Nakamichi CA5 pre-amplifier-NICE!!!!
heiney9
Posts: 25,197
Nakamichi CA5 2 channel pre amplifier. $225 plus shipping
I have been very reluctant to put this up for sale as it’s among my favorite pre-amps. It’s built to standards you just don’t see today w/o spending a lot of money. I am the 2nd owner although I did buy it 23 years ago after a customer of mine who bought it and used it for 6 months needed a remote. I don’t foresee a use for it in the future so there’s no use letting it sit.
It recently started to buzz upon power up and it was getting noisy so I took it in to our local hi-end repair shop and they replaced a couple caps, one being part of the soft start circuit the other being a coupling cap. The total cost of the repair was $102. I’ll include the receipt as well as the old parts.
The design is straight forward and ultra simple. This is an all discrete design, no opamps or I/C chips or electrolytic caps anywhere. All terminals are gold plated and this has one of the sweetest phono pre-amps, even by today’s standards.
• Minimalist design w/high quality parts
• Short signal paths for better sonic performance
• 1,800uF (x2) Filter Capacitors
• 1% metal film resistors and 2% film dielectric capacitors used throughout
• Input devices are FET’s w/Bi Polar transistors for the output
• Gold plated inputs and outputs
• Shielded power transformer far removed from the audio circuitry
• Individual discrete audio blocks, for power supply, line amplifier, and phono section divided into Left and Right banks
• Three heavy gauge solid copper power rails run through the middle (positive, ground, negative) (see photo) NOT a PCB trace to supply power to each audio block.
• 31 step ALPS volume attenuator
• ALPS selectors and balance control
• 4 inputs and 2 tape loops and 2 sets of outputs (for biamping)
• Selectable 50, 100, 200 ohm MC phono pickups
• Selectable 47k ohms in parallel w/ 100, 200, 300pF of capacitance for MM cartridges
• Weight 8 lbs 6 oz
This was given a full bill of health when on the bench recently. I hate to see it go, but I just don’t have a use for it. This is a superbly built unit and sounds fantastic. This was supposedly also a Nelson Pass design to go along with the STASIS amps of the same time period.
See photo of a small 1/2” scratch on the faceplate above the volume control. It came to me this way and the rest of the unit is solid 8/10. I have the original box and owner’s manual. Add 3% for PayPal
I have been very reluctant to put this up for sale as it’s among my favorite pre-amps. It’s built to standards you just don’t see today w/o spending a lot of money. I am the 2nd owner although I did buy it 23 years ago after a customer of mine who bought it and used it for 6 months needed a remote. I don’t foresee a use for it in the future so there’s no use letting it sit.
It recently started to buzz upon power up and it was getting noisy so I took it in to our local hi-end repair shop and they replaced a couple caps, one being part of the soft start circuit the other being a coupling cap. The total cost of the repair was $102. I’ll include the receipt as well as the old parts.
The design is straight forward and ultra simple. This is an all discrete design, no opamps or I/C chips or electrolytic caps anywhere. All terminals are gold plated and this has one of the sweetest phono pre-amps, even by today’s standards.
• Minimalist design w/high quality parts
• Short signal paths for better sonic performance
• 1,800uF (x2) Filter Capacitors
• 1% metal film resistors and 2% film dielectric capacitors used throughout
• Input devices are FET’s w/Bi Polar transistors for the output
• Gold plated inputs and outputs
• Shielded power transformer far removed from the audio circuitry
• Individual discrete audio blocks, for power supply, line amplifier, and phono section divided into Left and Right banks
• Three heavy gauge solid copper power rails run through the middle (positive, ground, negative) (see photo) NOT a PCB trace to supply power to each audio block.
• 31 step ALPS volume attenuator
• ALPS selectors and balance control
• 4 inputs and 2 tape loops and 2 sets of outputs (for biamping)
• Selectable 50, 100, 200 ohm MC phono pickups
• Selectable 47k ohms in parallel w/ 100, 200, 300pF of capacitance for MM cartridges
• Weight 8 lbs 6 oz
This was given a full bill of health when on the bench recently. I hate to see it go, but I just don’t have a use for it. This is a superbly built unit and sounds fantastic. This was supposedly also a Nelson Pass design to go along with the STASIS amps of the same time period.
See photo of a small 1/2” scratch on the faceplate above the volume control. It came to me this way and the rest of the unit is solid 8/10. I have the original box and owner’s manual. Add 3% for PayPal
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
Post edited by heiney9 on
Comments
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That's a solid piece of gear, Heiney. I've found in the last month or so that there is some demand for Nak gear on Craigslist, of all places.
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That's a wonderful pre-amp and a real gem in vintage SS gear.CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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Yep! I second to what Doro said! A Very Nice Pre-amp and a very very good price for that.
I wouldn't be selling one if I have one.
Trying out Different Audio Cables is a Religious Affair. You don't discuss it with anyone. :redface::biggrin: -
I love nak. If i was looking for a mancave rig it would be tops on my list paired with one of these...
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1245393418&/Nakamichi-Stasis-PA-5-thresholThe Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
very nice
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Evening bump to keep it on the 1st page.
Nice pre-amp here guys!!!"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
This is an all discrete design, no opamps or I/C chips or electrolytic caps anywhere.
Nice pre, a friend used to have one with a stasis amp. What kind of caps are they? They look just like electrolytics. -
Nice pre, a friend used to have one with a stasis amp. What kind of caps are they? They look just like electrolytics.
Hey may be referring to the signal path."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
I also owned one of these Pre's for a while, I bought it from Doro. It is an excellent pre. Well built and had a great feel to it. It was part of one of my most memorable systems all of which I also bought from Doro.
Excellent Pre. Great price. Good luck with your sale H9. The new owner will pleasantly surprised.
ScottI like speakers that are bigger than a small refrigerator but smaller than a big refrigerator:D -
Nice pre, a friend used to have one with a stasis amp. What kind of caps are they? They look just like electrolytics.
Elna (I believe) and some Nichicon too.Hey may be referring to the signal path.
That is correct. I was poking around in there but mostly going with the original literature which will be included.
Thanks MillerLiteScott for the kind words. My bother still has the one he bought from you. I suspect now that he has the Dodd for the office rig it may soon be FS as well.
I kinda hope this doesn't sell..............well not really but it would be a nice back-up to the GFP-750."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
how much would it cost including to ship to Mililani, Hawaii? Zip 96789....
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I can assure anyone who buys this that it looks brand new as does all of H9's gear. I actually considered selling my CA5 that is a little beat up and buy Brock's if that gives you any indication of the condition of his gear. Somebody buy this! One of the more impressive pre-amps at this pricepoint that you will ever hear.HT
RTi70 mains
CSi30 center
RTi28 Rears
Velodyne CHT-12
H/K AVR-247
ADCOM GFA-7000
Samsung PN58B860
Playstation 3
2-Channel
Polk Audio LSi15's
Rotel RCD-1072
Nakamichi CA-5 Pre
ADCOM GFA-555
Signal Cable Analog II IC's
Signal Ultra Bi-Wire Speaker Cables -
how much would it cost including to ship to Mililani, Hawaii? Zip 96789....
These are rough estimates using the weight and dimensions of the box :
USPS Priority $38
UPS Ground $65
FED EX Home $44
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
This will be heading to Audiogon this weekend."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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TTT- bumpity bump"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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Come on guys......this is a great pre-amp for that 2 channel rig you've wanted to put together.
One and only price drop. I need to offset the recent repair bill on this one. If it doesn't sell it'll just sit in a closet as it's worth every penny.
For Polkies...................$200 plus shipping
Thanks for looking
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Will send pm..."The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it." Neil deGrasse Tyson.
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Will send pm...
PM received.......I'll get back to you with shipping info and payment method shortly.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
SALE PENDING to xj4094dg......just working out the details "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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sold!!!!!
Thanks"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Hello! I do not know whether you have sold this Naka michi CA5 or not, as I am a blind guy new to this site, and I am still trying to figure it all out. The site is not bad as far as accessibility goes, but of course navigation and verification are a little tough -- so far. I hope I have the right seller here; is it Heiney9 selling this machine? I believe I want to buy...the information you provide is very thorough. Please contact me directly by e-mail at acoop@gmu.edu. If I have the wrong person or method, someone who gets this please write back and inform me.
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Hello --
This is my second attempt to contact Heiney9, whom I think is selling the Naka CA5. If you get this message, please reply directly to my e-mail address, acoop@gmu.edu. I ask this because I am a blind guy who is still learning to navigate this website. The site is not bad, but there is a lot to learn for a blind person. If this message goes astray, then someone please help me out. I love the site so far, and Thanks! -
I sent an email to Wood Thrush indicating that the item was sold.
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Thanks Polkitup2. Yes this is SOLD.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
