MY Hifi Holy Grail: Yamaha CR-3020

Video Description

When I was 16 I found out about the Yamaha CR-3020, an absolutely massive, $1500, 160W per channel, 78lb, ebony veneered, 25 inch wide beast of a stereo receiver that was released in 1978. And at 28 years old, I've finally managed to buy one. Not only is that incredibly exciting in and of itself, but I also have the skills to service it and this one was having some issues with the sound cutting out at low volumes. That is typically caused by a dirty Pre out/Main in coupling switch on the back of the receiver but can also be cause by dirty speaker relays. There are 3 speaker relays in this receiver, one for each set of speakers! I also checked for a known issue where the pre driver transistors on the driver boards can come loose and destroy the relays or power supply. This unit is very clean and I purchased it from the original owner after taking a roadtrip down to Bend, OR in November of 2023. It was super fun to spend time with the original owner and hear about all of his memories using it. I hope that I never have to sell this because to me, it's the pinnacle of receivers that I could want from the 70's. I also recently acquired a second CR 3020 that I will be completely restoring and listing for sale later this year. If you are interested in it, please send me an email. I may need to reveneer it so we could work together on making it a unit that is custom to your tastes. [email protected] Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:19 Specs, Manufacturing, & Background info 05:25 Background on my CR 3020 06:19 Disassembly & Fun Design Elements + Build Quality 07:48 Removing the Driver Cards, Relay board, and Coupling Switch 09:06 Cleaning The Pre out/Main in Coupling Switch 10:15 Cleaning the Speaker Relays 13:58 Fixing a Major Flaw in the Design 15:02 Reinstalling the bottom cover and driver boards 15:23 Testing on Dim Bulb (Use 150 to 200 Watt bulbs) 17:00 Adjusting Bias (Idling Current) 17:26 Adjusting DC Offset (Mid Point Voltage) 17:51 Final Testing 18:15 Loud Listening Test •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Hey! My name is Matt and I sure do love stereos! I got into this hobby when I was in high school over a decade ago. I had huuuge speakers in my bedroom and way too many pieces of gear (my mom was worried I would become a hoarder haha). I started repairing stereos for friends a few years back and decided to make videos about it! Now I repair gear for people. If you want to send yours in for repair, head to my repair form: https://forms.gle/Tk5xAEkGgVdyZ4w4A Test equipment: (I earn a small commission if you buy from these links) -Dim bulb tester! I made mine but you can find them on various websites -Soldering iron Hakko FX 888 https://amzn.to/3JhyNrK -Hakko FR 301 solder sucker https://amzn.to/4ogUecy -Main Multimeter (Fluke 87V) https://amzn.to/45dvqJS -Get the mini grabber leads for it! https://amzn.to/4qpJzxt -Cheaper multimeter (Fluke 115) https://amzn.to/4o9y0ce -Oscilloscope Siglent SDS 1104X-E https://amzn.to/43ovYMU -Function generator Siglent SDG 1032X (There are newer versions out so finding this used online is the best option) -Capacitor tester Peak Atlas ESR 70 https://amzn.to/3JjBauK (The price here fluctuates, you can usually find them cheaper on other stores) -Transistor tester Peak Atlas DCA 75 (you can get the cheaper 55 model but it’s not as good so if you can afford it this is the one) https://amzn.to/4oaW6TS -Hagerman labs IRIAA (Phone or signal generator gets dropped to phono cartridge level) https://hagerman-audio-labs.myshopify.com/products/iriaa2-inverse-riaa-filter Tools: -Ratcheting screwdriver https://amzn.to/3WihZED -Lead forming pliers https://amzn.to/3JsB1oK -Capacitor drain tool https://amzn.to/4oD6HGZ -Wire strippers https://amzn.to/43r26iU -Magnetic Helping Hands https://amzn.to/4o5BAnF -Plastic Rocket Sockets https://lovemyswitches.com/rocket-sockets-pedal-building-socket-set/ -Fiber glass pencil for cleaning metal contacts https://amzn.to/3Jdn0eG Chemicals/glues: -Electronics contact cleaner https://amzn.to/4o7yH5O -Deoxit D100L for metal contacts https://amzn.to/3WRiXaS -Deoxit F100L for graphite contacts https://amzn.to/4hps1xf -Solder flux in a syringe https://amzn.to/4hpNs1f -Dow Corning 340 Thermal paste (Non conductive) https://amzn.to/4o6f65O -Freeze spray (Electronics safe) for finding faulty transistors https://amzn.to/4qlDvGl -Acrylic glue for dustcovers and such https://amzn.to/4o87TSZ -Mother’s Mag & Aluminum polish for faceplates https://amzn.to/3L70ip2 -Meguiars ScratchX For light buffing https://amzn.to/4ht58t1 Miscellaneous useful items: -Tuner string https://amzn.to/3Wl6DzK -Parts organizer bins https://amzn.to/4ht3nfp PCB Repair: Eyelets https://amzn.to/4qr8TTH Punches for installing eyelets https://amzn.to/48LJbmE Hand drill for enlarging PCB holes https://amzn.to/3WoxWZQ Instagram: @Shuksanaudio Tik Tok: @Thedealydeal eBay: https://www.ebay.com/usr/shuksan-audio