[SpeakerBox]

Both the build quality and sound quality of these old units is seriously addicting.

 

[LugBug1]

Has anyone heard a Yamaha A-500? (1982) Just bought one quite cheap. It will be my first taste of Yamaha.
 
Here it is from the sales pic

 
20db mute switch so I'm hoping it may make a good hp amp. 

 

[Oregonian]

Congrats LugBug.......

I had an R-700 receiver and liked the Yamaha sound and the variable loudness was sweet.

I'm curious tho what the mute switch comment means in relation to its performance as a headphone amp.

 

[PhoenixG]

I'm curious tho what the mute switch comment means in relation to its performance as a headphone amp.

I think it means that it has enough power to need a mute switch, so there may be enough juice from the HP out to power damn near anything.

 

[roadcykler]

Congrats LugBug.......

I had an R-700 receiver and liked the Yamaha sound and the variable loudness was sweet.

I'm curious tho what the mute switch comment means in relation to its performance as a headphone amp.

 
From my understanding, when changing the volume un-muted, a very slight movement can greatly affect the volume from the headphones. With the mute button depressed (try the Xanax), you can turn the volume knob more and possibly get a finer adjustment on the volume. Like going from a 3:1 to 16:1 steering ratio in a car.

 

[LugBug1]

Congrats LugBug.......

I had an R-700 receiver and liked the Yamaha sound and the variable loudness was sweet.

I'm curious tho what the mute switch comment means in relation to its performance as a headphone amp.

Thanks bud Should be here early next week.
 
Basically it gives you more control of the volume and is the same as a gain switch that you find on some dedicated amps. 
My NAD's have this and it makes a big difference for me. I can hardly get the volume off the ground with the HD800 and my vintage amps that don't have the 20db mute, and I end up having to lower my pc volume which I don't like doing. 

 

[.Sup]

From my understanding, when changing the volume un-muted, a very slight movement can greatly affect the volume from the headphones. With the mute button depressed (try the Xanax), you can turn the volume knob more and possibly get a finer adjustment on the volume. Like going from a 3:1 to 16:1 steering ratio in a car.

Sounds like gain. High gain disabled (mute switch off) and you can make a finer adjustment with the volume knob. But I could be wrong, just sounds similar.

 

[dogwan]

  Mmkay, thats what I was looking for - I don't see any. I will at some point attempt to recap this myself, though, just to be safe and to have it running at its peak. I'm a high school kid though, and I basically learn by doing, but I'd rather not break this. Is there anywhere I can find a really simple guide on recapping in general? Obviously not model specific. 
 
And good to know. I'm fine with the temperature that its running at, so I guess I'll be building it a vented wooden case soon. I can't justify buying one online when I could build the same. I don't think I'll be experimenting with fans quite yet, though.

Those round orange capacitors are ceramic disc types and very rarely, I mean really, hardly ever go bad. Larger value ones can actually look quite fat and from the pictures those look like they are just larger value, but fine. If they did go bad I don't think there is anything inside to "leak" out like an electrolytic capacitor. With ceramics it's usually best to leave alone unless you are sure it is bad (by actually measuring)
 
Also, the proximity of those caps to the tuning slugs (square cans with hole in top) for the "tuner" portion of your receiver would lead me to believe they are part of that circuit. AND THUS, you should not replace those. SInce you admitted you are a novice I would advise you stay away from the tuner section when re-capping. Tuners are notoriously sensitive to parts values and replacing one cap could throw everything off and you would have to take it somewhere for alignment.
 
Just my 2cents of advice to a newb anxious to make a new toy sound even better...... I've been there.

 

[analogsurviver]

I know this is THE thread for the all-in-one-box-vintage loving guys, but for LESS than you are obviously prepared to splash on a receiver, here a really good deal on an incomparably more serious piece of equipment :
 
http://www.ebay.de/itm/NIKKO-ALPA-220-AMP-BETA-20-PREAMP-EQ-20-GAMMA-20-TUNER-RACK-MOUNT-VINTAGE-/271480927614?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3f3586357e
 
That about good deal holds true even if shipped to Europe & after paying ransome to customs ... - provided the European user does have a step down transformer from 240 to 120 V AC of approprite power rating; no idea if Nikko did build units with switchable AC mains.
 
One of the lusted for back in the day ( but generally not so well known )  lines; NEVER heard anything bad about them ...

 

[Greystoke]

  I know this is THE thread for the all-in-one-box-vintage loving guys, but for LESS than you are obviously prepared to splash on a receiver, here a really good deal on an incomparably more serious piece of equipment :
 
http://www.ebay.de/itm/NIKKO-ALPA-220-AMP-BETA-20-PREAMP-EQ-20-GAMMA-20-TUNER-RACK-MOUNT-VINTAGE-/271480927614?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item3f3586357e
 
That about good deal holds true even if shipped to Europe & after paying ransome to customs ... - provided the European user does have a step down transformer from 240 to 120 V AC of approprite power rating; no idea if Nikko did build units with switchable AC mains.
 
One of the lusted for back in the day ( but generally not so well known )  lines; NEVER heard anything bad about them ...

That's a pretty good price for a complete set of components!  I love the look of that amp; level meters plus a headphone out?  Nice!
 
I was following an auction for a Harman-Kardon 730 Twin-Power, that single unit went for more than this entire stack.

 

[LugBug1]

^^Agreed, lovely looking stack. Seems like a good price too.   

 

[JustinBieber]

Giving a shot out to the JVC JA-S55, it does very well driving headphones. I've used it with an LCD-3, HE-500, HE-560, HE-400, and HD600 and it drove them beautifully. About on par with the Schiit Lyr that I compared it to directly. IMO, both amps are a bit warm and have lots of power output. It's outclassed by the Burson Soloist though, the JVC has a smaller soundstage and lacks the treble detail/agression compared to it but differences were actually quite minor. 
 
A JA-S77 is going for $200 on eBay right now.
 
 
 

 

[analogsurviver]

  ^^Agreed, lovely looking stack. Seems like a good price too.   

I find it REALLY hard to understand it is still available - with only one offer. Thought it would be long gone by now...
 
Guys, do Google a bit those components - EACH is worth the BIN price for the entitre stack ...
- they really do not make them that way anymore - or ever,  for that matter.
 
 
 

 

[joehalo]

I've gotten some great craigslist deals lately! Mint pioneer sx-850 $150, mint sansui g-5500 $100, mint pioneer cs-700g $75 and today an emotiva xda-1 $150. There is a Marantz 2225 that still has the plastic protective film on the front near me! Trying to resist buying it!

 

[Xenophon]

Just purchased a Pioneer SX-1980 on ebay in Europe.  Important as that's where it's going to be used and transport costs are killer on this thing + what sours the deal on most US-purchased equipment are the import duties and the VAT.  I'll have to get myself a voltage step-down transformer though as the unit works on 120 VAC, the original owner who brought it to Europe was in the US military.  
 
To be honest it's a big gamble.  Totally out of my depth here and I'm relying rather heavily on the opinions of Skylab and a couple of others who are very happy with it driving the HE-6 via the headphone out.  And despite the bulk I really dig the looks 

 but don't look forward to hauling it up the stairs in my house.  Just one question:  I'll be feeding it via RCA via AUX I suppose, the signal will come from my V800 DAC which has switches allowing me to set the gain.  Can I leave it at standard redbook voltage output or do I dial in -3dB (or +3,6,9, or 12 dB)?