Today's Fresh Catch is the pair of Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitor's Yazaki-san sent me to try as a mod for the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier.

If you read Yazaki-san's article, “My Adventure With My Old Marantz Model 7 Part 8" HERE, you know Yazaki-san was so impressed with the Ultimate Ruby Mica Capacitor's performance in his Marantz Model 7 preamplifier that he had Mr. Manabu Matsuzaki, president of specialty company Matsuzaki-denki, produce a small custom batch of capacitors for him and his friends to use in their audio projects, and Yazaki-san has made some of them available to Jeff's Place readers.

Yazaki-san sent a pair of the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitor's for to me to try as a mod for the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier, so this is a report on my preliminary impressions.

This is probably the easiest mod imaginable, all I needed to do was install the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitor's into the binding posts.

If I really like what I hear from the SPEC RSA-M3 with EX Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitor's, I'll pop the bonnet off the top of the SPEC RSA-M3 EX  integrated amplifier and solder them to the binding posts internally to clean up the outward appearance.

For this listening session I used primary music listening system with the the Duelund-Altec Project "Stokowski" loudspeakers, consisting of the successful marriage of the latest state-of-art Duelund Coherent Audio CAST tinned-copper capacitors, inductors, and resistors - in a Jean Hiraga inspired crossover circuit - with the historically important vintage Altec loudspeakers that were custom made for the domestic use of conductor Leopold Stokowski in the early 1960s. 

I removed the superb Audio Note UK Oto Phono SE Signature Integrated Amplifier I have been listening to in this system (HERE and HERE), and installed the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier (review HERE) with the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitor's installed in its binding post in the Oto's place.

Given the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier doesn't have a phono stage, I also installed the excellent Soundsmith MMP3 Mk II Phono Preamplifier (review HERE). I connected the Soundsmith MMP3 MkII to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX with Duelund 600V DCA20GA interconnects terminated with Duelund RCA's.

All of my vintage Altec loudspeakers seem to thrive on the Duelund DCA16GA tinned-copper speaker cables, so that's what I used here (although I will be trying the new 600V DCA16GA tinned-copper wire as speaker cables shortly and will let you know what I hear from them). 

For digital, I'm using my Apple MacBook to stream Jazz 24 - the great Seattle jazz station - to my Mhdt Labs Havana vacuum tube USB DAC. I connect the two with my DIY Art of Tone tinned-copper USB cable. To connect the Havana USB DAC to the AC I'm using an Acoustic Revive Power Reference TripleC NCF power cord. 

To connect the Havana's RCA outputs to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier's  RCA inputs I used a pair of Duelund Coherent Audio DCA16GA tinned-copper interconnects terminated with the new plastic-free Duelund RCA connectors.

For an analog source I used my Classic Turntable Company hot-rodded Garrard 301 turntable in an Artisan Fidelity plinth, with a SPEC AP-UD1 Analog Disc Sheet turntable mat, a Peter Riggle Audio Engineering Woody SPU tonearm equipped with—what else—an Ortofon SPU Classic GM MkII stereo phono cartridge, stepped-up with an Intact Audio SUT that compliments the Ortofon SPU Classic GM MkII, and a Thomas Schick tonearm equipped with a Soundsmith Zephyr Mk III phono cartridge. My turntable connects to the Acoustic Revive RPT-6 Absolute NCF Power Distributor with a combination of an Acoustic Revive RAS-14-TripleC NCF Power Stabilizer and a Furutech G-320Ag-18 power cable. 

My wall outlets are Acoustic Revive customized Oyaide R-1 outlets fitted with Acoustic Revive CB-1DB Receptacle Base Plates and CFRP-1F Carbon Fiber Outlet Plates. From the wall outlet an Acoustic Revive Absolute Power Cable provides AC to an Acoustic Revive RPT-6 Absolute NCF Power Distributor, which distributes AC to the DAC with the aforementioned Acoustic Revive Power Reference TripleC NCF power cord cable, and to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier with an Acoustic Revive Absolute Power Cable.

I let the system warm up for about an hour playing Jazz24. Even during the warmup phase Jazz24 was sounding beautiful from a tonal standpoint, with lots of nice details coming through - a good sign.

It's been a while since I've listened to the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier in this system, so I'm giving the SPEC a "get reacquainted" period before making any specific observations.

I can say in general terms that the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier equipped with the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors is sounding very compelling musically. The sound is nicely rich and luxurious tonally, very musical, and with lots of nuance coming through.

There is not even the slightest hint of grit, grain, forwardness, unnatural sibilance, harshness or the like. All in all its a gorgeous presentation of the music, musically compelling, and superbly natural sounding.

All-in-all, I have a very nice impression of the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier equipped with the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors - even with zero run-in time on the capacitors, so I'd say they are a pretty safe bet if you want to do some experimentation of your own.

Yazaki-san says if you would like to get a pair of his “Ultimate Ruby Mica” capacitors, you can contact him by e-mail HERE, and he will try to support you personally. 

Just a word to the wise: Yazaki-san's first batch of “Ultimate Ruby Mica” capacitors is fairly small, so if you are interested I wouldn't wait too long to contact Yazaki-san, as they may sell out quickly.

After I get a better handle on what I'm hearing - with some vinyl listening included as well - I'll report back, and then provide some listening impressions of the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier while doing some A-B style of listening comparisons with and without the Ultimate Ruby Mica capacitors on the SPEC RSA-M3 EX integrated amplifier.

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