Upgrading specific components in a tube amplifier

@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.

I have been considering the OTO SE amplifier, which is widely regarded as an excellent choice, and I can certainly understand why. I had the opportunity to listen to it recently, and I really enjoyed its sound.

That said, there is something I am trying to better understand.

The OTO SE is undoubtedly a great amplifier, but it does not, for example, include a completely negative-feedback-free signal pathway. To achieve that, one would need to look at the Jinro or higher-tier models, which come at a significantly higher cost. I have also contemplated investing in a higher model, but I often find myself considering how many concert tickets and vinyl records I could purchase with that amount. Ultimately, my passion for audio is rooted in a deep love for music.

Recently, I have come across smaller manufacturers, such as Yamamoto and Audio Tekne, who seem to produce high-quality amplifiers at a different price point compared to Audio Note. I fully appreciate the immense costs involved in running a company as comprehensive as Audio Note, which manufactures all its components in-house and offers numerous variations of each amplifier. Their reputation and craftsmanship naturally contribute to their pricing, which I completely respect.

However, I wonder if it might also be worthwhile to explore the work of dedicated, passionate independent producers, particularly those in Japan, who bring a similarly high level of artistry and commitment to their craft. I hope it makes sense.

Hey @apollinaire you are not wrong in looking to upgrade parts inside an amp. Lots of gains to be made at most price points. First off your connection points of RCA inputs and speaker binding posts, check out KLE or WBT. Super low mass designs that are a bit finicky to solder but make great gains in increased clarity right off the bat. Next make sure your internal wiring is super well separated for power vs signal wire. Tight spaces can lead to increased noise that is easy to remedy.

Next up you were talking signal path capacitors, and those could and should be changed but ONLY after you have a baseline what the amp sounds like. As @sns stated, going with AN silver caps could be awesome (and $$$!) they could also voice the amp pretty thin and not what you want. Get some time on the amp and listen for what you'd like to improve. More detail, more body, more transient speed, etc. I'd advise looking at neutral sounding copper film caps as space allows. Some of those can get pretty big . Look at Audyn True Copper Max, Duelund CAST CuSn, A.N. Copper, etc. for a very balanced and clean tone. If you need a little heightened treble, you can check Mundorf S/G/O. If you need super snappy transients and clean tone look at VCap ODAM which are great on size as well. Point being, listen to what you'd like to fix and adjust accordingly.

Good luck with the mods!

-Lloyd

@apollinaire ...but it does not, for example, include a completely negative-feedback-free signal pathway. ".

Zero, negative, local, global feedback, and more debated here over the decades on Audiogon. Search and check out some of the long threads about this too.

Regardless of the amp designer and circuit design chosen, I always go back to what sounds most musical to my ears given different tube sets and speaker pairing too.

As long as you know what sort of sound you are looking for, you are well on your way, and enjoy the music!