Hi again, A friend of mine Is/was a Yamamoto dealer and loaned me an older A08 45 SET amp to try. I loved it but thought that it struggled a bit, dynamically, on large Orchestral climaxes, with my 100db Lowther 'Fidelios'. Because I had a pal with a supply of VT52s, I went for the A010 instead. I should also mention that I listened to a Yamamoto A09s (300B) set amp with 94db Living Voice speakers and Lowthers. Very nice sound with on the LV speakers so I Imagine the A09s would be great with the ANEs. I preferred the A010 on the 100db Lowthers because it sounded 'faster' and cleaner, but the A09s was definitely the better sounding amp on the 94db LV speakers IMHO. The less expensive A014, 300B set amp, would have been a more affordable option, too. Not sure If Yamamoto still make them? My local Yamamoto dealer has been unable to get much out of Mr Yamamoto since Covid. He seems to think that Yamamoto were only selling the amps In Japan now? Not sure if this is still the case.
The CA03 phono pre amp has alot of gain and almost too much for the amps, depending on your speakers. I think Yamamoto do a stand alone phono stage without a volume control or line inputs This might be a good option with one of Yamamoto's passive volume controls? Again, depending on your speaker sensitivity.
Sound wise, the CA03 phono stage is lovely but very slightly 'coloured' in a slightly old-fashioned way? So, warmish/full bass, gorgeous midrange and 'golden hued' treble. The SET amps are more neutral sounding. Both the A09s and A08s are a bit warmer in the bass. The A010 is more 'modern' sounding with tight but powerful bass and very 'open' midrange and treble. Using 6A3 tubes gives a slightly warmer presentation and also a bit more 'dynamic' You'd use 6A3s for pop/rock, and VT52 s for jazz/classical. Don't bother with WE VT52s even if you can afford them! WE never made any VT52s but had them made for them by other valve makers. The Hytron VT52s give a lighter / cleaner more 'modern' sound. The Sylvania VT52s give a slightly fuller/warmer sound (lovely).
|
Hello again.
It seems like you received great service and that you have an excellent selection of exquisite tubes.
How did you land upon Yamamoto? What do you think of the sound?
I don’t think AN OTO can battle with Yamamoto SET designs. I’m not sure though.
I don’t know much about KT88 either but I really like 45. I thought VT52 would be perfect with SPe/He. How come there is so big variation in efficiency?
|
Hello again, Firstly apologies for the mix up. I quoted the wrong model No from memory! I owned a Yamamoto A010, the VT42 SET amp, not the A011, 2A3 amp. I bought the A010 without the VT52 power valves. I asked for 8 ohm and 16 ohm speaker taps but Shigeki Yamamoto Insisted that I had to choose one or the other! However, the amp arrived with both 8 ohm AND 16 ohm taps! Shigeki also supplied the amp with 4 NOS 'coke bottle' Hytron 80 rectifiers and two Siemens C3M input tubes. A valve/tube pal had a large stash of VT52s, I bought 2 pairs of NIB Hytron 1943 vintage VT52s. I bought another two pairs of NIB Sylvania VT52s off a US seller and two pairs of Tungsol VT52s off another US seller. I sold the A010 with a pair of lightly used Sylvania VT52s and Hytron VT52s. I still have the other unused pairs of VT52s, so 4 pairs in total. Did you know that the A010 will also happily use 6A3 tubes in stead of the VT52? These are what I mainly used as they give a bit more power and are really nice sounding valves (a bit easier to get hold of too) The A010 uses constant current heaters so the 6A3 heaters run at about 6,5V which is fine. you get about 55mA on the meter instead of about 43mA, with VT52s. I had a pair of the cheaper ANJs and had a pair of KIT 3 ANEs. AN rate the dearer ANEs at 98db but reviewers warn that they are nearer 93/94 db. If you stick with Yamamoto I would be tempted to get the KT88 A03 12w SEP amp? The tubes are alot easier to get and it would be a better match, power wise. Another valve amp that I think works really well with ANEs is the smallest Leben EL84 intergrated amp. Also try and hear Audio Notes own EL84 and EL34 push/pull amps.
|
I owned and loved a Yamamoto A011 (VT52) amp for nearly 9 years.
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate your experience and reflections regarding Yamamoto and I'm glad that you take my system (Audio Note) into consideration.
I was actually recommended, by Yamamoto, to choose A-011 due to the low stock of VT-52 and ADM-1 tubes. The A-011 is supposed to be made with 2A3 making a fair 4 W per channel.
I did get a very quiet sound out of a pair of AN Es which are nearer 92db rather than 98db.
I'm very well aware that both the "45" and "VT-52" amplifiers deliver modest power. The Audio Note speaker I would like is the SPe/HE that should be 98 dB efficient. I will listen to music in a 25 square meter room. I have tried various places to ask if it would be a problem. Most replies I get is that the "45" will probably be difficult, but the "VT-52" shouldn't be. Which pair of Js do you have?
to stop loud clicking noises caused by dc on the attenuator burning the contacts
This seems like a major problem. Can you elaborate on the problem and how did it occur?
|
Interestingly for such a rare bird, there’s a Yamamoto A-011 SE 2A3 on craigslist right now, of all places. It’s in Seattle.
Single-digit-watt amps are not my cup of tea, the polar opposite actually, but it’s a sweet-looking amplifier that looks very well built.
|
Hello and I've just read your post hence the delay in replying.
I owned and loved a Yamamoto A011 (VT52) amp for nearly 9 years.
I've also listened to both the Yamamoto C03 with the 'normal' and stepped attenuators.
I have a few observations and opinions which you can follow or Ignore as you please. The A011 actually puts out about 1.8 watts, before clipping, as measured on a 'scope with load resistors, not 3 watts. It would simply not drive my Audio Note ANJ speakers at all! I did get a very quiet sound out of a pair of AN Es which are nearer 92db rather than 98db. I think you have to use this amp with a pair of easy-to-drive speakers of at least 100db. I have a pair of Lowther back-horn-loaded TP1 speakers which are 105db and play at rock concert levels with less than half a watt! The VT52 amp was brilliant with the TP1s BUT did hum in between tracks (less than 1mV hum) Speakers around the 100db mark will sound great and not have noticeable hum so are Ideal. So the likes of Klipsch Heritage Cornwalls or bigger. Maybe Zu audio speakers, Most Lowther BHL speakers, Avant Guard, or other speakers with an active bass?.
The Yamamoto CA03 is a very nice phono stage/pre amp. I've had to clean a friend's stepped attenuator CA03, a few times, to stop loud clicking noises caused by dc on the attenuator burning the contacts. The 'normal' attenuator CA03 doesn't have this problem and sounds just as good so that would be my choice (and it's a bit less expensive).
Oh and I still have a complete set of NIB and NOS valves for the VT52 amp
and the CA03 preamp, They would be for sale if you wanted them.
|
I don’t think you can go wrong with a tube preamp and a beefy solid state power amp. Which ever preamp floats your boat, go for it. I would try to audition any equipment first. A long trip is worth it to hear it.
|
My friend, met here, is in love with his DL103 cartridges, he brought two variations here, I was anticipating some unique magic.
They were easily bested he had to admit. I know many love them, I just shake my bewildered head, as I do when I come across so many very expensive Ellipticals.
Not all Christian Scientists, but cults exist, and will long after I'm gone.
|
This is easy. Get an external phono pre-amp. It gives you ultimate flexibility and can sound better.
|
elliottbnewcombjr
"I’m not dragging a round rock thru my grooves."
It’s been a popular cartridge for over a half decade, with good reason. The denon 103 sounds fantastic if properly used with a SUT.
The late Art Dudley had a fondness for spherical/conical stylus, they are very organic and musical sounding. I'd have to agree.
|
Have you looked into purchasing this preamp yet? I don’t know what country you’re in, but in my country there is no dealer for Yamamoto. I was interested in purchasing one of their amps, because they seem to have a stellar reputation on the Internet (perhaps better known in the 1990’s) and relatively reasonable prices. But I found there is a 6 month wait to order their products with full payment upfront. Perhaps that isn’t an issue for you, but due to that factor I went with another option. I guess I’ll never know how good their products are.
|
ps,
The Denon 103R is a spherical stylus, the most basic, dare I say PRIMITIVE shape, with only 25db channel separation at 1khz, which limits it's performance regarding imaging, and has the least life expectancy due to all the forces applied to it's very limited contact area.
Do yourself a favor, try an advanced stylus shape with large contact area with excellent channel separation and tight channel balance, and resultant long life expectancy
I often recommend
MM: user replaceable stylus
AT750SH advanced Shibata stylus shape on tapered aluminum with 30db channel separation/1.0db channel balance
MC non-replaceable stylus (lasts far longer than spherical or elliptical, (renewed by pros or trade in programs))
AT33PTG/II MicroLinear on Tapered Boron, with 30db channel separation and even tighter 0.5db channel balance for superior imaging, the largest contact area, the longest life.
of course there are others, I'm not dragging a round rock thru my grooves.
|
I’ve gone the passive route, Tisbury audio passive preamp, made in UK. I’m also using a smsl cd player with its own volume control, as well as the music hall ph 25.2 hybrid/tube headphone/preamp (own volume control), and the music hall A3 tubed phone preamp (own volume control). All these components hooked up directly into two NAD 268 power amps (class D) in a bridged mono block configuration. No need for a dedicated stand alone active preamp. Sounds great. This is one of 2 set ups I currently run.
|
My advice:
1. You have convinced yourself 'I prefer Japanese', yet I was surprised to read this from their site's 04 description?
"The resistors are made by DALE, which has a good sound, and the condenser is a polypyrene film capacitor with low distortion in the main part
Most of the resistors of CA-04 are made by DALE in the United States. Many of the resistors made by DALE are made according to the MIL standard in the United States, and their sound quality is so superior that it cannot be compared with those of the same class made in Japan. Its reliability is also several levels higher than that of general use.
In addition, polypropylene capacitors made mainly in the United States are used for condensers. Compared to ordinary chemical capacitors, this polypropylene capacitor has a superior response to pulsed signals, and the distortion rate of the capacitor itself is also very good. Since the difference in sound quality between capacitors has a significant impact not only on the signal circuit but also on the power supply circuit, we are trying to improve the sound quality by adopting a polypropylene type capacitor for many parts of the capacitor, including the power supply circuit. In addition, the condenser, which greatly affects the sound quality, is filled with high-strength epoxy resin in an ebony case by the company to improve the sound quality".
Each maker must differentiate themselves, they have made this a large part of their differentiation.
I agree with others: consider well known, well reviewed components in your budget, consider future resale.
2 . Learn More about Phono requirements: RIAA EQ; MM signal strength; MC low output signal strength; SUT's relationships of xFactors/resultant Impedances.
Think long, not just your current Denon 103R, but future cartridges, both MM and MC. You want more impedance options than what the 03 model or most built-in MC offers.
3. Phono Signals REQUIRE
a. RIAA EQ to occur somewhere, and
b. Signal Strength BOOST up to LINE LEVEL which originally was 1 volt,
b1. boost MM and/or HOMC higher signal output some, or
b2. boost LOMC smaller signal up some (via a SUT) to go into a MM Phono for RIAA EQ and final boost up to line level, or
b3. all the way up including RIAA EQ (a complete self contained phono stage).
4. Learn about SUTs (I learned after joining Audiogon). Here's some SUT info I gathered while learning, after a bit of research it starts to make sense, or, like Bridge, simply follow the rules)
https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11318
|
Honestly I wish you luck but your theoretical approach to component selection seems more about buying into the marketing hype of a company most of us have never heard of than actual user experience or sound. Their website is heavy on that but really doesn’t say much about product design, specs, etc. That tube or its equivalent is used in a lot of medium-quality Chinese hardware, but pretty much nowhere else. Lots of experienced audiophiles and music lovers here but nobody seems to have heard of or listened to the products you prefer. Try going out and listening to actual equipment. Hope things work out.
I'm sorry if my messages come out this way. I must excuse my poor English.
I actually just want to learn more about the technical things. What is an attenuator and what are the advantages of this? How come two models have different prices? Are they specific power amplifiers or what is it? When I do have an MC pickup, what is the better solution, an integrated solution with a preamp combined with phonostage or individual components? How does a SUT go into this equation?
I merely want to understand more and learn more about HiFi.
|
If you are using the Denon 103R you may want to consider a step up trans in place of a LOMC phono input and run the step up output into an MM stage.
|
I’d reach out to Yamamoto to see which Pre they recommend pairing with your amplifier. Synergy should be great with both but they may have designed one of them to specifically pair with your amp. The double volume sounds like it’s a different label / terminology for a balance adjustment. Attenuation could mean several different things, could refer to gain as already referenced but without the ability to adjust attenuation or could be referencing the Pre’s ability to adjust the attenuation / gain. The ability to adjust the gain, attenuation if that’s what it references would be relevant when trying to match gain from various components. Shouldn’t be needed from your Pre to Amp if designed by the same manufacture and designed to pair together. As others have said, without understanding the lingo, tough to know what’s meant by some of the terms describing the various features. Attenuation could just mean one pre applies gain and the other is passive.
The more expensive unit could be targeting pairing their pre with other manufactures equipment, that’s where gain / attenuation matching becomes more critical.
Good Luck!
|
Honestly I wish you luck but your theoretical approach to component selection seems more about buying into the marketing hype of a company most of us have never heard of than actual user experience or sound. Their website is heavy on that but really doesn’t say much about product design, specs, etc. That tube or its equivalent is used in a lot of medium-quality Chinese hardware, but pretty much nowhere else. Lots of experienced audiophiles and music lovers here but nobody seems to have heard of or listened to the products you prefer. Try going out and listening to actual equipment. Hope things work out.
|
Thank you very much for your very nice recommendations.
I will look into the option of Berning ZOTL and your great offer, Bigkidz.
However I think I initially will prioritize synergy and therefore my inquiry is regarding the specific differences and an explanation of the terminology used. Perhaps you can assist me with that.
|
We build a 6SN7 based tube preamp 2 chassis for $9k. If you are interested, I can send one to you for an evaluation.
Happy Listening.
|
All is about synergy here for sure but as pre-amp for the price i will go Berning ZOTL too though ...
I regret it because i used it as headphone amp and the synergy was not there for my picky AKG 340... But i regret it as a pre-amp which i did not need at the time...
Then the difference of price is big and Berning is a genius then ... I concur with this suggestion ...
|
Linear TubeAudio Micro Z- otl by far the best sound value out there under $10k
David Berning designed and these guys took it to another level in this latest model.
|
The Yamamoto tube is beautiful... And i trust japan audiophile engineer...
i cannot help you with your choice...
But Yamamoto seems a good choice...
My speakers are powered and a pre-amp with tube in my case and a equalizer made a world difference... but i am not on this price level...
Came back here once your choice is made and gave us a review...
I wish you the best...
|
A follow up question: How come there are so much difference in the price between the two? It seems that CA-03 is the superior model, is that correct?
|
My understanding is that the double volume level item makes me control the volume of each speaker which can be preferable if your room requires it. I'm not so sure what the attentunator does.
|
Regarding CA-03, I'm assuming the attenuator version doesn't add any gain, so it's cleaner sounding with better signal-to-noise ratio. If you tend to listen mostly at low volume then this version would be great. But if you like to pump it up at times, you might want to go with volume version, which I'm sure would sound pretty amazing too.
Either version of CA-03 will work with you Denon DL-103R. No need for a SUT. Just set the back switch to 100 ohms.
You are correct, CA-04 is just line-level preamp without the phono stage. You would need an external phono preamp with this choice. SUTs only bring low MC signals up to phono level NOT line level. They cannot work by plugging them into line-level inputs. SUTs need to be plugged into "phono" inputs. That said, if you do buy an external phono stage make sure it can accept MC cartridges or you will have to also buy a SUT.
Yes, you can plug the Airport into the AUX on the new preamp, just as you use the AUX on the Sansui.
Thank you very much for your explanation. I primarily listen to jazz and classical music - everything from solo pieces to larger ensembles and orchestral works. I live in an apartment and I do not listen to extremely loud levels - I'm not hosting techno parties and desire a crazy subwoofer that shakes the floor. Rather I like an emotional and intimate listening experience with a natural soundstage with lots of depth. Sometimes intimacy can be acquired when you turn the volume up a bit and the music embraces you, but I wouldn't say that I listen to very loud music.
|
Can I ask what drives you to these products? Are you aware you can buy some pretty good proven equipment in this price range that are better know in the hifi world than these pieces. Not saying they're bad, but I'm not sure anyone can really say anything about this brand. However, if you asked for recommendations in this price range you'll get a lot of responses.
Sure. I have been investigating possible options for tube-based amplifier for quite some time and after studying extensively I have come to the conclusion that I prefer Japanese brands due to their values and philosophy of audio reproduction. Shindo (which probably is better known) is not easy to buy anymore. Audio Note Kondo is too expensive for me. There are a lot of other brands but I have heard so many great things about Yamamoto.
|
Regarding CA-03, I'm assuming the attenuator version doesn't add any gain, so it's cleaner sounding with better signal-to-noise ratio. If you tend to listen mostly at low volume then this version would be great. But if you like to pump it up at times, you might want to go with volume version, which I'm sure would sound pretty amazing too.
Either version of CA-03 will work with you Denon DL-103R. No need for a SUT. Just set the back switch to 100 ohms.
You are correct, CA-04 is just line-level preamp without the phono stage. You would need an external phono preamp with this choice. SUTs only bring low MC signals up to phono level NOT line level. They cannot work by plugging them into line-level inputs. SUTs need to be plugged into "phono" inputs. That said, if you do buy an external phono stage make sure it can accept MC cartridges or you will have to also buy a SUT.
Yes, you can plug the Airport into the AUX on the new preamp, just as you use the AUX on the Sansui.
|
Unfortunately they dont say much about the specs for these units. Inadequate to make a judgement on the cartridge output. Same with the volume controls. I'm not a tube guru either but am not familiar with these tubes at all.
I'm guessing most folks here have little or no experience with this brand.
Can I ask what drives you to these products? Are you aware you can buy some pretty good proven equipment in this price range that are better know in the hifi world than these pieces. Not saying they're bad, but I'm not sure anyone can really say anything about this brand. However, if you asked for recommendations in this price range you'll get a lot of responses.
|
Ok. Can you explain me the other differences? Double volume adjustment and Level Attenuator for instances? Would be it wise to choose the more expensive Level Attenuator?
|
Biggest difference is that one has a phono pre. More features, more money. They both have line pres.
|
