Michael Yee Audio

Welcome to Michael Yee Audio...

Michael Yee Audio is a small company located in Mount Shasta, California, which is devoted to maximizing the accuracy of the listening experience with superior state-of-the-art amplifiers and preamplifiers. We have two goals at MYA: to offer the highest of fidelity for a reasonable cost and to help individuals enjoy the wonders of music. We offer our components at mid-level prices but with the high-end performance of the most expensive amplifiers. If our designs do not perform to the highest audiophile standards, we do not offer them to the market. Our truly unique technology allows us to have a higher performance/price ratio.

MYA has put a great deal of thought into the concept of "Why We Listen". The MYA line of phonograph pre-amplifiers and power amps are designed to accurately reproduce original sound based upon the concepts of Tonal Imaging and Harmonic Integrity, which are at the heart of MYA technology. "Tonal Imaging" is a set of techniques allowing for objective evaluation of components (as opposed to judgements based on vague subjective listening habits), while "Harmonic Integrity" is a concept describing the accurate placement and balance of sound within a listening field.

What Sets Us Apart...

One of the things that sets the Michael Yee Audio designs apart from most (even top-of-the-line) amplifiers is the discrete circuitry that Mike has developed. Most phonostages use Integrated "Operational Amplifiers" (Op Amps) to do the amplification, which in most cases leave a designer with not much to design, just a power supply and part selection, as much of the sound is determined by the Op Amp. When you see the inside of a "normal" phonostage, you will typically see few parts (much less than 40 parts including connectors), while an MYA product, such as the Phonomena II, will contain somewhere around 200 parts. In MYA products, the signal path Op Amp has been replaced by a crafted signal path that uses 17 transistors per channel for a completely customized and unique sound. Mike makes decisions how best to bias each transistor for the given application as well as optimizing distortion components and power supply requirements. The list of parameters is very large. Mike crafts every important element of the phonostage.

To use an analogy, if Mike were designing a car, he would consider every aspect, from the number of wheels to the design of the motor, and create the most effiecient, effective and unique auto design imaginable. He has done that with audio, replacing the generic "motor" with one specifically tailored to match the other components. Typical phonostages are designed using integrated Op Amps, which is much like designing a car but buying a generic motor. This means that MYA products are not "lowest common denominator" products, designed to work reasonably with a wide range of systems, but rather to function at the highest level possible. Mike hopes that you find the sound to be enjoyable.

Our History...

It all started in 1977 when Bob Shogi (a friend at Engineering school) bet that Mike couldn't figure out why "tubes" sounded "tubey" and "transistors" sounded "transistory". Mike took the bet quite seriously, and he designed two solid-state amplifiers that had identical "specs" but which sounded completely different. Mike knew that the difference was below the noise floor. In the early 1980s took his ideas public, designing special equipment for the "underground market". This led to his designing for various hi-fi companies. In 1990, the first Michael Yee Audio product was released: the PFE-1. MYA products have always been popular among "people in the know" because of their great sound and extreme value. The sound from MYA amplifiers has the detail and bass of the best transistor amplifiers along with much of the seductive character of tube amplifiers, while the body and texture are unprecedented.

Why We Listen...

"To Enjoy Music To New Depths!"

Mike is often asked, "Why does a person get involved with high-end audio?" His answer is: "To enjoy music to new depths!" Most audiophiles have been drawn deeply into audio because of a love for the nuances of accurately-reproduced sound. And this love for the nuances of sounds has always brought a love for the music. Whether the music is a violin concerto or a bluegrass fiddle jam, MYA strives to accurately reproduce great recordings of great music.

At Michael Yee Audio, we cater to people who appreciate wonderful sounds and great music. Our design philosophy goes beyond being accurate. Body, texture, and simply the overall beauty of the sounds are very important to us. These sonic characteristics are possible with every Michael Yee Audio component.

Our products:

The PA-3, a 25W Class A Power Amplifier and the successor to the PA-2 and PA-1

The SuperNova, a Musical Surroundings phono preamplifier and our top-of-the-line model, featuring user-friendly and fully-customizable gain and loading settings for up to three cartridges and/or turntables as well as a separate SuperNova Power Supply to provide clean and quiet power from eight rechargable batteries. This one looks and sounds fantastic.

The Nova Phonomena, a Musical Surroundings phono preamplifier, featuring user-friendly and fully-customizable gain and loading switches for specific cartridge and listening needs. The Nova has an internal self-recharging battery power supply system for clean and quiet power. This is is superior preamplifier at an affordable price.

The Phonomena II, a Musical Surroundingsphono preamplifier and the successor to our very popular Phonomena. The Phonomena II features much of the circuitry of the SuperNova and Nova Phonomena in addition to user-friendly gain and loading switches located on the back panel for easy access, allowing full customization to meet specific cartridge and listening needs. This one provides phenomenal sound at a low price.

Michael Yee Audio has also designed and manufactured the PFE-1, PFE-2, PA-1, PA-2 and the Phonomena. For more information on these designs see Previous Products.