Is this an unique system or are there more people currently listening to "liquid" music? I was astonished seeing the boxes filled with vintage Decca LP's and learning the system is intrinsically digital. Do you know how the LP's are ripped?
The BEST horn speaker in the world
- Thread starter gian60
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Is this an unique system or are there more people currently listening to "liquid" music? I was astonished seeing the boxes filled with vintage Decca LP's and learning the system is intrinsically digital. Do you know how the LP's are ripped?
That might be the only digital system i like to listen to lol .
Nice system , the horns are made from steel or iron i suppose under the coating ?
Nice system , the horns are made from steel or iron i suppose under the coating ?
@David
This system is near Bologna,250 km far from Milan
My friend has a big collection of vinyl bought in 40 years but Yamamura did a new software and computer for liquid music,where there is also digital crossover and digital room treatment
I don't like digital music but this is very natural
This system is near Bologna,250 km far from Milan
My friend has a big collection of vinyl bought in 40 years but Yamamura did a new software and computer for liquid music,where there is also digital crossover and digital room treatment
I don't like digital music but this is very natural
I've been to Bologna many times in the past, when did they put this system together? This is the only one I know that Yamamura did with digital crossovers but it's typical of what Hiraga has been doing since the late 90's. Already heard a number of similar 4-5 way systems that Hiraga had a hand in and I must say that given the effort and the expense I wasn't impressed. I understand diplomacy but we both know digitizing analog is a shame specially after what you told us about your friend's special vinyl collection then adding dsp correction in that beautiful room IMO is adding insult to injury. there's a reason they didn't put a record player or a tape machine in there. I remember Yamamura Churchill from days in the UK, very talented man and the systems always had a lot of potential but he never finished and of them but there always the next step. I would never let them walk away if this was my room and I paid for a ground up custom system, dsp is cheating. I guess why I was never particularly a fan of Hiraga, very knowledgeable in theory but execution generally was somewhat lacking. Still I hope someday to be able to visit your friend and his great room and in his company, it takes a special person to put all this together.
david
Hiraga was there only that day to listen the system,but did anything in that system,only listen that day,system is 100% from Yamamura
I know well Yamamura since 1989.
He is incredible,work all day and in the night instead to sleep think how to do better.
First time came in my home brought Carbon block to put under my Sound lab,took my cable,keep out the plastic on the cable and put the copper cable in the oven of my mother at 200 degree and then put cotton around i bought in pharmacy.
Then explain to me the problem of image of cd because the margin of cd is smooth so ask me to go to buy sandpaper to keep out the smooth of the margin,ecc,ecc.
After 15 years was in sell the green pencil for the cd.
I remember dinner with him and my friends in that year.
In Italy we had ARC,Counterpoint,CJ,Jadis,ecc,ecc,but never saw or listen one triode amp or one horn speaker,no one distributor had something similar and Yamamura explained to us the horn system,the triode amp,difference between 845 and 211,300B and 2A3 and the difference between output trans in permendure,permalloy and superpermalloy and we were shocked
Then he lived in my home,i had big home and only i,my father and mother lived,for some months and i remember when he was under one tree to clean carbon block and my father brought the coffee to him
When he finish to build the power amp,4 stack,mono with external power supply,total weight 150 kg,with push pull of 845 we were schocked
We listened Mark Levinson 20,Krell reference 200,Cello Performance,Rowland M7,Jadis 500,all good amps but no comparison with this.
Yamamura told me the only thing to do better is to do a power supply with battery,but the problem is that there are no good battery in the world,the only good he can find through one friend in Scotland was the battery that use in nuclear submariner,so if he can find will do otherwise impossible to find good battery.
Also for dac in future told me don't want to do because there are no good chip in the market,all are terrible,so was very funny stay with him
He never finish because every day think something different and better.
He did one company in Italy ART,but after 2 years this company broken because in 2 years worked 12 hours every day but built near nothing,2 pre,3 TT,one amp and one speaker.
He ask ART partner for example to order 6 very expensive power trans built in special way,and when was near finish he told he had a better idea so can do trans better and don't want to use the ordered trans.
Then he went to London to do a company with Churchill and did speaker line in cork monovia and in 5 years change the driver,all hand made from him 6/7 times.and also this company closed.
I saw him ten years later in italy and he was working with Acrolink,to develop Acrolink in Europe.I ask him if are good cable,he told me cable are terrible,Acrolink doesn't know how to do a cable
In 1992 he start to do amp TT in current and gift me his mono prototype for my wedding,he was in my wedding.He finish this amp 10 years ago in my friend system
This is Yamamura
I know well Yamamura since 1989.
He is incredible,work all day and in the night instead to sleep think how to do better.
First time came in my home brought Carbon block to put under my Sound lab,took my cable,keep out the plastic on the cable and put the copper cable in the oven of my mother at 200 degree and then put cotton around i bought in pharmacy.
Then explain to me the problem of image of cd because the margin of cd is smooth so ask me to go to buy sandpaper to keep out the smooth of the margin,ecc,ecc.
After 15 years was in sell the green pencil for the cd.
I remember dinner with him and my friends in that year.
In Italy we had ARC,Counterpoint,CJ,Jadis,ecc,ecc,but never saw or listen one triode amp or one horn speaker,no one distributor had something similar and Yamamura explained to us the horn system,the triode amp,difference between 845 and 211,300B and 2A3 and the difference between output trans in permendure,permalloy and superpermalloy and we were shocked
Then he lived in my home,i had big home and only i,my father and mother lived,for some months and i remember when he was under one tree to clean carbon block and my father brought the coffee to him
When he finish to build the power amp,4 stack,mono with external power supply,total weight 150 kg,with push pull of 845 we were schocked
We listened Mark Levinson 20,Krell reference 200,Cello Performance,Rowland M7,Jadis 500,all good amps but no comparison with this.
Yamamura told me the only thing to do better is to do a power supply with battery,but the problem is that there are no good battery in the world,the only good he can find through one friend in Scotland was the battery that use in nuclear submariner,so if he can find will do otherwise impossible to find good battery.
Also for dac in future told me don't want to do because there are no good chip in the market,all are terrible,so was very funny stay with him
He never finish because every day think something different and better.
He did one company in Italy ART,but after 2 years this company broken because in 2 years worked 12 hours every day but built near nothing,2 pre,3 TT,one amp and one speaker.
He ask ART partner for example to order 6 very expensive power trans built in special way,and when was near finish he told he had a better idea so can do trans better and don't want to use the ordered trans.
Then he went to London to do a company with Churchill and did speaker line in cork monovia and in 5 years change the driver,all hand made from him 6/7 times.and also this company closed.
I saw him ten years later in italy and he was working with Acrolink,to develop Acrolink in Europe.I ask him if are good cable,he told me cable are terrible,Acrolink doesn't know how to do a cable
In 1992 he start to do amp TT in current and gift me his mono prototype for my wedding,he was in my wedding.He finish this amp 10 years ago in my friend system
This is Yamamura
Hi David,
my friend was distributor of ALE since 1990 and did some speaker,also with the help of good technician,so i listened all but no one liked me,so you have right also no one impress me,but this i guarantee is another level,no comparison.
I post some photo of speaker my friend did with ALE,also with DEP,but no one like,always something no god.
my friend was distributor of ALE since 1990 and did some speaker,also with the help of good technician,so i listened all but no one liked me,so you have right also no one impress me,but this i guarantee is another level,no comparison.
I post some photo of speaker my friend did with ALE,also with DEP,but no one like,always something no god.
Caro Gian,
You continue to impress me with all your various experiences and stories, I know that I must come to Italy and meet you someday soon
!I believe you about your friend's system being better than the typical Goto/ALE system but it's also true that after all that work he's limited to digital playback only.
david
Then in 1994 Yamamura had health problems and go back to Japan,and one my friend was distributor for all Europe of Audiotekne,so i start with Imaisan since 1994 to 2.011.
I was impress from natural sound of aT but with some my improvement
I bought a 3 way horn speaker with ALE 4000 woofer,mid ALE DE 4550 and tweeter ALE DE 1750.Was very good,natural but little dark and not very dynamic,this is the philosophy of Imai and i triamp changing network and putting Yamamura amp on bass and 2 AT for mid and tweeter.
I remember also now that sound,Amazing.
Then i had monovia in CB plus ALE DEP 1750 tweeter
Also this amazing,and later i put a sub KRELL Master Reference,cut at 40 hz at 48 db,so the mid bass always clean with amazing and deep bass
I was impress from natural sound of aT but with some my improvement
I bought a 3 way horn speaker with ALE 4000 woofer,mid ALE DE 4550 and tweeter ALE DE 1750.Was very good,natural but little dark and not very dynamic,this is the philosophy of Imai and i triamp changing network and putting Yamamura amp on bass and 2 AT for mid and tweeter.
I remember also now that sound,Amazing.
Then i had monovia in CB plus ALE DEP 1750 tweeter
Also this amazing,and later i put a sub KRELL Master Reference,cut at 40 hz at 48 db,so the mid bass always clean with amazing and deep bass
Then the old distributorship with AT and Imai ask me to find a new distributor.
I found Suonarte,never imported anything before,but has a lot of money and bought all the toppling including the MAIN SPEAKER
Its a 4 way speaker with ALE woofer 4000 cut at 250 hz with bass box in CB,with all ALE dep,7550 for mid bass,1750,for tweeter and super tweeter
Also here very natural but always Imai characteristic,little dark and not very dynamic,i wanted to listen at least bi amped with other crossover but was impossible to do
here was one year Italian distributor brought to Munich
These belong to a Imai customer in Japan
I found Suonarte,never imported anything before,but has a lot of money and bought all the toppling including the MAIN SPEAKER
Its a 4 way speaker with ALE woofer 4000 cut at 250 hz with bass box in CB,with all ALE dep,7550 for mid bass,1750,for tweeter and super tweeter
Also here very natural but always Imai characteristic,little dark and not very dynamic,i wanted to listen at least bi amped with other crossover but was impossible to do
here was one year Italian distributor brought to Munich
These belong to a Imai customer in Japan
Other good experience we did because came to visit us 2/3 times Mr Endo of Ale,Sakuma with his mono amp,Shindo,Uchida of Tamura and others
Very funny,Sakuma came with 5 friend and technician that always sitting behind him.
When Sakuma stand up all stand up and when he was sitting all sitting and follow him like a GOD
That day we connect one Altec 19 with his mono amp and preamp with 845 and 300B( the preamp) and was amazing
Very funny,Sakuma came with 5 friend and technician that always sitting behind him.
When Sakuma stand up all stand up and when he was sitting all sitting and follow him like a GOD
That day we connect one Altec 19 with his mono amp and preamp with 845 and 300B( the preamp) and was amazing
But the best tube amp i listen in my life are Dissanayake,his preamp Kamasutra
and his power amp,with external suppler bigger then amp,in photo only amp without external supply,
this combo destroyed ANJ M10,Kondo m 1000,top Audio tekne
I had a very good hiend life
and his power amp,with external suppler bigger then amp,in photo only amp without external supply,
this combo destroyed ANJ M10,Kondo m 1000,top Audio tekne
I had a very good hiend life
Wow Gian! This is a great post. I wonder if your move to CH and current speaker has to do with changes in your sound preference/room/music etc. or purely on sonics? Do you think those factors play a role or supposedly if you turn back the time to the 90s and there is this system you currently have, do you think you would pick it over the custom systems you had? Just want to get a feel, thanks!
Many thanks Gian. I have seen a report on this system in a French HiFi magazine where J Hiraga was working in 2013 and was amazed at that time by the system and mainly by the fantastic vinyl collection with original Decca...
There were not many people that liked that system at the show.
One of my munich audio friends really disliked the system...
It's quite a shame that they dont exhibit anymore... Gian do you now how much stuff they sell ?
All these horns are very interesting and for sure the ALE drivers are amongst the best in the world but, IMO, all of this is for naught if the ingredients are blended properly. I have heard many large horn systems with very expensive drivers that sounded HORRIBLE, even worse that a typical two-way bookshelf speaker. The pictures tell me nothing about how well these drivers were really blended together to create a sonic whole.
My own two-way Odeon horns are extremely dynamic and alive and not the least bit dark and they use a (relatively) inexpensive Audax 250 mm midbass and a relatively inexpensive compression driver (Beyma CP-350Ti) and deliver impressive sound. I think it is the use of the wooden spherical horn for the tweeter and a phase/time cohernent crossover and driver alignment design. The backloaded bass design is also very punchy and alive. So, the designer has maximized what he could get out of these modest drivers. Could he get even more from better drivers? Maybe, maybe not. Better drivers in isolation may be more difficult to design with and require crossover designs that are necessarily more complex and can rob some of the magic from that driver.
Don't get me wrong, it is possible that some of these you have shown are indeed the best in the world but by your own admission some had audible issues. The way these horns are arranged is curious. Are they placed this way due to lack of space or because of time alignment, or???
My own two-way Odeon horns are extremely dynamic and alive and not the least bit dark and they use a (relatively) inexpensive Audax 250 mm midbass and a relatively inexpensive compression driver (Beyma CP-350Ti) and deliver impressive sound. I think it is the use of the wooden spherical horn for the tweeter and a phase/time cohernent crossover and driver alignment design. The backloaded bass design is also very punchy and alive. So, the designer has maximized what he could get out of these modest drivers. Could he get even more from better drivers? Maybe, maybe not. Better drivers in isolation may be more difficult to design with and require crossover designs that are necessarily more complex and can rob some of the magic from that driver.
Don't get me wrong, it is possible that some of these you have shown are indeed the best in the world but by your own admission some had audible issues. The way these horns are arranged is curious. Are they placed this way due to lack of space or because of time alignment, or???
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