VU Meters: Let's See 'Em!!

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[Habu]

My Technics SH-9020
One review: https://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/technics/sh-9020.htm

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

 

[Ingenieur]

Lol

 

[Ambientwks]

These are made by a company called Hayakumo in Japan, and I use them for mixing and mastering. They are wonderful - and the meters actually adhere to spec...

 

[JaccoW]

Not exactly a VU meter but it definitely responds to music.

Luminglass plasma light:

https://imgur.com/SNX6b2P

 

[Martin Takamine]

Move this one to the bedroom after I got a class D for my main system.

 

[JeyElDee]

By the way, the Technics is a superb amp.

 

[JeyElDee]

 

[dualazmak]

I too like nice looking and accurate VU meters.

Rather expensive though, these are for professional studio use; I heard from pro recording engineering people that they are very much accurate and durable;
https://www.tomoca.co.jp/brand/tomoca-p/top-vu/

I am considering to have two or three of AMU-4S only as pure VU meters without using AMU-4S's "through-out" signals into amplifiers;
https://www.soundhouse.co.jp/products/detail/item/208922/

In my multichannel multi-driver multi-amplifier setup, my plan is to branch at the SP terminals of (some of the) amplifiers (or we can also use SP-B out if available) into High-to-Low converter AudioTechnica HLC-130 (20 Hz - 40 kHz within 1 dB accuracy, 20 kOhm high impedance of course), then connect to AMU-4S using RCA-to-XLR adaptors.

 

[Balle Clorin]

I think mine are the most beautiful here…

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I think mine are the most beautiful here…
View attachment 187776

VU meters are a monitoring tool (see below). They were never meant to be beautiful. Beautiful is what you get after marketers get hold of a concept.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Well they show exactly and very accuratly the watt at 8ohms load.
Or 18.97Volt at0dB,,,1.897Volt at -10dB etc etc, since in reality they are Voltmeters

 

[dualazmak]

I think mine are the most beautiful here…
View attachment 187776

I agree with you. In my multi-channel setup, I too use Accuphase E-460 and Yamaha A-S3000 both have nice VU meters. (I thank you again for your kind post in my thread the other day on selection of amplifiers.)

My Sony TA-A1ES, Yamaha A-S301 and the active subwoofer Yamaha YST-SW1000, however, do not have VU meter, and this is why I am considering to have two or three Tomoca AMS-4U for "VU meter monitoring" of all of the five stereo SP drivers (total 10 channels) with just same VU meters. (Not the must in my setup, but it would be fun to see 10 same VU meters moving...)

 

[dualazmak]

Even though very expensive and niche, I also found this professional VU meter;
https://www.hayakumo.tokyo/
https://www.soundhouse.co.jp/products/detail/item/28

Edit: Sorry, HAYAKUMO VU meter was already mentioned by @ambientwks in his post #345 above.

 

[BeepPeep_61]

I never get tired of looking at them during my musical sessions !!

 

[TheBatsEar]

Move this one to the bedroom after I got a class D for my main system.

That CD player reminds me that i wanted one of those changers in silver for my A-S 1200. Saw one for 250€ used, thought it was pricey. Along corona came, and the prices went up. Now it's unobtainium.

 

[dualazmak]

Just for our reference, I found that Current, Inc. in Japan has professional-use VU meter lineup (2-Ch to 8-Ch conventional analog VUs, 16-Ch bar graph) all made in Japan, but using SIFAM (UK) VU meter units with LED lamp;
http://www.crnt.co.jp/en/category/meter

 

[JiiPee]

Power amps from Italy:

EAM Lab Studio 162 (2 x 90w / 8ohm; 2 x 160 w / 4 ohm; msrp 1400 €)

EAM Lab Studio 362 LTD ( 2 x 230w / 8ohm; 2x 400w /4 ohm; msrp 2800 €)

 

[soundofsingle]