vintage integrated

The brightness you mentioned could be caused by the binding posts used w/your TA-2650. I'm not sure these are spring loaded or some type of screw down, but you would not believe the difference a good set of binding posts will make. Also change the AC cord. 16/2 lampcord should do just fine. (In response to your question, I'll bet there is a switch to seperate the power/pre-amp section.) I've been tempted to try an older Marantz rec. for some time now. If you can ever find a Sony TA-AX6 for sale by all means consider strongly purchasing. A great Int. amp! Picture/Info can be found on the web. Good listening, Bill.

Vintage Yamaha is up there amoungst the best. Too bad the company cut back on the quality after the early 80s. The CR series of integrated units is incredible for the money ... even by today's standards. Yamaha incorporated premium quality parts and top notch engineering during the 70's through the early 80's but found that this is not what the majority of people were willing to pay for at the time so they changed course to better serve the masses. The MX/CX/TX series of separates is also quite terrific. Many others from McIntosh and Marantz were also wonderful to listen to and will still give the most modern equipment a run for the money.

Kotta,

Thanks for the hints. Except..... it was my understanding that the " speaker strip " type is actaully the best beauase there is less metal involved to interfere with the signal. Most manufactures put the binding posts on to please us lazy audiophiles :)

As far as the pre-out and amp-in. I thought it would be a internal operation. But looking at the front of the reciver I could not see a switch, nor could I see one on the back. So I wondered if one had to remove the cover to preform the switch.

My Sony TA-AX6 Int. amp has the "Spk. strip" type binding posts. These are actually pretty decent. I did replace the Spk. B strip for some Superior Electric BP-31 gold-plated binding posts. A big improvement over the stock posts. Another Sony amp(TA-AX44)I have has the "spring-loaded" connectors. Replaced these as well w/BP-31's and the sound difference was even more noticeable for the better. (One of the reasons is that on the "spk. strip" binding posts, the wires go directly to the metal of the binding post. On the "Spring" style the wies go through a small circuit board. Not as direct, thus not as good sounding.) I have an 80's Karmon Kardon HK550Vxi Rec. which I bypass the spk.selector circuit and replaced the spring loaded spk. binding posts as well (another circuit board degrading the sound). Oh my, what an improvement! I did one other little thing which even made things sound better. The silver(?)/soldered 18awg. wire was replaced by some AQ type 2 (17awg.)copper wire. (I did this to smooth out the sound because for my tastes the stock wires were too detailed. The AQ wire made things smoother/more refined. Didn't mess w/power cord as it was 16/2 wire which seems adequate. Regards, Bill.

I would have to agree that the " spring loaded " speaker stips are pretty much worthless. But at least when we get into higher end stuff. I think that a " speaker strip " is still better than binding posts. Becuase of the directness of the connection. The binding post is just more metal that the sound must pass through. The more a signal must negotiate, the more it will lose it's quality and strength.

For instance Quicksilver Mini Mite amps employ speakers strips. But they sound wonderful!