I got a chance to do a little A-B listening evaluation of Yazaki-san's Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitor mod for the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier, with the added bonus of a group of friends weighing in on the results.

As you might remember from Part 1, Yazaki-san had sent me a pair of his Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors to try as a modification to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier.

As far as modifications go, the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors modification to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier is about as easy as modifications go, as all I had to do was insert them into the binding posts.

This is a modification specific to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier, and has a specific function as Yazaki-san explains:

"This simplest modification is only fitted to Class-D amplifier solution with using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). This capacitor is working well just as a part of Low-Pass filter, already installed in this RSA-M3EX. This LPF is the essential circuitry for taking out the analog current for driving the speakers from the PWM carrier about 400 KHz. And the mica capacitor’s outstanding characteristic of high frequency over 100 KHz can easily run into this demodulation noise to the ground. It’s really strange, but I seem to have a correlation between “Musicality” and this high frequency noise. How to remove unnecessary noise could surely lead to true high fidelity playback. Well, it would be another example that by removing the switching noise caused by the power supply diodes, the sound quality can be improved. Of course, in the case of such power supply, the mica capacitor can work very well."

It's always a pleasure to host an audio gathering with friends at Jeff's Place, and my buddy Chad's visit over the Thanksgiving weekend was the perfect opportunity for us all to get together.

Ron, Leo, Chad, Santos, and a wee bit later, friends Jeff & Ashley also joined us for a rollicking good time.

It's always a great time to catch up on each others lives, take a little time to tell stories, listen to music, play audio games, eat good food and drink good spirits, and in Jeff and Ashley's case (above), put on a demonstration of precision ballroom dancing as the music moved them! We were all impressed!

I queued up some nice vinyl selections and we did a little A-B listening to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier with the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitor modification.

Essentially it was really easy to A-B the difference as all I had to do was pull the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors out of the binding posts on the fly.

In this particular case it wasn't even necessary to to shut down the amp to make the swap, as all I had to do was loosen the binding posts and slip the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors in and out of the binding posts while we were listening to music.

The difference was really easy to hear (i.e. big in magnitude), and there was a definite improvement in both musicality and audiophile-style sonics due to the addition of the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors.

Transparency and resolution improved rather dramatically, imaging became more solid, and tonally everything sounded more natural and real. The Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors were an all around improvement in pretty much every aspect of the musicality and sonics SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier.

Unanimously, all present considered the addition of the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors a definite improvement, and if you have a SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors mod makes for an easy way to gain a considerable performance enhancement.

In fact, we were all rather amazed at how large of a positive difference such a simple modification made to the performance of the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier.

Yazaki-san has also told me that the amount of improvement increases as you add more Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors across the binding posts. Yazaki-san has found three pairs of Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors to provide the maximum amount of performance improvement. 

I'll tell you what, even one pair of Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors across the binding posts made a significant difference, so I can only imagine what three pairs might do for performance. 

The affordable cost of the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors make this modification an easy recommendation, and it is something anyone can do. Remember, this modification is specific to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier, and you will need to consult with Yazaki-san for the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors best use in other applications.

In the photo above are a pair of monaural DA30 amplifiers that Yazaki-san built for a friend. 

I am very sorry to report that a friend of Yazaki-san's, who had Yazaki-san just build another pair of these beautiful DA30 amplifiers for him, has had an extremely serious family medical emergency, and as a result he needs to sell them to raise money quickly.

The DA30 monaural amplifiers were just completed by Yazaki-san, and have never left Yazaki-san's possession, and are available to buy if you act quickly. I would buy them myself in an instant if I could afford them, and I wish I could, but alas, at the moment I cannot.

They are remarkably affordable for such beautiful works of audio art, and you will be helping a fellow music lover in a time of need to take care of his seriously ill daughter, as well as helping out Yazaki-san who  has just completed them and wants to see them go to a good home. If I understand correctly, the price is $6500 USD, but you will need to confirm that with Yazaki-san.

You can contact Yazaki-san by e-mail HERE, and he will try to support you personally on the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors that he has a custom small batch of, and if you are interested, please also ask Yazaki-san for more information about the DA30 monaural amplifiers. Yazaki-san can provide you the details of how they are constructed, the components used, photos, etc., if you are interested.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!