Yaqin CD3 Impressions and Internals

[Aurality]

Thought Some people might apperciate photos of the internals of the New Yaqin Buffer.
This is the first time I have used a buffer - bought it with the TJ full music 6sn7 tubes.
But plan to get some decent NOS soon - I am currently running this from a turntable
source (out of curiosity).

Inital impression after about 35 hours (not fully burned in).

Sound stage has deepened and seems a bit bigger vertically.
phantom centre has widened but kick and bass seems a little to the left/skewed on some
material (possibly cured by some further speaker posistion tweaking..) and not as focused
but somehow sounds more natural.

has tamed some bright top end issues I was having with my setup, at the expense of making my
bass a little flabby & loose and as a whole has smeared the whole spectrum. cannot hear clean
seperation anymore, just wooliness.

When using a digital source with apogee converters - sound is much more pleasing.
Need to spend some more time with this, perform some mods maybe - a bit of tube rolling
and fully burn in, before I write off using it with my turntable.

I'd aperciate hearing any suggestions regarding modifications to get the seperation back and
get rid of the smearing - if possible. I have upgraded the Power lead to a decent one.

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[planet10]

What does it look like from the topside.

dave

 

[Aurality]

it comes with some aluminium billet heatsink things (not shown in photos) that I have removed to fit the larger sized tubes.

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Cap Values are:


4 x Blue Caps: 0.47U 275V

2 x Blue Caps: 0.22U 275V

2 x Black Caps: 180u 250V

2x Light Blue/Cyan Caps (Mains input): 0.01U

 

[docwebb]

I have been researching this product and yours is the first review I have found of the CD3 with the full music tubes....those tubes are fairly expensive and it is worrisome that you found the sound wooly. I am wondering if you already have a tube system in which case the extra tubes may be too much. I am thinking of using it between a Harmon Kardon CD player and a Yamaha receiver, both solid state. But if the sound is too wooly I may go with the CD2. Can you share something about your system? Thanks.

 

[tomasitoc]

I also have the CD-3,
I upgraded the stock tubes, with a NOS RCS 6SN7, circa 1956 I got them from a guy who used to run a repair shop.
Not a night and day improvement, but I can hear the improvement. it is more sweet sounding now. I am happy with it.
I plan to get 2 more of this

 

[discman]

..... cannot hear clean seperation anymore, just wooliness.

Hi,

YAQIN CD3 is made to use with line level output signal. If you connect it to the turntables phono out, the signal is too weak and that is why you get woolines and other bad stuff.

Line level signal is ~2V while phono out is 0.25V (please correct me if I'm wrong).

There is a different product (YAQIN MS-22B phono preamplifier) for use with turntables.

Please wait
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[kwkwsr1000]

What;s the difference in sound if it's connected between cd and preamp compaaired to between preamp and poweramp/