Thursday, February 12, 2026

A Vintage Telefunken Hi‑Fi System Saved From Rotting Away

Telefunken STS1 TT, STM1 AMP, Sony TC-199SD Deck, STP1 Preamp

So, the setup belonged to my dad, but it was sadly abandoned for years in basement, where other than collecting dust, it had been previously abused by me, as a 5 years old kid who liked to paint things with permanent markers.

Last summer I decided to give it a look. The amp capacitors exploded the first time I plugged it in, as a wrong fuse that had been previously installed, caused it to keep it powered on after the fault. I got it repaired from a very reputable shop. Preamp was luckily fine.

 
 

The whole setup was in such bad shape that no one would have ever tought to see it alive again. I was able to clean it so well by polishing the aluminum faceplates.

The turntable had a small issue with the start/stop mechanism: replacing the parts costed $150, but it was worth it. The cartridge is an Ortofon LMA5, and it sounds great,


 The Turntable

The arm

The only thing left to do, is replacing the amp power switch, as it is being temporary held in by a toothpick. It basically doesn't wanna stay in. Parts doesnt seem to be currenty available. 

Sadly, the deck was too far gone and parts aren't available anymore. It is now sitting on a shelf, waiting to be recovered. 

I bought a pair of used Kef Cresta 1 for $80. They are a great pair of bookshelf speakers, but you need to be careful not to push them too hard. I have also bought a Sony TC-199SD Deck on Ebay, but the shop from where I got it from had mistakenly set the motor speed wrong. They have luckily offered me a free repair, that's why I am gonna ship it back soon.

 


 
  • Telefunken STS1 – Turntable
  • Telefunken STM1 – Amplifier
  • Telefunken STP1 – Preamplifier
  • Sony TC‑199SD – Deck

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