Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "emf" <liberatusvirus@y...> wrote:
>  Seriously, is the 20w class A amp a valve design? 
> Who makes it? My favorite British system of all time, which I haven't 
> heard for some time, was a Meridian from top to bottom.

The amp is actually a Pioneer M73!  It is little known over here, but
I picked one up with pre-amp and CD half price ex demo from a small
shop which tried to set themselves up as a top end demo place and I
think couldn't sell much of the expensive stuff.  It can be switched
to class AB to give 120W per channel.  It gets HOT in class A (takes
up to 1000W from the mains).  I had some home built KEF 105.2 speakers
at the time (CS9 was the home constructor series with the mid range
and tweeter in the main box and a modified crossover to compensate for
the small loss of physical volume, rather than perched on top like the
original 105.2).  They had a 15" bass but were infinite baffle.  It
was after auditioning lots of speakers that I realised you don't need
a big woofer for big bass.  The twin 5" 1/4 wave design is far tighter
than the 15" KEF in the infinite baffle design.  The two 1/4 waves are
tuned to different frequencies.  It may not be obvious from the
picture but one of the 5" units points upwards, the other forwards. 
They also do a larger one, the Howard, but in the auditioning room I
preferred the Harlech.  

Keith.