A rare Sony ESPRIT trio

[theophile]

Hey Stoffie,
I can sort of understand the 'buzz' that women get from shopping,if it's anything like scoring an awesome stereo component. (However who'd get excited about a pair of shoes? :scratch2
The cherry on the cake,has to be acquiring one of your own. :yes: :thmbsp:
It's a shame sometimes that oceans separate many of us,because it sure would be interesting to hear some of the neat gear that people are running.
Thanks for sharing the occasion.
Enjoy your new purchase.

 

[Stoffie]

You bet theophile! Who knows I'll end up on a trip to Australia some day, maybe in a few years. I surely share your sentiment

 

[Viking_One]

Hi again.
And just to make it right this time: this is factory made preamp, not sadistic abuse of clasic stereo equipment;-)
Stoffe, "Show us your Sony" is like 110 pages long................... kind of. I am reading it patiently and when I´m done I´m gonna post all my Sony stuff (I have a few).
I have one question and hope you guys can help me with. I get quotation to buy a Sony TA-N7B for 950 eur. Is it overpriced? Unit is in perfect cosmetical and technical condition but it sounds a bit too much. Am I wrong?
Thanx for any help.
Regards
Eryk

 

[Unda Maris]

A not refurbished TA-N7B is never in a perfect technical condition !

Hello Eryk,

the TA-N7B is IMO the best amplifier Sony ever made, the best V-FET amplifier and the best Japanese amplifier of the seventies. This is the one and positive side of the medal.

Here is the other one:

The TA-N7B tends to get unreliable over the years. This has to do with low quality fusible resistors which drift under heat or even completely fail and the too small bipolar power transistors used in the output stage (Don't use it with real 4 Ohm speakers for a longer period of time). An amplifier with off spec fusible resistors and a long history of low impedance loads and hundreds of working hours sounds not optimal and may fail every moment.

The failure risk is not higher as with any other V-FET amplifier, but it is different (not related to V-FETs). In case of a failure there is even quite a probability, that all or almost all V-FETs will survive (in contrast to the TA-5650, which tends to grill all V-FETs of both channels at once in any case of failure).

Refurbish the electronics by taking another 400 EUR into your hands and you get the amplifier, which I described: A great sounding, reliable, 4Ohm capable, almost indestructible V-FET amplifier ... :yes:

What would one be willing to pay for such an amplifier, good question ...

The average TA-N7B used price stabilized to about 450 EUR in the recent years, but tends to go up now. The reason for this is unknown.

A recent eBay sale was 906 EUR on eBay Germany. This unit btw. went to Denmark ... it isn't your's, isn't it ??

 

[Stoffie]

Amen to that

On topic, my TA-E900 arrived today. Perfect packing job, took me forever to unpack it. Looks pretty good, some small nicks here and there, but nothing much noticeable. Haven't had time to try it yet because it's BBQ season

Here's a pic of my very own, super rare TA-E900, joined by its TA-N900 brethren More pics to follow.

 

[Viking_One]

Thanx for answer.
It´s Sweden but yes it can be my, but the price... I´am so pissed off casue of those idiots who make a bid and then... It is not the first time for me, I missed a Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty 1977 for the same reason. I do not have a problem with paying 900 eur for it even if it´s too much, but I would like to win it. Is it eBay made for it?...........................
Refreshing TAN7B woulden´t be a problem for me if I only had an idea/manual of some kind how to do it. I am doing lot of racking of old Neumann/Siemens/Telefunken modules and it´s good money comming from there. I´m about take my TAE5450 and refresh it as it´s in bad shape (but it was cheap only 85 eur with shippin to Sweden) so to take both units at the same time wasn´t be a problem.
Well, why anybody pays that much? As for me it is few reasons:
1. Vintage Knob. I love this site, but this site made many peoples think second time about old Sony equipment, then try one unit.... and we all know the rest
2. I am young and I never experienced the 70´s, a bit of 80´s so only way for me to know if thing were/are good is to buy them.
3. I am buying thing for me. I don´t care if I can get more money later on when selling and it is an experience I am buing. This you can never exchange it for money.
4. What else would I do with money? Don´t like to travel... and pretty much what I am doing is music related, both as job and hobby.
5. Those stuff just blowed me away!!! I own 2 ex TAN86B, one TAN901 and one TAN5550 and I just love every time I can sit down and just listen to the music with one of thhose beauties
6. Even my wife chosed Sonys sound before the appearance of Technics SU-C3000/ SA-E3000 and it says a lot))
Well, it should be enough... and everybody who´s reading this just know what I mean.
Regards
Eryk

 

[Viking_One]

Amen it was Stoffe
I have a deal on TA-E901 and pair of TA-N900 in progres, but it´s gonna take time as guy who own them is not sure if he want to sell them. So that is just a question about the price and sooner or later (preffer sooner) those gonna be my
Regards
Eryk

 

[Stoffie]

Well, not much I can add to that, only an approving nod

Hope you can get the TA-N7B, TA-E901 and N900's, definitely worth it even though prices have shot through the roof.

Be sure to post some pics when you are ready :thmbsp:

Just read a review of a TA-E900 in a contemporary German magazine, and the measured specs on that thing are mesmerizing, compared to what other products of that time could do.

 

[legal eagle]

Amen to that

On topic, my TA-E900 arrived today. Perfect packing job, took me forever to unpack it. Looks pretty good, some small nicks here and there, but nothing much noticeable. Haven't had time to try it yet because it's BBQ season

Here's a pic of my very own, super rare TA-E900, joined by its TA-N900 brethren More pics to follow.

Stofie,
you must stop that, or you'll rack up some competition for any Esprit gear that will show up. It's so beautiful, that I just don't care what it sounds like.

 

[theophile]

Congrats Stoffie. :thmbsp:
The sweet (rare)preamp you were seeking,is now yours.
Here's wishing you many happy listening sessions. :yes:

 

[vincei]

These photos are :drool: nice! I'm waiting on my CDP-X77ES cd player and have you Stoffie to blame! I could not resist the lure of a "7" series player to add to my collection after seeing your lovely X777ES.

 

[Stoffie]

Heh, thanks guys

Will be posting some more pics in a bit, since you all like them so much

It's kind of funny, when you look for ESPRIT gear on google, my threads usually pop up here on AK, or on other fora where I post. And then there's the Japanese webpages. Other than that there's not much to be found in English, so I guess I'm paving the way for some more info on these components (and I'm not trying to sound like a prick here, just struck me when I did some googling)

Vincei: got another CDP-X777ES with only a few hours on the laser, coming my way in August

Sorry I've been showing you guys the way of the Sony...

 

[theophile]

Hey Stoffie,
I don't own anything Sony(not for lack of trying ),but I really enjoy learning about lesser known,but not lesser performing,components.The brand by that criterion is irrelevant.
Sony deserve to finally garner recognition and accolades for the effort they obviously put in,to advancing the Art.
With regard to AK being one of the few places on the 'net(outside of Japan)that one can access any information on many,many superior performing components;I think we can safely say that all those who have shared their experiences and comparisons of their beloved 'music-makers' on this site have inspired others to test the water.The result has been confirmation as more numbers come forward,that the rediscovered jewels really are bona-fide quality music-makers worthy of respect.
Keep posting about your acquisitions(please),because this 'knowledge-base' can only be of benefit to those who appreciate quality components,and will remain as an archive which will be referred to by fellow music-lovers. :yes: :thmbsp:

 

[Stoffie]

You're absolutely right theophile. Even though I am a Sony addict (well some of their stuff anyway), I have seen an learnt about awesome brands and components on AK, which I will not necessarily purchase right now, but might in the future when I have some more space to put things and have my own 'mancave'.

Despite the Sony thread being one of the most viewed in the Vintage Solid State forum, people usually have their reservations about Sony. Which is understandable, they have made a lot of mass produced crap, and the past five to ten years nothing much interesting came from their labs if you ask me.

However, there is some good stuff there, which usually was produced in low quantities, not very well advertised or simply not exported. So guess it's up to us fans to spread the word Although I think some of Sony's masterpieces (especially receivers from 60 and 70's) have garnered some interested here on AK and elsewhere.

Next acquisition in the ESPRIT line:

SE-P900 parametric equaliser

 

[Stoffie]

Been listening all afternoon, sounds great teamed with the TA-N900 monoblocks, fed by a CDP-X555ES. Very open, detailed, and palpable sound. Organic almost

Decided to clean it, took it apart, and found lots of dust, some corrosion near the ventilation slits, and a selector knob which was no longer centered. Pre probably lived in a fairly humid climate, or there was water damage on one side...

Nothing major though, it works fine and is going to my tech for inspection and revision anyways.

Here's some more pics

 

[theophile]

Those nudes of the E900 are awesome.
With the 'potted' components it reminds me of the inside of my Yamaha C2x.Not identical,but a similar high-tech approach to design and component selection.
My impression is that these units were not inexpensive in their day,but offered great value for money.
Although some bemoan the prices that these pieces are presently fetching on the market because of greater interest and demand,my opinion is that(as second-hand pieces)they are generally extraordinary value. :yes:

 

[mesut BALCI]

Hi Kristof,

I remembered the days my tae88b came home, took directories of nudie pictures at every angle, and finally kissed several times. Seeing your happiness, I felt so happy too. If I had 2 sep900 I would send one as a gift to you, this would make me much more happier seing you with all the smiles. Have wonderful listening periods.:thmbsp:

The pic of tae900&tan7 combo is simply fantastic, I am tring to prevent myself from thinking of buying a tae900+tan7b then maybe selling my 5650+tube amp+tae88b to restore wallet. I really dont know if sonically betters for equal price. Too much and very risky job to make everything fit correctly in the system and get better lacking no property of current sound because I experienced a ta-n7 system. I already satisfied all triggers of my perceive system in all aspects better way and happy thinking nothing. Better resolution, obviously quicker music, better stage than that. Only one idea pops in my mind, I dont know if 5650 is usable as one mono amp.

 

[vincei]

Looking good. A nice cleanup and maybe a recap, and your all set!

 

[reggaenaut]

Greatly appreciated Stoffie! Excellent units.

 

[Stoffie]

Thanks for the kind words guys!

I'll be surprised to see how an overhauled/serviced TA-E900 compares to a fully redone TA-E88B, will know in a couple of weeks I guess

mesut: don't dream too much, I am confident that your current setup, if it makes you smile, is more than good enough. I am curious to hear a TA-5650 some day. I hear nothing but good things about it. TA-E900+TA-N7B does sound very very good to my ears. Nothing bad I can say about that match, really.