in the South, Not No Mo'. If it has some good parts to salvage, I do that and then trash it. If it doesn't, it goes to the local Humane Society Thrift Shop. I actually did this with a 1980 Pioneer RT-1011 10 1/2 inch RTR that had been my pride and joy for years. Then I got CDs, the tape lifters stopped working, the lifter servo circuit was buried deep inside, and my old cat developed an expensive appetite for magnetic tape (a vet bill of $250 got my attention on that point). I sold the NAB hubs on ebay, gave the reels away and sent the deck to the thrift store.

Believe it or not, the only parts unit I keep around is for a 1960 Zenith AM-FM table radio for my workshop. We have other younger gear around, like a Laser Disc player, a couple of early CD players (not Magnavoxes made in Belgium) and a RS receiver. We're keeping these to give to deserving young folks who may need a piece of gear just to have some tunes.

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... you can always put it into your freezer for a week. Audiophiles love cryogenically treated equipment. It really does open up the sound and reveal the inner detail (or whatver the phrase is ....)

And don't forget to put in the special ultra harmonic de-sensitizing cryo-activated crystals with it... Could sell stuff like that seein' as how there's folks out there who will pay $40,000 for a pair of speaker cables......

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See if it has any tubes worth pulling. I have a two piece Heathkit amateur radio reciever/transmitter set that was built in 1960. Looking inside I found a Mullard 12AX7 tube. I see that this very highly sought tube from the late 50's is occasionaly available on the internet for $200. It is a very nice tube, which now resides in my Fender Deluxe Reverb guitar amplifier in the V1 socket where it comprises the two gain stages of the Normal channel. There is no way on Earth I would pay $200 for this tube, but the fact that I have it and it sounds so beautiful just makes me feel wonderful. Just wonderful!


After reading your post, I got so excited! Yes, I have a Deenon 3300 as well, too! I've gotten the tube bug myself, and knowing there might be a valuable tube in there was gnawing on me. Yesterday I opened her up and started looking around. I pulled out a lot of parts that might be tubes, but I'm not sure exactly what they look like. Can you post a picture of a tube(s)?

lol - I was thinking the same thing! No tubes in the 3300 as far as I can tell.

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  • 1 year later...

RIP......my much used & liked Denon 3300.

Well, I spent the $50 bucks to have an electronics repair guy (at the same audio store I bought it from years ago) give it a look. He said that the unit checked out perfectly - except that the display didn't work. He!! - I could've told him that. Wait.....I DID tell him that. Anyhow.....

He called Denon and they told him they would be able to replace the display or they could ship him a display and he could swap it out. The latter option would require the purchase of a repair schematic. Either option was gonna cost me $350+. So I brought it home and gave it a proper burial in the trash can. Honestly, I did hook it up and tried to navigate at least the tuner and it was such a PITA, that I just said the heck with it.

Of course, that left me with no unit for my garage/workshop so I bought a factory re-furb'd Denon DRA397 stereo receiver (current model) and am quite pleased with it - especially since I only paid $165 shipped.

Tom

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If it is not too late, ...... are you able to decoupple the preamp from the amp? in other words, use it for a power amp, say in the HT to take the load off the AVR for the main speakers..... that is providing that it has pre IN jacks.

Just a thought as I also have a hard time letting go of old gear until the magic smoke comes out that is!

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