New Member, scored some good gear, Chicago area, good repair shops?

[BBJames 15]

Hello all.  Recently picked up a nice looking Carver stack, a TX-12 tuner, C-16, and TFM-42.  Saw it at a yard sale for a hilarious price and scooped it up instantly.  I'd post pics of the gear but I don't think I can yet.

 

Tuner seems to work fine, pre-amp works (as far as I can tell), but the amp is not working.  It powers up, but seems to emit an audible hum from the case, and when I connected it to some old speakers is just made a very loud low hum before I switched it off.  Lights on one channel flashed and the other stayed red. 

 

I understand Nelion is the place to go for a re-build, but not sure I want to make that investment.  Oscillating between just trying to get it "repaired" and everything cleaned up, or listing it for sale and moving on. 

 

Anyway, if anyone has some reputable techs in the Chicago area that I can reach out to, please let me know.  It seems to be nice stuff and I would love to get it up and running, but don't think I want to invest in a full rebuild right now.  (although I would if I had very power hungry speakers)

 

Thanks, and looking forward to reading through the forums when I get a chance!

[3M_Audio 1,341]

Nice find. I don't personally know of anyone in the Chicago area for repair work but hopefully someone else here will chime in.

 

And if you don't want to sink the money into repair work right now, I'm sure you could move the C-16 and amp along as-is and let someone else make that investment.

[Cring08 177]

WELCOME!

[AndrewJohn 8,722]

Welcome, @BBJames, glad you found us.

 

You have scored a great deal.  If you want to let it go for what you paid for it, send me a PM.  I live in the west suburbs, St. Charles/Geneva/Elgin area.  Where (city) are you located?  Maybe were close?

 

HOWEVER, you should really get to hear this setup..., you will be amazed.  And, it will be the beginning of your Carver audiophile journey.  That amp is going to blow you away!

 

OK, to answer your question..., just to get you on your journey, there is ONE place I suggest you take your TFM-42.  This shop will identify the broken part, replace it, and charge you for labor and parts.  They DO NOT (typically) do full recap and restoration..., which means that a week after you get it home, put it in your system, and are enjoying the setup, it could very well have a new issue.  Any gear 35+ years old have consumable parts (electrolytic capacitors, for example) and are subject to adjustments and service bulletins (service bulletins may or may not have been applied in the amp's history) that will make the amp perform and sound better than new, and originally sounded out of the box back in the day when it was NEW!

 

That place is a place called Deltronics.  www.deltronics.com.  They have TWO locations DO NOT go to the one downtown Chicago..., Go to the one in Woodridge, it's right off the freeway in a little strip mall.  ASK FOR MIKE - call ahead and make an appointment.  Mike is the only guy who has been around long enough and knows Carver gear and this amplifier.  He's modest and a nice guy and has repaired a few Carver pieces for me.  [Why Mike?  the remaining techs in the two shops mostly repair band equipment, guitar amps, keyboards, synthesizers, etc..., and don't have experience repairing Carver gear and its unique design.

 

Mike at Deltronics willl find the issue, repair/replace the one single part for you, and send you home with a working TFM-42, but unless you ask for a full recap and restoration, you have the risk of bringing it back again, when the next age-related thing fails.

 

OK, the logic here is that you could spend as much, or more, with this strategy.  Your time, travel/mileage, expense can be minimized.  FedEx or drive (it's doable in a day) to Hersey, MI and give the amp to Nelion for a full restoration.  Why?  Get it done once, and done completely, fully.  The overall cost will be worth it.  Check the numbers, compare it to $100/hr labor for diagnosis and repair, plus parts, and you'll see what I mean.

 

Again, great to meet another Carver fan in the Chicago-land area.  I hope our paths cross.

[Receiver2000 2,865]

Nice score!!! That is some nice gear. Hope that you get it working soon. It will really be worth it. Great to have you with us!!!

[BBJames 15]

Thanks everyone, and thank you very much to AndrewJohn for the recommendations and advice.  Yes, the economics of rebuild vs. band aid for this seems to point to a rebuild. 

I'd describe myself as a "budget audiophile", so the investment to get these up these up to spec is really high in a relative sense. However, I realize that this seems to be some serious gear that would be very high end when rebuilt. (something that I don't see much when looking for deals)

 

Does anyone care to weigh in on what kind of range these things typically sell for, as fully restored?   (C-16, TFM-42)  That could be another factor in the equation.  

 

Thanks again to the responders and AndrewJohn.  I've always seen Carver gear here and there but never had the chance to play around with any.

 

Oh BTW, I'm in the North burbs, Vernon Hills area.  A road trip to Nelion would be a hike! 

 

Thanks!

[AndrewJohn 8,722]

10 hours ago, BBJames said:

I'd describe myself as a "budget audiophile", so the investment to get these up these up to spec is really high in a relative sense.

 

I fit the same description.  However, I'm cautious about throwing money away, when the right fix is the right way to go.  One and Done, AND a warranty..., vs a slow bleeding of the contents of my wallet.  (If you fix JUST the issue to get the amp running, the warranty anywhere will be on that ONE part, not any new issues that develop due to age.)

 

10 hours ago, BBJames said:

Does anyone care to weigh in on what kind of range these things typically sell for, as fully restored?   (C-16, TFM-42)  That could be another factor in the equation. 

 

Fully refreshed/restored by www.NelionAudio.com, who Bob Carver has sanctioned/authorized as THE repair center for Carver gear, and visits here on this forum occasionally as @Nahash5150, get listed on Ebay regularly for $750 - $1000.  those are "listing prices"..., Compare that to a TFM-42 amp, used, not serviced selling for ~$300 on Ebay, sent to Hersey, MI for $57 each way via FedEx ($114 total), and the cost of Restore ($390) and "AudioPhile Package" options ($175) posted on www.NelionAudio.com for the TFM-42 and you get a cost of $979.

 

Of course, finding a TFM-42 on Ebay, has its risks.  Add the cost of shipping and insurance..., and the risk of some boob packaging it so it arrives in destroyed condition, and the costs go up.

 

I don't know what you paid for the set-up (but assuming it was a great deal..., just to reiterate, I'd be willing to consider taking it off your hands for what you paid for it... 😉 )  Plug your cost in the equation above to get an idea of your potential value for a truly audiophile setup.

 

As you noted, you would only need to get some great speakers.  I may sell you my Carver Amazings or AL-III+ (I have too many quality speakers for my setups...)

 

As for the C-16, they regularly go for $600 to $800 on Ebay, unrefreshed.  They are desired, and kind of rare, compared to the Carver C-1/C-11 preamps.  Their value goes down if they have a "purplish" hue to the faceplate due to exposure to UV and/or ammonia-based cleaners.

 

I share these numbers as optimistic..., and it takes patience to find buyers to pay that - HOWEVER, if they are your system, playing music for your ears to enjoy, that's how I would value the units you have.

 

Good luck in your journey...

 

Oh, BTW, yes, Vernon Hills is a 5 hour drive to Hersey, MI.  It's a whole Saturday..., made worse by the crossing and construction along 294 through Indiana.  I've driven it (to Grand Rapids) several times..., For me, I like to leave very early in the morning, beat the commuter traffic and crazy drivers that seem to botch the trip in that bottleneck around 7AM.   And, the return, then, is after the 5-6PM rush hour..., It's very scenic along the Michigan coast, and my wife and I have done it in two days, just to stop along the way and enjoy the drive, taking the PITA factor out of the equation.  OR, you could go wild (I've never done it) and drive to Milwaukee, and take the ferry across to Muskegon..., Google Maps says that too, is a 5.5 hour drive from Vernon Hills.

 

The forum members here look forward to what you decide to do! 😉 

[BBJames 15]

Thanks again AndrewJohn.   That would be one way to take some of the pain away, make a road trip out of it!

 

I think for me the question is whether $1K in restoration is good investment for my pretty casual listening.  Seems like a good value considering my acquisition price, but need to figure out if I'd get a good return, vs. moving along into something else not as high end but nice enough and more convenient.   My speakers are Klipsch Quartets, which don't need much power. 

 

I'm just getting into vinyl.  I just scored a nice collection on marketplace, and I'm shopping for a decent vintage TT.  I'd be curious to hear anyone's thoughts on how well this kit would with with a vinyl setup.  That's probably a silly question, I'm sure it would be great. 

 

Thanks again everyone!

[BBJames 15]

Oh, and my pre-amp doesn't seem to have that purple hue.  Or maybe it does, a bit.    Here is a pic....

[3M_Audio 1,341]

11 hours ago, BBJames said:

I'm just getting into vinyl.  I just scored a nice collection on marketplace, and I'm shopping for a decent vintage TT.  I'd be curious to hear anyone's thoughts on how well this kit would with with a vinyl setup.  That's probably a silly question, I'm sure it would be great. 

 

Yes, I'd say if the CT-16 and the TFM-42 are healthy, you should be very pleased with the sound from your Klipsch Quartets.

[AndrewJohn 8,722]

27 minutes ago, 3M_Audio said:

 

Yes, I'd say if the CT-16 and the TFM-42 are healthy, you should be very pleased with the sound from your Klipsch Quartets.

 

I agree with @3M_Audio, every pair of Klipsch speakers, many models, I've heard, sound just awesome with Carver gear driving them.  

 

Bob Carver often said: "Speakers get blown by amplifiers with too low power and high distortion..., high power amps with low distortion will give the most out of any pair of quality speakers." 

 

I would not worry about over-driving your speakers.  My observation is that clean sound will result from your Carver gear, at volume's all the way up to the point that it will be too loud for your ears to handle (clean, clear and good sounding, but too loud).  

[Receiver2000 2,865]

Ditto

[Rob 4,530]

Welcome to the site!!!