Power switch is erratic on receiver

I find it a bit amusing that you complain so much about the "modern stuff". Of course you don't know much about it. Did you know all about tube equipment when you started learning?

They make all levels of quality in computer speakers. You just have to listen to them or at least get some specs on them before you judge them too harshly. I have a pair of Sony's that sound nice to me. But they use an audio cable and I prefer Bluetooth. I installed an eBay module in one, but it quit working after a year or so. I need to get another and see if it will work again.

This (bottom unit)? It was made by a division of Koss that is defunct and n o longer supporting its products, in a mix of Singapore, Taiwan, China, Jap an and Korea - quite a range. I am speculating given that this is an R/C un it, which typically requires special internal controls. By the way, replace ment remotes are readily available from the likes of Amazon and others.

Very likely a solid-state volume control - nothing you can get to or clean. Possibly a stepper volume control which uses a small motor and a conventio nal VC. Those you can get to and clean.

The on/off switch is likely a latching reed relay, about the size of a larg e squared-off jelly bean. You would have to replace this outright. Can you say "PITA"?

Do not clean the slide controls with conventional contact cleaner. That wil l require a cleaner formulated to those types of controls.

It may comes to pass that with sufficient exercise, the controls will clean themselves.

If not, you will have to troubleshoot on a component level, that is part-by

-part. Given its purpose, I suggest you live with its quirks as from your d escription, it eventually does work. By the time you are done with it, unle ss you are exceedingly lucky or there is a directly visible problem, it wil l likely not work.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

rickman wrote: "I have a pair of Sony's that sound nice to me. But they use an audio cable and I prefer Bluetooth."

What's wrong with running a cable? Besides, a hard connection will always sound better than Bluetooth, or other wireless means.

"I installed an eBay module in one, but it quit working after a year or so."

An "eBay module"? You mean you tried to make the speakers pick up sound wirelessly?

If the switch is mechanical there is a way to wire it to be always on. Just do that, and just leave it on.

I know you can't do that with tubes or class A stuff, but a regular class A B amp will be fine. And usually it will sound better and better as it burns in. Just leave it on forever. I do with mine, and I do not see a huge elec tric bill or anything. They might pull about three clock radios worth of po wer, which is about nothing. I mean like a dollar a month if that.

Hmmm.. functional but no charm... Here's what he needs:

Four sheet metal screws and some hookup wire and he's back in business. Plus, he gets the added benefit of saying "muwahahahaha" every time he turns it on..

CRC electronics cleaner at Walmart.

ask Al for a switch lubricant

Just get some Altec-Lansing PC speakers (I did - several pairs). The ones I have are basic single drive units, the plastic cases are sturdy and they sound pretty good.

One pair was thrown in with a refurb PC - the rest came from a free recycling group.

{Quotes snipped because of line length]

Yea, it does eventually work, but it also will occasionally shut itself off right in the middle of some music or something. There is no rhyme of reason that it shuts off, but it does and all the LEDS and everything go off. From what you described, I doubt I want to evne mess with it. This is the kind of stuff I dont like working on. I may take a look inside, but I think it's time to begin looking for another amp, and one that's older. I prefer tube amps for an actual stereo system, but for a computer amp, a decent older transistorized unit would be fine. This has a radio, but I dont need it. All I need is a power amp with a AUX or TAPE input.

I find it disturbing that Koss is out of business, I remember when they were the top of the line for headphones.

Koss is doing just fine. Their electronics division is gone. Historically, many transducer companies, starting with KLH, AR, Advent, ADS and many others have run aground when attempting electronics. Why should Koss be any different?

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

, many transducer companies, starting with KLH, AR, Advent, ADS and many ot hers have run aground when attempting electronics. Why should Koss be any d ifferent?

ARE these companies from New England ?

the switch problem rests in the function. switches generally last as switch es live a low stress life. except for rotaries, possibly emergency switches in mobile units, switches just slid n switch. there's a axle or pivots ? a ny signs of wear .... in the Gobi for 20 years ....

so if the switch is sprayed with cleaner n lubricant.... once twice three t imes CRC is used as a pressure flow device...the switch should resume switc hing.

there's one here near the floor had several doses of fruit juice. intermitt ent but cleaned wroks good.

I'll look for the Koss ..

KLOSS ....

the forum has historians

Other than Koss, all the other companies were located in Massachusetts. All have been absorbed by other companies.

OK, now I know that.... I'm sure this receiver was just rebranded by Koss. If I could find out who made the thing, I could probably find a schematic for it. But how to find that out seems near impossible.

Since you mentioined KLH, the speakers I am using are KLH brand. Great sounding for their small size.

Funny thing about this. As one who focuses primarily on legacy equipment I own one KLH Table Radio. I own six (6) sets of AR speakers, all from the Teledyne days, all in activ e service from 3as through Athenas. I also own one-each of their amps, rece ivers and tuners. I own an Advent 500 SoundSpace control and a 100A dual-Dolby unit (matched to my Revox A77). I own a pair of ADS speakers out on loan. I own three pairs of Koss headphones, including their electrostatics. Other equipment in the inventory includes:

Revox A77, A720 & 722, B225, B215, B290 Harman Kardon Citation 16, 17, 18 & 19, ST7, ST8, HK2000 Cassette. And several shelves of Dynaco tube and solid-state. Main speakers are Maggies. Multiple Sony Changers, 200 & 5 disc, all from thrift-shops.

So apart from the Revox, Sony and the HK2000, everything is from the US and from 'back in the day'. Much of it via dumpster-dives, and purchasing repa ir-shop leavings as my eyes and ears have always been larger than my wallet . I did drive 1,200 miles round-trip for the Maggies, however, after a frie nd auditioned them in-situ. The price was that good. They are truly worth i t.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

The Citation 16 is a brute of an amp. A speaker company I worked for used them to test our speaker designs. One night a guy broke into our factory and grabbed one of our 16s. The cops were chasing his car up a steep hill and the amp fell out of the passenger door and rolled down the hill. The outside damage was horrendous. We plugged it in and it worked!

Years ago some item of consumer electronics was reportedly rescued from the rubble after a gas explosion destroyed a block of flats, the fact it still worked was why it made the news.

Too long ago to remember details, but it might have been a stereo amplifier - not a clue about make or model.

The 19 is no slouch either. Same basic philosophy, two monoblocks in the same box sharing an on/off switch.

I got both my examples for pocket change - but at different times - as they both displayed the same problem - intermittent left channel.

Whatever else HK did and used with these amps, the input jacks were perhaps the cheapest they could fine, and I think that they may have specified crap directly as I could not find after-market devices of the same wretched quality.

In any case, replaced the jacks and rewired the inputs and all has been well since. Since that time, I have repaired two other 19s with the same problem.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA