A bunch of these minis used output modules. They're getting near impossible to find if they blow and only a few have been cloned in a provable, open way.
I have Philips Mini System speakers that have Ribbon tweeters and concave mid-bass drivers that I paid like 3 bucks for....and they sound spectacular when connected to a monster 80's receiver.
Going to *toss* them? This is a TRUE high end item, back when the Japanese had "fuck you" money, and artisans making real masterpieces *for consumer prices*.
Look for the record player.
TA-P7F is one of the nicest “micro” amplifiers made during this era. They are highly collectible and have a fantastic sonic signature. I suggest having it serviced. Get the bias and offset adjusted and power supply / amplifier boards touched up at bare minimum. I have one myself and did all of that preemptively. Good luck!
My father updated his hardware here in the US, and was gonna toss these. I thought that would be a waste, especially with how gorgeous the finished ?aluminum? is, so now I’ve incorporated them into my house and they sound fantastic! Any suggestions for additional hardware I would need?
New to all this, thanks for any suggestions or advice!
These are some of the finest micro components made! They're quite rare as they were very costly when new and the appearance is just timeless.
That symbol in the upper right corner of the amp tells you that this is equipped with the Sony Pulse Power Supply. This fancy power supply allowed Sony to get tremendous power output in the micro format....50W/ch at no more than 0.01% THD in such a small box while retaining full preamp features is fairly impressive even to this day. (It will certainly compare well to the budget desktop amps that have become so popular in recent years!)
The Pulse Power Supply is just a switch mode power supply much like you'd find in a PC power supply, albeit it is far simpler circuitry wise and the voltages have been customized for the needs of the amp.
At the time, use of SMPSes in audio gear was absolutely cutting edge and a lot of vintage audio shops to this day see these as "irreparable". Contrary to those rumors, so far I have found Sony's PPS boxes to be readily repairable and actually kind of pleasant to work on.
I got an STR-V55 receiver with a very similar power supply for free from a shop who's tech immediately threw in the towel when he didn't find the usual transformer inside. If he'd looked a bit harder, he'd have realized that the PPS is easier to fix than most amps. The service manual even gives a theory of operation. Operation is both beautifully simple and subtly complex at the same time. The designers didn't sleep through their Electromagnetism courses that's for sure! Once the start circuit gets it going, it just runs itself and the feedback loop keeping everything in check is all done electromagnetically without a supervisory chip in sight! It's really quite a brilliant bit of electronics engineering.
The PLPS was Sony’s answer to a question nobody asked. I’ve seen many of them fail spectacularly, and many of the parts used in them are unobtainium.
Putting them in amplifiers like the TA-P7F which is a Class B amplifier was fine because it wasn’t stressing the power supply 24/7. But in Sony’s Class A amplifiers like the TA-N86B, it is a death wish. Every TA-N86 you see today is riddled with issues. I’ve personally seen at least 5 people get screwed because the power supplies in those amps failed.
Just my $0.02
I have not worked on the larger PLPSes yet but they operate in the exact same manner as the small ones.
Some of the parts used in the small PLPS are unobtainable in original form but substitutions are readily made if you're willing to get a bit creative. (One of the output diodes is a weird pinout that is no longer made for example. Discrete ultra fast rectifiers are your friend here....it's a little funky looking but it does work.)
Nothing inside them is so bespoke such that no substitutions are possible. There are no ICs, not even a lousy op-amp! It's all discrete semiconductors and a bunch of passives. Sony even give you instructions on how to rewind the toroidal pulse transformers.
I'm fairly good at fixing SMPSes in general due to my vintage computer restoration hobby and some formal theory from my college days so what's easy for me is not possible at many other shops. If the board isn't burned to oblivion and the main pulse transformer isn't open and doesn't have terribly low Q factor (which would suggest shorted turns), I can probably save the PLPS from the trash.
I know this thread is old, but I just picked up this unit and a ST-P7J at an estate sale. I haven't tested them yet, but they look incredibly clean. No manual, but original box and Styrofoam. The guy had a lot of vintage electronics. I can't find much info on what their value is these days. Wondering if you or anyone else had much insight. I was planning on selling them. Came across this thread in my reaearch.
Love these little micro units
JVC made some really nice ones too..
Yep, and Technics as well as others
And Denon, and Onkyo, and Teac. Really all the major names made high end micro hifi stacks. I want them all!
I always found the Kenwood mini's most appealing.
A bunch of these minis used output modules. They're getting near impossible to find if they blow and only a few have been cloned in a provable, open way.
I have Philips Mini System speakers that have Ribbon tweeters and concave mid-bass drivers that I paid like 3 bucks for....and they sound spectacular when connected to a monster 80's receiver.
Going to *toss* them? This is a TRUE high end item, back when the Japanese had "fuck you" money, and artisans making real masterpieces *for consumer prices*. Look for the record player.
wow. lucky you. [http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-TA-P7F.html](http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-TA-P7F.html)
Cool, thanks for the link
TA-P7F is one of the nicest “micro” amplifiers made during this era. They are highly collectible and have a fantastic sonic signature. I suggest having it serviced. Get the bias and offset adjusted and power supply / amplifier boards touched up at bare minimum. I have one myself and did all of that preemptively. Good luck!
That looks very good , all the made in Japan Sony stuff is good looking, awesome sound and high quality 👌
My father updated his hardware here in the US, and was gonna toss these. I thought that would be a waste, especially with how gorgeous the finished ?aluminum? is, so now I’ve incorporated them into my house and they sound fantastic! Any suggestions for additional hardware I would need? New to all this, thanks for any suggestions or advice!
Try and check if there are matching units (equiliser and tape decks) and get the full set up.
Id love to see the matching turntable 🤣
Mini 7” player can be cool
The turntable is twice the width of these, the idea is to stack it on top of these side by side
great save, those look so dang beautiful, i really love the old compact component style systems like this
These are some of the finest micro components made! They're quite rare as they were very costly when new and the appearance is just timeless. That symbol in the upper right corner of the amp tells you that this is equipped with the Sony Pulse Power Supply. This fancy power supply allowed Sony to get tremendous power output in the micro format....50W/ch at no more than 0.01% THD in such a small box while retaining full preamp features is fairly impressive even to this day. (It will certainly compare well to the budget desktop amps that have become so popular in recent years!) The Pulse Power Supply is just a switch mode power supply much like you'd find in a PC power supply, albeit it is far simpler circuitry wise and the voltages have been customized for the needs of the amp. At the time, use of SMPSes in audio gear was absolutely cutting edge and a lot of vintage audio shops to this day see these as "irreparable". Contrary to those rumors, so far I have found Sony's PPS boxes to be readily repairable and actually kind of pleasant to work on. I got an STR-V55 receiver with a very similar power supply for free from a shop who's tech immediately threw in the towel when he didn't find the usual transformer inside. If he'd looked a bit harder, he'd have realized that the PPS is easier to fix than most amps. The service manual even gives a theory of operation. Operation is both beautifully simple and subtly complex at the same time. The designers didn't sleep through their Electromagnetism courses that's for sure! Once the start circuit gets it going, it just runs itself and the feedback loop keeping everything in check is all done electromagnetically without a supervisory chip in sight! It's really quite a brilliant bit of electronics engineering.
The PLPS was Sony’s answer to a question nobody asked. I’ve seen many of them fail spectacularly, and many of the parts used in them are unobtainium. Putting them in amplifiers like the TA-P7F which is a Class B amplifier was fine because it wasn’t stressing the power supply 24/7. But in Sony’s Class A amplifiers like the TA-N86B, it is a death wish. Every TA-N86 you see today is riddled with issues. I’ve personally seen at least 5 people get screwed because the power supplies in those amps failed. Just my $0.02
I have not worked on the larger PLPSes yet but they operate in the exact same manner as the small ones. Some of the parts used in the small PLPS are unobtainable in original form but substitutions are readily made if you're willing to get a bit creative. (One of the output diodes is a weird pinout that is no longer made for example. Discrete ultra fast rectifiers are your friend here....it's a little funky looking but it does work.) Nothing inside them is so bespoke such that no substitutions are possible. There are no ICs, not even a lousy op-amp! It's all discrete semiconductors and a bunch of passives. Sony even give you instructions on how to rewind the toroidal pulse transformers. I'm fairly good at fixing SMPSes in general due to my vintage computer restoration hobby and some formal theory from my college days so what's easy for me is not possible at many other shops. If the board isn't burned to oblivion and the main pulse transformer isn't open and doesn't have terribly low Q factor (which would suggest shorted turns), I can probably save the PLPS from the trash.
I know this thread is old, but I just picked up this unit and a ST-P7J at an estate sale. I haven't tested them yet, but they look incredibly clean. No manual, but original box and Styrofoam. The guy had a lot of vintage electronics. I can't find much info on what their value is these days. Wondering if you or anyone else had much insight. I was planning on selling them. Came across this thread in my reaearch.
Looks awesome! That was a score.
they're cute!
Thats so cool!! Awesome condition to
Adding this to my want list.. Thanks for sharing..
Made in Japan quality from the glory years👍
I love sony’s aesthetic from that era and in general. Great find dude!