I know of Viva, I had their Solista integrated and very good it was too. 3 other Italian companies come to mind, Mastersound, Unison Research and New Audio Frontiers. There must be others, but I can't recall them. I am sure you will know, all will run as hot as hell.
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Audion Sophia Viva Mastersound Shuguang Meixing Triode Corp. Melody Nagra (may have discontinued their p-p monoblocks) Consonance NAF NAT Verdier Additional no-name Chinese and Korean producers Keep digging -- there are more. I think there are more consumer 845 amp choices available today than any prior time in high-end audio. 845 and 211 are the entry points into "big glass" tube audio. |
If you have speakers that are fairly efficient, then it may be possible to get nice dynamics and punch from an 845 amp. With 845's, you are talking about pretty low powered amps in most cases (usually less then 20 or 30 watts). You would most likely want a speaker rated in the 90 db's and the higher the better. |
Wilfredt, IME, it's hard to answer your question on a "tube vs tube" basis, because so many other variables are changing, too. (I know of no amp that allows the user to swap KT-88s and 845s for an "apples to apples" test.) From the circuit (per Phaelon) to the partnering speakers - the resultant change in sound upon changing from a KT-88 to an 845 may be hard to predict, and in any case, would be hard to attribute solely to the output tube. I have used both the Cary 805 (w/845, briefly) and the Prima Luna mono 6 (w/KT-88, briefly) with my Verity P/Es and my Merlin VSMs. (Ironically, I ended up ditching both the KT-88 and the 845, using 211s long term in the Cary and KT-66 long term in the PL - see below.) The best short answer that I can provide to your specific "punch" question is that the KT-88 definitely struck me as significantly "punchier" on the Verity (tho I prefered the Cary, overall). On the Merlins, the delta in macro-dynamics was much less evident. Overall, the 845 feels like a somewhat darker, more liquid sounding tube than the KT-88 to me, but that observation is subject to all of the caveats noted above. Marty Note: My Cary uses the 845 in an SET configuration, which may explain the difference in sound better than the output tube delta. The Cary also allows the user to swap a 211 for the 845 and (with the Verity) this seems to reduce the slightly "dark" character of the Cary amps, so I switched to 211s for long term use with the Verity. Conversely, the KT-66 struck me a somewhat "gentler" sounding than the KT-88 in my PL, so I ended up going that way for use with my Merlins. In the end, all output tube decisions were system driven. |
Wilfredt, I believe itÂ’s possible for an 845 to deliver all the punch and dynamics you could ask for if it is used in a circuit that is well matched to the speaker. Pentode amplifiers will deliver that same punch and dynamics to a wider range of speakers. We all have our preferences, but I have heard most major tube types deliver outstanding sound when employed correctly in a well designed amplifier. |
Phaelon, Goldprintaudio and Martyk1, Thank you so much for your inputs. I have just got the Tannoy Canterbury SE speakers and am researching on a suitable Amp to match this. I don't want to hijack this thread, so I am opening a separate thread right away to discuss this. Thanks so much for your inputs ! |
Wilfredt... I happen to be a Tannoy dealer also and can tell for sure that the 2 Audion 845 amps (Elite 3 box and Black Shadow2) sound absolutely fantastic with your speakers (great choice by the way!). The Cary also does an extremely fine job matching up with the Tannoys. ***Audion, Cary and Tannoy dealer disclaimer*** |
The Bel Canto SET40 is an excellent single ended triode stereo amp that uses one 845 per channel. Due to it's excellent output transformers as well as it's circuit design, it provides a wonderfully dynamic and full range frequency response. However, you must find them on the used market as they are no longer available new......very worthwhile searching for though. |
Nguyen787, you will have better luck contacting Gold Print Audio directly at [email protected] or 336-501-3791 |
I've owned the Audion 845 Black Shadow monos for several months. They do it all effortlessly. Very quick and powerful. Relatively light and do not run hot. Worth every penny. Recommend without reservation! Have owned the Mastersound 300B integrated and enjoyed it very much. However, it was really heavy (70lbs) and frankly, not very dependable. |
Early, I have a pair of Druid V's on order, should have in a couple of weeks. Does the Black Shadow have a 16 ohm output option or are you running the Druids off the 8 ohm taps? ZU recommended having my Art Audio PX-25 re-tapped for 16 ohms to pair with the Druids. Curious about the Audion amps and how they match up with 16 ohm speaker. Thanks. |