Audio Equipment Troubleshooting Guide

If your receiver or amplifier will not turn on at all, start with the basics. Verify the outlet is working by plugging in another device. Check whether the unit has a fuse on the back panel — some receivers use an external fuse that can be inspected and replaced. Make sure the power button is fully engaged and not stuck in a half-pressed position. Many modern receivers have a standby mode: look for a small LED on the front panel indicating standby power. If the LED is on but the unit will not come out of standby, try unplugging the unit for 60 seconds and plugging it back in to reset the microprocessor.

The unit powers on, the display lights up, but you get no audio. This is one of the most common complaints, and it is usually a settings issue rather than a hardware failure. First, verify that the correct input source is selected — if you are playing from a turntable but the receiver is set to “CD,” you will hear nothing. Check that the speaker wire connections are secure at both the receiver terminals and the speaker terminals. A single loose wire can kill an entire channel. Confirm the mute button is not engaged (it is easy to hit accidentally on a remote). Turn the volume up past the first few increments — some receivers have a logarithmic volume curve that produces very little sound at low settings.

If you get sound from the left speaker but not the right (or vice versa), check the balance control first — it may have been bumped to one side. Inspect the speaker wire connection on the silent channel at both ends. To determine if the problem is the receiver or the speaker, swap the left and right speaker wires at the receiver. If the silent channel follows the wire, the speaker or its cable is the problem. If the silent channel stays on the same receiver terminal, the receiver has an internal issue — likely a failed output transistor, a bad relay, or a cold solder joint.

Distortion can come from the amplifier, the speakers, or both. If distortion only occurs at high volumes, you may simply be overdriving the amplifier or speakers beyond their capacity — turn the volume down and see if the distortion disappears. If distortion is present at all volume levels, the issue is likely internal. A damaged speaker driver (torn cone or damaged voice coil) produces distortion regardless of volume. In the amplifier, bad capacitors are the most common culprit, particularly in vintage gear where electrolytic capacitors dry out over 20-30 years. This type of repair requires component-level diagnosis.

Amplifiers and receivers generate heat during normal operation, but they should not get too hot to touch or shut themselves off. If your unit overheats or goes into protection mode, check ventilation first — the unit needs at least 4 inches of clearance above and on the sides. Do not stack other components on top of a receiver. A speaker impedance mismatch can cause overheating: if you connected 4-ohm speakers to an amplifier rated for 8 ohms minimum, the amplifier draws too much current and overheats. Dust buildup inside the unit restricts airflow and traps heat. If the unit is more than a few years old, internal cleaning may be needed.

The most common cause of no sound from a turntable is a missing phono preamp. Turntables output a very low-level signal that must be amplified by a phono preamp before it reaches your receiver or amplifier. If your receiver does not have a dedicated “Phono” input (most modern receivers do not), you need an external phono preamp between the turntable and the receiver. Some turntables have a built-in preamp with a switch on the back — make sure it is set correctly. Also verify you are using the correct input on the receiver and that the stylus (needle) is properly seated in the cartridge.

Turntable skipping is frustrating but usually fixable. First, ensure the turntable is on a stable, level surface — use a bubble level to check. Vibrations from footsteps, nearby speakers, or an unsteady shelf cause the stylus to jump out of the groove. Check the tracking force — too little force and the stylus cannot stay in the groove. The correct tracking force is specified by your cartridge manufacturer (typically 1.5 to 2.5 grams). A worn or damaged stylus will skip because it can no longer trace the groove walls properly — if you have not replaced the stylus in over 1,000 hours of play, it is likely worn. Warped records will also cause skipping that is not the turntable’s fault.

A low-frequency hum from a turntable setup is almost always a grounding issue. Most turntables have a separate ground wire (a thin wire with a spade or ring terminal) that must be connected to the grounding post on your receiver or phono preamp. If this wire is not connected, you will get a loud 60Hz hum. If the ground wire is connected and you still have hum, check cable routing — keep the turntable’s RCA cables away from power cords and other signal cables. A faulty or poorly shielded phono preamp can also introduce hum.

If your records sound too fast or too slow, the platter is not spinning at the correct speed. On a belt-drive turntable, the most common cause is a worn or stretched belt — belts degrade over time and lose tension, causing the platter to spin slowly. Belt replacement is straightforward and belts are inexpensive. On a direct-drive turntable, speed issues point to motor or speed control circuitry problems. Some turntables have a pitch adjustment or speed trim — check that it has not been bumped off-center. Use a strobe disc to verify speed accuracy.

Dried electrolytic capacitors are the number one failure point in vintage audio equipment. Electrolytic capacitors have a finite lifespan (typically 15-25 years) and degrade over time whether the equipment is used or not. Dried capacitors cause distortion, reduced bass response, hum, and eventually complete channel failure. Dirty potentiometers (volume and tone controls) cause scratchy, intermittent sound when adjusted — this is often mistaken for a serious problem but is usually remedied with proper cleaning. Corroded contacts on input selectors, speaker terminals, and internal connectors create intermittent connections and noise.

Vintage audio equipment requires a different approach than modern electronics. Many vintage components are no longer available from the original manufacturer, so proper replacement parts must be carefully selected from reputable suppliers. A cheap capacitor that technically fits will not perform the same as a quality Nichicon or Panasonic capacitor chosen to match the original specifications. Vintage equipment also uses through-hole components on single-sided circuit boards — these require careful hand soldering to avoid lifting traces or damaging adjacent components. Improper repair of vintage equipment can cause further damage that is more expensive to fix than the original problem.

Our philosophy is preservation first. When we restore vintage audio equipment, we replace failed components with parts that meet or exceed original specifications while preserving the original circuit design and sonic character. We do not “modify” or “upgrade” vintage equipment unless the customer specifically requests it. The engineers who designed your vintage equipment made deliberate choices about every component — our job is to restore their intent, not impose our own. For collectors and enthusiasts, we document every repair and keep a record of what was replaced.