Yamaha B-1 Quickie
- Thread starter rottalpha
- Start date
WOOW! how can a B-1 brother get a scanned copy of that?
that was really the golden age of Hi-Fi. They were pioneering new concepts and materials.
The new stuff today is nothing but a copy of older designs with a minor alterations.... Of course there are exceptions, but they are really few in between.
As far as the B-1, the more I look at the technology that went into creating it, the more I am fascinated by it. From an economics perspective..think about the extent Yamaha execs went to in order to create it. This was a true money no object effort, at least in terms of design. Unique topology, with no other commercial amplifier like it, purposely built transistors..not even used on other Yamahas. In terms of execution, of course, there are minor improvements that can be made today, but it is not hard to play Monday morning quarterback. I found myself guilty of doing that in this thread about the location of some components. But overall, think about it, there is no other amplifier alike.... and based on my personal experience and other's experiences, the consensus is that in terms sonic performance, it competes with TOTL from likes of Mark Levinson and Krell. Even by today's standards the B-1 is a fantastic piece of audio gear. This makes me even happier that I had the chance to give mine a new life.
The new stuff today is nothing but a copy of older designs with a minor alterations.... Of course there are exceptions, but they are really few in between.
As far as the B-1, the more I look at the technology that went into creating it, the more I am fascinated by it. From an economics perspective..think about the extent Yamaha execs went to in order to create it. This was a true money no object effort, at least in terms of design. Unique topology, with no other commercial amplifier like it, purposely built transistors..not even used on other Yamahas. In terms of execution, of course, there are minor improvements that can be made today, but it is not hard to play Monday morning quarterback. I found myself guilty of doing that in this thread about the location of some components. But overall, think about it, there is no other amplifier alike.... and based on my personal experience and other's experiences, the consensus is that in terms sonic performance, it competes with TOTL from likes of Mark Levinson and Krell. Even by today's standards the B-1 is a fantastic piece of audio gear. This makes me even happier that I had the chance to give mine a new life.
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clinic-audio
all on YAMAHA untill 1990
Hello everybody
Happy new year to everyone
Unique topology, with no other commercial amplifier like it, purposely built transistors..not even used on other Yamahas.
They did produce 2SJ27 and 2SK77 . 2SJ27 is not used in B1 but should be used in another unit . Manufacturing high quality semi conductors without using them is a non sense . I don't know which unit it is but it does exist in JAPAN for sure
Happy new year to everyone
Unique topology, with no other commercial amplifier like it, purposely built transistors..not even used on other Yamahas.
They did produce 2SJ27 and 2SK77 . 2SJ27 is not used in B1 but should be used in another unit . Manufacturing high quality semi conductors without using them is a non sense . I don't know which unit it is but it does exist in JAPAN for sure
Clinic - I recognize your picture from a DIY post on another forum and yes this proves that Super TO-3 P channel V-FET's were also produced but with poorer performance to their compliment which I'm sure is why Yamaha didn't produce an amp with them.
Also, manufacturing high quality semi conductors without using them was not non sense to my thinking. It was part of the process to producing the very wonderful 2SJ26 used with the 2SK76 in the B-2.
Notice the lack of ranking code on the 2SJ27.
clinic-audio
all on YAMAHA untill 1990
Nick
As you can see in our pictures 2SJ27 do not have any classification numbers like our favorite 2SK77
As you can see in our pictures 2SJ27 do not have any classification numbers like our favorite 2SK77
Hi Patrice, I would also disagree with your statement. Manufacturesrs of all industries create concept products. They use them as standards and lessons-learned for furure products. Look at this from a differnt perspective: if Yamaha would have produced a B-1 with complementariy V-fets, the B-1 would not be so exotic in terms of design.
As far as I can remember, these photos are from a DIY amplifier and not an official Yamaha.
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I'm thinking that since so far I've seen AK, AL, AM, BK, BM, CK, CM, DK, DM and even ZM both letters mean something with regard to ranking but I don't have a clue what the letters mean and I doubt anybody does anymore.
It would be nice to know, but I guess is not that important when all 4 are a match. I guess you would really need to know when they are not..then you need to pull out that Tex T-Rex of yours to look at their curves
Yes indeed!..then you need to pull out that Tex T-Rex of yours to look at their curves
vintagejapan
AK Member
I sure will enjoy it for many years.
Based on the limited time I had with the B-1 so far, It is the best amp I listen to so far. I will eventually set it up with a proper source and room layout at some point in the future, but these are my initial thought when comparing it to my other amps on duty:
My MX has balls to the walls, pushes well over 300W and its sound is crystal clear at any listning levels. The B-2 is sweet as a peach and a pleaseure to listen to, nice and smooth musical sound. .....
Neither of the two can do what the B-1 can with a set of speakers. I specifically used it to play a fast, bass heavy mix straight from my phone. No pre, no tone control, nothing. That usually sounds awful on my other amps including the B-2 which is very forgiving. The B-1 sounds fantastic because of the ease of control it has over the speakers at any frequency. I first used it on my crappy and sacrificial test speakers, then hooked it up to a set of NS-1000. Who says the B-1 is shy on highs, needs to have their B-1 restored. Who says that the NS-1000Ms are bass shy, they need to hook them up to a B-1.
I am curious how the B-1 will fair against my BX-1s and against my TA-N7. Can't wait for the day I will have the time to do a proper listning of all of them...hopefully fed from a GT-2000 or a PX-1, via one of the C-1s
I would be curious to hear how the B-1 stacks against the BX-1
Awesome work rottalpha, I will be starting to restore my B-1 with UC-1 shortly and will be certainly looking at the caps replacements and upgrades you did.
Thank you for making this restoration available.
B-1 is certainly a favourite on my stand, followed closely by 2 B-3' run as mono blocks.
I will find out one of these days.
The B-2 sound so close to B-1, I wonder how I would ever hear something in-between
As you saw, it is not impossible, but it is very difficult due to size limitations. I strongly suggest you exhaust every possible option of obtaining a kit from Clinic or a board from Vint Age, first, before you go to the full DIY route.
I was feeling guilty to keep hijacking your thread
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Exactly what I thought and even though I've never heard a B-3 I'll bet in a blind test you wouldn't be able to tell it from the B-2 given that there's so very little difference in the 2 designs ...
I have been hesitant of going for a B-3 ..ot two, but I might change my mind in the future. The B-2 is so sweet sounding, that I hardly believe there would be any gains from that perspective. The B-1 and the MX are more powerful than any speakers I still have, so in terms of upping the antie in that department, there is little gain too.
To me the bigest "go get a B-3" factor at the moment, is purely from a collection perspective...to have the entire 1,2,3 team.
Otherwise, I have waaaay more amps than I need or that I can listen to.
Viewing things from a differnt angle, the comparison would not not be fair now for the BX-1s. They would need a "Quickie" of their own first....so that is why it would be a while untill a proper face-off would happen.
To me the bigest "go get a B-3" factor at the moment, is purely from a collection perspective...to have the entire 1,2,3 team.
Otherwise, I have waaaay more amps than I need or that I can listen to.
I should have mentioned, that when I initially got the amps, I did have the chance to compare them, but it was not a fair comparison. The B-1 was clearely in need of TLC, and on its last leg, as I subsequently found out during the "Quickie"
Viewing things from a differnt angle, the comparison would not not be fair now for the BX-1s. They would need a "Quickie" of their own first....so that is why it would be a while untill a proper face-off would happen.
Oilmaster
Sonycus Peritum
Clinic - I recognize your picture from a DIY post on another forum and yes this proves that Super TO-3 P channel V-FET's were also produced but with poorer performance to their compliment which I'm sure is why Yamaha didn't produce an amp with them.
Also, manufacturing high quality semi conductors without using them was not non sense to my thinking. It was part of the process to producing the very wonderful 2SJ26 used with the 2SK76 in the B-2.
View attachment 1079124
Notice the lack of ranking code on the 2SJ27.
That reminds me of a little shipment that arrived in my mailbox a few years ago (karma pays off
)
I intend to make a nice single ended amp with it, one day.
Indeed no ranking markings, while the production batch numbers are fading. I can only read 5027X, 1124X and 1383X.
That reminds me of a little shipment that arrived in my mailbox a few years ago (karma pays off
View attachment 1081361
I intend to make a nice single ended amp with it, one day.
Indeed no ranking markings, while the production batch numbers are fading. I can only read 5027X, 1124X and 1383X.
or you can do a push-pull if you get some SKs