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Yamaha B-2 beauty!

Rug Doc

Rug Doc

pfm Member
Delighted to have this home and it's playing brilliantly with my NS1000XW's :)

Untitled by roderic davies, on Flickr

Why can't I post Flickr images? Sorry, but I've tried all the usual things. Pfm is harder than most to get it to accept your images..?
 
https://flic.kr/p/MMTGdV

That's the URL. If I put
 
Lovely looking amps - I have one myself. Sadly, I'm still on the lookout for one that actually has some VFETs in it, though... :(
 
Beobloke said:
Lovely looking amps - I have one myself. Sadly, I'm still on the lookout for one that actually has some VFETs in it, though... :(
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I read about what happened to you before!! Thanks as it actually prompted me to take the lid off before parting with my hard earned!!... Yes there were v-fets inside!

You'll strike gold one day.
 
But what will you do if the amp lets out the smoke? This actually happened to a B1 owner I knew. Yamaha could not repair it for for lack of unobtanium output devices. It ended up an elegant, albeit, expensive door-stop.

Beobloke said:
Lovely looking amps - I have one myself. Sadly, I'm still on the lookout for one that actually has some VFETs in it, though... :(
Click to expand...
 
al2002 said:
But what will you do if the amp lets out the smoke? This actually happened to a B1 owner I knew. Yamaha could not repair it for for lack of unobtanium output devices. It ended up an elegant, albeit, expensive door-stop.
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They are reparable. I have found two people with a supply of v-fets. It's the same story with the drivers in my speakers, those are also un-obtanium, but you live once and it's better to enjoy these things rather than they sit gathering dust for the rest of their lives!! Hopefully one day, one of my kids will remember them fondly enough to want to keep them going his or herself. (Probably his!!)
 
I'm happy for you. If the sellers have genuine Yamaha output VFETs I'd suggest putting away a set or three as insurance.

There have been rumours of B1s being converted to run on MOSFETs.

I don't have any VFET amps but do have several amps using SJ50/SK135 TO3 mount MOSFETs (now hard to find) and have several sets stashed away just in case.


Rug Doc said:
They are reparable. I have found two people with a supply of v-fets. It's the same story with the drivers in my speakers, those are also in-obtanium, but you live once and it's better to enjoy these things rather than they sit gathering dust for the rest of their lives!! Hopefully one day, one of my kids will remember them fondly enough to want to keep them going his or herself. (Probably his!!)
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The Yamaha AS 2100 Amplifier l heard recently has MOSFETS and it sounded amazing, very warm, smooth with a very musical and black background, looks a million dollars ( a bit like the B-2) to the point l may invest in one.
 
I've been on the lookout for a B-2 myself. They are extraordinarily rare in silver finish, so congrats to the OP for landing a good looking and operational example. You now need to find a matching C-2 or C2a to go with it.

Many years ago, I won a C-1 with an M-4 at auction, but got cold feet when I read about how difficult the C-1, in particular, was to service properly. So I decided to go retro with a simpler but just as desirable Pioneer C-21/M-22 combo. Shame they don't have VU meters though.
 
al2002 said:
But what will you do if the amp lets out the smoke? This actually happened to a B1 owner I knew. Yamaha could not repair it for for lack of unobtanium output devices. It ended up an elegant, albeit, expensive door-stop.
Click to expand...

As alluded to, mine should be fine as it has no VFETs in it. These were long gone and replaced by a pair of MOSFET output stages - not that I realised this when I bought it but it was cheap!

Amusingly, regardless of what's inside it, it's a lovely sounding amp!
 
James said:
I've been on the lookout for a B-2 myself. They are extraordinarily rare in silver finish, so congrats to the OP for landing a good looking and operational example. You now need to find a matching C-2 or C2a to go with it.

Many years ago, I won a C-1 with an M-4 at auction, but got cold feet when I read about how difficult the C-1, in particular, was to service properly. So I decided to go retro with a simpler but just as desirable Pioneer C-21/M-22 combo. Shame they don't have VU meters though.
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I bought it with a C-2 Preamp ;) Also in silver (and therefore 240v)
 
Rug Doc said:
They are reparable. I have found two people with a supply of v-fets. It's the same story with the drivers in my speakers, those are also un-obtanium, but you live once and it's better to enjoy these things rather than they sit gathering dust for the rest of their lives!! Hopefully one day, one of my kids will remember them fondly enough to want to keep them going his or herself. (Probably his!!)
Click to expand...

I have got the pass VFET 2 Sony based kit, and am looking forward to hearing it soon. SIT as used in the B2 are very different devices to Hitachi MOSFETs, beware of people offering to mod it, it will be a different amplifier. Hitachi lateral MOSFETs can be replaced by the ones from SEMELAB which are functionally identical, AFAIA no one is making functionally equivalent devices for the Yamaha and Sony parts.
 
russel said:
I have got the pass VFET 2 Sony based kit, and am looking forward to hearing it soon. SIT as used in the B2 are very different devices to Hitachi MOSFETs, beware of people offering to mod it, it will be a different amplifier. Hitachi lateral MOSFETs can be replaced by the ones from SEMELAB which are functionally identical, AFAIA no one is making functionally equivalent devices for the Yamaha and Sony parts.
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Thanks, I hope it never comes to it. I'll be giving the amp to my goto amp man, Gordon Taylor to have a look at it and give it a service soon. The people I know with Yamaha V-fets have harvested them from other B-2 amps, not replacing with nearly matching components.

I have read a few times that the fets are actually very reliable (as is the amp) but normally other things let go and people worry unnecessarily that the amp is dead, so they are off loaded years later and then reasonably easily fixed up.
 
Wow. Today was the first time I have had the opportunity to listen with the volume cranked up to realistic levels with the B-2 in place and be-jesus the speakers are so much better with this amp attached. I have never heard anything more dynamic before and the detail retrieval at silly levels (having to really raise voice to chat to partner on sofa next to me) is just extraordinary. There is no harshness at ALL. Unbelievable, I now know what all the fuss is about.
 
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