Nightwisher's Systems In "Luxman's Room" And Beyond: Some New And Lots of Vintage

[Nightwisher]

I was dreaming on EBay, looking at power amplifiers and I looked at a few, thinking that they're still out of my price range. Well, a couple days later, one of them gets $100 knocked off the price so I figure this is my chance to get one since that model rarely if ever drops below $500 (this one was already at $400 anyway). I just may have to eat Ramen a few more times than I would like (if I can't sell a few things to cover the cost).

That amplifier is a Nakamichi PA-5. It's supposed to be bench - checked by the seller's tech (he's sold some real big money items, so I'm inclined to believe him).

This thing sounds sweet. I could instantly tell it was better than my JVC receiver (although my Kenwood receiver also sounded better than the JVC). The only issues are a few minor blemishes and it picks up my laptop's power supply when it's plugged in nearby (I moved it and it's fine now).

I was using my mid-end Kenwood KC-106 preamp until the right channel started getting intermittent, so now I'm just using the volume control on my EQ. The Kenny is a bit bass-heavy, so this way is more neutral anyways.

 

[Nightwisher]

Also got the Realistic Optimus-400s refoamed. Unfortunately the refoam kits from Simply Speakers were not quite the right size, so they were tough to get on (even with trimming them). Add to that the fact that the lip of the gasket is thin and there really is no guard to press them down with (those ones are cardboard). So there's a bit of excess glue on these ones, but they're fixed and look fine from a distance.

Had some quad fun with those and the Pioneer CSs on the JVC. Unfortunately the rear channel amps aren't working so they're just on A/B. That still works pretty well with the surround DSPs.

 

[Audioraven]

Nice Nakamichi amp, Nightwisher! I'm not surprised you are diggin' it, that Stasis design comes from Nelson Pass' days at Threshold. Those Threshold's were some of the best sounding amps ever made.

If you want to take a look at the Owners Manual for your Eosone's, I uploaded a copy to both the Digital Docs forum here, and also to the Hifiengine website. Enjoy!

 

[Nightwisher]

Nice Nakamichi amp, Nightwisher! I'm not surprised you are diggin' it, that Stasis design comes from Nelson Pass' days at Threshold. Those Threshold's were some of the best sounding amps ever made.

If you want to take a look at the Owners Manual for your Eosone's, I uploaded a copy to both the Digital Docs forum here, and also to the Hifiengine website. Enjoy!

Thanks! Yeah, I'm really diggin' it; it's the sweetest sound I've heard yet out of my Eosones and I don't see how it could get much better. I read the first version was closer to the original Stasis design than the MKII and therefore was the more favored version. I would have preferred to have the handles of the MKII, but better sound is why I was buying it anyways.

Thanks for uploading that manual; I just downloaded it. Looks like there's a lot of good info in there that'll clear up some of the vague histories and info I've read about them.

 

[hnash53]

You're in law school... or about to be so? Geez.. how in the hell can you have the time to do all this?

I just retired from a 30-year teaching career and only in the last few years have I had the time to devote to this interest. When I was in graduate school I had just enough time to succeed in my course work... not much free time.

Don't know how you do it... but hope you get to keep doin' it ! !

 

[Nightwisher]

You're in law school... or about to be so? Geez.. how in the hell can you have the time to do all this?

I just retired from a 30-year teaching career and only in the last few years have I had the time to devote to this interest. When I was in graduate school I had just enough time to succeed in my course work... not much free time.

Don't know how you do it... but hope you get to keep doin' it ! !

Law school will definitely keep me busy when I start in August. Right now, however, I have plenty of free time for the hobby since I'm off for the summer. Even if I'm completely busy, I'll at least have this great system to listen to while I study or when I want to relax for a little bit.

I'm moving to the state capital, so I'll have to be careful with the lure of better-stocked thrift stores.

 

[asilker]

Law school will definitely keep me busy when I start in August. Right now, however, I have plenty of free time for the hobby since I'm off for the summer. Even if I'm completely busy, I'll at least have this great system to listen to while I study or when I want to relax for a little bit.

I'm moving to the state capital, so I'll have to be careful with the lure of better-stocked thrift stores.

I'm also enjoying a surprisingly relaxed june after a flurry of intensive week long classes earlier this month. School makes for weird life rhythms.

And I feel you with the thrift pics. There's a lot of stuff out here in chi, I've become very picky and I'm starting to pass more stuff up... yet my hobby closet is always full. I swear they find me

edit: BTW have you tried running your source more or less directly through your pre to your 2 channel speakers? The introduction of the "volume knob preamp" in my system was a watershed moment

 

[Nightwisher]

I'm also enjoying a surprisingly relaxed june after a flurry of intensive week long classes earlier this month. School makes for weird life rhythms.

And I feel you with the thrift pics. There's a lot of stuff out here in chi, I've become very picky and I'm starting to pass more stuff up... yet my hobby closet is always full. I swear they find me

edit: BTW have you tried running your source more or less directly through your pre to your 2 channel speakers? The introduction of the "volume knob preamp" in my system was a watershed moment

Yeah I hear that.

Haha. They seem to find me too. Sometimes it's like the pieces are waiting for me to show up. A lot of the music I buy at thrifts seems to do that too.

Currently I'm running my sources through my Pioneer EQ to the amp. The EQ is acting basically as a passive preamp; just a tad noisier unfortunately. It's definitely more neutral than the Kenwood preamp I was using (which is bass heavy), but I kind of liked the extra bass from the Kenny since I'm not using a sub at the moment. I wasn't able to really do a full comparison between the two since the pre's right channel went intermittent suddenly, but I didn't notice a difference in the mids or highs between the two (doesn't mean there wasn't). I'm almost certainly imaging improved though.

 

[asilker]

Yeah I hear that.

Haha. They seem to find me too. Sometimes it's like the pieces are waiting for me to show up. A lot of the music I buy at thrifts seems to do that too.

Currently I'm running my sources through my Pioneer EQ to the amp. The EQ is acting basically as a passive preamp; just a tad noisier unfortunately. It's definitely more neutral than the Kenwood preamp I was using (which is bass heavy), but I kind of liked the extra bass from the Kenny since I'm not using a sub at the moment. I wasn't able to really do a full comparison between the two since the pre's right channel went intermittent suddenly, but I didn't notice a difference in the mids or highs between the two (doesn't mean there wasn't).

without looking at a schematic, i would guess your signal is going through quite a bit of extra circuitry even with the eq sliders at neutral. I'm running this kit: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131151570002?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT with an upgraded volume potentiometer so that I feel better about myself lol

dirt cheap, all you need to supply are a 12 0 12 transformer (another $15), and RCA jacks which are also cheap. I promise you, you will notice improved vibrancy and dynamic.

there are other places on the bay where you can buy these kits preassembled too for not much more cash

 

[Nightwisher]

Got the key and moved a few things into the new apartment. In a week or two, I'll start getting my main system into the living room and my computer system into the bedroom. I got the couch from the previous tenant (also a law school student) for a good price. That will go a couple feet out from the wall across from it. I took some quick pictures of the living room and bedroom before we left, so they didn't come out the best.

 

[asilker]

Got the key and moved a few things into the new apartment. In a week or two, I'll start getting my main system into the living room and my computer system into the bedroom. I got the couch from the previous tenant (also a law school student) for a good price. That will go a couple feet out from the wall across from it. I took some quick pictures of the living room and bedroom before we left, so they didn't come out the best.

View attachment 755407

View attachment 755408

Now the real fun begins...

 

[Johnny_Law]

Law school will definitely keep me busy when I start in August.

Good luck and have fun. Focus your first year. Remember, it's 3 years: they'll scare you to death, work you to death, then bore you to death.

 

[Nightwisher]

It's my Eosones' 20th birthday today. The manufacturing date sticker says 7/6/96. I'm shuffling some metal to celebrate.

As good as they sound, I think they'll be sticking around for another 20 years or so.

 

[Quebec Yv]

Nightwisher, Were did you get this "caution" sign ?
So cool and fun !

 

[Nightwisher]

Nightwisher, Were did you get this "caution" sign ?
So cool and fun !

Thanks! I made it myself in MS Paint with images I pulled off of Google Images. It's simply a standard sheet of printer paper with yellow construction paper backing.

 

[Nightwisher]

A few updates.

First off, I bought the Sanyo stereo cabinet I had passed on earlier at the CCA thrift store. It was only $10, nicer than my Kenwood one, and no one else probably even noticed it since it was tucked in a back corner of the store. My dad and I are working to get that and the Kenwood in good shape again. I'll update with pictures when they're done (probably next weekend).



Second, a long standing repair has been completed. When I was buying my Burwen noise reduction units, I went through 2 SAE 5000 boxes that were faulty. The first one was returned with refund but the second was refunded and the seller let me keep it. This one even came with the operation manual, so that was real great. We opened it up and it turns out the slider was completely demolished (probably from falling on its face at some point). Got a replacement in there and it works now. Really good for $10 to get the slider and it's my dad and I's first component repair. It takes out big pops better than the Burwen but doesn't do as well for regular surface noise, so I'll use them both. I haven't put it in my main system yet (it may not go in until I move), but there will be a picture of it together in my main system at some point.



Third, I bought a preamp and tuner to accompany my Nak PA-5. I got a good deal on a matching Cybernet preamp and tuner, so even if I go with a passive preamp later, I'll have a solid tuner. Still testing everything out, but it seems to sound nice.

From what I can find online, Cybernet was a parts supplier back in the day, so they had access to all the nice parts from everyone else. I believe they used a smaller version of the HH Scott volume knob on the preamp, because it feels exactly the same as my dad's Scott integrated from the same era. They were bought out by Kyocera in 1982 and their designs were used to make some of Kyocera's better 80s units. A unique set at least since they didn't really make a splash in the US.

 

[70'sAudio]

Happy Belated Birthday ........Congrats on Your New Living Space and new Toys.

,Mike.

 

[Nightwisher]

I kind of just realized that I've been building my system in an interesting way: I've been going for budget high end products from the masterminds of ultra high end products. For each individual component, I knew this, but I didn't think of the whole system as such until tonight.

My Nakamichi PA-5 power amplifier is based on Nelson Pass's Stasis designs from (at the time) Threshold. Supposedly, the PA-5 is closer to the original Stasis design than the PA-5Il; a few sources have said this is why there is a II version in the first place as Nakamichi barely changed anything in the original.

My Eosone RSF-600s are based on Arnie Nudell's designs from Genesis speakers. It seems he wanted to pass on the technologies to "the common man". Most likely to make a bit more cash, I would imagine, as the $90,000 Genesis I system probably wasn't selling too many units.

My Cybernet SPR-80 Preamp and STL-80 are unique cases. From what I've read on Cybernet (I thought the info on Eosone was vague; this info is virtually nonexistant), they manufactured a lot of the parts for other manufacturers' components, so they basically could "borrow" the best parts to put into their own units and no doubt "borrow" some designs in the process. A couple sources mentioned that Kyocera borrowed some of Cybernet's designs for it's own units after 1982 when it bought out/merged with Cybernet. Probably the best way to put it is that Cybernet "stood on the shoulders of masterminds". No one seems to know which masterminds they "borrowed" from, but I would imagine they "borrowed" from the best they had available. Why wouldn't they? (So they were like the Monoprice of the 70s/80s, just more high end.)

So, my plan to get deeper into high end audio has definitely worked out in the past month. Really the deals just fell into my lap as I was at the right place at the right time: I happened to be in that thrift store when the Eosones were there, I happened to look at that PA-5 and EBay emailed me that the seller took $100 off, and EBay recommended the Cybernet components to me when I was looking at preamps. Considering I rebuilt the core of my system for all of $665, I'd say I'm doing nicely.

 

[Nightwisher]

Not a huge find, but a good deal today. I got a Kenwood KA-32 Integrated Amplifier today at GW for $4.95. It's fully functional and sounds fine on my Optimus-400s in the testing room. The light weight, small size, and decent wattage (35 watts/channel) will make it a versatile unit for me. I may use it as a rear amplifier for my JVC Dolby Surround receiver since its built-in rear amp doesn't seem to work (that's what it is sitting on in the pic). Probably the most interesting part was that the manual was taped to it; you don't see that very often at GW! The matching tape deck was there as well, also for $4.95, but I passed on it because it wasn't fully operational.

 

[E-Stat]

That amplifier is a Nakamichi PA-5. This thing sounds sweet. I could instantly tell it was better than my JVC receiver...Most likely to make a bit more cash, I would imagine, as the $90,000 Genesis I system probably wasn't selling too many units.

Congrats and welcome to an elevated world above receivers. As previously noted, Nelson Pass has been one of the most innovative designers since the 1970s. I was in college working at a shop in Atlanta when the first 800A was introduced. The store owner used it to drive his Dayton-Wright electrostats. It was far and away the best solid state amp at the time. From 1981 until last year, I owned a Threshold Stasis 3. While Nakamichi doesn't quite have the same build quality as you'll find with Nelson's companies, the circuit topology is essentially the same. Today, the Pass Labs Xs series continues to set new boundaries.

You should really consider finding a suitable preamp.

BTW, I have a pair of Eosone subwoofers used in the HT. They're decent with drivers made by Polk. What made the IRS and Genesis speakers really special was the EMIM/EMIT drivers. Actually, quite a number were sold as Harry Pearson was quite fond of them. I heard them on several occasions at Sea Cliff. Their biggest issue to me was coherency as the huge servo woofer towers didn't blend particularly seamlessly with the midrange ribbons.