Ask S&V

I own a vintage 1974 Fisher solid-state stereo receiver. The left channel is fading in-and-out—at first weak, now almost totally dead.  Do you think the receiver is worth fixing, or should I just replace it? —Michael McCully

Fix it. And keep it. Vintage receivers like your Fisher remain popular for several reasons. The first is their excellent build quality: It’s not uncommon to score a 40-plus year-old receiver at an estate sale in good working condition. Along with Fisher, other brands to look out for include Marantz, Pioneer, and Sansui.

Most vintage receivers also sound very good in comparison with today’s models. The main reason is the quality of the components used in their construction: power transformers and capacitors are significantly more heavy-duty than what is used in current receivers. You can tell the difference by weight: Vintage receivers on the whole weigh considerably more than contemporary receivers that advertise similar power specs.

Then there’s the simplicity of vintage receivers, which holds appeal for anyone who is concerned mainly with playback of stereo music sources such as CDs and vinyl records. (Virtually all vintage receivers feature a built-in phono stage to connect a turntable.)

A final reason is purely cosmetic: Vintage receivers look completely bad-ass in comparison with today’s blah, bland-looking offerings.

Before you go online to find a repair shop, check to see if you can fix your Fisher yourself. Grunge will accumulate on electrical components over the course of a few decades, and a little cleaning goes a long way. Seek out some DeOxit and use it to clean the potentiometers on the receiver. (To do this, you’ll first need to open up the hood—check out this awesome video for some guidance.)

Good luck salvaging your 1970s audio artifact!