Hi. Before I get any deeper into this unit (and it's not too much of a picnic to service), can anyone with one of these boomboxes tell me for sure if the noise level in play mode is just normally very high with these? Just in play mode, with no tape?
I have other GEs of about the same age (3-5252, 3-5263), and they don't have this much noise. Have replaced the preamp chip (LA3220) with a replacement NTE 1634, and no difference. The 5 volts that feeds the chip is clean. I'm leaning toward "It must be normal", even if I find it unacceptably high noise. Combination hiss, with some lower frequency roar. Tapes play at the correct volume level, with no abnormally high gain, etc. This issue almost has to be the way the chip is designed, even though it's classified as "low noise".
Btw, it's not the motor. The noise doesn't change with the motor disconnected. And it's not a magnetized head, or tape path. Thanks.
I have other GEs of about the same age (3-5252, 3-5263), and they don't have this much noise. Have replaced the preamp chip (LA3220) with a replacement NTE 1634, and no difference. The 5 volts that feeds the chip is clean. I'm leaning toward "It must be normal", even if I find it unacceptably high noise. Combination hiss, with some lower frequency roar. Tapes play at the correct volume level, with no abnormally high gain, etc. This issue almost has to be the way the chip is designed, even though it's classified as "low noise".
Btw, it's not the motor. The noise doesn't change with the motor disconnected. And it's not a magnetized head, or tape path. Thanks.
