# What kind of Soundstream D200 is this?



## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

This looks like a total hack-job to me, but I'm curious what the forum (except Tspence) thinks. I have several D200's, and I've never seen one that looks like
this


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## skibum (Aug 24, 2005)

pardon my ignorance but that looks like a homemade amp inside that case. Just my 2 cents. Were did you purchase it?


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## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

A co-worker picked it up at a pawnshop many moons ago. He wanted me to have a look at it because only 1 channel was working properly plus it got super-hot when it was playing.


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## fredridge (Jan 17, 2007)

is there a serial number? I can't tell, but it looks like it might have the right parts....maybe it was a prototype, very very early.


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## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

The only serial number I could find is the one on the bottom plate- B2029

I pulled out a D200 from the garage (guts like you would see on ampguts)
and It's serial number is B11071

Does this mean anything Fredrige?


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## capnxtreme (Feb 5, 2008)

Interesting! It looks like a homemade amp, but it does appear to be a dual mono, and a lot of the parts do look like the ones on ampguts (fuse, toroids, big caps).


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## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

When I tested it out, that sucker got hot quick!

Kinda reminded me of the heat a Class A 50 or 100 would put out.


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## imjustjason (Jun 26, 2006)

I'm with Fred. That's a VERY early model, maybe even a prototype. I would say that fella is pretty rare. Post that dude in the "old school showoff thread".

It looks like real SS components in there. So I believe it's a real deal not some homebrew.


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## ca90ss (Jul 2, 2005)

daywalker said:


> When I tested it out, that sucker got hot quick!
> 
> Kinda reminded me of the heat a Class A 50 or 100 would put out.


Is it drawing excessive current? What parts are getting hot?


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## benny (Apr 7, 2008)

By parts count, I would say early prototype. Probably worth hanging onto.

http://www.realmofexcursion.com/ampguts/Soundstream_D200/inside1.jpg


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## fredridge (Jan 17, 2007)

I have no idea... don't know there coding....was hoping for # 3 or something like that:blush:

again, I think it is real and a VERY early model..... if GRahn shows up in here he might know, he is my goto guy for SS questions. 



daywalker said:


> The only serial number I could find is the one on the bottom plate- B2029
> 
> I pulled out a D200 from the garage (guts like you would see on ampguts)
> and It's serial number is B11071
> ...


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## Mooble (Oct 21, 2007)

I don't know. Those caps look very new, definitely not something from the early 80s. I'd say it's more of a home amp building project.


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## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

ca90ss said:


> Is it drawing excessive current? What parts are getting hot?


Only listened to it for a few minutes. I thought the distortion I heard in the one channel was maybe the stereo/mono switch set the wrong way. When I yanked the amp out of the car, the heat sink was pretty hot to the touch. Didn't think at the time to test with a DMM.


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## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

Any other thoughts on weather this is a hack or an old/prototype model?


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## mitchyz250f (May 14, 2005)

PM 'G Rahn '. As far as I can see he knows more about SS amps than anyone. If it is a proto he will know.


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## madstereoman (Mar 25, 2009)

I think I bought this amp from you on Ebay, it looks just like it. I would say the one thing strange is there isn't holes in the heatsink where they are on a normal looking one for securing the circuit board down with screws. I'm going to send Nelson Pass a note and see if he can shed a little light.


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## mitchyz250f (May 14, 2005)

Who do you think you bought it from?


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## madstereoman (Mar 25, 2009)

Daywalker


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

I have own 5 D200 in the 7 months, I just sold my last one and 2 D100's and none of them look like that inside and I have never seen one that did. Maybe a prototype, but its just looks to new to me also.


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## Ge0 (Jul 23, 2007)

Just my $0.02...

You can buy the service manual for that amp from Soundstream for $15 shipped. At least you used to be able to.

It could have been an early concept prototype of the original D200 that has been refurbished. Someone might have grabed it by dumpster diving. 

OR

Someone rebuilt a fried one with home brew circuit boards using existing parts and perhaps the circuit topology right from the service manual. Somebody put some time into this...

One thing is for sure, hold onto it. You should be able to fix it / have it repaired with little effort.

Looks kinda cool to me.

Ge0


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## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

madstereoman said:


> I think I bought this amp from you on Ebay, it looks just like it. I would say the one thing strange is there isn't holes in the heatsink where they are on a normal looking one for securing the circuit board down with screws. I'm going to send Nelson Pass a note and see if he can shed a little light.


Yep, that's the one. I wish you the best getting her back up and running.
I pretty much sold everything except the MC300's I'm currently using.
Keep the the Soundstream geeks here informed on what you find out


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## capnxtreme (Feb 5, 2008)

Yes, please keep us geeks informed.


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## dave_damage (Jul 9, 2008)

madstereoman said:


> I think I bought this amp from you on Ebay, it looks just like it. I would say the one thing strange is there isn't holes in the heatsink where they are on a normal looking one for securing the circuit board down with screws. I'm going to send Nelson Pass a note and see if he can shed a little light.


If Nelson replies, please post his response. Would be cool to see what he has to say.


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## madstereoman (Mar 25, 2009)

I will let ya'll know if I hear back from him. this is my latest project:


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

madstereoman said:


> I will let ya'll know if I hear back from him. this is my latest project:


MC500?

My 3 MC300's went off to Zed for a little refreshing.


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## daywalker (May 30, 2008)

I'd love to rock a MC500! They're rare as hell though.

Here-I-come: Did any of your MC300's turn on kinda slow ever?
Sometimes, one of mine will take a few seconds for one of the 
channels to kick on  

I'm sure Zed will give your 300's lots-o-love


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

daywalker said:


> I'd love to rock a MC500! They're rare as hell though.
> 
> Here-I-come: Did any of your MC300's turn on kinda slow ever?
> Sometimes, one of mine will take a few seconds for one of the
> ...


Nope, never notice it. I would love a MC500 to run my subs, but you are correct they are rare and if you found one for sell, your pockets best be deep. Now if you ever want to sell one or more of your MC300's drop me a line first as I need a spare. I'm running them in my comp car and the last thing I need is one of them to die at a show with no replacement.


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## madstereoman (Mar 25, 2009)

dave_damage said:


> If Nelson replies, please post his response. Would be cool to see what he has to say.


Here is Nelson Pass's reply:

"The "not normal" would be earlier production. I wasn't plugged into
this, but it looks like they cleaned up the layout later on. I am not
aware of circuit changes or if there were any performance or
reliability differences.

best, np"

So it is a legit early production model. I haven't tested it yet, but I noticed a toroid wire was touching a resistor wire, so I moved it. We'll see if she works.....


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## madstereoman (Mar 25, 2009)

Here-I-Come said:


> Nope, never notice it. I would love a MC500 to run my subs, but you are correct they are rare and if you found one for sell, your pockets best be deep. Now if you ever want to sell one or more of your MC300's drop me a line first as I need a spare. I'm running them in my comp car and the last thing I need is one of them to die at a show with no replacement.


I got lucky I found a guy in cali that sold me his MC500 and a D200 for $319 shipped...! should be here by monday....


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## madstereoman (Mar 25, 2009)

Here-I-Come said:


> MC500?
> 
> My 3 MC300's went off to Zed for a little refreshing.


Yep a 500! I'm interested in a refresh job too....how do you go about getting Zed to do that?
Thanks.


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## Melodic Acoustic (Oct 10, 2005)

madstereoman said:


> I got lucky I found a guy in cali that sold me his MC500 and a D200 for $319 shipped...! should be here by monday....




You are one lucky man.



madstereoman said:


> Yep a 500! I'm interested in a refresh job too....how do you go about getting Zed to do that?
> Thanks.


You have a PM


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## tristan20 (Nov 28, 2005)

Looks legit to me, I have seen earlier models and they all look similar with individual boards. Better IMO.

Reminds me of monolithic amps  YUMMY


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## ace956 (Aug 28, 2009)

daywalker said:


> This looks like a total hack-job to me, but I'm curious what the forum (except Tspence) thinks. I have several D200's, and I've never seen one that looks like
> this


daywalker
This is Wade Stewart, I designed and manufactured all Soundstream amps from 1982 through 1997. What you have there is one of the first Soundstream amps ever made. It was ddesiged and built by Nelson Pass. The reason it runs hot is they all had a condition known as 'Thermal Runaway', a condition where as the transistors heat up there gain increases turning the bias up. If they are adjusted just a little high they get hot, a little higher bias and they eventually blow up. I will need tolook through some documents to find out how you can reset the bias. I took this design, layed out a pc board for it and of course reset the bias and those became the second rev. of amps.


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## 14642 (May 19, 2008)

Years ago I had two od those. I had #11 and #23. Tey looked just like that and I had to repair them every Friday before I left the shop so they'd work all weekend. Stuff always broke off of those vertical boards.


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## ace956 (Aug 28, 2009)

Andy Wehmeyer said:


> Years ago I had two od those. I had #11 and #23. Tey looked just like that and I had to repair them every Friday before I left the shop so they'd work all weekend. Stuff always broke off of those vertical boards.


Andy,
I never built any of those models myself, but I believe almost all of them eventually came back and were replaced by newer models. When Soundstream closed there doors here in the Sacramento area most of those old models were still in stock.


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## WEBINTRUDER (Feb 22, 2012)

daywalker said:


> I'd love to rock a MC500! They're rare as hell though.
> 
> Here-I-come: Did any of your MC300's turn on kinda slow ever?
> Sometimes, one of mine will take a few seconds for one of the
> ...


I still have 2 full set of a MOTOROLA mosfets and tip 141 and 142 for soundstream MC 500
they are brand new parts for somebody that need them


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