Upgrading specific components in a tube amplifier


Hello everyone,

First of all, thank you for the warm welcome to these forums. It has already been an incredibly helpful place, and I’m learning more each day.

I’ve really enjoyed reading about different people’s journeys in HiFi, and I find the reflections along the way both insightful and inspiring.

Recently, I came across an article where someone, while introducing their system, described making minor upgrades to their amplifier—such as changing output capacitors, tube sockets, and resistors. I’m starting to understand the role of each component in an amplifier, but I’d love to hear from those with firsthand experience in upgrading these parts.

In your experience, do such modifications lead to noticeable improvements in sound quality, or do they risk altering the original design in ways that might not be beneficial?

Looking forward to your insights!

apollinaire

You're looking at adding quite a bit of silver with the Audio Note components you specified in your post. I'd expect this may thin out mids, bass, less warm presentation. I have no issues with silver, just needs to be balanced with copper. On the other hand if existing presentation excess warmth or dark sounding silver could be just the thing.

 

Many nice caps out there including the Audio Notes. My favorites are the Duelund Cast tin plated copper. Also very much like Takman carbon film, some like the metal film. My favorite for max resolution/transparency are Texas Components TX2575 (nude Vishay). I'm using both the TX2575 and Cast caps in my 300B monoblocks.

Should have statedTakman and Texas Components are resistors. Tubes can make a large difference as well, especially power tubes.

Thank you all for all of your insights.

 

I have read numerous articles, reviews and threads on various forums that confirms the high quality of Yamamoto and I don't think at all there would be a reason to change anything at all. It was just a thought experiment to get an idea of the possible outcomes of changing components as capacitors, resistors and tube sockets. 

 

You're looking at adding quite a bit of silver with the Audio Note components you specified in your post. I'd expect this may thin out mids, bass, less warm presentation. I have no issues with silver, just needs to be balanced with copper. On the other hand if existing presentation excess warmth or dark sounding silver could be just the thing.

This is quite interesting. It seems that a lot of people strive for an all silver situation in Audio Note forums, but somehow I'm starting to believe that silver might have a too bright, clean and neutral resolution, whereas I prefer a much more deep, flavorful and colored sound (without it being too dramatic, rather more natural and romantic if one can say that). 

 

It depends on design of the amp. SET with no feedback can be more sensitive to component change. But you also need to consider how those components work together in the amp. I.e. it could be that a X brand cap for one stage + a Y brand cap for the other stage that gives you a better sound. 

@apollinaire ..."Then I started to play with the thought of changing bits of Yamamoto to Audio Note components (capacitors, resistors and perhaps tube sockets as I heard Yamamotos aren’t the best)"..

 

Here is a thought mentioned on the other thread. Skip the Yamamoto 3w+3w amp and buy an AudioNote OTO SE 10w amplifier to go along with your desired AN speakers you mention. You can order it with proven caps and resistors, no guessing and screwing around. They come up 2nd hand used rarely.

Truly - this will save you a ton of wasted time and guess work allowing you to start listening to speakers/amp/parts components inside all designed to work together from the get-go. I only share this IF your real goal is not fooling with widget component changes and more about listening to music sooner. They spend 1000s of hours testing/trying/listening to their designs.

Many of us here here swap caps/diodes/resistors thinking we can outsmart the original amp designers, and it works sometimes, not all of the time. In the case of AudioNote amps/speakers working together well, Peter and team at AN truly know what they are doing. Go listen and compare at a show if you can somehow.  Just a timesaver tip fwiw, best of luck.