Yaqin VK-2100 mods - Page 2

Rockmore · 20th December 2009, 04:12 AM

BUMPITY BUMP

Need more VK-2100 owners, experiences,
mods, fixes in here.

Happy Holidays !

Rockmore · 20th December 2009, 04:14 AM

Bumpity BUMP

Need more VK-2100 owners, experiences,
fixes, mods in here...

Happy Holidays !

Rockmore · 13th January 2010, 04:43 AM

Bump

Steve M · 07:44 AM

Hi Rockmore,

I'm one year late to the Party, but this is a great sounding little amp! Superb clarity with a tubey openness that is quite phenomenal for the price. The amp has sharp transients (a thoroughly modern sound) and seems to have plenty of drive with 85w/ch, apparently in fancy push-pull OTL mode, no less.

I'm currently playing the VK-2100 amp on Yamaha NS-1000X; Lowther DX-3 and Klipsch Belle loudspeakers ...lively sounding, but great vintage gear and more than revealing enough to test the Yaqin's mettle. Sounds very good too on more neutral speakers like Spendor LS3/5A, where it seems to sound vibrant and wakes them up!

Some might find this amplifier a little bright and forward, but after extended listening I don't think it is. It just sounds exceedingly open and unfettered to my ears. Some of my other amps (s.s and tube types) are sounding a bit boring alongside the Yaqin, take that for what its worth ...

Regards,

Steve M.

bazouka · 17th February 2011, 10:48 PM

Great amp
I've been using it for nearly 3 years now with 6N1P-EV tubes that i change every year.
I started some very necessary mods "and for sure some others unnecessary ones too"
I'll post you some pics.

Steve M · 20th February 2011, 01:11 AM

Bazouka, any pics of your mods?

bazouka · 20th February 2011, 11:35 AM

Hi,
Please be aware that these are my first attemps with soldering, so I am a babe DIYer, also you will notice i'm franch, please forgive my weak english .

I replaced the tubes by some Russian 6N1P-EV, very easy to get and cheap, the change was huge, sound is much more flat, with better highs and more controlled bass, with the original tubes sound was boomy and imprecise, bad actually .

Two mods gave me a very bog boost on two different aspects.

I changed the volume pot for a 100kohm stepped attenuator with SMD resistors bought cheap on ebay, I gained A lot on highs and soundstaging, tha amplifier became much more detailed and airy,initially the pot was 50kohm, with the change to a 100kohm one, the volume change is now much more progressive than before, which is very handy !

to resume, this gave the biggest immediat improuvement among all the small things I did to the amp, so very recommended !!

finally this potentiometer can be soldered directely to the PCB, it is small, I'll do that next time.

I replaced some caps in the amplifier, I do not really know what did they serve but anyway I made the move and i'm glad I did !!
this removed completely the POP and sounds in the speakers when booting the amplifier !!, now it is perfectly silent for 10 seconds, the relay clics , and voilà, no hum or hiss like it did before (seems to be an issu for all the possessors of the amp) completly cured !!:

This was the situation before :

Also I decoupled all the big capacitors in the amplifier by some russian PIO NOS K42y-2 capacitors I had, this gave me better bass, and better separation.
I dont have a pictures they are stuffed under the PCB.

Future mods :
I'll replace the five NCC KMG 47uf 450v capacitors by better capacitors, mabe some 80uf 450v KXJ (much lower ESR et higher ripple).

I'll replace the certainly cheap 10000UF nichicon caps for some 15000uf NCC caps with high ripple, for more reserve because i feel this amps lacks some reserve, with some 10UF MKP across, I'm thinking of adding a board with régulation with even more capacity.

I'll replace the blue capacitors near the tube (I think they are here for tube coupling) by some Russian teflon FT3 capacitors.

Also I oredered some good solder (cardas quad with silver) I think I'll will redo a lot of the soldering in the amplifier, just to be sure.

Anyway I got this amp en 2008, and it is working perfectly with no problems at all..

bazouka · 20th February 2011, 11:52 AM

@ Rockmore: Could you please change the title of this topic to a more obvious one like yaqin VK2100 mods etc ....... I did a deep search to find it, this isn't very cool.

By the way, I find what looks like an electronic diagram for this amplifier on the forum (sorry I do not remember who posted it) here it is, anyway I am sure there are a lot of arrors, and some components are missing too, so do not take it too seriously, but if you can correct it it will be of great value !!

and please if someone has some ideas, don't be shy !!!

bazouka · 20th February 2011, 12:38 PM

I inserted the photos above as thumbnails from imageshake, this didn't work as expected and the photos are too small, also I am unable to edit the post, so I put them back here, I hope they will work correctly this time, sorry for the inconvenience :

The new volume pot :
the new capacitors :
old situation :

MrCurwen · 20th February 2011, 01:09 PM

The 6N1 is not a replacement for 6DJ8/ECC88/6992. It has different plate resistance, and so different curves.

A suitable replacement would be the 6N23. There is no western equivalent to the 6N1.

16th February 2011, 07:29 AM	#14
Steve M diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Perth, Western Australia	Hi Rockmore, I'm one year late to the Party, but this is a great sounding little amp! Superb clarity with a tubey openness that is quite phenomenal for the price. The amp has sharp transients (a thoroughly modern sound) and seems to have plenty of drive with 85w/ch, apparently in fancy push-pull OTL mode, no less. I'm currently playing the VK-2100 amp on Yamaha NS-1000X; Lowther DX-3 and Klipsch Belle loudspeakers ...lively sounding, but great vintage gear and more than revealing enough to test the Yaqin's mettle. Sounds very good too on more neutral speakers like Spendor LS3/5A, where it seems to sound vibrant and wakes them up! Some might find this amplifier a little bright and forward, but after extended listening I don't think it is. It just sounds exceedingly open and unfettered to my ears. Some of my other amps (s.s and tube types) are sounding a bit boring alongside the Yaqin, take that for what its worth ... Regards, Steve M. Last edited by Steve M; 16th February 2011 at 07:44 AM.

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20th December 2009, 04:12 AM	#11
Rockmore diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Red, White, and Blue USA	BUMPITY BUMP Need more VK-2100 owners, experiences, mods, fixes in here. Happy Holidays !

20th December 2009, 04:14 AM	#12
Rockmore diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Red, White, and Blue USA	Bumpity BUMP Need more VK-2100 owners, experiences, fixes, mods in here... Happy Holidays !

13th January 2010, 04:43 AM	#13
Rockmore diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Red, White, and Blue USA	Bump

17th February 2011, 10:48 PM	#15
bazouka diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2009	Great amp I've been using it for nearly 3 years now with 6N1P-EV tubes that i change every year. I started some very necessary mods "and for sure some others unnecessary ones too" I'll post you some pics.

20th February 2011, 01:11 AM	#16
Steve M diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Perth, Western Australia	Bazouka, any pics of your mods?

20th February 2011, 11:35 AM	#17
bazouka diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2009	Hi, Please be aware that these are my first attemps with soldering, so I am a babe DIYer, also you will notice i'm franch, please forgive my weak english . I replaced the tubes by some Russian 6N1P-EV, very easy to get and cheap, the change was huge, sound is much more flat, with better highs and more controlled bass, with the original tubes sound was boomy and imprecise, bad actually . Two mods gave me a very bog boost on two different aspects. I changed the volume pot for a 100kohm stepped attenuator with SMD resistors bought cheap on ebay, I gained A lot on highs and soundstaging, tha amplifier became much more detailed and airy,initially the pot was 50kohm, with the change to a 100kohm one, the volume change is now much more progressive than before, which is very handy ! to resume, this gave the biggest immediat improuvement among all the small things I did to the amp, so very recommended !! finally this potentiometer can be soldered directely to the PCB, it is small, I'll do that next time. I replaced some caps in the amplifier, I do not really know what did they serve but anyway I made the move and i'm glad I did !! this removed completely the POP and sounds in the speakers when booting the amplifier !!, now it is perfectly silent for 10 seconds, the relay clics , and voilà, no hum or hiss like it did before (seems to be an issu for all the possessors of the amp) completly cured !!: This was the situation before : Also I decoupled all the big capacitors in the amplifier by some russian PIO NOS K42y-2 capacitors I had, this gave me better bass, and better separation. I dont have a pictures they are stuffed under the PCB. Future mods : I'll replace the five NCC KMG 47uf 450v capacitors by better capacitors, mabe some 80uf 450v KXJ (much lower ESR et higher ripple). I'll replace the certainly cheap 10000UF nichicon caps for some 15000uf NCC caps with high ripple, for more reserve because i feel this amps lacks some reserve, with some 10UF MKP across, I'm thinking of adding a board with régulation with even more capacity. I'll replace the blue capacitors near the tube (I think they are here for tube coupling) by some Russian teflon FT3 capacitors. Also I oredered some good solder (cardas quad with silver) I think I'll will redo a lot of the soldering in the amplifier, just to be sure. Anyway I got this amp en 2008, and it is working perfectly with no problems at all..

20th February 2011, 11:52 AM	#18
bazouka diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2009	@ Rockmore: Could you please change the title of this topic to a more obvious one like yaqin VK2100 mods etc ....... I did a deep search to find it, this isn't very cool. By the way, I find what looks like an electronic diagram for this amplifier on the forum (sorry I do not remember who posted it) here it is, anyway I am sure there are a lot of arrors, and some components are missing too, so do not take it too seriously, but if you can correct it it will be of great value !! and please if someone has some ideas, don't be shy !!!

20th February 2011, 01:09 PM	#20
MrCurwen diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Helsinki	The 6N1 is not a replacement for 6DJ8/ECC88/6992. It has different plate resistance, and so different curves. A suitable replacement would be the 6N23. There is no western equivalent to the 6N1.