Technics SH-400 demodulator UK/EU ready

[surround.sound.enthusiast]

I found this on Ebay, a Technics SH-400 demodulator, but what's unique about this one is that it's apparently wired for only 240V 50/60Hz.



I've only ever seen these in fixed North American voltage and frequency (120V 60Hz), or the fully adjustable international version. I'm
honestly not sure if this was a customer or factory modification, but it's out there for anyone collecting in a higher voltage country!

 

[Soundfield]

I found this on Ebay, a Technics SH-400 demodulator, but what's unique about this one is that it's apparently wired for only 240V 50/60Hz.

View attachment 66570

I've only ever seen these in fixed North American voltage and frequency (120V 60Hz), or the fully adjustable international version. I'm
honestly not sure if this was a customer or factory modification, but it's out there for anyone collecting in a higher voltage country!

Looks like someone has bodged a multi-voltage one. They've removed the voltage selector and covered the hole with a bit of sticky back plastic, and crossed out the other voltage options with a marker pen. Very odd. Best avoided I would have thought. It would have looked like this before-

 

[surround.sound.enthusiast]

Yeah, I wasn't sure which was the case. If they removed the selector, I wonder what else they changed inside of the unit...

 

[fredblue]

well somebody obviously thought it was worth pursuing, it sold for £199.99 smackeroonies!

tbh if i had the ready cash and was still fannying about with CD-4 i'd have taken a punt on it too.

i was thinking, as off-putting as it looks it may be that is how the unit was originally sold in the UK? after all we're talking about a very small market, so rather than Panasonic make a specific model for this territory they just farmed out basic localisation work to an engineer in a repair shop or something? idk..

 

[Soundfield]

i was thinking, as off-putting as it looks it may be that is how the unit was originally sold in the UK?

Perhaps Fred, but if they'd got an international voltage model available in the UK why then go to the effort of modifying it?

 

[fredblue]

Perhaps Fred, but if they'd got an international voltage model available in the UK why then go to the effort of modifying it?

true! why go to all that trouble when the international model just required one minor adjustment to the voltage selector and you're good to go!

 

[ress4278]

Slightly off topic, but does anyone know a repair shop in the U.S. that works on quad and has a reliable track record? I have one of these that needs some light repairs.
Thanks

 

[Doug G.]

There are various reasons the modification could have been made. The original transformer could have gone bad and they just installed a 240 volt primary one. Or the voltage selection switch could have malfunctioned so they just removed it and hard wired it for 240.

Or an "audiophile." told the guy no self-respecting HiFi enthusiast would EVER use a multi-voltage piece of equipment.

Doug