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EAR/Yoshino

JemHayward said:
Indeed, I'd describe the 890 as a valve NAP250 - all the same qualities, .........
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And when I got my 509s nearly four years ago they struck me as the valved equivalent of my 135s, only less dry, more musical and involving, but lacking that quick, deep yet dry bass (y'can't have it all.......).
 
Mike Reed said:
And when I got my 509s nearly four years ago they struck me as the valved equivalent of my 135s, only less dry, more musical and involving, but lacking that quick, deep yet dry bass (y'can't have it all.......).
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I wasn't expecting the EAR890 bass to be the same as the NAP250, but oddly its rather better. It sounds more extended (which is illogical) and has better differentiation of individual notes. Even more illogical as my speakers have built in power amps for the bass units, so the bass is effectively attenuated, and then re-amplified. So, I have no explanation, or even theory as to why, but it is better. :cool:
 
Because the bass is soft, wooly, and underdamped. You just think there's more extension.

My 509's came nowhere near the bass extension and control my solid state amps offered.
 
sq225917 said:
Because the bass is soft, wooly, and underdamped. You just think there's more extension.
My 509's came nowhere near the bass extension and control my solid state amps offered.
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That was what I was expecting - I've used valve amps before, I've used a NAP250 and other SS amps for many years, but, believe me that the combination of EAR890 and MLSummits is not soft, or wooly, or underdamped. I don't believe it really is more extended (how could it be so...) but the clarity of plucked bass strings and some low frequency synth stuff is much easier to hear and "study". I'm not sure if this is anything to do with the EAR of course, it could be just the bass section of the Summits working better. The 509 is a different and older design, so it may well have been different, though Tim deP suggested that the 890 had a warmer sound than the 509.
What I really want is a pair of 549's - I heard them about two decades or more ago, and can still remember the experience. Aparently not many were made and mostly ended up in recording studios.
 
JemHayward said:
What I really want is a pair of 549's - I heard them about two decades or more ago, and can still remember the experience. Aparently not many were made and mostly ended up in recording studios.
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Only pair I've seen for sale came up a year or so back; I rather think they're 200 watt versions of 509s, though (could be wrong, however).

I'd imagine it's the amplified bass speakers in the M.L.s that are more responsible; are they ported or sealed units? I've also had a 250 and there are only subtle (yet important) differences between them and the 135s as regards bass.
 
Mike Reed said:
Only pair I've seen for sale came up a year or so back; I rather think they're 200 watt versions of 509s, though (could be wrong, however).

I'd imagine it's the amplified bass speakers in the M.L.s that are more responsible; are they ported or sealed units? I've also had a 250 and there are only subtle (yet important) differences between them and the 135s as regards bass.
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The Summits bass bin is sealed with two 10" drivers in a relatively small box with response shaping electronics before the power amps. I dont think they have motional feedback, but may have. The bass is pretty amazing, makes my old tri-amped Isobariks sound weedy.
 
I use my 534 with Living Voice Auditorium IIs. When a friend of mine popped round, who is a Naim dealer, just after a got the power amp he asked whether I had my sub switched on.

I find the 534/Aud bass to be extended, controlled and visceral. I have put a 250 back in a couple of times (CB) and the magic just fades away.

M
 
JemHayward said:
The Summits bass bin is sealed with two 10" drivers in a relatively small box with response shaping electronics before the power amps. I dont think they have motional feedback, but may have. The bass is pretty amazing, makes my old tri-amped Isobariks sound weedy.
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The Summit's bass bin............Summit X or the original, Jem?

Make active Briks sound weedy............. T'was a long time ago I had them, but 'gosh !'

I went big Quad recently, but did wonder about big M.L.s (Pity they're foreign, though).
 
I have owned a pair of EAR 529 mono block power amps for over 10 years now.

I had them serviced by EAR in about 2005 just before i went to Australia for 4 years.

They have been very reliable over all this time.

The bass performance is staggering, evidenced by playing a piece of classical music loudly and putting all 4 bass drivers out of their excursion max. This neccessitated new voice coils for the drivers. HoHum.

They are very fast, incredibly dynamic, with incredible bass extension and are above all very musical.

They must be about 25 years old now. Threy do need new volume pots now as the old ones are worn and noisy. But other than that still function well.

David
 
Yup


Loads more power a german review got over 700 watts. EAR stated a minimum of 500 watts.

So control power speed authority and musicality.

David
 
I have used them with my 105dbw horn loudspeakers. Now that was overkill but sounded wonderfful. I normally use a Cary pre power of 8 wpc, which is more than sufficient, with the horns.

David
 
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