Yamaha C-40 preamp/passive
TroyD
Posts: 13,077
After summarily deciding to blow off yard work, I decided to do a little side by side testing of the Yamaha C40 preamp and my venerable Adcom SLC 505 passive preamp. You all can look up the other gear I use so I'm not going to go through repeating it.
My initial impressions of the Yam (cosmetically) were pretty favorable, using the Dave as a basis for comparison. Simple black face, solid feeling knobs for volume, bass, treble. Yamaha insisted on using the crappiest wide plastic buttons for power on/off and source selection. Seems like something that you would find on a Fischer Price Speak and Spell. The connections in the rear are seem adequate if unremarkable. All around it's got a good, hefty, solid feel. Overall, I'd give it a B. Those plastic buttons kill me.
Ok, I ran through of my few old standbys (William Tell Overature, Magnificent Seven, Texas, Crash, Bittersweet, Ordinary World) first on the Adcom and then hooked up the Yammie. The most noticeable thing is that the Adcom has a much more laid back (natural to me, but that's what I am used to) sound than the Yammie. I'm not saying it's unpleasant or fatiguing but the Yammie definately has a more "in your face" kind of sound. Bass with the Yam in more demanding tracks (William Tell Overature) is noticeably faster with the Yam. I did find that the discontinuity in speed that I have noticed between the high/mids and lows with the DQ's is less pronounced with the Yam. Again, I don't know if this is a good thing or not.
One thing that I will say with the Yam is that from recording to recording is a more uniform sounstage and image. With the Adcom I find that they soundstage and image reflect the quality of the recording. The Yam sort of levels the playing field if you will. Preference here is a six to one, half dozen to the other. It hurts some, helps others......
The high end brightness that I have come to expect from Yammie was noticeably absent for the record. All in all it's a pretty transparent preamp. The things that I have noted are generally things that you really have to listen for as opposed to hit you over the head differences. Thumbs for the Yammie. It's certainly not going to replace the Adcom, but I wouldn't be ashamed (other than those damn buttons) to have it.
BDT
My initial impressions of the Yam (cosmetically) were pretty favorable, using the Dave as a basis for comparison. Simple black face, solid feeling knobs for volume, bass, treble. Yamaha insisted on using the crappiest wide plastic buttons for power on/off and source selection. Seems like something that you would find on a Fischer Price Speak and Spell. The connections in the rear are seem adequate if unremarkable. All around it's got a good, hefty, solid feel. Overall, I'd give it a B. Those plastic buttons kill me.
Ok, I ran through of my few old standbys (William Tell Overature, Magnificent Seven, Texas, Crash, Bittersweet, Ordinary World) first on the Adcom and then hooked up the Yammie. The most noticeable thing is that the Adcom has a much more laid back (natural to me, but that's what I am used to) sound than the Yammie. I'm not saying it's unpleasant or fatiguing but the Yammie definately has a more "in your face" kind of sound. Bass with the Yam in more demanding tracks (William Tell Overature) is noticeably faster with the Yam. I did find that the discontinuity in speed that I have noticed between the high/mids and lows with the DQ's is less pronounced with the Yam. Again, I don't know if this is a good thing or not.
One thing that I will say with the Yam is that from recording to recording is a more uniform sounstage and image. With the Adcom I find that they soundstage and image reflect the quality of the recording. The Yam sort of levels the playing field if you will. Preference here is a six to one, half dozen to the other. It hurts some, helps others......
The high end brightness that I have come to expect from Yammie was noticeably absent for the record. All in all it's a pretty transparent preamp. The things that I have noted are generally things that you really have to listen for as opposed to hit you over the head differences. Thumbs for the Yammie. It's certainly not going to replace the Adcom, but I wouldn't be ashamed (other than those damn buttons) to have it.
BDT
I plan for the future. - F1Nut
Post edited by TroyD on
Comments
-
Good deal Troy, so I take it you did find benefits and shortcomings in general of both passive and active pre's, and the difference in gain.
So you guys know the history here, Peter sold this to Weaver, who sold it to Troy, who is trading it to me for a Fisher CA-800 Integrated....so round and round the Polk family it goes.....
Can't wait to check it out with the m200t big dumb....
Cheers,
RussCheck your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
So who wants to trade a brother for cleft-channel Carver C-2?
Aaron -
You should have bought that GFP 345 pre I had. It went for $56 on ebay. Cheap, cheap.
Has anyone used tube preamps? I'm tempted to try one out. There was one in last Sunday's paper, Counterpoint SA-1. Kinda pricey though, 500 smacks. Or maybe that's what they go for. Not very often you see things like that in the Kansas City area for sale.
StubbySRS 3.1TL
Harman Kardon Citation 5.1
Anthem AVM2 -
Nice to here the thumbs for the Yammie! Sold my C-70 3-4 months ago on ebay cuz it was just sitting around. Really wish I had kept it in case a 2 channel rig would be possible sometime in the future? I know many don't like Yamaha products, but they seem to fit my scar tissued ears?
It's just really nice to here a favorable post about them!:D Oh, the bottle has been to me, my closes friend, my worse enemy! -
I know, I meant to watch it, forgot all about it...my loss, BIG time.....
Cheers,
RussCheck your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
Yeah, I was really looking to compare and contrast the passive pre with a powered one. Absolutely, there are benefits to both. With the DQ's the gain is definately a factor, however it isn't a showstopper as far as the passive goes.
Overall, IMO, the transparency of the passive is what won me over.
BDTI plan for the future. - F1Nut
