The Audio Cynic·Issue 01 · The Honest Bench
Eight pieces from the bench this issue: the parts cannon, the capacitor problem, a humming receiver that needs a real answer, and why the hi-fi industry quietly hates repair.
Issue 01 · August 2026
Everything you own is slowly trying to die. The industry is fine with that. We're not.
Eight pieces from the bench this issue: the parts cannon, the capacitor problem, a humming receiver that needs a real answer, and why the hi-fi industry quietly hates repair.
01Field GuideWhy Component-Level Repair MattersBoard swapping is often the fastest way to make a repair bill bigger. Component-level work starts by finding the part that actually failed.5 min read
02Ask TjAsk Tj: My Vintage Receiver Hums. Is It Worth Fixing?A hum is a symptom, not a diagnosis. What it usually means in vintage gear, and how to know whether the repair makes sense before anyone quotes you.4 min read
03WorkshopWhy the Hi-Fi Industry Hates RepairA lot of high-end audio is designed to be thrown away. Not on purpose, mostly. But follow the pattern: potted modules, dealer-only firmware, parts that quietly disappear.5 min read
04Heritage & IndustryWhy the Hi-Fi Industry Hates Repair - the marketing sideTj wrote about repair from the bench. I spent decades on the other side of the wall, selling the dream. Nobody sets out to build something unrepairable. It's just that repairability is a line item, and line items get cut.5 min read
05The MagazineThe $12 Soldering Iron ProblemRepair got framed as a specialist activity you buy access to. The first real bench tool costs about twelve dollars. The actual barriers are information and parts, and those are business decisions.4 min read
06Field GuideThe Capacitor Problem: Why Old Gear Changes Over TimeElectrolytic capacitors age. Here is what that can mean for an amplifier, receiver, DAC, or other older piece of audio gear.6 min read
07WorkshopWhat I Learned at PS AudioYears around audio support and bench work taught me that a repair is also a trust problem: bring the music back, then explain what happened.5 min read
08The MagazineWhen It Is Not Worth FixingThe hardest repair answer is sometimes do not spend the money. A useful decision weighs replacement cost, parts, sentiment, and risk together.4 min read
09WorkshopRight to Repair: What It Actually Means for YouRight to Repair is about whether the device you paid for can remain yours after the first failure, not just a slogan on a poster.6 min readLooking for something older? Browse the full archive.