Oversettelse med Google translate til Yamahas venner
You could have built a mega DVerstärker. Or a fully digital amp with color display and hard drive. Or a multi-channel all-format streamer amplifier with its own website.
But miraculously, Yamaha has made another decision. And revive an old tradition. Namely, the tradition that big Japanese hi-fi makers have a top-of-the-line amp combination in their program. An ultimate testament to the skills of the development department and a sonic statement.
This is how it used to be, and usually a pre / final amp combination was chosen as a figurehead. In the late 1980s and into the 90s, real Japanese power hum got into a market in which preferences prevailed: what was his McIntosh or Krell was Stax, Pioneer, Yamaha or Luxman. In Japan, this tradition lasted longer or took the form of special models that left the homeland only in homeopathic doses. Economic constraints and a changed market finally put an end to most of these super equipment, which showed pure Japanese culture.
"The C-5000 is one of the most spectacular preamps of its time."
Further we observe a further diversification of the HiFi market: Although retro trend and full digitization plus network exist harmoniously side by side, but the technical development knows only one direction, namely the fully digital amplifier with streaming, although it is not foreseeable whether room correction systems in the future rather in (active) loudspeakers or in amplifiers.
To decide in this environment for the development of a technically sophisticated, but conventionally built, purely analog pre / final stage combination, is courageous and revealed in its consequence, the unshakable love of (hi-fi) thing. Because what is it really all about? Right, to the sound. The last few inches on the long staircase into the seventh sound sky are still the domain of analog circuit technology, conventional power amplifiers and conventional power supply.
A carefully designed phono stage, powerful line drivers and a battery of high-current output transistors plus a thick power transformer and a phalanx of energy-saving filter capacitors are unbeatable when it comes to pure fascination, the last bit of sound and the highest speaker control.
Exactly this well-tried, still gold right principle also follows the Yamaha station wagon. The precursor C-5000 and the power amplifier M-5000 also pay homage to another proven recipe: their amplifier circuits are fully balanced, thus doubled and floating, which promises fundamentally ever extremely high noise immunity.
C-5000: Discrete construction
In the past, discrete design (ie the use of single semiconductors instead of integrated circuits) with the exception of special dual transistors was considered an effective measure for sound improvement. The extent to which the Yamaha developers were able to pull this principle through consistently is difficult to assess - the C-5000 should be discreet in the signal path and therefore still has a lot of conventional, "large" electronic components, while most of the used individual Transistors are tiny SMD types, which is not surprising given the current delivery situation of individual semiconductors.
The C-5000 is also an old-style preamplifier in terms of features: It has a built-in MM and MC phono stage, flanked by high-level inputs that address a line and output driver stage. There is also a turn-off tone control (as was never as puristic in Asia as in Germany on the way) and a headphone jack with Vorpegelsteller, which is very convenient.
The symmetrical circuitry also led to a mirror-symmetric design of the signal path on the boards, the patented electronic structure not only leads numerous voltage regulator directly to the associated consumers, but also allows short distances between the rich equipped terminal panel and a host of high-quality changeover relay. Immediately behind the front panel resides a double power supply: Two shielded with copper cups toroidal transformers are each responsible for the right and left channel, to the power of "management" (ie relay, potentiometer, remote control) takes care of a small extra power supply.
And although the current requirements of a preamplifier (the way always works in A-mode, otherwise it is not) manageable, set the Japanese everywhere on the lowest possible contact resistance through thick cables, screwed contacts and last but not least, on a copper-plated Chassis, which has a shielding effect and quickly dissipates even the smallest interference voltages.
The fact that the hip toggle switches have to click as full as a safe lock, goes without saying for a device of this caliber, but then a massive aluminum level control with ball bearings is completely worn down. A remote control is still available, but it is not that much fun.
Power plant with bulletproof glass
27 kilograms and 400 watts into two ohms are already a word; Both are also the responsibility of an official power transformer, which is not only quiet as a mouse, but also sits on a brass base plate. The turn is connected to a two-piece copper chassis, on which the heat sink and charging capacitors are rigidly bolted; The whole ensemble sits almost as a sub-chassis inside the housing of the power amplifier M-5000 and should give by its sheer mass vibration no chance. It works so well that you can confidently "lay on hands", nothing moves except the speedy hands of the gigantic VU meters, which shine behind seven millimeter thick Asahi glass, making it hard to look elsewhere.
On the power amp boards, Yamaha recalls a deliberately simple circuit design and points to a short signal path as well as highly current-efficient MOSFETs in the output. Incidentally, our measurements prove the stability of the M-5000 in the most beautiful, after all, the amp produces iron-hard 400 watts on a two-ohm load, the low distortion level, an enormous damping factor (296) and the no less exemplary residual noise of absolutely rock solid, to witness perfect development work. Incidentally, the pampered music signal is passed out using a double set of speaker terminals. They would also look good on a welder, but here they are gilded with wide ribbed caps. Corresponding cable lugs can be tightened so well, a thick mounting plate carries the four-terminal set trustworthy stable.
The silence is stronger than the storm
How noise-free affects us, we have already often discussed: The possible dynamic range between the loudest and the quietest sounds is greater, the transparency increases because less noise is there. A very low-noise amplifier is also artifact-free, "pure" in the sound, since the superposition of the useful signal with noise is less.
The Yamaha station wagon confirms this in the most beautiful, deeply impressive manner. And instead of testing out the already brutal power delivery capabilities of the power amp, the station wagon tempts experienced listeners to listen, to listen to the silence between the notes, all of their textures, colors, tone / quietness and meticulous precision against a pitch-black background formally be dissected out.
What remains is usually the groove noise of the records, because a pickup - it may quiet be a very, very expensive specimen - feels on the C-5000 audibly well cared for, with the impedance settings of the phono input are practical.
The wonderful, expressive tones to which the good old analog technique is capable, the Yamaha combo without any smear enough, with a gentleness that one would not have expected these amplifiers. An extra dimension of sound opens up here, soft, soft music plantlets treats the station wagon as carefully as if it were afraid to crush it. Quite amazing: Wherever you would expect raw torque - which can also be called up when needed - there is seldom meticulous care, where you might have to worry about thoughtless hyperanalysis, manifesting a perfectly balanced, unassailable tuning that is profoundly musical and completely intact leaves. Whoever was responsible for voicing these amplifiers had a golden ear.
"The M-5000 convinces with its outstanding sound and enthusiastic musicianship."
With self-evident (spatial representation, dynamics, openness, information content) we are no longer busy this time, everything is available at a level that is hardly debatable. Our conclusion is therefore drawn quickly: Who wants to have world class at home, does not have to spend more money.