OF FINE VINTAGE – YAMAHA CA 1010 Integrated

the setup that remains closest to my heart was in my early 20s. It was a sonodyne cassette player-cum-amplifier as source with two heavy Arphi bookshelf speakers mounted on the top corner of the room as space was at premium in the shared room in Chembur (Mumbai).
The adrenaline was flowing to the heart instead of the ears. That is when I discovered lots of music and was deep into the tulls, floyds, zeppelins, the whos and the sorts.
it went on for almost a decade when I got to dabble with some tube gear, vintage drivers like altecs, KLH, AR etc and amps from dynaco, mcintosh to name a few.
 
the setup that remains closest to my heart was in my early 20s. It was a sonodyne cassette player-cum-amplifier as source with two heavy Arphi bookshelf speakers mounted on the top corner of the room as space was at premium in the shared room in Chembur (Mumbai).
The adrenaline was flowing to the heart instead of the ears. That is when I discovered lots of music and was deep into the tulls, floyds, zeppelins, the whos and the sorts.
it went on for almost a decade when I got to dabble with some tube gear, vintage drivers like altecs, KLH, AR etc and amps from dynaco, mcintosh to name a few.
@Kannan
Was your deck this one ?
We owned this model , and two Sonodyne speakers (forgot the model ) from mid eighties untill 2000, alongwith a Philips TT, school years.
Sounded heavenly. As you said , adrenaline flowed to the heart instead of ears.
5EA9EBB1-9256-4245-BA12-597FC4CF28A8.jpeg
 
@Kannan
Was your deck this one ?
We owned this model , and two Sonodyne speakers (forgot the model ) from mid eighties untill 2000, alongwith a Philips TT, school years.
Sounded heavenly. As you said , adrenaline flowed to the heart instead of ears.
View attachment 71267
Dont remember the model, but was ditto as pictured above. The Arphi was not the popular Aquarious variety , but was a simple 2-way with a 8 inch woofer and a tweeter., but was solidly made and very very heavy.
 
I hesitantly bought a Akai am 2450 without any much thoughts and based on some reviews online. It was a blind buy. After listening to it for the few mins, I was so glad that I bought it. Now I’m on the lookout for some sansuis.
 
@Kannan
Was your deck this one ?
We owned this model , and two Sonodyne speakers (forgot the model ) from mid eighties untill 2000, alongwith a Philips TT, school years.
Sounded heavenly. As you said , adrenaline flowed to the heart instead of ears.
View attachment 71267
Ooooooh ! This brings back memories of my Sonodyne setup SC 4030 integrated amp which had the same looks as this tape deck, I still have it and will restore someday, Sonodyne Spectrum 5000 3 way floorstander speakers, and we went for the Sony TCK35 tape deck. This brings back so many great memories. 😃
 
The 80's for me was the best nostalgic period reminiscent of musical joy & good imported and Indian audio brands where each one had something good.
Plus great hits from Hindi cinema and English groups like Boney M, Abba, Beatles, Bee Gees etc and not to mention great individual singers too.
 
I noticed that in your sale section that you had a high voltage situation that spoilt few of your equipment. I was wondering if you have invested in a high voltage cutoff switch. Also there are these so called 'home protectors' which have both under voltage and over voltage setting. Also on Amazon you get these voltage cutoff switches which are cheap. They need to be installed in the main electricit board that you have for your house. In addition to that your audio equipment should have supply coming from a good quality surge protectors. These surge protectors have what is known as MOV (metal oxide varistors). One can add surge protector at home too. All you need is a extension board made of metal. The MOV has two terminals. Connect one terminal to neutral and one terminal to phase. When high voltage happens, these MOV short themselves causing voltage to drop to zero. But in this process the MOV starts heating rapidly because it is drawing too much current. Before the MOV burns itself out, your fuse will blow off or the circuit breakers should trip. The extension board will be rendered useless after a single incident of high voltage, but it will protect your equipment.

In such cases where there is sudden rapid increase of voltage, voltage stabilizers are useless as they take few milliseconds to switch the relay, but enough time for semiconductors inside your equipment to get fried. Nowadays there are so called solid state voltage stabilizers which are fast. But I do not have any experience with these solid state stabilizer.

All my audio equipment got saved by a single MOV in 2012 at Pune. Suddenly voltage became 440 volts or so. All lights, my refrigerator got destroyed and the MOV and the circuit board on which the MOV was connected got burnt. But it saved my AMP, my HTPC, CD player, etc. This was a cheap surge protector that I had got in Chennai for less in Rs 100 in 1995. It was a metal box and hence it did not catch fire. The surge protector which come with those plastic power strips should be avoided as plastic catches fire.


mov.jpg


EDIT: e.g. of a voltage cutoff switch that can be installed in the electricity distribution board
https://www.amazon.in/amiciKart-Automatic-Adjustable-Protection-Re-Connect/dp/B07C3NNT62/ref=sxin_14_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.8d20bc10-5ba1-453b-a4e3-76ff9a48a4a7%3Aamzn1.sym.8d20bc10-5ba1-453b-a4e3-76ff9a48a4a7&crid=XTBTEJ95F43V&cv_ct_cx=voltage+cutout%2Fprotector&keywords=voltage+cutout%2Fprotector&pd_rd_i=B07C3NNT62&pd_rd_r=93ce0f78-62cf-44ac-8df5-df65ab196e56&pd_rd_w=WTkd7&pd_rd_wg=8jUpW&pf_rd_p=8d20bc10-5ba1-453b-a4e3-76ff9a48a4a7&pf_rd_r=XQEJ5Q8G6K3AMWBG4BR6&qid=1660888377&sprefix=voltage+cut%2Caps%2C218&sr=1-1-2c069395-c082-4988-952e-63c0fd607961-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFLMU40ME82MTBQNksmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMjk3ODIzRTk0SjVMVE02Q1UxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3Nzg3NDczUjNCRkk1RjVMTUw2JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3Bfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
 
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I noticed that in your sale section that you had a high voltage situation that spoilt few of your equipment. I was wondering if you have invested in a high voltage cutoff switch. Also there are these so called 'home protectors' which have both under voltage and over voltage setting. Also on Amazon you get these voltage cutoff switches which are cheap. They need to be installed in the main electricit board that you have for your house. In addition to that your audio equipment should have supply coming from a good quality surge protectors. These surge protectors have what is known as MOV (metal oxide varistors). One can add surge protector at home too. All you need is a extension board made of metal. The MOV has two terminals. Connect one terminal to neutral and one terminal to phase. When high voltage happens, these MOV short themselves causing voltage to drop to zero. But in this process the MOV starts heating rapidly because it is drawing too much current. Before the MOV burns itself out, your fuse will blow off or the circuit breakers should trip. The extension board will be rendered useless after a single incident of high voltage, but it will protect your equipment.

In such cases where there is sudden rapid increase of voltage, voltage stabilizers are useless as they take few milliseconds to switch the relay, but enough time for semiconductors inside your equipment to get fried. Nowadays there are so called solid state voltage stabilizers which are fast. But I do not have any experience with these solid state stabilizer.

All my audio equipment got saved by a single MOV in 2012 at Pune. Suddenly voltage became 440 volts or so. All lights, my refrigerator got destroyed and the MOV and the circuit board on which the MOV was connected got burnt. But it saved my AMP, my HTPC, CD player, etc. This was a cheap surge protector that I had got in Chennai for less in Rs 100 in 1995. It was a metal box and hence it did not catch fire. The surge protector which come with those plastic power strips should be avoided as plastic catches fire.


View attachment 71282


EDIT: e.g. of a voltage cutoff switch that can be installed in the electricity distribution board
https://www.amazon.in/amiciKart-Automatic-Adjustable-Protection-Re-Connect/dp/B07C3NNT62/ref=sxin_14_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.8d20bc10-5ba1-453b-a4e3-76ff9a48a4a7%3Aamzn1.sym.8d20bc10-5ba1-453b-a4e3-76ff9a48a4a7&crid=XTBTEJ95F43V&cv_ct_cx=voltage+cutout%2Fprotector&keywords=voltage+cutout%2Fprotector&pd_rd_i=B07C3NNT62&pd_rd_r=93ce0f78-62cf-44ac-8df5-df65ab196e56&pd_rd_w=WTkd7&pd_rd_wg=8jUpW&pf_rd_p=8d20bc10-5ba1-453b-a4e3-76ff9a48a4a7&pf_rd_r=XQEJ5Q8G6K3AMWBG4BR6&qid=1660888377&sprefix=voltage+cut%2Caps%2C218&sr=1-1-2c069395-c082-4988-952e-63c0fd607961-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFLMU40ME82MTBQNksmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTEwMjk3ODIzRTk0SjVMVE02Q1UxJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA3Nzg3NDczUjNCRkk1RjVMTUw2JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3Bfc2VhcmNoX3RoZW1hdGljJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
Thanks @mbhangui .

I have a dedicated line from the db box that passes through an Emerson Double conversion online UPS. If the supply voltage exceeds 270V, the UPS will cut off. Yet, the power surge was strong enough to reach my components. It is possible that either the UPS took too long to cut off, or the UPS was set to bypass mode by mistake. In any case, I have since installed a high/low voltage cut off device at the wall socket powering my gear. This is on similar lines as the device you have suggested. Hopefully, it offers additional protection.


Thanks
 
It is possible that either the UPS took too long to cut off, or the UPS was set to bypass mode by mistake.
Yes, the bypass mode would have been the culprit. In online mode, the inverter circuit of the UPS is always running from the battery and a separate circuit charges the battery.
 
Thanks @mbhangui .

I have a dedicated line from the db box that passes through an Emerson Double conversion online UPS. If the supply voltage exceeds 270V, the UPS will cut off. Yet, the power surge was strong enough to reach my components. It is possible that either the UPS took too long to cut off, or the UPS was set to bypass mode by mistake. In any case, I have since installed a high/low voltage cut off device at the wall socket powering my gear. This is on similar lines as the device you have suggested. Hopefully, it offers additional protection.


Thanks
Can you please share the details for high/low voltage cut off device, I in install it has well
 
Can you please share the details for high/low voltage cut off device, I in install it has well
Search for voltage cutout/protector on amazon dot in. Checkout the ones from Eurocontrols, amicsmart and blackt.

In addition to the above, get a surge and lightning protector with replaceable surge module. Check out surge protectors with clamp voltage of 255 volts. This will require you to get a electrician to fit it in your power distribution board.

 
lovely thread, I guess vintage gear is the true end game after trying out all modern gears.. The best system I had heard was from my growing up years at my uncles place, a massive three way speaker with 15 inch woofer and a basic sansui amp, folks from Kerala had good taste for audio back them. Warm punch. Music soundes damn good on it.

Couple of queries - is there any modern amp that emulates vintage flavor?
How are these amp from reliability perspective...

I find modern even brand new Yamaha amps have retained the quality and sound of their 70’s predecessors. The new A-S3200 resembles in every way my CA-2010 to the point of not knowing which one is playing most of the time. I still prefer my CA-2010 but love those A-S3200 VU meters.
 
Recently visited @Fiftyfifty home for a great evening of music, gin, and audio gear talk.

His system has taken another leap since his Kinki (an amplifier brand FYI) days (pun unintended) , now I understand all fuss about vintage gear and 60s-70s being the golden age for audio. I found myself finger and foot tapping through most of the songs played. Very musical system without losing much of the audiophile qualities that we all know and love.

Cheers!
 
Recently visited @Fiftyfifty home for a great evening of music, gin, and audio gear talk.

His system has taken another leap since his Kinki (an amplifier brand FYI) days (pun unintended) , now I understand all fuss about vintage gear and 60s-70s being the golden age for audio. I found myself finger and foot tapping through most of the songs played. Very musical system without losing much of the audiophile qualities that we all know and love.

Cheers!
Thank you for the kind words @essrand It was a pleasure to have you join me in listening to good music.
I'm looking forward to hearing your 'lean and mean' setup soon.

Cheers!
 
Ah, but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.

Out of sheer nostalgia, I developed a desire for the kind of sound I enjoyed when I first started playing around with audio setups. Commercial brands today, but cutting edge at that time - Hamlin Kenwood tube amplifier, TEAC deck, AKAI spool deck, Arphi speakers. In ignorance, I gave them away when I left India to go abroad. I would happily trade my current setup for that deep musicality from 50 years ago.

In an attempt to recreate that magic, began a hunt for a vintage amp. A good knowledgeable friend and on the forum helped me come up with a shortlist of sorts. The challenge was to find a reliable seller and an amp running on 230V. Amps made for Japan and the USA run on 100-110 V, and using a step-down transformer was likely to degrade the sound. What came up was a Yamaha CA 1010 from 1978 in pristine condition. The seller was Audio Antiquary in Italy (audioantiquary.com). The dealer confirmed that the amp had been fully checked out for functionality by their technical staff.

The amp arrived a few days ago. As promised – immaculate condition. As promised – fully functional. As anticipated – divine sound!

It is a very transparent but rich sounding amp, with a host of superb features. These include:

- Class A and B switchable
- VU meters that display wattage, db and REC OUT volume
- Stereo/Mono switchable
- Balance/Tone adjustment
- Superb MM/MC phono stage
It is beautiful looking too, with the wood finish cabinet matching very well with those of my Spendor speakers.

As expected, it lacks the resolution and imaging of modern gear. My Kinki EX-M1 has better resolution, better imaging and is sweet sounding. In comparison, the Yamaha is more dynamic with a ‘big’ sound. Weighty bass, live presentation. The best comparison is perhaps a statement made by my caretaker, “The Kinki sound reaches the ears,’ she said “ but this new amp touches the heart.”

The moral of this story, the moral of this post, is “don’t go mistaking paradise, for that sleek store across the road.” If you get a chance, before your next purchase, do listen to some vintage gear that FMs in your city may have. And if you are ever in Goa, it will be my pleasure to have you come over. As for me, I’ll probably move towards more vintage gear and let go of some of my current components in due course.

Cheers!

PS: Any other CA 1010 users here? Please post your impressions.
Does anyone know of a good CA-1010 restoration service in the northeast? I am in New York - Thanks! John
 
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