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Vintage Luxman L-450 crackle and hum

Hi All - I'd be very grateful for your thoughts on a disturbing new development. This morning, after a nice and not very loud listening session, I stopped the last song and noticed that all was not quiet. The amp, a Luxman L-450 in pretty good shape, was making a kind of static-crackle hum, not very loud or low — like maybe middle C on a piano. I turned the amp off and back on: still there. I switched between all of the inputs (aux, phone, tape, etc.) and it was still there. Volume and tone controls had no effect. (It did not get louder when I turned up the volume.) What could it be? And what's the right way to repair it? I really like my Luxman and I want it back in shape!
brooklynluke

Showing 1 response by minkwelder

minkwelder
256 posts
 
Many of the problems on the Luxman units of that vintage were due to the thermal breakdown of integrated circuit modules (DML's) that are no longer available. There is a guy in, I believe, Holland named Hans Hilberink that makes replacement modules that are supposed to be better than the originals.

One of the best guys in the states for Luxman repairs is Tom Ishimoto at Northridge Audio in California, but Hans probably knows of someone closer to you. Hans posts on the Luxman Yahoo group, and is a goldmine of info.
http://www.hilberink.nl/codehans/luxman.htm
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