Sony TA-F7B

The TA-F7B is a brilliant V-FET unit, using the same stable BJT and V-FET differential cascode mix as the TA-N7B Meisterstück, but with three transformers instead of four and slightly reduced caps : 4x 15,000µF instead of 4x 22,000µF.

The TA-F7B uses 4 heatsinks with 1 row of three 2SJ18 or 1 row of three 2SK60 for each heatsink - saves up space. The twin toroidal transormers of the TA-N7B are here placed one of top of the other - saves up space, too ; they were custom-ordered to Nippon Kinzoku, a company still in business today which must have provided most if not all toroid trafos to high-end JP hi-fi throughout the 70s and early 80s.

The phono stage is a dual-Fet differential amp with current mirror ; FET inputs for the lines, differential amplifier afterward. All DC, of course.


Costing 178,000¥, the TA-F7B marked the lower-end of the really expensive (japanese high-end-wise, in 1976) but given the quality, reliability-wise AND sound-quality, Sony must've made very little profit selling them.

As on the ST-A7B masterpiece, the front is made of several plates of aluminium and steel to give a tangible feeling of depth and solidity - not only a feeling ! The sub-panel which holds the secondary functions is in fact a separate aluminium plate welded to the main one by way of a steel surround painted in matte black.

The mechanical build quality of all "sevens" (ST-A7B, TA-N7B, TA-E7B and TA-F7B) puts to shame almost every other audio component built around the same time - really.


The original export version of the TA-F7B was silver in color with all the scripting being silkscreened and not stamped : TA-F7. That version was quickly replaced by the normal, green/bronze TA-F7B.

The same happened to all the 7s : ST-A7, TA-N7, TA-E7, TA-F7 ; the silver versions all bear low serial numbers and are exceedingly rare. The production run for the F7B should be around 3000 pieces, worldwide ; that of the export F7 300.


Anyway -
To get an even better sound, the way to go is to hook a TA-E88B and a TA-N7B : musical bliss and nirvana.