Yamaha CA-1000 vs A-S801

Parabellum27

Active Member
Hi there,

I am wondering if I should go vintage for less money with the CA-1000 or go with a slighly more expensive but modern and decked out integrated amplifier like the A-S801. Has anyone had the opportunity to listen to both, and, which one sounds better in the end?

Thanks for any input.
 
CA with class A...Welcome to AK by the way.:biggrin: I'm sure either one will sound "Natural".
 
Well this is AK where we recommend get both keep the one that sounds better. But you are looking at a couple units that are a bit more than just a used receiver or set of speakers and the funding might not be there. Additionally, that buy both keep the one you like is just the start as many keep both anyway. This leads to collections that just keep growing.
 
Sorry to be the voice of gloom.

The CA-1000 will need refurbishment/full recap, switches, transistors,
diodes, trimmers and, and,,, To make matters worse, it's a PITA to
work on. I've refurb'd 4 or 5. I'm minding a CA-1000 that had a full
refurb in Japan, it's miles ahead of my units, they mostly used Nichi
KZ. I plan to dissect this amp to find out where I went "wrong". Bottom
line is that if you can DIY and get the refurb right you will have a
great amp.
 
Sorry to be the voice of gloom.

The CA-1000 will need refurbishment/full recap, switches, transistors,
diodes, trimmers and, and,,, To make matters worse, it's a PITA to
work on. I've refurb'd 4 or 5. I'm minding a CA-1000 that had a full
refurb in Japan, it's miles ahead of my units, they mostly used Nichi
KZ. I plan to dissect this amp to find out where I went "wrong". Bottom
line is that if you can DIY and get the refurb right you will have a
great amp.

Yes, I have to consider this. There is a 10/10 mint shape unit locally that I wish to buy so if the cosmetics are as good as it is stated then I would be willing to "invest" to have the work properly done.
 
For a mint unit, 500$ CA (370 USD), I hope I do not overpay. The unit is mine, pick up next Sunday :) It does also come with its original manual in mint condition as well.
 
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a Japan Tuner scale CT-800 as part of a combo
The Japanese tuner I have (Pioneer TX-8800II) only covers FM 74-100MHz and AM 500-1800KHz, ie only part of the spectrum,
probably the same for the UK.

The CA-1000 is a very nice sounding amp.
 
The Japanese tuner I have (Pioneer TX-8800II) only covers FM 74-100MHz and AM 500-1800KHz, ie only part of the spectrum,
probably the same for the UK.

The CA-1000 is a very nice sounding amp.

Thanks .. the tuner scale from the pics i've seen shows 76-90 FM & 550-1600 AM with a bit more scale on either end not marked and yes the UK broadcasts go wider than that ....I must admit i'm excited to see what i can pick up on it here ... and as the CT-800 was a make weight on the deal I'm sure it will give value for money .. letting its sound come through the CA-1000 ...and into either my Inifinity Quantum Jrs (almost contempary of the amp) or Klipsch Quartets ..

Stay safe and well all
 
How much do they HAVE to have a refurb?

I guess it depends on many things. Budget comes to mind first, personal taste, desire to "tweak", and actual condition I guess. In the end it's up to the individual to decide. But if one's is satisfied with the amplifier on how it sounds then all is good.
I speak for myself saying that I really liked the CA-1000 just as it was, but only got better after full recap (mine had never been refurbished) and other modifications I have made.
 
How much do they HAVE to have a refurb?
Checking fusible resistors then check power supply voltages, bias and dc offset, adjust as needed. Then have
a listen, expect a reasonably wide sound stage with good tones, detail. Bass is not super deep but reasonable.
Test bass by playing sustained deep passage, eg cello draw (Zoe Keating-Into the Trees, Track 5 Lost?).
Unrestored they can sound flat/lacking detail and deep bass can bring them to their knees. However if it
sounds good...

Check caps on power supply/relay board, they can show signs of receeded sleeves, the 2 bipolar(?) caps for the relay
"always" need replacement (Nichicon EP). Next would be cleaning of switches, spray spkr selector, strip down and clean
coupler switch and possibly others as needed eg, input selector,mute, bass turn-over,,,.

The rest depends on how it sounds (maybe do some square wave tests) and how long you plan to keep it/the pursuit of
that extra 5%...
- full recap
- replace polar tantalum
- replace any known problematic transistors (2SC1000 in some units...)

Desireable
Replace operation snap switches, protection relay and bias, offset trimmers with multi-turn Bourn 3296P
 
FWIW, I am not a fan of vintage Yamaha.
Just personal sound preference, not a slam on the gear at all. Their gear is very good even past 1980.

I do like the CA-1000 though. I set a nice one aside to do a full recap and needed repair like fusistors. Once restored, they are sweet.

For anyone reading that can’t foot a total recap, at least get the fusistors replaced. It’s very rare that I find a fusistor that’s anywhere near its rating. 95% of the time any unit in any brand that is not working, it’s mostly the fusistors causing the failure.
 
Once you pull one of these apart, you don’t want to have to go in there again. But seriously, it’s just preventative maintenance to fix all the known issues, and the rest of the electrolytics while you are in there. The bass does indeed improve after replacing the filter caps as MBZ stated.
 
What’s an acceptable ballpark range that refurbs run on these?
Paying someone to do a full refurb is probably cost prohibitive, I couldn't do it in 10hours, more like 15hrs and then some so
multiply by a manhour rate... It really is a diy project. If you get a part refurb then the other things will fail and you blame
the refurb tech...
 
IMHO, it's good to do a full refurb by yourself with no rushing. You will enjoy every moment and well known your system too. :)
 
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