Hello! WM-DC2 owner from new. Repair or leave alone?

Hi, I bought my DC2 specifically for the lineout and DolbyC back in the early 80s. I used to borrow records from my mates and use my Dad's deck to record using DolbyC.

However I soon had my own NAD deck and as a result the DC2 has remained virtually unused in it's original fake leather case.

Although unused the click has appeared. The only other sign of age is the case material. Luckily it has been stored without batteries.

My question is whether it is best from a collector's point of view to restore it or just keep it in a dark, dry temperature controlled place?

Any thoughts?

 

Welcome to Stereo2go Jonrrolyat

If you are going to use it, restore it else leave as is.

 

Hello and welcome to the forum, @Jonrrolyat !

If you intend to use your DC2, definately restore it. If the unit has never been serviced before, there are quite a few items that need to be done apart from replacing the center gear.
I recommend reading this thread where I go in more detail: https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/sony-wm-dd-series-buyers-guide.7657/
For proper Dolby C decoding, azimuth needs to be adjusted perfectly and Dolby levels will also need to be checked and adjusted if necessary as Dolby C is very sensitive to incorrect levels.

Of course if you're not going to use it, it doesn't really matter, just keep it in a dark, dry place at room temperature.

 

Thanks for advice. I love the thing but probably won't use it. Have been thinking of selling for some time but it's value just seem to keep edging upwards so am inclined to hang on to it.

If I had it restored I would go the whole hog and get everything possible done. However I was wondering whether the real collectors preferred to acquire a virginal device so that they can do the work themselves knowing that it will be done to their own exacting standard.

I'll read your recommended thread in detail thanks and then decide on a way forward.

 

From my own repair experience, I can say collectors who buy such walkmans to actually use them will prefer it professionally restored to factory specifications.
People who want to do the work themselves usually want that to save money, not because they have better repair standards than someone who does this on a regular basis.

The value of the walkman is going to increase significantly if the unit has been serviced and you have a service report that you can show to the potential buyer.
Even without a service report, that value will still be significantly higher just by fixing the center gear issue.
There's no reason to worry that servicing the walkman will drop its value.

If it's better to sell or to keep, that only you can decide. It depends how many walkmans you have, how often you listen to cassettes, if you want to use Dolby C, etc.
In my opinion it's a walkman worth having for a couple of reasons: very good sound with low self-noise, Dolby C, very low wow&flutter, good power output, line out.

 

welcome aboard

pics of your unit(s) are allways welcome here

have it restored or restore it yourselfe, after long storage you have to replace the centre-gear, idler and capstan flywheel-rubber (besides proper cleaning, lubrification where needed etc.). you will find parts and good tutorials here:
https://fixyouraudio.com/
finally get a replacement case f.ex. here:
https://www.analogueoctober.com/product/all-new-dd-walkman-leather-case-strap-embossed/

fix that baby properly, it‘s a gem !

 

Wise words. Thanks guys. I'll enjoy taking some photos and posting them. The main thing I've learnt is that restoring (properly) will certainly not detract from value or attraction to collectors.

To be honest the value is not really the issue (though nice) and would like to have it working as well as it did on the day I bought it (from Heathrow duty free I think) and if I can do that without hurting it I'll seek out a reputable restorer in the UK and throw some money on it.

 

Good move Jonrrolyat, get it serviced and keep it. You know the history of the unit since you have owned from new.
My recommendation of a tech in the UK is our very own forum member Deb64, you can PM her on this forum. She has worked on both of mine, and they are working flawlessly.

 

I might have got a bit carried away with all the photos. I spotted 2 imperfections, one of which I wasn't aware of until I zoomed in.