Yamaha M series and MX amps

[Bratwurst7s]

What can I say about and M-50.:scratch2: I'ts made by Yamaha and sounds good. Will only run one set of speakers at a time . Either SPKR A or SPKR B. Just like the M-70. The 220vac european models have a Yamaha recall/warning concerning Rifa "across the line" caps in the X-power supply models that tend to pose a fire hazard.
I have see these caps burn in the 120 vac models as well. Easy fix with new panasonic X rated caps.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showpost.php?p=1723037&postcount=1

When I brought my M-50 over to Munich and switched it over to 240v it blew that cap the first time I turned it on. Scared the crap out of me. I bought the amp in early '83 and moved over here in '97, so it had run for 14 years on 120v, and in those 14 years it had a lot of hours on it.

Luckily the damage was limited to the cap. At that time I didn't know any better and replaced the cap with the exact same one.

Cheers,
James

 

[TomB19]

I apologize for necroposting in this thread but I think my question is on topic.

Can someone shine some light on the difference between an MX-800 and MX-800U?

 

[rottalpha]

I apologize for necroposting in this thread but I think my question is on topic.

Can someone shine some light on the difference between an MX-800 and MX-800U?

U is the US ersion without the voltage selector.
The other is the international version

 

[dino74]

Grab the service manual @ https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/yamaha/mx-800.shtml
It shows what the differences are.

 

[TomB19]

Thank you for the help, gentlemen.

 

[Dr. Ear]

[QUOTE="Regarding the B-6, its a PT Barnum. Design gimmick, sub par performance."[/QUOTE]
Sorry, I do not agree at all. Had a B-2x, still have M-2, M-4, B-6, MX-1 and A-S3000 all I can say is that the B-6 is an excellent power amp. It is incredible fast with super tight bass and has the widest soundstage of them all.

 

[avionic]

[QUOTE="Regarding the B-6, its a PT Barnum. Design gimmick, sub par performance."

Sorry, I do not agree at all. Had a B-2x, still have M-2, M-4, B-6, MX-1 and A-S3000 all I can say is that the B-6 is an excellent power amp. It is incredible fast with super tight bass and has the widest soundstage of them all.[/QUOTE]
I can't stand the B-6's either. Thats why I only have three..

 

[ba4x]

My tech who is a yamaha fan says the m series sound better but the mx series are more reliable!

This seems to be my experience. I've had an M60 and an MX600U. The M60 sounded a bit more dynamic and explosive, however the same applied to the amp, which one day blew up and now sits on the bench while the MX600U took its place. Also the MX600U puts out less heat which is nice for paranoia levels while listening for extended hours. I'm very happy with it. Cheers, hope you ended up with something you enjoy (now 4 years later).

 

[stoutblock]

Sorry, I do not agree at all. Had a B-2x, still have M-2, M-4, B-6, MX-1 and A-S3000 all I can say is that the B-6 is an excellent power amp. It is incredible fast with super tight bass and has the widest soundstage of them all.

I can't stand the B-6's either. Thats why I have three..[/QUOTE]

I read that the B-6 is a magnetic field amplifer similar to the concept Carver used?

 

[avionic]

I can't stand the B-6's either. Thats why I have three..

I read that the B-6 is a magnetic field amplifer similar to the concept Carver used?[/QUOTE]
Yamaha calls it X-power supply. Its the same.So much the same that Carver filed or threatened a lawsuit against Yamaha's design. I also have a Carver M400 "Cube" which is a magnetic field design,

 

[blownalky557]

I've owned both the M-80's and MX-1000's... sold the MX-1000's and kept the M-80's
To me, the M-80's sounded better with my setup

 

[jrgood0852]

I must chime in on the M4, while the M2 is an excellent amp, they can have rehab issues and rehab can be quite expensive. I have a collection of M4 amps and after a little clean up they all sound either good and/or great. I would say they are the most trouble free of the M series amps, that is my experience. Plus up until recently one could pick one up for a song. Another plus is they sound especially wonderful (with plenty of bass) with my NS1000 speakers.

I never really warmed up to the 'class A' M series amps although my cat did, she rarely sleeps on my M4. In my opinion the M4 is the warmest sounding amp in the M series.

While the M50 is the lower position in the pecking order it actually sounds surprisingly decent.
Michael

Hey Mike. I just ordered an M-50 on Reverb. How do you think it will pair with my Adcom GTP-450 preamp?

 

[MudSlideSlim]

Well the M50 I bought from a young audiophile who was selling some of his late father audio gear was in excellent condition.
I'm assuming his father bought it for the same reason I bought as a back up amp. So i didn't use it for a few months and when I did I was very surprised by it's quality, speed and authority. (whatever that means)

I have a love hate relationship with Adcom. As I understand they had subcontracted their work out to various firms so the quality of the construction and parts used does vary. The Adcom line was very well engineered but some of the pieces have old age issues, but other ones seem to hold up well. YMMV

I did use the M50 with an Adcom GFP 555 for a time in my man cave and it worked out great. What I liked about the M50 and Yamaha amps from that era is the put out a lot of current which is good for driving power hungry speakers. All the Yamaha amps I've owned put a lots of power and energy. I think the wattage is often higher that what is stated.


What speakers are you planning on using? And what amp are you using now?
Hope this helps

Michael

 

[avionic]

Need a refurb'd C-50 or better yet C-70 for the M-50..

Oh that reminds me of a Yamaha Safety Recall. The recall specifies the 220/240v X-Power Supply models. But..... I have repaired many of the 120v models with the same issue.



https://www.whathifi.com/news/yamaha-issues-safety-recall-amps-30-years

 

[MudSlideSlim]

Need a refurb'd C-50 or better yet C-70 for the M-50.

I agree completely Avionic
But I'd like to put in a plug for mid level Yamaha gear
I had also acquired a clean and rarely used Yamaha C45
While I typically would only consider the C70 or C80, the C45 sounds pretty good.
TOTL Yamaha gear goes for pretty high prices today, mid level slips under the radar


Michael

 

[avionic]

I need a volume potentiometer for my C-45..

 

[painttoad]

Need a refurb'd C-50 or better yet C-70 for the M-50..

i'm waiting for a cx-600u to be delivered and am toying with the idea of a yamaha amp. i've read that some can be on the thin side in the bass department and i definately do not want that.

i've been looking at the m-50 but i am just not familiar with yamaha at all and honestly, they may be well above my skill level if i need to pop the top.

 

[avionic]

i'm waiting for a cx-600u to be delivered and am toying with the idea of a yamaha amp. i've read that some can be on the thin side in the bass department and i definately do not want that.

i've been looking at the m-50 but i am just not familiar with yamaha at all and honestly, they may be well above my skill level if i need to pop the top.

Those x-power supplies can be tricky... The less you monkey with them , the better.the outcome.

 

[Sparkplug]

i'm waiting for a cx-600u to be delivered and am toying with the idea of a yamaha amp. i've read that some can be on the thin side in the bass department and i definately do not want that.

i've been looking at the m-50 but i am just not familiar with yamaha at all and honestly, they may be well above my skill level if i need to pop the top.

M-50 is a fine amp and you're right, Yamahas aren’t known for artificially boosted bass response … there are other brands for that. The sort of bass response you get from a Yamaha amp is what you’d hear at a concert hall not stronger, very tight and controlled, like a finely tuned cello. Also, you can greatly enhance/reduce your bass response by changing your speakers configuration such as using stands, distance to walls, insulators, etc. .

 

[painttoad]

M-50 is a fine amp and you're right, Yamahas aren’t known for artificially boosted bass response … there are other brands for that. The sort of bass response you get from a Yamaha amp is what you’d hear at a concert hall not stronger, very tight and controlled, like a finely tuned cello. Also, you can greatly enhance/reduce your bass response by changing your speakers configuration such as using stands, distance to walls, insulators, etc. .

thanks. i like tight and controlled bass mostly so i'll be good with that. i usually use an eq so there's always that.

Those x-power supplies can be tricky... The less you monkey with them , the better.the outcome.

well...i've been wanting to buy a variac one day. that day is today.

i bought the m-50