Akai AJ-500 Vintage Boombox / Stereo Receiver – Partially Restored, Needs Further Service

Vintage Akai AJ-500 stereo system with cassette deck and radio. This unit powers on and is functional, but it is being sold as a project / partially serviced unit due to remaining audio issues.

Condition

• Unit powers on and all major functions respond (radio, inputs, controls)
• Cosmetically in good vintage condition (normal wear consistent with age)
• All knobs, switches, and inputs present

Work Completed

• Replaced main large electrolytic capacitors (power supply / output filtering)
• General inspection and partial recap begun
• Unit is stable and operational after initial service

Known Issues

• Left channel is more affected than right (imbalance present)
• Line input distorts easily with higher-level sources (e.g., smartphone output)
• Left speaker will cut out & come back in sometimes. (Might be grounding issues)
• Rew & FF are a bit weak

Summary

This is a solid candidate for restoration:

• Core system is working
• Major power components already addressed
• Remaining work is focused on the preamp/tone circuitry

Ideal for someone familiar with vintage audio repair or looking for a straightforward recap project.

Sold as-is due to the issues described.