Hey, I've just ordered the WM-F550c Dolby B/C Walkman as I've decided to 'get serious' in terms of sound quality from a portable. I got it for a steal at £30 postage included with all accessories, but like most portables nowadays, it needs the belts changed. I've ordered the belts and they are both on their way. Having replaced the belts in a few Aiwa tape decks and my pocket sized slim 'beater' portable, a Panasonic RQ-SX32 (managed to slip the belt on without removing the circuit board using a pair of tweezers); I'd say I'm relatively familiar with the whole process of changing belts. However, I can't find any service manual or infact much information on this particular Walkman anywhere, which worries me a little. I did find a video of a Japanese bloke taking the model apart completely and it looked relatively simple to get at the belts, by the looks of things the circuit board can be moved to the side, no de-soldering (I'm hopeless with a soldering iron) required. As this is a 'proper' Walkman and was such a good deal I figured one can never be too careful and am here to ask if anyone has any recourses relating to fixing this thing up, or any general tips for this generation of Walkman. I've 100% success rate so far and am determined to get this one especially right. Cheers in advance.
I do not have this specific model But what i can tell you It is easy to change a Sony walkman belt. I have changed belt for probably 250 of my walkman units. So from my personal experience Sony brand is the easiest when it comes to belt change. It is harder to change belt on most of AIWA and all Panasonic slimline series.
I have this model in the deep blue colour - I just love it.. The internals are an iteration of the excellent WM-150 - basically any model that has the small rectangular buttons with a green reverse button Sound quality is superb - but the clutch on all of these models is fragile and usually broken. I have about 10 that verify this! There is also a strong possibility of faulty caps, although replacement is not too bad on the 550 I've recapped mine and performed a clutch / centre gear weld that works We're very lucky that @bub has produced an excellent guide if you need it http://www.stereo2go.com/forums/threads/walkman-150-clutch-repair.628/#post-27180 One thing I would appreciate is if you could photograph the main board before any adjustments and upload the image(s) - I would like to see the approximate settings of the dolby trim pots.. Good luck!
ps - belt replacement is easy, although you will have to de-solder one of the ribbon cables to gain access Also - this thread should be in Walkman Tech Talk - please could a moderator move!
Apologies, I've only just glanced back at this thread and have just already opened it up. However there is a YouTube video of a guy disassembling the model if you'd like a link? Yeah it has that issue with the gear, is it a difficult fix? Cheers.
