Japanese Audio: How do the best compare?

[TLi]

My favourite Japanese hifi brand isTechDAS. They are one of the best analog system makers. Their designer, Mr Nishikawa, has half a century of experience in turntable design. There is really very little comparison anywhere.

 

[GSOphile]

Excellent short summaries!

I'll comment on some of the ones I owned or heard more extensively at friends/dealers:
Shindo - Lively, detailed, good textures. I really loved the original Ken Shindo designs - Monbrison, Haut Brion, Cortese. I would consider an original Giscours too.
Accuphase - Delicate, refined, good textures and detail. The Class A tend to be also more engaging with better flow. Out of the solid state ones by far the best built and reliable (Luxman, Esoteric) - absolute perfectionists and Accuphase have been fine-tuning almost the same line-up for 10 years. Moved to an E-600 from a Gicours/Cortese which should say a lot.
Luxman - Great value item. I feel the lineup lacks a bit direction - tube/solid state, inconsist design across lineup, lot of turnover of new products (which can be good/bad). Good sound and like their lively Class A/B sound. For Class A I would go Accuphase.
Kondo - Sounded spectacular and will always remember my first time hearing the Ongaku...
Esoteric - Well built digital players, but never liked the sound very much.
Air Tight - sounded good each time I heard, but not quite as special as Shindo/Kondo...

Esoteric's newer XD players with proprietary discrete component DAC technology (replacing AKM chips) is a big step and appears to be winning converts, of which I am one.

 

[gian60]

I had Shindo Catherine and Petrus with amp Shinonia and WE 300 B Limited

Mactone M8V mono otl

Hal amp preamp

ANJ M7 M 10 Gakuon Neiro Neiro Silver Ongaku Gakuon Baransu

Kondo M 7 GE1 Souga

Audio Tekne preamp 8601 9501 and LT 9501 passive preamp,and amp 9501 and mono TM 8502

Sun Audio 300 B

Absoluty the best Audio Tekne and some AN,Shindo far from them,less natural,more artificial sound and some little dark,Mactone very powerful with 100 watt and very transparent but compare also with Neiro Silver sound seems more artificial

Hal amp very old preamp but very good

 

[Addicted to hifi]

I like luxman and accuphase as my favourite brands from Japan.they compete with any brands from anywhere in the world.

 

[Salectric]

No one has mentioned Yoshimura Labs (YL Acoustic) which made some very interesting horns and compression drivers back in the 1960s and 70s. Many of them were modeled on Western Electric designs but others are novel. I use YL 5500 drivers in my WE 32A horns.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

No one has mentioned Yoshimura Labs (YL Acoustic) which made some very interesting horns and compression drivers back in the 1960s and 70s. Many of them were modeled on Western Electric designs but others are novel. I use YL 5500 drivers in my WE 32A horns.

I remember this brand well.

 

[bodhisattva]

Yamamto Sound Craft -- Reading through this thread I did not see mention of this great maker of hand built amps.

 

[Cesar Miranda]

Shindo Labs, Kondo, Yamamoto Sound Craft.

 

[antigrunge]

I have yet to find a better amp than the Wavac EC300b. And on digital clocking Cybershaft is tops.
In power conditioning and noise suppression Acoustic Revive is tops. Finally nothing beats Japanes UpOCC Ohno cast cables

 

[PeterA]

Here are two classic Japanese turntables, the Micro Seiki SX 8000 II and the American Sound AS 1000. The latter is ultra rare. I had the chance to compare them to each other in my system for a month using the same tonearm and cartridge. As good as the Micro Seiki is, the American Sound is better.

 

[CKKeung]

Here are two classic Japanese turntables, the Micro Seiki SX 8000 II and the American Sound AS 1000. The latter is ultra rare. I had the chance to compare them to each other in my system for a month using the same tonearm and cartridge. As good as the Micro Seiki is, the American Sound is better.

View attachment 102403

Hi PeterA,
I see that the SX8000 II was given two thick metallic platforms.
Are they stainless steel or aluminium alloy?
That's a good tweak, because IMHO the original wood/air-floating platform is an Achilles heel.

 

[PeterA]

Hi PeterA,
I see that the SX8000 II was given two thick metallic platforms.
Are they stainless steel or aluminium alloy?
That's a good tweak, because IMHO the original wood/air-floating platform is an Achilles heel.

Hello CKKeing,

Yes these are 2” thick stainless steel plates. I never tried the air bladder accessory. My friend has that on his new SX 8000 II. These are a big improvement over putting them simply on the wooden shelf. There are two because I wanted to separate the motor from the main chassis and one piece would’ve been too heavy to move.

The tw are now under my new American Sound AS2000 turntable.