Yamaha YSU-3 and YSL-3 Nudies

[SoCal Sam]

My Yamaha YSU-3 Switching Unit (the one with buttons) and YSL-3 (knobs) arrived today. I've got all sorts of receivers and separates to wire up. Marantz 2500 v. SX-1980 v. RX-1603 v. separates, etc., etc. I'm going to have to figure out how to get enough amps to power all these monsters. Anticipation...

Now some details. There are 23 relays in the YSU-3 and 30 in the YSL-3. The button selectors on the YSU-3 are mutually exclusive. It can switch between 10 amps, 5 TT's, 5 tape decks, and 20 speakers. The wiring goes like this. In the YSL-3, pre-in and amp-out from the amp. In the YSU-3, speaker in (from amp), speaker out, and tape and phono loops from the receiver, and out to tape decks and turntables. The speaker indicator box has two large tube digital counters, the kind with a filament for each number. The counter has a very long cable so it can be placed remotely in the speaker section.

I'm not sure if it can hot switch for the true A/B experience. Anyone know the answer?

 

[P. Shivers]

Very cool. What are the dimensions on those things? It's hard for me to tell the scale in your pics.

 

[bully]

Yeah, it is like what they use in stereo stores, you should be able to switch from one to another for quick listens. Just make sure that the speakers are SPL matched so the louder one doesn't win just because it is louder.
You should be able to a/b any of the units.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Very cool. What are the dimensions on those things? It's hard for me to tell the scale in your pics.

The button unit measures 30 x 11 x 5.5 inches. The smaller unit is 26 x 9.5 x 3.5 inches.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Yeah, it is like what they use in stereo stores, you should be able to switch from one to another for quick listens. Just make sure that the speakers are SPL matched so the louder one doesn't win just because it is louder.
You should be able to a/b any of the units.

Excellent. I'm planning on bringing my display shelves to life.

 

[Chrisssssssss]

Hey there, bringing this thread back to life, I just picked up this set also. Does anyone have any information about it? I tried looking on the net, but this was the only real result.

SoCal Sam, do you still have yours? What was your experiences with it?

I had to have it, the nixie tube display was too cool.

Paid a lot for it, but I think it was worth it. Mine was not used that much and has been packed away for a long time. The original owner that I bought this from said that it was a very expensive unit when new, and he wil be looking for the owners manual and boxes for it for me, other than that, my unit is fairly excellent shape, with only minor dents in the lid, and functionally perfect. Will be playing with it tonight.

 

[avionic]

two large tube digital counters, the kind with a filament for each number

Nixie tubes are cool !!Looks like you have a dirty relay contact...

 

[val058]

Ysu-3

SoCal Sam,

If you don't mind saying, how much did you pay for your YSU-3?
Painfully curioius.

Rick.

 

[SoCal Sam]

SoCal Sam,

If you don't mind saying, how much did you pay for your YSU-3?
Painfully curioius.

Rick.

I got a decent deal but that was a couple of years ago. They are exceptionally rare, especially one with a good Nixie counter. If you are looking at one, I wouldn't go nuts but if you have a decent silver collection like I do, a vintage switcher is a must.

 

[SoCal Sam]

Hey there, bringing this thread back to life, I just picked up this set also. Does anyone have any information about it? I tried looking on the net, but this was the only real result.

SoCal Sam, do you still have yours? What was your experiences with it?

I had to have it, the nixie tube display was too cool.

Paid a lot for it, but I think it was worth it. Mine was not used that much and has been packed away for a long time. The original owner that I bought this from said that it was a very expensive unit when new, and he wil be looking for the owners manual and boxes for it for me, other than that, my unit is fairly excellent shape, with only minor dents in the lid, and functionally perfect. Will be playing with it tonight.

Old question but I guess it's never too late to answer... I hooked mine up to make sure it works but haven't hooked everything up yet. One of these days when I get a house big enough, I'll setup a proper listening room.

Did you get the box and manual? Mine has the original manual and schemo but it is Japanese, which is OK because my tech is...Japanese. Do you have any idea what these things sold new?

 

[Chrisssssssss]

From what I was told, These things new in the late 70's or early 80's went for 5-6K new. They were the absolute best on the market when it came to switching units. They were all relay contacts with the buttons acting as just triggers. I paid $1000 for mine, but it is really nice shape, as well as the nixie tube display is bright and uniform. It is one of my favorite pieces. I wish I could find out any information on them. I would love a scan of the manual if possible...

Love it.

Cheers,

 

[val058]

Yamaha YSU-3 / YSL-3

Thanks for the reply SoCal,
I asked this as a gauge. I never knew another soul who ever saw one of these until now. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this from the owner of HI-FI STEREO HOUSE in Newington, CT. It was the high end audio place of the 60's-70's-80's. Got alot of Scott tube stuff, and the YSU, etc.. as part of an estate sale. He just wanted it to all disappear... He claimed the YSU was unaffordable to consumers back then but as a retailer, there was a reciprocal discount of sorts. Anyway, a very impressive piece of gear to be sure. I have made a tribute to the thing on a webpage -- hobby of mine -- that photography, audio and radio- electronics, after reading about the interest here. Photos came out nicely. This may end up parting ways with me... along with all the Rider's manuals you see behind it, coincidentally; in an effort to thin out for a possible move from CT to SoCal ! -- Yes, Looking at Temecula..very nice out there.
Follow link to see the very nice YSU-3/YSL-3
http://home.comcast.net/~val58/ysu.htm

Rick

 

[SoCal Sam]

Awesome webpage on the Yammie Switcher. THANKS!! My unit came from an Audio Mart store, which I am not familiar with. I wish I could remember where this unit came from, it was an ebay item that somehow snuck under the radar. Anyways, if you can somehow keep your Switcher, I think you will not regret too much later on...

BTW, Temecula is beautiful.

 

[Chrisssssssss]

Nice site. Looks cool.

I may try and replace the lights in the vu's with some LED's. I am not quite sure yet what color, but I'm thinkin blue...

Definitely a keeper. Just a funny aside about that unit... I was in the middle of moving recently and had the thing in the car with me in a long box. I was at a friends house and asked them if they wanted to see a real cool piece of gear to check out? They said ok, so i brought the thing in and kinda set it up with the display. I thought the thing looked real cool sitting in the middle of the floor...nixie's shining brightly...vu's lit to the max...

Looking at it...all proud fatherish...I look toward the audience of spectators...<insert record scratch sound effect here>... "Uh, ... what is it?" one of them mumbled... <insert cricket-cricket-cricket sound effect here> Nothing but blank puzzled deer in the headlights...

"I...I...Its a s-s-stereo switcher thing like you can hook up like 10 different sources to like 10 different amps and then listen and switch between 20 different sets of speakers...look, at the nixie display change as I select from any of the 20 selected speakers I want...look...uh..." <crickets sound effect increasing volume> "...apparently I am the only one that is excited about this thing... I think it's cool... Uh... Anyone... , Bueller...., Bueller..., " <Crickets fall silent>

"Well... " pipes this cute blond girl breaking the awkward silence, " I mean, I could see where it would be kinda useful I suppose, if you actually HAD like 20 sets of speakers..." spoken in a voice like telling someone not to be afraid of the men in the white lab coats on their way to take you somewhere special...

I couldn't help myself and completely burst out laughing, where some sympathetic chuckling ensued... They were laughing at how ridiculous that would be to need something like that...

I was laughing harder... only because I do have 20 pair of speakers that I will be using it with and have been looking for something that would do exactly this for quite some time...

Well after the laughter faded below the sounds of the background music, I proceeded to pack away my YSU explaining my needs of such a unit and future plans to set-up a listening room with this unit connected to it's capacity. This was followed by several pats on the back and "Well, whatever you're into..." "To each his own...right?" as I walked it back out to my truck.

I learned a lesson that night... in that not everyone shares the same levels of enthusiasm as another about certain interests.

BTW, I ended up having the blond over interested to check out the set-up and to listen to some music and have a couple of drinks.

I've been going out with her since.

 

[val058]

What!?, no pictures of the blonde, pressing a switch...? <now I'm hearing crickets>, .. I wasn't the only one thinking that...I meant.. uh, nevermind, I do like that story! Thank you guys for the compliments on that web page. Perhaps every YSU has a story in there. The crowd of onlookers you describe reminds me of a circle of sport's-fan friends of mine that know all the players names, their kids names,who worked for who and made how much on what teams in 1973, and what the weather was like. I look at them like a deer in the headlights and they do the same to me when they see this switcher and/or the pile of other stuff I have setup. Personally, I think stereo/radio stuff is more interesting than being a historian for others' lives, but that's me. As for keeping the YSU for the long haul- I dunno.. it may have to go on the auction block ... Another interest of mine, as sometimes these two hobbies meld together, is cool shortwave receivers, and this is a link to one of the coolest ones I own. I can appropriately link it, because at the end of it, there is a classic 70's stereo receiver that is my favorite bedside listening station. See if you can identify it.. and if your meter bulbs are out, I know where to get exact replacement fuse type bulbs..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yn9o6ZZEUA

 

[SoCal Sam]

Thanks for the reply SoCal,
I asked this as a gauge. I never knew another soul who ever saw one of these until now. I was lucky enough to stumble upon this from the owner of HI-FI STEREO HOUSE in Newington, CT. It was the high end audio place of the 60's-70's-80's. Got alot of Scott tube stuff, and the YSU, etc.. as part of an estate sale. He just wanted it to all disappear... He claimed the YSU was unaffordable to consumers back then but as a retailer, there was a reciprocal discount of sorts. Anyway, a very impressive piece of gear to be sure. I have made a tribute to the thing on a webpage -- hobby of mine -- that photography, audio and radio- electronics, after reading about the interest here. Photos came out nicely. This may end up parting ways with me... along with all the Rider's manuals you see behind it, coincidentally; in an effort to thin out for a possible move from CT to SoCal ! -- Yes, Looking at Temecula..very nice out there.
Follow link to see the very nice YSU-3/YSL-3
http://home.comcast.net/~val58/ysu.htm

Rick

Rick, I just had another look at your neat YSL/YSU-3 website. Wow, the MSRP was $9,600 in the Seventies! This line couldn't have had a long run so the engineering costs had to be spread over a small production number. I'm lucky enough to have the original manual and schematic, both in Japanese and both that appear to be hand bound. Sadly, I have no way of scanning them.

 

[JimSurreyUK]

bringing this old thread back to life...

i managed to get the 2 main units (no nixie, sadly) off ebay a couple of years ago... now, this weekend, i am bringing life to my entire collection, and will be basing it around this as primary switcher (it's just the first, as 10 pre in's and out's and 20 speaker outputs won't serve a quarter of my ridiculous collection!)

my question is, can i use the phono (turntable) inputs and outputs for normal line level in's and outs?

i'm assuming i can, but i see on one of the nudies that the bits behind the phono inputs seem a little different to the others, i don't know if theres some circuit to maintain the much lower level of the phono signal as it goes through the switcher, and if that might be at odds with a full 150/200mv line level signal being passed through?

Rick, val058, your page on these units is long gone, and the wayback machine didn't archive it - do you still have any of the info?

Did any of you guys get the manual and circuit diagram in a digitised form? could anyone send them to me please?

cheers folks

Jim