[GarryH]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif . . . this amp has an ability to imbue whatever emotion is in the music right into my heart . . .

Very well said and how true - Yamamoto San would be wise to put you in charge of his marketing efforts

.

Cheers,
Garry

PS - Give it a few hours of running and things will get even better.

 

[Icarium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronfint /img/forum/go_quote.gif I haven't noticed a huge difference in sound. (Hey, I'm 62 years old. I'm lucky to hear at all.) However, I did have to play around with tubes to eliminate all tube noise. My amp now has a dead quiet background.

Which brand/make/date 408As worked in the end? Still WE?

 

[Superpredator]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yamamoto HA-02 is in the house.... Initial impression is that this amp has an ability to imbue whatever emotion is in the music right into my heart, beautiful music out of the Ultrasone Edition 9s.

Glad to see you finally received it! Enjoy.

 

[slwiser]

Here is a post with a picture of the Yamamoto and I have it set up near my reading chair on a end-table that dates back to 1974 when I first got married and looks every part of it. I hope I have faired a little better but right now I am now so sure.

The white blotch on the lower left was made by my 27 year old son when he was only two years old. He got going a little to fast one day on his rocking horse and the horse took it out on the table. Family history is all over this little table.

The following are a few more early impression of this amp as heard out of my Ultrasone Edition 9s. I have noted the Yamamoto's apparent emotional presentation which is something that I really enjoy in my equipment. To explain this emotional concept a bit further, when I close my eyes while listening I am transported onto the performer's stage. It is not like I am in the front row or a few rows back or even on stage listening to the performers around me. When an instrument comes into focus by the sound engineer's mixing, I am right there with that instrument hearing it almost as if I am the performer transmitting all my emotion into the piece that I am playing. When sitting at the piano playing a range of cords I hear not the piano but each string of each cord being played from the left to my right. Each string harmonizing with the next one and feeling each string's vibration falling off as I move to the next set of keys. When Earl Kluge's guitar is being played, I am there holding the neck hearing my powered fingers move up and down the neck while the strings are being plucked with my other hand hearing each note decay into the next.

All I can say is WOW...how can this be...then I open my eyes with wonder thinking that others have found this exact thing with their equipment. This is what this hobby is all about. Transporting us into another world for a short period having experiences only dreamed of. This experience is what I feel when I read a great book by one of my favorite authors who takes me to places that I can only experience vicariously.

Thank you Yamamoto-San for building not an amplifier but a transporter that can take me to other worlds and experiences.

From this I think that the 6moons review, found here, http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/yamamoto4/ha02.html is very much the experience that I am having when I listen with my UE9s. The HA-02 is a pentode tube (single tube per channel) headphone amp, the headphone is a single range driver. This combination works and works very well. If you don't believe me, believe Srajan Ebaen of 6Moons. Note Sragan's attempt using graphics design to explain what happens and also note his last PS at the bottom when he speaks to the Yamamoto/W1000 having a psychedelic experience for him. I have heard that Yamamoto-San voiced the HA-02 using the W1000. I would have said that he must have used my UE9.

 

[SK138]

Steve...with that kind of wonderful first impressions you need to accelerate your burn-in process and we need to have our micro meeting soon

It seems we changed our gears enough to warrant another meet before the year ends. I think your Yammy will lead me to go back to tubes...but balanced

Keep those impressions coming....

 

[GarryH]

Steve,

Nice translation of what you're hearing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser When Earl Kluge's guitar is being played, I am there holding the neck hearing my powered fingers move up and down the neck while the strings are being plucked with my other hand hearing each note decay into the next.

My kind of guy . . . I, too, am a huge Earl Klugh fan and listening to him over the Yammy has been a true delight. In the same vein, if you've not tried some Jonathan Butler over the Yammy, I encourage you to do so . . . you won't be sorry.

Cheers,
Garry

 

[ronfint]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarium /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which brand/make/date 408As worked in the end? Still WE?

Icarum: Yes still WE. Has anyone tried GE? They can be had *very* cheaply.

Steve: I hope that you will enjoy your new HA-02!

 

[java]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif The following are a few more early impression of this amp as heard out of my Ultrasone Edition 9s. I have noted the Yamamoto's apparent emotional presentation which is something that I really enjoy in my equipment.

I have experienced similar with my HD 580's ...

Quote:

I would have said that he must have used my UE9.

Nah! my HD 580's

 

[java]

Double post?

 

[tuatara]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronfint /img/forum/go_quote.gif Has anyone tried GE? They can be had *very* cheaply.

Yes. I went to the trouble of getting some matched pairs when I first purchased my amp and before we were told that matching wasn't necessary.
I have only tried one pair and cant remember now if there was any difference re the hum. The sq was seemed about the same as with the WE tubes so I haven't pursued that avenue any further.
I'll try and run a comparison again this week but all my GE tubes are either new or have very few hours on them so may not be a fair trial.
I have seen at least one seller listing RCA 408As as well as the GE variety.

 

[Gav]

siwiser you have a way with words that I lack

Great to read your initial thoughts of your experiance so far with the
HA-02 & UE9 combination, it would be great to here how much differance it makes depending on the.

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slwiser /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yamamoto HA-02 is in the house.... Initial impression is that this amp has an ability to imbue whatever emotion is in the music right into my heart, beautiful music out of the Ultrasone Edition 9s.

glad you finally got your amp! one thing - the ebony leg posts look fairly light to me. i know it's partly the flash, but my posts are much darker...yours looks pretty light. is it light or dark in regular light?

 

[kugino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by agile_one /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been avoiding the obvious showdown - using high impedance cans with the Yamamoto HA-02, because I did not want to put my new pride and joy in an unfavorable situation. Even Yamamoto-San in his endeaing Japanese - English computer speak suggests that "Maximum output :300mW (at the time of 50ohm load) of headphone terminals, much less at high ohm load". So, I was understandably timid at throwing my beloved HD650s with Equinox cables at my new pretty. Oh, it took all my low impedance cans with ease, hardly breaking a sweat in showing me the absolute best that the K701, W2002, L3000, HP-2, or even the lowly SR-60 could sound. Encouraged by those forays, after which the little beauty just sat there as if to say, "is that all you've got?", I brought out the big guns. The above is an overview - yes, because of SWMBO's remodeling binge, my listening space has been relegated to the kichen counter. Observe tonight's system - laptop with tons of flac files to Trend Micro UD10 USB digital transport -> Dac Ah -> Yamamoto HA-02. Ah, yes, the glass has the remains of a cheap, but good, Aussie Syrah. On to the details ... Bottom line? You with high impedance cans (Senns, Beyers, AKG - you know who you are), be not afraid of this pretty little newcomer from Japan. The Yamamoto HA-02 will drive your beloved headphones far more than "just fine". You may find, as I did tonight, that this pretty little thing will take them to places they have not been before. Do not laugh. I have a bit of experience with Senn HD-6xx, and am here to say that the HA-02 listening experience is a scary combination of the best of single ended and the best of balanced. Here's what I mean. Senn 6xx can be very sweet and seductive with excelent source and amp when driven single ended, but lack a certain punch or edge. When driven balanced from similar high quality source and amp, they are a definite "wow", but, sometimes, over time in that configuration, can become the anti-Senn - too forward, and sometimes grating. (the previous opinions are mine alone, and may not agree with yours). What I've heard so far tonight, is the best of both worlds - single ended smoothness and balanced power and detail - just wonderful. For any curious folk, I will have this rig at the National Meet in San Jose, so come see and hear for yourself.

looking at agile one's yammy, the leg posts look a bit different. could be that one leg got the brunt of the flash, though...just wondering...

 

[slwiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kugino /img/forum/go_quote.gif glad you finally got your amp! one thing - the ebony leg posts look fairly light to me. i know it's partly the flash, but my posts are much darker...yours looks pretty light. is it light or dark in regular light?

You are right, the legs are very dark. The flash did a job on them and lit them up. All those flicks you see on the table don't normally show either but the flash really highlighted them.

 

[wower]

I really like hearing about all the different combinations people are using with this amp. slwiser, can you go more into what music you were using to make your impressions? thx.