[SK138]

Berning microZOTL is very special. I would never give it up

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoPants /img/forum/go_quote.gif so special that no one wants to give it up haha

 

[Superpredator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SK138 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Berning microZOTL is very special. I would never give it up

If I tell your wife you have it you might be forced to give it up.

 

[tuatara]

After a few months my one and only complaint about the Yamamoto concerns the volume gain. I wish it had a hi/low switch like the Opera or an easy way to lower it internally.
Using AT and Grado phones I never get past 9 o'clock with the volume and it would be nice to have slightly more control over a bigger sweep. This would possibly help with the hum that comes with some phones.

With the Opera Jan lowered the gain for me which means I can run around 11/12 along with better control over small adjustments.

 

[java]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuatara /img/forum/go_quote.gif After a few months my one and only complaint about the Yamamoto concerns the volume gain. I wish it had a hi/low switch like the Opera or an easy way to lower it internally. Using AT and Grado phones I never get past 9 o'clock with the volume and it would be nice to have slightly more control over a bigger sweep. This would possibly help with the hum that comes with some phones. With the Opera Jan lowered the gain for me which means I can run around 11/12 along with better control over small adjustments.

I have noticed the same here even using Senn HD580/600 phones ....

 

[slwiser]

I remember reading somewhere that the Yamamoto HA-02 requires on 0.6 volts input for full output. This 0.6 volts seems low to me. I have attempted to find this reference again but have not been able to do so. This may be a bad memory of mine. Normally a CD player has 2 volts and a small portable 1 volt. So if the 0.6 volts is true this is one very sensitive unit. One reason I am going to reset some jumpers inside my Lavry before I plug it in. The Lavry comes balance output setting which is 6 dB higher than the unbalanced setting. Since I do have the Lavry, it essentially will operate as a pre-amp anyway. I just don't want to overdrive the unit to much.

 

[java]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif I remember reading somewhere that the Yamamoto HA-02 requires on 0.6 volts input for full output. This 0.6 volts seems low to me. I have attempted to find this reference again but have not been able to do so. This may be a bad memory of mine. Normally a CD player has 2 volts and a small portable 1 volt. So if the 0.6 volts is true this is one very sensitive unit. One reason I am going to reset some jumpers inside my Lavry before I plug it in. The Lavry comes balance output setting which is 6 dB higher than the unbalanced setting. Since I do have the Lavry, it essentially will operate as a pre-amp anyway. I just don't want to overdrive the unit to much.

Not seen any such information, tho my CD player has 2 outputs, it might be worth checking which has a lower output ...

 

[slwiser]

Is there a difference in how the two inputs on the Yamamoto sound for volume level? One has an ID for CD and the other for Aux. The Aux may be setup for a lower voltage in and therefore provide more control for you. This is just a shot in the dark. With the portable cable supplied and the discussion on the Yamamoto site, I thought maybe this could be the case.

 

[java]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there a difference in how the two inputs on the Yamamoto sound for volume level? One has an ID for CD and the other for Aux. The Aux may be setup for a lower voltage in and therefore provide more control for you. This is just a shot in the dark. With the portable cable supplied and the discussion on the Yamamoto site, I thought maybe this could be the case.

That had not yet occurred to me to try, thanks for the thought, will test later ...

 

[java]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there a difference in how the two inputs on the Yamamoto sound for volume level? One has an ID for CD and the other for Aux. The Aux may be setup for a lower voltage in and therefore provide more control for you. This is just a shot in the dark. With the portable cable supplied and the discussion on the Yamamoto site, I thought maybe this could be the case.

Hmmm .... , neither the second output on the CD player nor the AUX on the Yamamoto does much for volume levels ...

CD and AUX on the Yamamoto sound the same volume wise

 

[slwiser]

At least we know that now. Thanks.

 

[java]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif At least we know that now. Thanks.

Was worth the try ...

 

[KurtW]

Fing, I would be interested in hearing more about what you think about the L3000 on the DHA3000 vs the Yammy. To me the Yammy doesn't control the bass very well on the L3000. The Yammy did make the Grado HP2 sound pretty nice though.

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KurtW /img/forum/go_quote.gif Fing, I would be interested in hearing more about what you think about the L3000 on the DHA3000 vs the Yammy. To me the Yammy doesn't control the bass very well on the L3000. The Yammy did make the Grado HP2 sound pretty nice though.

KurtW

When you get your Yamamoto make sure you share a comparison between it and your microZOTL. I may never own a microZOTL but I sure would like to know how they compare.

 

[venushifi]

Hello again!

Having skimmed through the last few pages in this thread, I wanted to offer some additional bits of information about the HA-02:

1) Although Western Electric tubes are often considered to be "exotic," don't be worried about the Yamamoto's use of the WE 408A - this tube is not only widely available (a vendor recently offered to sell me 3000+ NOS WE 408As!), but it remains extremely affordable (typically less than US$10 a pop), and is very robust (expect several years of tube life, assuming that you use the amp a couple of hours every day).

2) Also, it is not necessary to get hand-matched pairs of 408A tubes for the HA-02 to sound its best. That being said, though, I would recommend against using pairs of tubes of obviously different vintages (for instance, a NOS tube with a heavily used tube).

3) Yamamoto Sound Craft does run all of its amps and preamps for many hours before shipping them out. But these units still benefit from additional burn-in time, and will continue to sound better and better during the first two to three months of continuous use.

4) The CD and Aux inputs of the HA-02 have the same input sensitivity.

5) The speaker taps on the back of the HA-02 are meant more for background listening than for serious listening. Mr. Yamamoto recognized that many audiophiles use headphone amps in office or bedroom systems, and that these users might sometimes appreciate being able to use a unit like the HA-02 for background music using a pair of reasonably-efficient monitors. The sound you'll get in such applications is extremely good, but the HA-02 was not designed to drive full-range, high-efficiency speakers for critical listening at normal volume levels.

I'd also like to add a couple of additional comments regarding HA-02 orders. First off, Yamamoto Sound Craft is very grateful to everyone for putting up with the extremely long wait period for HA-02 orders. The demand for this headphone amp was underestimated. But given the current popularity of the HA-02, Yamamoto has decided to reorganize its production line, and we expect that the ETA for new HA-02 orders will be closer to four weeks by the end of the summer.

Secondly, if you are considering placing an order for a Yamamoto from a non-domestic retailer, you should inquire about their warranty policy. Many of us have made arrangements with the factory for service plans to domestic customers. For example, I have a factory-authorized warranty plan for North American customers who order the Yamamoto headphone amp through me, but this plan would not be available to a domestic customer who ordered their HA-02 from a vendor in, say, Hong Kong.

All my best,
Brian
Venus Hi-Fi
www.venushifi.com
517-881-7753

 

[tuatara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by venushifi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello again! 2) Also, it is not necessary to get hand-matched pairs of 408A tubes for the HA-02 to sound its best. All my best, Brian Venus Hi-Fi www.venushifi.com 517-881-7753

Thanks for the information Brian. I was particularly interested in the piece above about not needing matched pairs of tubes. This is something I had wondered about since ordering my amp last year.

Have to agree with your comment about burn in also. Each time I use it the Yamamoto seems to offer an improvement though it hasn't had as much use as some perhaps as I tend to run my amps through weekly cycles just to keep things changing and interesting.