Traynor YBA300

[rodl2005]

Gaaaaaah! Even With the Aus $ where it is, I'd still have to pay customs a cuppla hundred & more....
Need a fire-sale.

[Imaginos]

Soon I'll go crazy and give up the whole amp and cab upgrade project I've been working on for a whole month now, but I guess I'll ask anyway. So, first I was going to go with SVT-7 Pro but I'd still rather have a real tube amp than a tube-emulating hybrid one. Anyways, I was thinking of buying an SVT CL or VR and almost pulled the trigger on a quite sweet deal. Then I realized that the 38 kilograms would be just too much lug around to gigs - especially since only our drummer owns a car in the first place. Now, the Traynor YBA300 seems tempting because of the small weight and low price. BUT, the cab of my choice is an Ampeg SVT410HE which is rated at 8 ohms.

My questions:
- How much of a strain is it for the amp (and the tubes) to be paired with an 8 ohm cab all the time in 4 ohm mode? I bet 250 watts would be enough for me 99,9% of the time since our gigs are mostly quite small venues.
- How difficult is the cutting operation that would transform the 2 ohm switch position to an 8 ohm one? Would it work as if it was designed that way then or would there be loss in tone/reliability/anything? Can the circuit be restored to its original state (meaning back to 2/4 ohm switch) if I later change my setup?
- How long the stock tubes would approximately last before the first swap?

I don't like the idea of having to cut up a brand new amp's circuitry so I may just go with the SVT-7 Pro then. Sigh, I've been dreaming of an all tube setup for ages but there always seems to be some sort of problem. Too bad the YBA200-2 has been getting quite a lot of flack since it would've been perfect for me with the 4/8 ohm switch and 200 tube watts would've probably been more than enough for me.

[rodl2005]

There certainly ain't nothing wrong with the YBA200/-2. GREAT Amps!
I'd contact Traynor with that question myself.
But IIRC , someone did already ask, & the reply was that it's fine, just lowers the output to about 250w.
I dunno re strain on the amp tho.
I've a 7 pro & it's a great amp. I never feel I'm compromising.

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by rodl2005

There certainly ain't nothing wrong with the YBA200/-2. GREAT Amps!
I'd contact Traynor with that question myself.
But IIRC , someone did already ask, & the reply was that it's fine, just lowers the output to about 250w.
I dunno re strain on the amp tho.
I've a 7 pro & it's a great amp. I never feel I'm compromising.

Yeah, I bet I could be really content with the 7 Pro but there's just something magical about tubes (and no, not just tone-wise but the whole vintage technology vibe just appeals to me). I emailed them just a few minutes ago and hope they answer soon. Fingers crossed! I'll post the reply here so that other people wandering the same thing will get a definite answer once and for all.

A shout out to all happy YBA300 owners: do any of you have any live or studio clips of your amp in use? The only samples I've heard so far are on that German review site. Would love to hear some more! PM me if you don't want to post them here open to all public.

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by Thornton Davis

It only has one Speakon connector, but it does have two 1/4" connectors. Also the output transformer has a tap on it that can be switched to accomodate a 4 and 8 ohm output setting rather than using the factory 2 & 4 ohm setting.

Almost forgot, it weighs 51 lbs.

TD

from pg1

[rodl2005]

Originally Posted by Imaginos

Yeah, I bet I could be really content with the 7 Pro but there's just something magical about tubes (and no, not just tone-wise but the whole vintage technology vibe just appeals to me). I emailed them just a few minutes ago and hope they answer soon. Fingers crossed! I'll post the reply here so that other people wandering the same thing will get a definite answer once and for all.

Yeah, totally agree. Am seriously considering one. Gotta check a few things 1st, but, hopefully one day soon!

[Downunderwonder]

from traynor sales page

Power @ min. impedance (Watts) 300 @ 2/4 ohms switchable (250W into 8 ohms)

[Downunderwonder]

Thomman ship downunder for 50 Euro, by DHL. So that's 1046 EU + local import tax, but you get a 240V one straight out of the box.

[rodl2005]

I KNOW this... I just hate paying Customs $300 to sit on something for 3 weeks!!!
Might have a line on a 2nd hand one.

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by Downunderwonder

from pg1

I think this was called false almost right after in this very same thread. Also, I'm totally aware about the 250 watts @ 8 ohm load info tidbit they give on their page, but people have discussed whether or not it is good for the amp in the long run. This is something I want a definite answer for.

[Imaginos]

Okay, I got a nice reply back from Traynor and ordered my head! First full-tube head coming my way, I'm so excited!

Here's both my initial message and the reply:

Dear customer service,

if I pair the Traynor YBA300 head operating at 4 ohms with an 8 ohm 4x10'' speaker cabinet, will it put a noticeable strain on the amp in the long run (e.g. will the tubes die out faster or are other parts more prone to break down)? The 50 watt loss in overall power wouldn't matter that much to me as long as the difference in impedance doesn't harm the amp over time.

Also, I've read there is a way to modify the amp so that the impedance selector at 2 ohms makes the head run actually at 8 ohms. However, I'm not familiar with this process and was thinking about handing my amp over to a skilled technician to do the modification. But, can the operation be reversed if I want the switch to default back to 2 and 4 ohms? If I do the modification, I'll enjoy the full 300 watts at 8 ohms, correct?

We designed the YBA300 to drive 8 Ohms with the selector set to 4 Ohms and the tubes will not be stressed. We are not aware of any modification such as the one you mention but it simply is not necessary. We assumed the amp would be driving 8 Ohms in many instances during the design process.
Let us know if you have any further questions.

I should've linked the picture below though. Anyone have any idea what's the deal here?

Originally Posted by AphekGreg

Here are some internal shots.

First one answers the question of running it at 8 ohms.


Bias pots and circuit.


Sovtek preamp tubes. 3x 7025/12AX7WA and 12AU7


Power supply

[Imaginos]

Just a heads up: my YBA300 is on its way with an Ampeg SVT-410HE on its side! It'll arrive probably some time next week, although I probably won't be able to test the new rig until the week after that (I have to take it to our rehearsal space first et cetera). I may be able to record some sloppy clips with our Zoom to give you an idea how the amp acts in a band setting.

Never been so excited of new gear!

And oh, Thomann has these in stock again so grab yours before they run out!

[godblender]

Nice. Can't wait to hear the review.

[Aussie Mark]

Originally Posted by Imaginos

And oh, Thomann has these in stock again so grab yours before they run out!

.... and while the Euro is the weakest it's ever been

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by Aussie Mark

.... and while the Euro is the weakest it's ever been

I can now only imagine how you USD guys felt when the dollar went down and the euro was strong. It's devastating to think that euros are only ~1,2 dollars.

[Jazzbass2010]

Does any one know what the small transformer is for . Is it a filament transformer ?

[MuthaFunk]

Originally Posted by Jazzbass2010

Does any one know what the small transformer is for . Is it a filament transformer ?

I believe it's the output transformer for the power tubes. The filament transformer might be a tap directly off of the troroidial supply transformer, or off a regulator circuit on the supply board which is fed from the toroidial transformer. I haven't checked the schematic though so it's just a guess for me.

[bb5000]

Originally Posted by Jazzbass2010

Does any one know what the small transformer is for . Is it a filament transformer ?

You mean the small one right next to the toroid power transformer ? It could be a filament transformer, or a choke, or maybe a transformer for a 12V fan.

[Imaginos]

I got the YBA300 and an Ampeg SVT-410HE earlier this week but they're still sitting around my house, because I've been unable to drive them to our rehearsal place. Somehow I never realized that even though it's a light-weight head if compared to the SVT, it's still HUGE.

I'm itching to try it out, but I still got to wait until our demo recordings are over and our guitarist gets his amp back. Also, our singer's PAs are broken at the moment.

[KINGMUNSON]

Anyone play the YBA 300 through the TC810 or a TC412 for that matter? I have thre TC810 and im using a SUNN 300t on it. Anyone wanna trade a nice Sunn 300t for a Traynor YBA300?? Id like to have the matching rig. email me at sealyw@yahoo.com