YBA Today

Let's look at YBA today.

By virtue of their electronic specializations, today,  might YBA be effective power amplifiers (and pre-amplifiers) for today's back-end speakers and DSD?

The question really isn't asinine.

Today, everyone is talking about digital amps (Class D) sounding like analogue. Solid state (class A, A/B) amps sounding like tubes. YBA started the game, producing some very nice few.

The mid-bar YBA Amplifier, YBA's YBA 2 HC has a frequency response of 5 Hz to 80 kHz (-3 d3). That's about right for Diamond and Beryllium speakers today hitting about 50 kHz. That's about right, for DSD as well. Those than can hear from 80 kHz to 100 kHz are lucky as well.

TAD CR-1 (Beryllium) Compact Loudspeaker: 40Hz–20kHz, ±3dB
Bowers & Wilkins 802 Diamond Loudspeaker:  34Hz – 28kHz ±3dB
Revel Ultima Salon 2 Loudspeaker (Beryllium): 23Hz–45kHz, ±3dB

The Signal to Noise ratio on the YBA products is passable (100 db). That's fantastic, for vinyl.

THD is a little high (<0.09). That's what could account for the analogue sound. Audio could use a THC measurement.

You'll find the prices are very very low.

JP 2016/07/27
www.hifiart.ca