jttimmerman
New Member
Hello, any suggestion on which vintage Sony Preamps mate well to VFET TAN-5550 Amp?
Thanks!
JT
Thanks!
JT
Which Sony vintage PreAmp?
- Thread starter jttimmerman
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Stoffie
Sony afficionado
TA-E 8450 if you can find one. Or a TA-E7B which is from the later series.
Couldn't hurt to try and team it with a TA-E86(B) I guess, or a TA-E88(B) but that one is pretty rare and expensive usually.
You can find some more info on www.thevintageknob.org
There is a wealth of Sony info there!
Couldn't hurt to try and team it with a TA-E86(B) I guess, or a TA-E88(B) but that one is pretty rare and expensive usually.
You can find some more info on www.thevintageknob.org
There is a wealth of Sony info there!
jttimmerman
New Member
thanks for the replies...
i suspected the ta2000 but did not have a radar on the others....thanks!
i suspected the ta2000 but did not have a radar on the others....thanks!
jttimmerman
New Member
bully said:
will do! the search never seems to end!
The TAE-5450 is the matching preamp but it's generally not considered to sound quite as good as some of the others listed above. The TAE-8450 was the only other preamp that is a cosmetic match for that series and was consideraly more expensive than the 5450 (the 8450 and 8550 were the top of the line separates and the 5450/5550 next in line). The 8450 has quite a few more features than the 5450 and is supposed to sound better as well, but it is one of the most complex preamps ever made by Sony or anyone else. The 86B and 88B are from a later series and are supposed to be very nice sounding units. The 2000 and 2000F are earlier units and are exceptionally well built with the 2000 having a slight edge in that department but the 2000F has a slightly better mix of functions for most people and updated circuitry. I'm currently using a TA-2000 with my TAN-5550 and a TA-3120F in a passive biamp arrangement. I just started tearing my 5450 apart to do a full recap and try to upgrade the performance a little with a few tweeks. The 2000 does sound a little better than the 5450 but the difference isn't huge and I'm hoping a little work will get the 5450 sounding good enough to go back into the system.
Welcome to AK, jt. Most everything is covered above. But, while not truly vintage, check out the ES series listing Axel has in his website, The Vintage Knob. It is an excellent preamp, as well, and has one thing over the others mentioned. And that is remote capability.
Good thought YB2. As much as I like the earlier silver face Sony stuff I keep thinking more and more about the later black ES gear for the remote capabilities. A TA-E77ES or TA-E80ES would be good options and since they are so much newer they would be less likely to have issues or need service than the older stuff mentioned previously.
Same eBay newbie guy who has relisted the one that didn't sell a few weeks ago. He originally had it listed for $200, then raised his starting price to $300. Now it is up to $350. wonder who his eBay advisor is? He was happy to send me pic's last time, but didn't bother to put on the listing (which he has done this time - same pic's he sent). But, still starting his bidding way too high. Especially for a unit with no remote, no manual and no original box. My guess is that he will have the same result this time.
axel
Super Member
ByrdWyngs said:
I can only vouch for the quality of the E80ES - mine is running about 12/24 since 1994.
However I: I remember Zeljko telling me there was an IC in it that wasn't available anymore...
However II: not much can happen in a preamp can it!
Was a time when there was plenty of them E and N80ES on the german eBay, weekly - they're all keeping them now because they got wiser!
One would be quite lucky to get the preamp for 350$, not to mention the amp or even both in champagne color.
edit. can't seem to upload a picture here... had a nice nudie of the E80ES...
They are fairly rare in the U.S. However, the TA-N80ES is not rare, at all. One of them sold last night for $355 and I just sold mine for $425 this afternoon. In champagne........I've never seen one in the U.S. We got very little of the champagne gear over here.
Axel - send me the nudie as an e-mail attachment and I'll post. Or, go here and register for a good, free, photo service. http://photobucket.com/login.php I'd like to see the nudie.
Axel - send me the nudie as an e-mail attachment and I'll post. Or, go here and register for a good, free, photo service. http://photobucket.com/login.php I'd like to see the nudie.
$350 is too much for that E80 IMO even if they are moderately rare (about 4 times as many N80s listed on eBay). Over the last year or so they've gone from a low of only $130 to a high of $330 for a mint unit with the remote, all the paperwork , and original box and packing materials. $200-$250 is more like it for for a unit like that in good shape without all the extas. I sent the seller email when he listed it the first time and they never even responded, kind of turned me off even before the price raise.
I've never seen any of this series of amps in champagne either (pre,power, or integrated - except for the pictures on TVK) but I'd sure like to. The only champagne ES gear I've seen for sale at all in the US over the last couple of years are a couple of the x707/x777 CDP's.
I've never seen any of this series of amps in champagne either (pre,power, or integrated - except for the pictures on TVK) but I'd sure like to. The only champagne ES gear I've seen for sale at all in the US over the last couple of years are a couple of the x707/x777 CDP's.
axel
Super Member
Glenn,
I added the image in the pop-ups of the TVK post:
- http://www.thevintageknob.org/SONY/sonyes/TAE80ES/TAE80ES.html
I added the image in the pop-ups of the TVK post:
- http://www.thevintageknob.org/SONY/sonyes/TAE80ES/TAE80ES.html
Unda Maris
Mr. V-FET
Hey guys you forgot one important SONY-PRE:
The TA-E7 (The silver version without B) looks really nice and is a very good fit for the TA-N5550, even better than the TAE-8450, because it features the same basic mechanical construction.
It´s less complexity, probably better sounding and less price than the TAE-8540.
I would not go for E86 or E88, because their looks are quite different and sonically these are probably an overkill for the TAN-5550.
As I know, the TA-2000F and TAE-5450 don´t feature a MC input.
What do you gentlemen think, does an unmodified TA-E80ES sound really better ? I can see on Axel´s nudies some of these 'famous' Japanese SIP packaged Operational Amplifiers ...
The TA-E7 (The silver version without B) looks really nice and is a very good fit for the TA-N5550, even better than the TAE-8450, because it features the same basic mechanical construction.
It´s less complexity, probably better sounding and less price than the TAE-8540.
I would not go for E86 or E88, because their looks are quite different and sonically these are probably an overkill for the TAN-5550.
As I know, the TA-2000F and TAE-5450 don´t feature a MC input.
What do you gentlemen think, does an unmodified TA-E80ES sound really better ? I can see on Axel´s nudies some of these 'famous' Japanese SIP packaged Operational Amplifiers ...
The E7 would be a nice option if one could be found but I don't think I've ever seen one for sale in the US (with or without the "B").
While the TA-2000F and TAE-5450 don't have a MC input the TA-2000 does. Unfortunately it also has Mic in, and tape head amp (which are nearly useless IMO), Aux 2 is a 1/4" jack on the front panel, and it only has one regular tape loop. It sounds pretty nice and looks really cool with the top off, but the feature set is rather strange.
While the TA-2000F and TAE-5450 don't have a MC input the TA-2000 does. Unfortunately it also has Mic in, and tape head amp (which are nearly useless IMO), Aux 2 is a 1/4" jack on the front panel, and it only has one regular tape loop. It sounds pretty nice and looks really cool with the top off, but the feature set is rather strange.
absolon
Super Member
Since I'm using MC carts with it, the TA2000F must indeed have capacity for moving coil.
In fact the Phono1 input has five settings, three with sensitivity of 1.2 mV and impedance of 33k, 47k and 82k Ohms and two with sensitivity of 0.06mV and impedances of 10 and 30 ohms. Phono2 is exclusively MM. On the 2000F the MIC input has been moved to the back panel and there are three AUX inputs, one of which is a 1/4" jack on the front panel. There are also two line level tape inputs and two record outputs with face panel switchablity to go directly deck to deck in either direction.
In fact the Phono1 input has five settings, three with sensitivity of 1.2 mV and impedance of 33k, 47k and 82k Ohms and two with sensitivity of 0.06mV and impedances of 10 and 30 ohms. Phono2 is exclusively MM. On the 2000F the MIC input has been moved to the back panel and there are three AUX inputs, one of which is a 1/4" jack on the front panel. There are also two line level tape inputs and two record outputs with face panel switchablity to go directly deck to deck in either direction.
Similar threads
