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Topic: Yamamoto AD-1 amp is SET

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Posted by Romy the Cat on 10-12-2007

The Czech Republic-based Emission Labs Company introduced their new replica of famed AD-1 Triode

http://www.emissionlabs.com/html/club/labreport.htm

It looks like Yamamoto, Japanese amplifier manufactures has made an amp with this tube: A-06S

http://www.jacmusic.com/Yamamoto/html/Amps/A06/description-ready-product.html

Did anyone head the Yamamoto A-06S? It is PP amp ... :-(

I do not know if the Emission Labs’ AD-1 would be good, I actually never had any of Emission Labs tubes, nor this tubes are not my in my alley but the opportunities for DHT people are there… Care to drive AD-1 with me 6E5P in SET configuration?

The caT

Posted by JJ Triode on 10-13-2007
Reading the Yamamoto link you posted, it actually says the amp is an SET stereo amp, not PP. You may have been confused by the schematic shown in the EML link, that showed a single channel of an IT-coupled PP.

I certainly have not heard any AD-1 amp, but have heard the Yamamoto A-08 playing both 45s and 2A3s. To me the 08 sounded good, but not any better or much different from most other commercial SET amplifiers I have heard.

Posted by Romy the Cat on 10-13-2007
Yep, you re right, the Yamamoto A-06S is SET, I did not read it carefully and I was under presumption that A-06S is PP monoblock. Good for Yamamoto!

 The only amps I heard with AD1 were PP. Somewhere in the very end 90s I shortly was exposed to influence of one dude who worshiped the Sound from some solutions that Germans used in the end of 30s. It is an interesting subject itself and during those times I made some radical moves and experiments with some Nazi electronics and loudspeakers. That lead for buying of EBay some things and among them a few Telefunken 1936-39 radios, including 686WK and 7001WK that use AD1 in PP configuration. The prices I paid were absolutely ridicules (like $20-$50 per radio + $70 shipping from Europe) and all of them were operational in one way or other.  I juts replaced the dried out caps and a few other things, not to mention vacuuming out of chassis 10 points of 70-years accumulated dust….

I was listening short wave radio in them, played 78s (they had 78s corrector build in) and one unit I converted semi-successfully into a mono amplifier. I even build an acoustic system around the Telefunken electromagnetic drivers. Eventually I pass this period over and all of it is sitting now in my storage and I do not feel comfortable to trash it. My feelings about that period? You summated it very right: ".... sounded good, but not any better or much different from most other commercial SET amplifiers I have heard." In my world the Lamm ML2.0 drove the last nail into the coffin of the German pre-war radios….
 
I still feel that it would be very interesting to hear a contemporary-made by proper methods and by sane people SET amp around AD1. I did not do it and it is hardly popular idea in US.  Perhaps Yamamoto A-06S might be an amp to listen (even it has DC filaments) but I did nit see a lot of Yamamotos around. Who knows, if the Emission Labs end up with a good version of their AD1 then the 2A3 camp might like it…

Rgs, Romy the Cat

Posted by enjoy_the_music on 12-06-2007
    Hi,

I have just received a Yamamoto A-02 amplifier from Shigeki. It is a 2A3 / 45 switchable amp, not available in the EU. It is supposed to be Yammies top amplifier. I bought it in JP and sent it to Shigeki for new 230V transformers.

I currently run this in an active TAD 2402 speaker setup.

I may get to listen to the AD1 amplifier in the near future as I am looking for another amplifier to complete the 3 way system. Currently I use the Yamamoto to power the TD-4001 and a Berning 270 for the 1601a in TAD 2402 speakers.

I recently integrated an ET-703 tweeter (and PT-R9 ribbon) and require another amplifier to power it/them.

I find the 45 tubes in the Yamamoto offer a clear improvement over the Berning in the midrange. It would be interesting to compare with the AD1 for sure.

Regards

Richard

Posted by Romy the Cat on 12-06-2007

…and I hope you did put your ET-703 tweeter in a time aligned position, did you?

The AD1 tube was one of those original “better sounding” triodes. I have a quite few of them; in Telefunken 1936-139 radios (I have 4 or 5 of those radios them in my storage). In past I thought to try AD1 for MF channels, that why I kept them. I kind of was hesitant as I have no experience to build anything with DHT. I wanted use AC on filaments but it requires special skills that I did not have I did not want to “learn” on those 70 years old tubes. I was postponed the project for a few years it and then, this year, I went for IDHT 6E5P to drive my MF.  I think I all set and I have no motivations as now to try the AD1 on my own.

Still, if a good “ready to go” GOOD amp with AD1, 2A3, 26 or with other inversing DHT comes across I would not mind to plug it to my MF channel. A Yamamoto AD1 might be very interesting to try but they do not fly above Massachusetts. I hardly see it will happen as even if I engage in relationship with dealers then I would less likely to buy those Yamamoto amps as I would have a bunch of specific custom demands that would force me to build the thing instead of buying a default cookie -cutter amp. So, I do not think Yamamoto reps or distributors would have any interest to talk to me. Still, it would be inversing to head the thing though….

The caT

Posted by enjoy_the_music on 12-06-2007
Hi

Well I am fairly new to active speakers. I've been in contact with Merlin and Guy in the UK about these type of speakers and their experiences. I'm just taking it all in and then going forward making a few mistakes and then learning about them!  I added the 703's and have yet to time align them. The benefits, time aligned or not, are clear.

I did print out a large grid with lines of 1mm spacing and varying angles. I then moved the tweeters back and forth and played around. In essence I could hear little difference between the majority of positions. I still think I will eventually get things done properly although I have only recently (last week) plugged everything together with the crossover.

In the end I just opted to perch them on the centre of the horn. I hear little comb filtering or blurring of vocals. The most important thing was to make sure they were equidistant and setup correctly. The experiments will continue..

Also a few people have suggested perhaps the bass also needs to be delayed/aligned.

There are quite a few variants appearing from Yamamoto now...most notably 101D and 205D. Too much choice for me, difficult with my experience to decide...

Also perhaps I may try another amplifier in the lower frequencies instead of the Berning. Was thinking about some digital monoblocks. Quite strangely (although not a surprise) my cordless phone interferes with the Berning's output. Buzzing noise generally.

You mentioned before that you roll off your bass units on a shallow slope. Do you think that might be possible with the 1601a's?

Regards

Richard


Posted by Romy the Cat on 12-08-2007

 enjoy_the_music wrote:
Well I am fairly new to active speakers. I've been in contact with Merlin and Guy in the UK about these type of speakers and their experiences. I'm just taking it all in and then going forward making a few mistakes and then learning about them!  I added the 703's and have yet to time align them. The benefits, time aligned or not, are clear.

I did print out a large grid with lines of 1mm spacing and varying angles. I then moved the tweeters back and forth and played around. In essence I could hear little difference between the majority of positions. I still think I will eventually get things done properly although I have only recently (last week) plugged everything together with the crossover.

In the end I just opted to perch them on the centre of the horn. I hear little comb filtering or blurring of vocals. The most important thing was to make sure they were equidistant and setup correctly. The experiments will continue...

Well I do not even want to converse on subject. If the tweeters are no time-aligned then all bets are off.

 enjoy_the_music wrote:
There are quite a few variants appearing from Yamamoto now...most notably 101D and 205D. Too much choice for me, difficult with my experience to decide...

Richard,
 
I do not Yamamoto amps and the tube they use. There this good buzz about AD1 and that why I started this thread. I do not know personally how credible this buzz and I do not know if Yamamoto amp would be a convincing illustration of AD1’s capacity. Still, the Yamamoto is the only company today that use AD1 commercially and it certainly deserves attention. It would be interesting to learn if the Emission Labs’ tubes are being use by other manufacturers.

The Cat

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