Spares

We are often asked about the availability of components or spare parts for the following:-

amplifier
cassette deck
loudspeaker
music centre
music center
receiver
record deck
tape recorder (reel to reel)
tuner
tuner-amplifier
vintage radios
vintage record players
vintage radiograms

In the case of relatively new equipment, don't ask me - ask the manufacturers or their agents, (it's quicker and cheaper). They should have most replacement parts in their service department stores.

If the local importer cannot help, always ask the manufacturer before giving up - some importers only hold a restricted range of spares!

Otherwise, if the manufacturers cannot help, either due to the age of old or vintage equipment, or maybe they just cannot help, it is often the case that no one can help with original spares.

But don't give up!

Substitutes and repairs are often the answer.

One way or another, we can usually find an answer to problems concerning belts, capacitors, resistors, silicon and germanium transistors, chips, (IC's), motors, mains and output transformers, loudspeaker drive units - bass, (woofers), mid range, (squawkers), treble, (tweeters), as well as electrostatic loudspeakers.

Below, I will deal with some of the most common problems.

With the demise of early British hi-fi manufacturers, there are many high quality units, like Armstrong, Bryan, Ferrograph, Leak, Radford and Rogers, with no manufacturer support at all.

Equally, with other major manufacturers of the era, like Neal, Quad, Tandberg and Vortexion, original parts are often unavailable for the earliest products - especially collectors' items.

A common problem with these units is failure of valves transistors, transformers, motors and rubber parts that are no longer available. We hold the required knowledge to substitute, and in many cases, do so from stock.

Record decks, tape and cassette recorders often present mechanical difficulties. A particular problem concerns B&O and Dual turntables that are over 25 years old, with motor failure. "Can we supply a replacement motor?" is the wrong question, as these items are not available. The 'right' question is, "Can we repair the faulty motor?" - and to this question, the answer is usually 'yes'!

I am sometimes hugely amused by the kind of repairs carried out here on mechanical items. You come to me as an expert electronics hi-fi engineer - and I play a miniature blow torch over a seized bearing in your turntable, or drill, grind and polish a piece of metail to replace a missing or damaged part! To carry out some hi-fi equipment repairs, especially on tape and cassette recorders, and also on record decks, I am required to be a mechanical engineer - and, of course, have to hold a lot of mechanics' tools, as well as know how to use them!

Belts for tape and cassette decks are often unavailable, but for repair purposes, this is not a problem.

Styli

We are no longer able to help with styli.

How do we order parts from London Sound?

Unfortunately, for tedious legal reasons we do not supply spares either to professional repairers or for DIY. Spare parts can only be supplied as part of a repair.

For further details, either call in, telephone, write, or email, (londonsound@msn.com).

Further details of our repair service are found on the Repairs page. With some products, if you click on the name in the list to the left, you will be transferred to a dedicated product page.

Full contact details are in Basic Information.

For further information, please look at the following list of pages - or start again on the home page.

TELEPHONE

For technical help and advice, please ring Mike Solomons on 020 8868 9222.

The shop telephone line is normally open Monday to Friday 8.00. am. to 5.00. pm, (excluding early closing on Wednesdays - when we close at 1pm). We do not close for lunch. Please note that the shop door is not usually opened until 10 am.