Sound characteristics of YBA

Your description is quite right already. You need to pay attention to speaker matching too, as with all very good gear.

Arthur

You got that right! I used to own the Integre and then moved up to the Passion Integre. 50, then 100 of the sweetest SS watts these ears have heard. The Passion can tango with just about, IMHO, any of the big boy integrateds.

YBA has a very emotional sound with a slightly laid back midrange and a touch less air in the highs compared to some tube amps. Nevertheless, YBA is capable of some incredible sound, always enjoyable (how many amps can you say that about? ALWAYS ENJOYABLE).

Do they leave stuff to be desired? For some, definitely. For me, I could happily live with YBA. Who cares about perfect sound? I just want to listen to music FOREVER ... and you can really do that with YBA.

I almost forgot ... the BASS of the YBA passion series! Unreal!!!! Room treatments go a long way to show this.

Better late than never, I suppose.. :)

hi everyone,

may i humbly bump this thread to gain some feedback if anyone know of ANY hifi equipment (CDP, preamp/amp) that share similar characteristics to YBA ? perhaps 85% to 90+% closeness in airyness and its laidback uncompress open soundstage.
any input would be deeply appreciated. currently their YBA Passion & lower series do not really have sonic as impressive as the former YBA Classic series. Thanks again.
-phil

Seems the brand has lost favor over the years exponentially since the nineties. I have an Integre int amp that is/was meh to my tastes. My Leben makes it sound like a NAD.

New product line after a chinese company more or less purchased them is to be revealed this month in Munich their website says.

yes, YBA has hippups for many years. According to local dealer and their website, YBA has restart its Signature series, unlike other range, all production for these equipments is in France. But its new design and built had deviated from its original concept and philosophy, and as costly as before. i'm not sure if it still sound as good as before... so i seek if anyone know of any hifi that sound close to previuos YBA version without that heavy price tag. thanks..