Hello good people, I am requesting assistance regarding an old (amazing cosmetic condition) JVC Walkman from 1981 (see title for model name). the issue comes from the PCB (I’m almost certain), as the volume is extremely low in the left ear, and a constant popping noise and no volume from the right. I have concluded that it could be 1 of 3 possible issues and was hoping for some direction on what to attempt first: 1 (not likely) Replacing the capacitors: I have come to the tentative conclusion that all of the capacitors are in good shape, and seem very well positioned. However, if the issue is not fixed after attempting other solutions, I will look into it further. 2 (likely) I have seen some oxidation on the solder joints that are connected to a red and black wire going from the amplifier module to the PCB. I did not want to attempt a desolder and resolder unless I have heard that it could be causing the problem. 3 (no idea) the only other possible explanation from my perspective is a problem with the 3.5mm headphone jack connected to the PCB. However it seems to be cleanly and properly soldered to the PCB, with no noticeable unpleasant noises when plugging in headphones. I have already ruled out the possibility of the volume rocker being the issue. As I have cleaned underneath the knob and removed any scratching noise coming from adjusting the volume. any advice and/or suggestions are greatly appreciated as I’d love to be able to repair it myself without having to take it in. I have all the equipment necessary, it’s just a matter of deciding where to start. I will add pictures as soon as I can, next time I open up the unit to take a look. Thanks in advance for any feedback! Alex
I wrote a tutorial about this walkman: https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/jvc-cq-1k-restoration.6431/ 1. Bad caps seem likely to me based on what I have seen on this model and what others have stated. 2. The oxidation you have seen is likely leakeage from capacitors. I suggest to investigate that further. Add some fresh solder: if melting the solder generates a bad smell, you will know it's leaked electrolyte. 3. Jack and volume potentiometer won't be the problem. Apart from this, there are mechanical issues that need to be solved: reel gears crack and there's also a clutch gear which retainer cracks.
