Buying NOS vintage receiver advice

Im looking at getting a NOS Marantz 4140. I won't be able test it out with speakers until I get it back to my place, but I could bring some headphones and a y-cord to test it out with music from my phone.

Does anyone have any input on buying vintage, unused equipment like this? Are there any issues that typically develop from it being unused for 40 years? Is it safer to buy gently used, but tested?

Thanks all.

 

You'll only hear the headphone amp, not the output stage but you should still get a sense of what you're looking at as far as overall condition goes, noisy controls, etc. Provenance matters, who owns it, how long they have, private sale, flipper, etc..will they give you a refund if one or both outputs are dead, etc. If it is truly NOS, congrats, she's a beauty.

 

Thanks for the input! I will definitely try to negotiate a refund if a channel(s) is out. And its in the original box with plastic and styrofoam and the manual, so at the very least it was very very well kept.

 

After 40 years of just sitting there you should bring it up on a Variac as a sudden in rush of current can destroy the capacitors.

 

Interesting. I don't have a variac, but ill ask around to see if I can borrow one. This would apply to only the first time firing it up, right? Thanks!

 

Yes, the first time only.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but on all these solid state devices, the headphone is routed thru the output stage, and then thru a volume-reducing resistor. That is, if the headphone output works, then the main output works.

 

Cool deal. I'm in the Twin Cities too. Where did you manage to find this item, if you don't mind me asking?

 

All electrolytic caps should be checked.