HASHIMOTO HM7's ordered!

[Wakefield Turntables]

Right thats it. I pulled the trigger on a pair of these, no doubt I'll be hammered with import tax!

[walpurgis]

Nice. I won't ask how much. But you could be a bit more explicit. I know what they are, but I reckon the majority here may not. ;)

[Sondekker]

I've long lusted after a pair of these but have always considered them beyond affordability for me.

Good luck with them and I look forward to hearing how you get on with them in due course. As a matter of interest where did you order them from?

[Wakefield Turntables]

Nice. I won't ask how much. But you could be a bit more explicit. I know what they are, but I reckon the majority here may not. ;)

The HM7's are considered one of the best transformers for the production of things like Step Up Transformers. Plenty of info on the net.


I've long lusted after a pair of these but have always considered them beyond affordability for me.

Good luck with them and I look forward to hearing how you get on with them in due course. As a matter of interest where did you order them from?

They are coming from USA.

[walpurgis]

I'd like to compare something like these to my best SUTs.

[petrat]

Good choice, Andrew! Although they may seem rather expensive, I think they are really a bit of a bargain ... IME they 'swim with the best', most of which cost many times more than the Hashis.

[Wakefield Turntables]

Thanks all. They will hopefully go into a new SUT which would be plumbed into my SS system hopefully to dispose the old faithful ortofon SUT which might get sold on or go into the valve system to work alongside other ortofon SPUs.

[montesquieu]

Love mine - Valvebloke made a fantastic job of boxing them up - with two inputs, a bypass function, and two loading options at each ratio.

I bought these after hearing MartinT's Choir Audio (which used them I think he sold it later) into his Aurorasound Vida. The Vida MC input is not bad at all but the HM7s made a significant difference - lovely match with a Miyajima Waza I had on loan at the time - enough to convince me to sell my Kondo era AN S6C (barring its ability to match the 1 ohm coils in the An Io that I had at the time, I consider the HM7 pairing its equal), flog the Io and get a Miyahima Shilabe to run with HM7s. When a second hand Vida later came up too I was over the moon.

They are seriously big for step-up transformers. I've had it up against the top-end S&B TX103 (which I also had at the time), Miyajima's own SUT , some Art Audios, and Auditorium A23, and a few others in a shoot-out earlier this year (this was written up at the time) (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?37658-Mega-SUT-shoot-out-seven-%28and-a-half%29-SUTs-on-trial!!-a-brief-review).

One thing to note is that I thought they took about three months to really come to their peak, it was a long run-in time ... I won't say it was disappointing at the outset - all their capability was apparent right from the off - but they certainly improved over that time.

http://i1181.photobucket.com/albums/x440/montesquieu61/HM7_zpsgo3kepf1.jpg

[Ammonite Audio]

Thanks all. They will hopefully go into a new SUT which would be plumbed into my SS system hopefully to dispose the old faithful ortofon SUT which might get sold on or go into the valve system to work alongside other ortofon SPUs.

I think you will be astounded and shocked at how much better the HM7s are, compare to your Ortofon SUT

[flapland]

I must admit I am very tempted to order a pair of HM7 for collection when I am in Tokyo at Christmas. Trouble is I have lots of other temptations as well and my credit card run to all of them.

[anubisgrau]

I must admit I am very tempted to order a pair of HM7 for collection when I am in Tokyo at Christmas. Trouble is I have lots of other temptations as well and my credit card run to all of them.

So how did Christmas in Tokyo go? :)

[montesquieu]

So how did Christmas in Tokyo go? :)

I did Christmas in Tokyo one year. It's bizarre. I'm convinced Japanese people thing it's all about celebrating the birth of Father Christmas - everyone in every department store wears Santa hats for a few days ... no holiday .. and then it all stops.

[anubisgrau]

haha, must be hilarious, especially if they play xmas versions of j-pop hits in depatos!

[montesquieu]

haha, must be hilarious, especially if they play xmas versions of j-pop hits in depatos!

The worst are the plinky-plonk jazz versions done with zero empathy for the words of the hymns.

Next worst is hearing the band of the salvation army play silent night over the sound system while hundreds all around are eating fried noodles for breakfast in some vast hotel restaurant space.

Though my suspicion is that America isn't much better.

[flapland]

I had a great trip to Japan and agree with Tom part of the fun is the bizarre approach to Christmas they have. For a start the public Christmas decorations make Oxford Street Light look like something from the £1 store.

I bought a little vinyl and a nice Shelter 501 but didn't get any transformers as didn't want to go to mad. The 501 cost about £390 tax free so that made me a happy bunny.

[anubisgrau]

HM-7 you need to order in advance. i had a same disappointed in a specialized trans shop in akihabara. they stock HM-3 regularly though.

[Barry]

Sadly the Akihabara district has been taken over by shops selling white goods, Smart phones, digital cameras and MP3 players. The 'rabbit warren' of stalls selling electronic components, just opposite the subway station is not the place to buy exotica such as Hashimoto SUTs.

The audio 'salons' have all moved out of Akihabara to the up-market streets near the Imperial Gardens.

[anubisgrau]

I looked for HM-7 at THE place in Akihabara for all sort of current trans options in Japan. It's the Radio City mall just next to train tracks. A dark, low key place with stalls selling good stuff for DIY-ers. When you walk down the stairs into the basement you bump into a vintage 300b/Altec 604 system playing fine jazz. Right next to it, a mother and a son runs a small stall where you can get Hashimoto, Sansui, Daburu, James, last remains of Tango and Tamura (nothing worth or useful) etc.