SAE 2100/2100L PREAMPLIFIER REBUILD AND RESTORATION SERVICE

Description

SAE 2100/2100L PREAMPLIFIER REBUILD AND RESTORATION SERVICE
Description
SAE 2100/2100L PREAMPLIFIER REBUILD SERVICE
ATTENTION !!!!
THIS LISTING IS FOR REBUILD/UPGRADE SERVICE ONLY.
THAT MEANS YOU SEND ME YOUR PREAMP FOR SERVICE.
THE PICTURED PREAMPS ARE NOT FOR SALE.
THE 2100 AND 2100L WERE 2 OF THE MOST POPULAR  PREAMPLIFIERS OFFERED BY SAE.    THE 2100L SOLD MORE UNITS AND IS MORE DESIRED IN TODAY'S MARKET DUE TO THE LED METER.     HOWEVER, THE 2100 RETAILED FOR A HIGHER COST.
THE SOUND PERFORMANCE AND BUILD QUALITY OF BOTH MODELS WAS SUPERIOR.
AGE EFFECTS BOTH TUBE AND SOLID STATE EQUIPMENT.  APPROACHING 40 YEARS OLD, THE 2100/2100L PERFORMANCE AND OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY ARE BECOMING QUESTIONABLE.       THE SOUND DOES SLOWLY DEGRADE OVER TIME.    THEY DON'T SOUND "AS NEW" ANYMORE.    WHILE YOU MAY FIND THE PERFORMANCE ACCEPTABLE, ANY COMPARISON TO A PROPERLY REBUILT/SERVICED EXAMPLE WILL EXHIBIT AUDIBLE DIFFERENCES.    THE REBUILT UNIT SIMPLY SOUNDS BETTER.     UPGRADE TO HIGHER QUALITY REPLACEMENT COMPONENTS, THE PERFORMANCE GAP WIDENS FURTHER.
THE SAE ADVERTISING LITERATURE OF THE DAY (MID 70'S) TOUTED A NEW "SUPER CHIP" AS THE BASIS FOR THE NEW PREAMP'S EXCELLENT SOUND.     AT THE TIME, INTEGRATED CIRCUITS WERE EXPENSIVE AND CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY.     SAE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AUDIO MANUFACTURERS TO OFFER "IC'S" IN THEIR PRODUCTS TO THE MASS CONSUMER AUDIO MARKET.     THIS "SUPER CHIP" WAS THE NE5534 OP AMP.     THE 5534 WAS USED IN BOTH THE LINESTAGE AND PHONO STAGE CIRCUITS OF THE 2100/2100L.   HOWEVER, THE NEW CURRENT PRODUCTION "AUDIO GRADE" VERSIONS SOUND BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL 5534.     MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES AND QUALITY HAVE MADE HUGE IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE YEARS.     QUALITY WENT UP AND COST WENT DOWN.
BOTH PREAMP MODELS ARE VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL, BUT FOR ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE.    THE 2100L HAS A METER CIRCUIT FOR THE SIGNAL LEVEL.     THE 2100 HAS A 2 BAND (HIGH/LOW) PARAMETRIC EQ THAT FUNCTION AS THE TONE CONTROLS.      BECAUSE THE PARTS COST/LABOR TO REBUILD THE METER CIRCUIT (2100L) IS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AS TO REBUILD THE EQ SECTION IN THE 2100, REBUILD COST IS THE SAME FOR BOTH MODELS.
TO PERFORM A REBUILD, THESE PREAMPS ARE A BIT MORE LABOR INTENSIVE THAN USUAL.    THE UNIT MUST BE NEARLY TOTALLY DISASSEMBLED.   HANDLES, KNOBS. FACEPLATE, AND COVERS REMOVED TO EXPOSE SUB CHASSIS FACEPLATE.   5 CIRCUIT BOARDS, RCA JACK SUB PANEL, AND ASSOCIATED WIRING ALL HAVE TO BE REMOVED FROM SUB CHASSIS FACEPLATE.     NOT PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT, BUT TIME CONSUMING.
SPECIFIC WORK INCLUDES:
POWER SUPPLY.     MAIN POWER ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS REPLACED WITH NICHICON "AUDIO GRADE" VERSIONS, WITH TOTAL CAPACITANCE VALUE INCREASED.   ULTRA FAST/SOFT RECOVERY DIODES IN ALL RECTIFIER CIRCUITS.   NEW ZENER VOLTAGE REGULATION DIODES.  RELAY AND PROTECTION CIRCUITS RECEIVE LOW ESR CAPACITORS.   IF REQUIRED, OBSOLETE TRANSISTORS REPLACED WITH NEW PRODUCTION TRANSISTORS.    RESISTOR VALUES CHECKED/REPLACED AS REQUIRED.
LINE STAGE.   THE OP AMP BASED LINESTAGE USED IN THE PREAMP IS A VERY BASIC CIRCUIT WITH FEW COMPONENTS.     QUALITY OF THE OP AMP AND OTHER LINESTAGE COMPONENTS HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON SOUND QUALITY.    THE LINESTAGE IS TOTALLY REBUILT WITH NEW COMPONENTS.    TEXAS INSTRUMENT "AUDIO GRADE" NE 5534 OP AMPS INSTALLED.     ULTRA LOW NOISE VISHAY (1% METAL FILM) RESISTORS IN THE SIGNAL PATH.   1% METAL FILM RESISTORS IN REMAINDER OF CIRCUIT.   NICHICON "KZ" MUSE ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS INSTALLED.    ALL NON-POLAR CAPACITORS REPLACED WITH POLYPROPYLENE FILM, SILVER MICA, AND PRECISION (5%) MULTI-LAYER CERAMIC AS REQUIRED.   BOTH ATTENUATORS ARE REMOVED FROM THE THE BOARD AND PROPERLY CLEANED.    THESE ARE SEALED ATTENUATORS AND HAVE TO BE REMOVED TO ACCESS THE INTERNAL WIPERS.     OTHERWISE, THEY CANNOT BE CLEANED.
PHONO STAGE.    THERE ARE 2 VERSIONS OF PHONO STAGES THAT WERE INSTALLED INTO THE PREAMP.    THE EARLY PRODUCTION 2100/2100L PREAMP HAD 2 COMPLETELY SEPARATE PHONO STAGES.    EACH PHONO STAGE WITH IT'S OWN INPUT.    LATER VERSIONS HAD ONE PHONO STAGE , WITH A SELECTABLE INPUT FOR PHONO 1 AND 2.    2 PHONO INPUTS, BUT BOTH FED THE SAME PHONO STAGE.     I REBUILD ONE PHONO STAGE.   NEW TI 5534 OP AMPS.    ELECTROLYTICS REPLACED WITH AUDIO GRADE NICHICONS.    NON-POLAR CAPS REPLACED WITH POLYPROPYLENE FILM, SILVER MICA, AND PRECISION MULTI-LAYER CERAMIC AS REQUIRED.     IF YOU HAVE AN EARLY VERSION PHONO BOARD WITH A SECOND PHONO STAGE.....I'LL REPLACE THE ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS ONLY.    REMAINDER OF 2ND PHONO STAGE STAYS ORIGINAL.    ALL RESISTORS CHECKED FOR VALUE AND REPLACED AS REQUIRED.
HEADPHONE.    HEADPHONE CIRCUIT RESISTORS REPLACED WITH LOW NOISE 1% METAL FILM.    THE ORIGINAL CARBON RESISTORS ARE OFTEN BURNT AND/OR OFF VALUE.
FILTER/SWITCHING CIRCUITS.      ALL ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS REPLACED WITH EITHER NICHICON AUDIO GRADE, OR LOW ESR CAPACITORS, DEPENDING UPON THE FUNCTION.   CHECK AND REPLACE RESISTORS AS REQUIRED.
LED METER (2100L 0NLY).     ALL METER  LEDS REPLACED.    LOW ESR ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS INSTALLED.   I'VE SEEN TECHS CHARGE OVER 0 JUST TO REPLACE THE LEDS.
EQ CIRCUIT (2100 ONLY).    POWER AND OVERLOAD LEDS REPLACED.    6 ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS REPLACED WITH NICHICON "AUDIO GRADE" CAPS.    4 NON-POLARS REPLACED WITH POLYPROPYLENE FILM.    HERE'S SOME VERY IMPORTANT INFO.   4 OF THE ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS CANNOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT REMOVING 3 SLIDER ASSEMBLIES.    THESE SLIDERS ARE SOLDERED ON BOTH SIDE OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD.    IT'S VERY TRICKY TO REMOVE THE SLIDERS WITHOUT PULLING TRANCES AND COMPOUNDING PROBLEMS TREMENDOUSLY.    EXPERIENCE AND PRIOR KNOWLEDGE PAYS OFF HERE.    MOST TECHS WOULDN'T EVEN TRY IT AND PASS ON REPLACING THE CAPS.
RESOLDER ALL RCA CONNECTIONS ON BACK SUB PANEL.
CLEAN AND SURFACE TREAT ALL SLIDERS AND SWITCHES.
TEST ALL FUNCTIONS.
EVERY ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITOR IS REPLACED.    THE TOTAL NUMBER REPLACED WILL VARY FROM 20 TO 30 DEPENDING UPON THE PREAMP MODEL.     ANOTHER 30 TO 40 NON-POLAR CAPACITORS ARE REPLACED.    THE ACTUAL NUMBER AGAIN IS DETERMINED BY THE PREAMP MODEL.     (6) NE5534 OP AMPS ARE REPLACED, ALONG WITH ALL THE RESISTORS IN BOTH LINESTAGE AND HEADPHONE CIRCUITS.
ALL CRITICAL COMPONENTS ARE SOURCED FROM ISO CERTIFIED U.S. SUPPLIERS, OR AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS.
I'VE COMPLETED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THESE REBUILDS.    SEVERAL SOLD ON EBAY WITH POSITIVE FEEDBACK RECEIVED.    THE COMPONENTS INSTALLED AND TECHNIQUES USED PROVIDE PROVEN RESULTS.
BUYER PURCHASES THE SERVICE.    I WILL THEN SEND MY CONTACT AND SHIPPING INFO TO THE BUYER'S REGISTERED PAYPAL EMAIL ADDRESS AFTER PAYMENT IS RECEIVED.    I CAN OFFER PACKING/SHIPPING RECOMMENDATIONS IF NEEDED.    BUYER SHIPS PREAMP TO ME AT HIS COST.     TURNAROUND TIME IS APPROX. 7 TO 10 DAYS AFTER PREAMP IS RECEIVED.    PHOTOS ARE TAKEN DURING REBUILD AND SENT TO BUYER.    THIS CONFIRMS PARTS INSTALLATION AND REBUILD STATUS.     PREAMP IS REPACKED IN THE SAME MANNER AS RECEIVED.    UPS RETURN SHIPMENT.    ANY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ACTUAL RETURN COST AND FLAT SHIPPING FEE IS REFUNDED.     IF PREAMP IS INSUFFICIENTLY PACKED, OR BUYER DOES NOT THINK AHEAD AND PACKING IS NOT REUSABLE, THE CONDITION WILL BE DOCUMENTED.  THE BUYER WILL BE CHARGED FOR PROPERLY REPACKING.
NON-WORKING UNITS ARE ACCEPTABLE.    HOWEVER, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THIS REBUILD SERVICE (AS DESCRIBED) WILL RESTORE THE PREAMP TO PROPER OPERATING CONDITION.     ADDITIONAL COSTS MAY BE INCURRED IF THERE ARE OTHER DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS (NOT COVERED BY THE REBUILD SPECIFICS) THAT PREVENT PROPER OPERATION.   AS THE PREAMP IS ALREADY APART, ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIR COST WOULD BE DRAMATICALLY LOWERED.   BROKEN SLIDER SHAFTS AND SWITCHES CAN BE REPLACE AT THIS TIME.   IT WOULD
BE MOST
COST EFFECTIVE TO GET OTHER PREAMP ISSUES REPAIRED AND UNIT REBUILT/UPGRADED AT THE SAME TIME.
ANY ADDITIONAL COST WOULD BE POSTED AS A SEPARATE BUY-IT-NOW POSTING AFTER PREAMP IS COMPLETE, ACCORDING TO EBAY POLICY.
ADDITIONAL UPGRADES AND/OR MORE EXTENSIVE REBUILD OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.    I CAN TAILOR THE WORK TO MEET YOUR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS AND POST THE LISTING AS A BUY-IT-NOW.
SHIPPING
PREAMP WILL BE RETURNED SHOPPED UPS GROUND, WITH A SIGNATURE UPON DELIVERY.     BUYER IS CHARGED MY EXACT COST.     ANY OVERCHARGE FROM THE FLAT RETURN FEE IS REFUNDED.
PAYMENT
PAYPAL ONLY.     IMMEDIATE PAYMENT IS REQUIRED.
I OFFER REBUILD SERVICES FOR MOST SAE AMPS, PREAMPS AND EQUALIZERS.    MESSAGE ME FOR DETAILS.
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