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Yamaha A-1 Vintage Amplifier Review

Mnyb

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I'm not sure what a "typical impedance curve" is. They all look a bit different to me, probably because even when common drivers are used, the crossovers and enclosures are different.

Bad wording, what they thought was typical or common speaker behaviour , yes It does depend on the design .
I can’t say how they decided open this ? Don’t remeber
 

Frank Dernie

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Speaking of vintage stuff, did anyone do measurements on the Sony DAS 702es (1985) or the DAS 703es? It would be interesting to see where they would fall on the contemporary dacs list, would they be dead last or beat some of the worst offenders.
I still have a DAS 702ES which I bought new but I fear that shipping it to and from Amir would cost a fortune.
Edit:
If I can find anybody who would be interested in doing it with me I will try to put together a system here where I can compare mine level matched and blind with some of the others I have, such as AudioSynthesis DAX which has Ultra Analog DAC chips which I used to use with my DAT recorder, and RME ADI-2 Pro but I hate doing it on my own and usually end up just listening to music if I put on something I like and forget I am supposed to be comparing stuff.
 
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Herbert

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Maybe you find someone with a decent audio analyzer?
 

Ceburaska

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I still have a DAS 702ES which I bought new but I fear that shipping it to and from Amir would cost a fortune.
Edit:
If I can find anybody who would be interested in doing it with me I will try to put together a system here where I can compare mine level matched and blind with some of the others I have, such as AudioSynthesis DAX which has Ultra Analog DAC chips which I used to use with my DAT recorder, and RME ADI-2 Pro but I hate doing it on my own and usually end up just listening to music if I put on something I like and forget I am supposed to be comparing stuff.
Just mailed you.
 

JJB70

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Fantastic to see a classic reviewed, and rather satisfying to see that measurement indicates that the reverence some of us have for classic hifi is not just rose tinted nostalgia.

In terms of what happened, in some ways we as consumers got what we wanted. The big Japanese outfits had a sort of engineering arms race in the 70's and 80's to develop the ultimate measured performance and invested serious money into their engineering and R&D. The resulting products were manufactured to a staggeringly high standard. Now you might think consumers would welcome this, but no, a culture of golden eared disdain for measured performance evolved, aided and abetted by reviewers who waxed lyrical about shoddily engineered and made boutique gear which had terrible measured performance. Products like this were derided as being "sterile", soulless, bland, lacking all the usual audiophile subjective terms blah blah blah, is it really any wonder that some Japanese companies realised which side of their bread was buttered and embraced that culture?

I actually think the mass market move away from stereo systems and towards viewing audio equipment as a commodity in the late 90's and on was actually much more rational and sensible than all the audiophile nonsense that sustains the high end bubble. I find it all very sad as a good set up (and I mean good, not expensive, it need not cost a great deal) does make listening to music more enjoyable.
 

BDWoody

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I think this is the sort of thing we should be trying to do as a community, so I'm interested.

I agree. I'd be willing to travel a bit if someone wants volunteers for some real science. Maybe a weekend testing event? Happy to bring some stuff...old Krell, Bryston, Mitsubishi amps...etc...
 

Pluto

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If I can find anybody who would be interested in doing it with me...
Always game for a laugh. If interested, I have a Sony DTC-60ES DAT machine which can function as a DAC (SPDIF input) by putting it into EE mode, likewise a rather rare PCM-501ES (pre-DAT digital recorder using VHS tape) which can function as a DAC by looping the video in & out. Both units believed to be working.
 

Mtbf

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From Restorer John's archive, here's a high res scan of the original brochure (Aug/1978)
My very first amplifier was the Yamaha CA1000, which preceded the A1. It was introduced I think in ‘73, together with its smaller siblings, the CA800 and CA600. Build like a tank, it has a variable loudness control, like the RME ADI-2 Pro has now (!), and you can even switch between class AB and class A operation. It has allmost the same looks as their current products, Yamaha always has been very consistent in their designs. Which I think is great. It sounded truly excellent from the very beginning, but at one time I had to replace it because it proved not to be the ideal amplifier for driving my then new low impedance 3-ways. But I still own and cherish it. I have to replace the PS capacitors one of these days.
 

LTig

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Yes. Or... a 42 year old unit stored in a damp shed and sporting its original filter capacitors has a measured SINAD performance comparable to that of a new Crown XLS 1502.

Makes one laugh...
No. One has to keep in mind that the Yamaha was close to SOTA at its time and as such had a corresponding high price tag. The Crown is dirt cheap and definitely not SOTA (and not claimed as such either, if I'm not wrong).
 

LTig

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Always game for a laugh. If interested, I have a Sony DTC-60ES DAT machine which can function as a DAC (SPDIF input) by putting it into EE mode, likewise a rather rare PCM-501ES (pre-DAT digital recorder using VHS tape) which can function as a DAC by looping the video in & out. Both units believed to be working.
I could throw in a Tascam DA 30 mk2, but prefer to stay on the continent.
 

Soniclife

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I agree. I'd be willing to travel a bit if someone wants volunteers for some real science. Maybe a weekend testing event? Happy to bring some stuff...old Krell, Bryston, Mitsubishi amps...etc...
That sounds great, think we need a sperate thread for this discussion, to sort out the what where when and how.
 

Matias

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They may be cheap nowadays but still the noise and distortion gap to the top reference amplifiers is very large.
 

AudioSceptic

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I have believed for years that the reason a lot of people didn't like CD when it came out was the high output of the CD player (the pre-CD standard was usually 150mV) clipping the input, as it would here.
I suspect that was the case, at least with some amps. CD was a huge jump in level to a nominal max of 2 V and headroom of even ½ of that would've been unusual then. At the time I thought the 2 V CD standard was stupid for that very reason, but of course it needed to be that high to realise the very high DR of digital. It wasn't long before amps caught up, and after that CD players started playing the louder-sounds-better game. ;)
 

FrantzM

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Fantastic to see a classic reviewed, and rather satisfying to see that measurement indicates that the reverence some of us have for classic hifi is not just rose tinted nostalgia.

In terms of what happened, in some ways we as consumers got what we wanted. The big Japanese outfits had a sort of engineering arms race in the 70's and 80's to develop the ultimate measured performance and invested serious money into their engineering and R&D. The resulting products were manufactured to a staggeringly high standard. Now you might think consumers would welcome this, but no, a culture of golden eared disdain for measured performance evolved, aided and abetted by reviewers who waxed lyrical about shoddily engineered and made boutique gear which had terrible measured performance. Products like this were derided as being "sterile", soulless, bland, lacking all the usual audiophile subjective terms blah blah blah, is it really any wonder that some Japanese companies realised which side of their bread was buttered and embraced that culture?

I actually think the mass market move away from stereo systems and towards viewing audio equipment as a commodity in the late 90's and on was actually much more rational and sensible than all the audiophile nonsense that sustains the high end bubble. I find it all very sad as a good set up (and I mean good, not expensive, it need not cost a great deal) does make listening to music more enjoyable.

I did succumb to the ethos of High End Audio and the "sterile", "souless" .. etc.. propaganda and kept these views for a long time... It culminated with me choosing in the late 80's, a Pink Triangle turntable over the extraordinarily and now legendary Kenwood LX-07D ... at that time the British TT was recommended by TAS's Harry Pearson, HP, so revered then ... I later moved to a Linn Sondek ... :facepalm: while the Kenwood LX-07D was still available at about the same price or, IIRC, much less :facepalm::facepalm::facepalm::eek:
 

AudioSceptic

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These vintage Yamahas don't come up cheap very often. Sure, with some luck you can score one at a garage sale for a song but prices at the usual channels like ebay and such aren't exactly appealing.
I've always liked the clean styling of Yamaha electronics. I think that look is timeless and plays a part in keeping used prices high.
 

AudioSceptic

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I still have a DAS 702ES which I bought new but I fear that shipping it to and from Amir would cost a fortune.
Edit:
If I can find anybody who would be interested in doing it with me I will try to put together a system here where I can compare mine level matched and blind with some of the others I have, such as AudioSynthesis DAX which has Ultra Analog DAC chips which I used to use with my DAT recorder, and RME ADI-2 Pro but I hate doing it on my own and usually end up just listening to music if I put on something I like and forget I am supposed to be comparing stuff.
This is to compare DACs? The Sony looks serious! <http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-DAS-702ES.html>
 
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