Anyone know much about Yamaha cx-1 preamp

[theokalat]

congrats on the CX-1, I was quite sure it would go well with the MX-2000.

I did not know you had a C-2x, I thought you where asking about it? But any way, as I said if you don't play vinyl you don't need to hunt the C-2x.

Regarding the use of Mercedes as equal to Accuphase, I think manny at the Accuphase headquaters will be extremly happy. The Mercedes disel car has for manny manny years been regarded as the most relible car ever to set rubber on this planet. They had some problems from mid 90's to early 2000, but with 84 years of car building on the back it seems ok to have a few bad years.

This is what Wiki sayes about the Mercedes quality (and Toyota):
Quality

Since its inception, Mercedes-Benz had maintained a reputation for its quality and durability. Objective measures looking at passenger vehicles - such as J.D. Power surveys, demonstrated a downturn in reputation in this criteria in the late 1990s and early 2000s. By mid-2005, Mercedes temporarily returned to the industry average for initial quality, a measure of problems after the first 90 days of ownership, according to J.D. Power.[6] In J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study for the first quarter of 2007, Mercedes showed dramatic improvement by climbing from 25th to 5th place, surpassing quality leader Toyota, and earning several awards for its models.[7] For 2008, Mercedes-Benz's initial quality rating improved by yet another mark, now in fourth place.[8] On top of this accolade, it also received the Platinum Plant Quality Award for its Mercedes’ Sindelfingen, Germany assembly plant.

I really think they will be happy at Accuphase headquaters

PS. I have a Volvo, so not biased.

No I haven't got a c-2x, just the impression I get from others posts who have both and compared the two. My feeling is they are only comparing the phono stage,and not the cd replay. Some have actually even quoted only comparing the phono of each, and posting their conclusions on that only.

Regarding the Mercedes v Toyota debate, in Australia, everyone I know with a mercedes, has nothing but problems with them, even the newer models. Whereas Toyotas are first class for reliability, and rarely go back to the dealer for any repairs, maybe Australia being a small market, are a dumping ground for mercedes reject models, just a guess. I suppose.

But seriously, you know what I meant with the Mercedes v Toyota comparo.

Accuphase are nice to look at, and display on your rack, but it is a very expensive investment just to show it off to your friends, whereas the Yamahas, and others I mentioned, their TOTL separates, in my opinion, and many others also have stated the same, can and do easily outperform sonically the Accuphase gear at a fraction of the cost.

 

[Dr. Ear]

I can only imagine how much better the cx-1 will be by replacing those tired by now 15 year old electrolytics.

I don't think it is necessary to recap it immediately. I recently tested the old caps from my completely recapped CX1 and they were still fine (I did not have an ESR meter when I reworked the preamplifier two years ago).

 

[Dr. Ear]

The phono stage of the cx-1 is pretty ordinary.

No, it is not ordinary. It consumes approx. one third of the pcb space which is quite similar to the C-2x. There are some IC's which is not an obligatory disadvantage. The phono stage of the CX-1 easily outperforms my friends Linn Linto (a consensus amongst four listeners).

 

[MX117.MC7150]

Could not agree more. The CX-1 phono-stage beats any internal phono-stage in any other piece of Yamaha gear I've owned (C-2, C-2a, C-2x, C-65, C-85, CX-1000, most of the CR-receivers and CA-integrateds, etc.). That is why I owned it longer than any other. Long enough to wear out the Ortofon Kontrapunkt b I used with it. The C-2x and CX-1000 were good, but not up to the CX-1. Did find that ICs between the TT and pre make a substantial difference. Better ICs sound better.

 

[theokalat]

No, it is not ordinary. It consumes approx. one third of the pcb space which is quite similar to the C-2x. There are some IC's which is not an obligatory disadvantage. The phono stage of the CX-1 easily outperforms my friends Linn Linto (a consensus amongst four listeners).

You are right, my observation was done briefly playing back an old vinyl press,and comparing to cd replay,not a fair comparison, I suppose.

I have since done some extensive listening with top quality vinyl records, and I must say, I am very, very impressed. Much better than my CA1000, and also better than the A1 integrated, but not by much though. Hard to tell apart sometimes.
The A1 is renown for its superb phono stage.

Anyway, many people have critisised the cx-1 for its styling,which may explain its unpopularity, but I find it one of the better looking preamps out there, it has the metal revolving door which lowers and dissapears partly into the preamp. Just sheer class, as far as i am concerned.

Compare this to my ugly Adcom GFP-565 pre and the Yamaha wins every time.

And the angled front lower half face I think makes it look ultra high end and timeless.

But best of all, it is the best sounding Yamaha preamp ever that I have listened to. And a wonderful remote control for us lazy buggers to top it all off.

Also it is new enough to not need any recapping for a long time to come, unless you want to further try to improve its sound. I thought about recapping, but after extensive listening, I have decided to leave all as is, why fix it if it ain't broke!

It sounds wonderful just as it is.

If you are lucky to find one, snatch it up. You will not regret it.

 

[Scytales]

Well, the C-2x sound not as involving as the CX-1. This is not my opinion only, but all my friends do have the same impression. Both sound clean but the CX-1 is more "musical".
If you look inside both preamps the CX-1 is a completely different construction. You have to look closer look because at the first glance the C-2x looks more like an "high end" product because of its boxed amplifier stages and beautiful red filter capacitors, but it is not: The CX-1 has gold plated ground rails, a very refined power supply and components of the highest quality. The CD-input has it's own power supply and is switched by a relay. And it does not have the cheap, corrosion prone input selector switches of the C-2x.

A few technical precisions.

According to the schematics in the CX-1 service manual, there is no dedicated power supply for the sole CD input, but there is a single symetrical regulated power supply for all audio circuits (MC head amp, phono preamp, buffered line inputs, gain stage, tone control amp, output buffer amp, and phone amp), said power supply beeing made with a single zener diode reference for the + rail, the - rail beeing slaved to the + voltage rail. This is nothing refined, but quite ordinary (By no means does my statement imply this power supply is actually bad, either !).

The CX-1 input and tape loop selectors are solid state operated (with NPN bipolar transistors wired as switches), except for the CD and Tape 3 inputs, which are relay operated (probably to gain a few dB signal/noise ratio over the solid state solution, as this two inputs are specifically designed for that goal). The solid state solution means no mechanical contacts, thus good reliability.

But despite having been made two different ways, the CX-1 and the C-2x share common engineering practices (buffering of each interstages using potentiometers in order to keep away the side effects of the impedance variation introduced by said potentiometers ; low impedance discrete ouput buffer to drive the cable linked to the input stage of the power amps ; user friendly thanks to numerous useful functions ; frequencies variable gain tone control amp, and... pancake style !).

The built quality of each preamp is good to excellent, depending the part under scrutiny, the C-2x beeing generally the better made of the two. Where the two preamps are profundly different is that the CX-1 incorporates a lot of anti-vibration tweaks. It looks like the fight again vibrations were the gimmicks of those who have conceived the CX-1, whereas those who have made the C-2x did not really cared that issue.

I used to have two CX-1s and I have now a C-2x.

Honestly, through listening SACDs and CDs, I had not found that one preamp clearly outperforms the other. In fact, at first, I had the feelings there were nearly identical, the C-2x beeing marginally more "polite" and having better soundstaging, and the CX-1 marginally more vivid but with a little glare in the high end. I have tried to A/B/X the two and I failed, but the conditions of this test were suboptimal, so I cannot draw a definitive conclusion from it.

Having said that, you will not found surprising that I have had difficulties to choose which one keep. Finally, I keep the C-2x, because, on the long run, I can never loose the feeling that it was the better sounding of the two, as if it was less prone to disturbances in the high end range. And, above all, because the tone controls of the C-2x are damned good : they correct and fine tune the frequency spectrum of my hi-fi speakers like nothing else I have tried.

All in all, the C-2x and the CX-1 are both fine preamps and both worthwile. But they have not the same features (especially, the CX-1 is remote controlable, but the C-2x do have dual ouputs, which is precisely what I need, because I have a 2.1 system).

 

[Tachikoma]

Somewhat OT question, but I couldn't find a more recent/relevant thread for the CX-1 so...

I've recently purchased a CX-1 from the US for use in Australia/Malaysia, and I've found that the power transformer vibrates quite a bit. I figured that the power transformer isn't suitable for 50 Hz operation (its _tiny_, something like 3 x 4 x 3 cm), so should I consider swapping the power transformer out for something that will work at 240V 50Hz, or try and build a stepdown that changes the mains frequency from 50 Hz to 60 Hz?

Edit: The mysterious looking black box is also making a sound of its own, at a higher frequency than the power transformer hum... this doesn't look good at all.

Edit2: Hmm, then again it looks like the real power supply is sitting inside the black box while the smaller transformer on the outside only powers a small portion of the preamp.

 

[cdfac]

you can't change the power frequency unless you have a power regenerator like the PS Audio Power Plants, which even then may not be possible.

i saw those pictures and wondered if there wasn't a second transformer in the black box. can someone confirm this? if it's not another transformer, it must be some sort of circuitry that needs to be shielded. the CX-1 does not offer a DAC input like the CX-1000/2000, correct?

 

[Tachikoma]

I can hear transformer hum coming from it, so it probably houses one too. The CX-1 has no DAC.

I sure wish someone would come into this thread and tell me the CX-1 could be modded for 240V operation without too much fuss...

 

[cdfac]

if someone posts the schematic, you might be able to tell. it's not in the AK Database, though.

i wonder if the second (smaller) transformer is for the phono circuit. can't imagine what else it would be. the black box is similar to what you see for the main C-2(a) transformer, IIRC.

 

[Scytales]

The smaller transformer is for the electronics who drive the remote sensor, command control circuit, and standby mode. It has nothing to do with audio.

The main power transfomer is encased in a black box inside the preamp ; there is nothing else in this box.

I hope, Tachikoma, that you haven't plugged direcly a preamp with a 120 V Xformer in a 240 V socket ! The preamp would sure not really like that sort of abuse !

Do you use a step down transformer between the main socket and the main plug of your CX-1 ?

 

[aidynphoenix]

Omg get it!!!!!
EDIT:: sry i didnt read it all, please!! beautifull pictures of that unit!!
im hungry to see it!! i would LOVE to have one!!
is it flat black or a slightly greyish color??

 

[MX117.MC7150]

Just recalled that my CX-1 had the mains supply wired backwards. You might want to check that, as well. Whomever wired in the power cord at the factory put them in in opposite polarity. But, as the previous poster stated, if you've been running the CX-1 directly on 240v and it is a 120v unit, you are lucky its hasn't melted. Definitely need a step-down transformer, which steps down voltage, only.

 

[tubeboob]

The CX-1 is one of Yamaha's best preamps EVER.

Sound quality on par with the very best, and the added advantage of remote control.

Jump on it . . .

 

[Tachikoma]

Well I haven't melted down the preamp so I guess I'm really really lucky or...

Nah just kidding. I'm actually running it off 100V at the moment, since my 120V stepdown is also mechanically noisy for some reason.

I've purchased a Monarchy AC regenerator, which will generate a 115V 60 Hz mains so that should make the transformers happy. The problem is the other noise originating from the black box (which was there before it was sent to me, apparently), but I've found a tech who will hopefully fix that.

Having said that, I'd love to switch the transformers out for something that has dual primaries... but I wonder if an off-the-shelf solution would fit properly.

The main power transfomer is encased in a black box inside the preamp ; there is nothing else in this box.

Really? Not even a rectification circuit? I figured that the fluorescent lamp-noise had to be coming from a diode or something.

 

[Scytales]

Really? Not even a rectification circuit? I figured that the fluorescent lamp-noise had to be coming from a diode or something.

Perhaps something not mentionned in the service manual is inside, but I couldn't tell, as I have never dismantled such a box.

The rectifier diodes is outside the box. The fluorescent-lamp-like noise should be emitted by the power transformer itself. Is it really that annoying ?

 

[Tachikoma]

I use a headphone setup (and the preamp is sitting no more than 2 feet away from me), so yes.

 

[Skimaster50]

Looking To Purchase a CX-1/MX-1 Set-up

I am looking at buying a CX-1/MX-1, Amp/Pre-Amp Combo from a seller near me and after I have read your thread I think it will be a great combination. So thanks for asking about your possible purchase. Any feedback on what I am looking at will be greatly appreciated also.

Mark

Just received my CX-1 this morning. Looks really great, no markings anywhere. I would rate it 9.8/10 cosmetically.

Hooked it up to my rig, and now I know why Dr Ear prefers it more than the c-2x.

I only listen to cd's and it is as good as my adcom preamp. Remember, my adcom has been fully modded, and the cx-1 seems original under the bonnet after taking a quick look.

I can only imagine how much better the cx-1 will be by replacing those tired by now 15 year old electrolytics.

Very excited with my purchase, this is truly an extremely high end preamp,up there with the best of them, and maybe the last preamp I will ever need to buy.

CX-1/MX-2000. A perfect match made in heaven. Could not be happier!

Adcom gfp-565 to be sold on ebay very soon.

 

[aidynphoenix]

i think you need a powerconditioner

 

[Tachikoma]

Already have one, that's not the issue <_<

Anyway, it seems that I'll have to replace the transformers since the main power transformer is the one that's humming horribly. While I'm at it I'd like to modify the unit to run on 240V mains... does anyone have any idea of what the PCB transformer outputs?