Meet Vivi, longtime CJ owner. Sorta. in NYC.

[vivi]

Hi there, I"m Vivi in NYC. Happy New Year and thank GOD this one's almost over. 2020 is behaving with its usual panache regarding my stereo set up. I've been trying to revive my late husband's gear (he was an audiophile) and I'm having issues with the CJ-PV1. Yep, it's that old. The whole set up sat in a closet for 10 years after he died because...well, anyway I feel better now.

I can't get any sound in the right speaker. Not even static, which I can hear in the left speaker sometimes when I turn the CJ knob (Have I mentioned that it's old?)

I've tested the speakers (they work), both power amps (one at a time; both work), the RCA cables (all work), the speaker wires (all work) and the turntable, which works but only for the left speaker (it probably needs a tune up too). I've tried all different combinations using both power amps, and I still can't get any sound in the Right speaker. I'm using Output 2 because Output 1 doesn't seem to work, as I recall. (It's not only old, it's heavy AF and I"m an older lady without the kind of mojo that can easily move heavy AF components around to check right now.)

I'm joining here to get info, learn something and collect suggestions where/how/who can get my CJ tuned up and working in NYC and an update on its "care and feeding." My turntable could use one too...it's a Linn LP12 and needs a cartridge (and probably a look-see as well).

anyway, happy new year, everyone!

[admin]

Hi and welcome to CJO!

Sorry to hear about your husband's passing but it's great that you are trying to "bring new life" into his system. What a great way to honor his memory!

As for the PV1, that's an old unit. Now 4 decades out and has been sitting for awhile so some troubles are to be expected. The two most common component failures are going to be 1) the vacuum tubes and 2) the capacitors (aka caps). You would have to take the cover off to diagnose these issues so I am not sure how comfortable you are with that. Also, make sure the unit is unplugged if you do attempt a DIY fix as there can be some really high voltages in there.

For the tube locations in the unit, you can see it on the last page of the manual: https://conradjohnson.com/owners-manuals/pv1man.PDF

For cap failure, you would want to look at any bulging or discoloration on caps.

If this kind of electrical work is not up your ally,... which for most people it isn't so don't feel bad. I would probably recommend the official CJ dealer in NYC: https://www.audioartsnyc.com

Let us know how things go and a very happy new year to you!

[vivi]

wow! thanks for the info and the lead on a repair option. I am taking a break from dealing with the stereo issue (I was thisclose to throwing the whole thing out the window yesterday) but will take note of your thoughts and might even attempt to take the cover off the CJ. maybe. With the power off, of course.
I don't know what a cap is and wouldn't know if one was bulging or the wrong color. Would the tubes look weird or something? How would I know they were bad?
anyway thanks for the note. I really want this thing to work. It was my goal for 2020 but it hit a couple snags...
....any thoughts on how/what to do about a replacement cartridge for the Linn?

thanks again for the note and the manual! awesome!
best
v

[AnotherJohnson]

Take it for granted.

Most of, if not all of, the capacitors are bad.

The tubes may be ok, and probably are if it was working when it was put away.

The switches and potentiometers need a thorough clean and lube. Really. After all this time sitting, they’ve probably developed some dead spots and a fair amount of noise.

There are dealers in your area.

Call one and ask about repair options.

You are probably looking at something north of $1000 to get it sorted.

You might consider calling conradjohnson design in Fairfax, VA. They may be able to give you a guestimate over the phone, and they will tell you how to send it to them.

[AnotherJohnson]

wow! thanks for the info and the lead on a repair option. I am taking a break from dealing with the stereo issue (I was thisclose to throwing the whole thing out the window yesterday) but will take note of your thoughts and might even attempt to take the cover off the CJ. maybe. With the power off, of course.
I don't know what a cap is and wouldn't know if one was bulging or the wrong color. Would the tubes look weird or something? How would I know they were bad?
anyway thanks for the note. I really want this thing to work. It was my goal for 2020 but it hit a couple snags...
....any thoughts on how/what to do about a replacement cartridge for the Linn?

thanks again for the note and the manual! awesome!
best
v

Don’t take the cover off. It’s probably safer with bad caps that won’t charge, but don’t take the chance. There are high, potentially lethal voltages inside. If you don’t know what you’re looking at, leave it alone.

Don’t throw it out. You could get several hundred dollars for it, even if it doesn’t work.

As for the Linn, you’ll want a modestly priced moving magnet cartridge. Perhaps the dealer who coordinates your repair of the preamp will be able to recommend and install one.

My wife has lived in fear that she will have to deal with my stereo systems if I pass before she does.

I’ve suggested that she could call The Music Room in Erie, Colorado to offer stuff for sale. They are fair traders, will pay your shipping costs, and are not afraid of large items like big speakers.

Alternatively, there are some vendors near or in nyc who will buy or take consignments. They resell on eBay and Audiogon.

COVID restrictions make trading in person harder.

The LP12 is old enough that it’s power supply probably needs new capacitors too. If it’s hard to start or sluggish, the power supply, motor, and belt are probably long done.

I would not spend much on a cartridge until I knew the LP12 was going to work.

[Big Dog RJ]

G'day Vivi,

Nice to hear from you and a very warm welcome to CJO. Definitely the right place to be, without a doubt.

Funny you mentioned those technical things, which my Mrs can't really figure out either... however over time she learned, and now she knows how to bias output tubes! Oh dear, that's probably too much info. Anyway, since I'm hardly home, and virtually live at the work place, my listening hours are very restricted only towards my off days. Therefore, I've given her permission to power up the system as when she feels like it, afterall we both love music and have shared the cost and hardships along the way... hence, I cannot claim that I fully own it, simply because if not for her I wouldn't be in this position. I'm very grateful to her and she's a wonderful wifey to an absolute insane audiophile like me!

As mentioned by AJ and Admin and very correctly advised, if possible you're safest course of action is to take all the gear that you require "looking at" getting attended to by qualified technicians who have vast years of experience with this type of gear. They will also be able to very easily point out what's required and how to go about it in stages, rather than dump large sums for extended repairs.

The people I deal with or have dealt with in the past for any tech issues not only have given me great advice and support but are also very passionate in what they do. Therefore, you're in safe hands if you can find / locate such techies, I'm sure they're out there, especially in NYC.

I wish you all the very best, and please do let us know how it works out. In the meantime feel free to ask any of us anything, we're always a delightful bunch of passionate CJ owners who look out for one and other. If only Lew Johnson knew you still had an original PV1, he'd be very excited. This is like finding a diamond in the rough...

Please don't throw anything away, those are extremely rare units and once they're upto spec, it will deliver all the emotions in music reproduction from your favourite tracks.

Music cleanses and heals the soul, it's definitely a marvellous thing and what better form to experience it other than with such marvellous CJ amplification!

Cheers to you and your next audio journey!
Enjoy those fine tunes, all the best from Down Unda
Big woof! RJ

[vivi]

thanks everyone; I think I"m pretty done tossing the broken components (none of which are collectibles; a CD player with a broken tray, a tape deck that only plays 10 seconds at a time). There's a nice Nikko radio/tuner but I can't get a signal with the antenna I have but it might be a CJ problem with the tuner input plug (I think that's what it's called, right?) I"m open to suggestions for good antenna options, anyway.

I agree not to try any DIY stuff or open up anything for a look-see. Opening up the Linn to put in a new belt was sufficient excitement. I think the next move is to fix the CJ *and leave the Linn alone for the moment.) If I can get the CJ to work properly, I can get a nice CD player component (suggestions?) and at least listen to some music while I sort out the Linn. I've got two power amps - a Carver and a Dynakit 70 that Michael built (I still have the specs!) and they both work fine (altho the Dynakit heats up a LOT and I don't know what to do about it.)
I"ve got audio arts phone number and address and left a voicemail and an email.
thanks everyone and happy new year.
v/

[vivi]

One more thing...the Linn isn't sluggish and starts right away, thank goodness and the power supply seems good. The tonearm doesn't have that nice balancing thing anymore and when I tried to play it skips a lot so I stopped. I"m hoping that just a new needle will do the trick. Anyway, the Linn, much as a I love it, will have to wait.

thanks again, everyone.
v

[admin]

Sounds like probably a good choice to leave the PV1 alone and not meddle inside.

If you need to figure out if the tuner is broken or just missing an antenna, and wire will do. You can connect some left over speaker cable to the antenna connector and you should be able to get channels in on the FM band.

There are many CD Player options out there. I probably would not break the bank on it and maybe even see if there is something on the used market to save a few bucks. If you get in contact with audio arts, maybe ask what offerings they have in your price range. Again, I would ask about previously owned as that can give you a lot of bang for your buck.

If you are missing the counterweight on the tone arm of the turntable, that would potentially cause skipping and tracking problems. You will probably need to get a replacement as the tonearm weights are needed for correct operation. You may also need to get a specially designed scale to measure the correct tracking force to set this correctly.

Let us know how things progress and remember we are here to offer any help or advice. Happy new year!

[AnotherJohnson]

Thomas O’Keefe of Overture Audio in Ann Arbor, MI can sell you Linn arm parts, like a counterweight. I don’t think it would play at all if the counterweight were missing, so I wonder if there is some other missing piece.

FWIW, CDs are now considered passé. So don’t spend a lot on a player unless you have a large and interesting collection.

There are modestly priced, decent players available from Marantz, Denon, and others.

Shear aging is a factor for tuners. During that era, they needed alignment and cleaning. This has not changed due to storage.

FWIW #2, Audio Arts is Conrad Johnson’s Flagship dealership.
I hope that they will be helpful.

When your gear was acquired, Lyric Hi Fi was the major NYC area dealer. But they no longer support the brand.

[vivi]

Hi all and thanks for all the info, you guys ROCK! I spoke to Gideon at Audio Arts and described the CJ problem - no sound at all from the right output. He said fixing it was beyond his tech expertise and suggested I send it to CJ directly.

He ticked off a bunch of issues that might cause the failure (motherboards, connections, transistors etc.) in a 40 year old preamp and he wasn't willing to take a look at it if I brought it in. (he did say that if there was a tube failure there would be distortion but still some sound.) He made the same (compelling) argument that the guy at Innovative Audio did about the Linn...

-it's an antique system
-it's going to take a lot of dough to fix even if you can find parts
-there's no guarantee that it would continue to work indefinitely and it if breaks again it would still cost a lot of dough.
=there are a ton of newer, better systems out there now.

He said he would be willing to take it back for store credit or trade. I said I didn't think I would but I asked him to send me his suggestions for a replacement and I'd look at it. I also heard from TurntableLab in downtown Manhattan and they said they have cartridges that would work in my LinnLP12. I said I was interested and asked if they do repairs. (I am not about to open up this baby and try any moves, not even to put in the cartridge. It's looks scary!!!!).

So the real question here is how far I'm willing to go to revive my late husband's stereo. I ain't gonna lie, a lot of it is about trying to bring some part of him back. Another part is that I"m kinda suspicious about vendors who all suggest I ditch components (that everyone says is the gold standard) and get something new (which still doesn't obviate the point that the fix would lie expensive and may not last...)

thanks to everyone on this board who so kindly offered their thoughts and expertise....but TBH, its not just about the equipment...and that's the philosophical aspect of this post. How far am I willing to go to do this?

I have heard that CJ isn't great about fixing stuff shipped to them. No sure where else to go.
stay tuned.
vivi

[AnotherJohnson]

I stopped trying to keep my PV5 going when it became clear that relays and potentiometers and switches were no longer available. If you send it to conradjohnson, there will be a bench fee for them to produce the estimate. It may be worth it for nostalgia and sentiment. Or possibly for the curation of antiques. At its best, it will not be state of the art. It will be state of 1970’s.

As for the Linn, it’s the same story. I have an LP12 with a serial number from the late 70’s, but the only part that is from the original unit is the bottom plinth cover. The LP12 has evolved over many decades, including the suspension, bearing, motor, belt, top plate, plinth, subchassis, power supply etc.

I don’t want to throw cold water on the project. The connection to an earlier era is hard to value. Because of this, getting it all working again could be very rewarding.

Best of luck!

[admin]

I'm sorry to hear it's not working out. I can understand how they are recommending that it's not worth the money to troubleshoot and repair such an old unit as there are newer and potentially cheaper alternatives available today. However, this of course does not account for the sentimental value. It sure would be something to bring this back to life.

I pulled up the schematics for the PV1 and it is a fairly simple design. Furthermore, since only one channel is affected, it really does narrow down the fault to a limited number of components. I would almost suggest trying to find somebody with some general electronics knowledge and see if they could take a crack at it. I've done minor electronics repair on some of my hardware but am certainly no expert, matter of fact, I would consider myself an extreme novice. I would offer to take a look at it but clearly it would involve shipping the unit back and forth. Normally I would not even consider this but your story strikes a cord.

At the end of the day, it's a nice looking unit and can be a display piece even if not operational.

[Q3Di]

Bill Thalmann at Music Technology in Virginia might be able to help

[Big Dog RJ]

All very valid points from the service / tech places... that's basically what it's going to cost to revive this gear, and it will cost a fair bit. Original parts may not be available, thus they'll source alternative components bringing the unit up to spec or in certain areas surpassing those original values.
Hence, these parts cost a bit, add Labor and other charges and it all adds up.

How far are you willing to go in order to revive all this gear? That's a question and decision that only you can answer and make.

We as audiophiles and us lot who are very passionate about CJ gear in general, would go to any lengths to revive vintage gear, especially CJ's classic vintage gear. They're one of a kind even though replaced over several decades. At the end of the day, the time, money spent and hassle may not be worth it... again something you need to factor in.

There are plenty of experienced techies out there who can easily do the job and would be quite reasonable in charges, the issue is finding the appropriate parts if available.

See if you could at least get the PV1 going, and then decide later on the other gear.

Audio Arts is CJ's top line dealer as AJ pointed out, they deal in a lot of top tier stuff. Hence, they may not be too interested in reviving such older gear, simply because it doesn't generate top dollar for them. Afterall they run a business. OTOH if you were to buy one of their top line CJ gear or those very pricey Zellaton speakers ($100 grand upwards) I'm sure they would be willing to fix anything... you get the point. It's all about the business model.

See how it goes Vivi. Either way, even if you could or couldn't revive this vintage gear, and you had some smaller audio system playing that's newer, much more in working order, I'm sure your late husband would appreciate all the effort put in.

Stay safe and be well.
Cheers, RJ

[vivi]

Hi, I'm back and thanks for all the interest and comment. Turntable Lab in NYC might be able to send me a needle/cartridge that might work. I have to send them a photo.

I had an interesting chat with Andy Tebbe at RHB Sound Design in PA. A very nice and helpful guy and I learned a lot in our chat. Firstly, that there's no such thing as a 'brief chat" with an audiophile. There's no "Gee, I've got a half hour till my next Zoom meeting, maybe I can find out if this guy can fix my CJ."

He was awesome though. He told me that the equipment is classic, but it's....old. And that Linn's need a LOT of maintenance (which Michael, God rest his soul, wasn't into). And they rebuild and recondition CJ's (and I still might ask them about it) but it's pricey. The amazing thing he told me is that the cartridges on hotshot stereos have dedicated left and right wiring that feeds the sound to the pre-amp, which feeds it to the power amp which feeds it to the speakers. In other words....maybe it's the cartridge. He suggested I switch the outputs so left is right etc. "and put a record on and let me hear it." which would have been awesome if I hadn't already been ten minutes late for a Zoom meeting with my NEW EMPLOYERS. And they take attendance. AUGH! So I had to tell him I couldn't do it just then and said I'd call later. I hope I didn't throw cold water on his helpfulness, but hooking everything up again and trying his fix is not something I can do 'while-u-wait."

So at my first opportunity (probably this Friday) I"ll take another few steps in this journey. I still think it's the CJ output (because I can't even hear static in the right speaker). And naturally I didn't get clarity from him on which left/right plugs I'm supposed to switch...the ones from the Linn to the CJ? or the ones from the CJ to the power amp? Suggestions, please?

I"ll keep you posted; thanks for the support.

best
vivi

PS. the desperation move is to ship the CJ back to CJ but I've heard bad things about how they work and how expensive they are.
PPS. Michael also used a Dahlquist Variable Low Pass Filter in his set-up. WTF is that?

[admin]

Hi Vivi,
Interesting developments. So am I getting this right that he thinks the issue is nothing more than the turntable cartridge not giving output? That would be unusual but ok... There is a very simple way to test that. Just switch the right and left RCA plugs from the turntable as they connect to the PV1.
If it's a turntable output issue, you should have the same problem with the single channel being dropped except that it will be on the left this time and not the right. You can also test whether the problem is in the phono circuit of the PV1 by using another source for your audio connected to one of the non-phone inputs. Just use another source for audio (like a CD player, or you can even buy get a 3.5mm to RCA cable for a few bucks and use your phone to play some music directly into the PV1).

As for the PS's: Not sure what "bad things you've heard" but they're service typically is excellent in my experience. Yes, they are expensive. Think of it like repairing your car at the dealer vs some no-name shop. Yes it will be more expensive but you can be assured they can fix it because that's all they work on everyday. As for the low pass filter, think of it as an equalizer. It changes the amplitude of specific frequencies of the output of the audio signal. For the Dahlquist, this is primarily focused on lower frequencies. In other words, it makes the bass stronger or weaker.

[AnotherJohnson]

The leads for the phono cartridge are tiny delicate leads that may be part of the arm harness, or could be an appendage to the head shell, depending on the arm.

Changing or troubleshooting a cartridge is delicate, precise work. It is not for the faint of heart. On the bright side, it is low voltage with no energy storage issues, so a novice probably won’t get hurt, except in the pocketbook.

He is correct in saying that it could be the cartridge. There are four tiny leads on pins on the back. The ground and hot for the left channel can be swapped for the ground and hot for the right channel. If that moves the dead side, then the phono cartridge swap should give you a chance to figure out what else is needed. Note that I did not say “solve the problem.”

As for CJ, it is a very small operation. In my opinion, they do excellent work and their prices are fair for the quality of parts that they use. Capacitors can be had for under a dollar, for example, while CJ proprietary Teflon capacitors might be more like $100. I think the CJ caps are worth it to my ears.

The PV1 is a museum piece, as is the LP12 from that era.

If you want to curate them, God bless your efforts.

The key issue here is that ALL of Michael’s gear was excellent when he acquired it, and it is classic stuff. But ... unless you find someone who is willing to restore it as a labor of love, it is going to be costly, at least in the eyes of most retirement budgets. And when it’s done, it will be a shrine ... not a state of the art two channel system.

Don’t let this stuff mess up your new job!
Good luck with the project.

[AnotherJohnson]

FWIW, I got the impression that the problem of only one side working was not limited to the phono as source. If that’s true, it’s probably not just a TT issue.

FWIW#2, swapping leads from the TT at the preamp could identify a problem with one channel of the TT, but this is an old TT. So the arm harness, the cartridge, the cartridge leads, the arm socket, and the arm to preamp cable are all potential sources of “aging out” issues.

A 40 year old TT is nearly always a “project.” I’ve been a TT guru with Thorens, Dual, Technics, Linn, VPI, and other brands for about as long.

FWIW #3: Audio Arts lists Linn among their supported brands. They could probably trouble shoot your whole set up, but as we’ve suggested, it won’t come at low cost.

[vivi]

Hi everyone thx for the info/advice. I"m waiting for the weekend to try swapping the outputs for the TT. It's a huge pain but I don't have any other components to test the CJ outputs with...I have a Sherwood AM/FM receiver but I think it has its own amp, so I doubt it could isolate the right speaker issue. I wonder what would happen if I switched the outputs from the CJ to the Power Amps....would that tell me anything?

I'm going to send a photo of the cartridge to the Turntable lab folks. I probably do need a new tonearm, or something...one step at a time. I know it would be easier to just buy a new set up, but then I'd never know what the problem was, and whether or not it was fixable. There's also the replacement cost. What could it cost to replace the Linn TT with something of equal quality? And the CJ? $6000 all told? More? that's a lotta daylight for shipping, parts and labor.

Plus, TBH, I also like the puzzle. It's a PITA but I"m in lockdown, so it's not like I have a real busy social schedule right now. Besides, I"m learning more about audio now than Michael ever tried to teach me while he was around. He's still teaching me cool stuff.

And I think that, somewhere, he's feeling pretty good about that.