I am just collecting names of makes and models of tube amps that harken back to the older classic tube sound but have modern chassis, connectors etc. Any such amps you guys enjoy?
So far names that have come up are Cary SLI series, CJ Art and classic 62/120.
Many tube companies are pushing more and more to a neutral and fast airy (thinner) sound. So its becoming increasingly difficult to find gear with that classic sound the exemplifies the beauty of music.
- Decware has a 3 year wait? Really? What happens if you need to have it serviced? I sure am glad I didn’t go to them.
- OTLs imho are something to consider. The company that I know of is Atmasphere, but I believe there are others. I believe they all are a variation of the legendary Julius Futterman design. The idea was to get a less colored and less distorted, more transparent and cleaner sound out of tubes. I have the NY Audiolab OTL3s. Jon Specter, formerly of NY Audiolabs and a great blues guitarist and member of the blues hall of fame, converted my pair from pentode to triode and upgraded all the capacitors. I’ve had these amps for 37 years and see no reason to upgrade. I’ll explain more about them in an article I will be writing about my total audio system and my approach to music and audio experience over the last 54 years when I finish my latest home restoration project in a few more months.
- My first amp on my audio journey was a tube amp, and I’ve been a tube guy since. That amp was a Dynaco Stereo 70, which I bought when I was 14 years old in 1968 as a kit and built myself. Hafler’s design was ingeniously simple and the Stereo 70 is still considered one of the all time great amps. I especially hold it in high regard because - as some lefties say, socialism is so that everyone can enjoy a chocolate eclair - so Hafler’s philosophy was to design at a price point that the average working schlemiel - or, in my case, teenage hippie mowing lawns and washing dishes - could afford, so that the masses could all enjoy quality audio.
I’m going to have to say the Vincent S-332 solid state Class A/B tube hybrid power amp. It has 150/250 wpc into 8 and 4ohms is worth a listen. Nice warm tube sound, power meters, balanced inputs. Pushes my Dynaudio Contour S3.4’s with ease.
If one seeks a warmer, more romantic (colored) presentation from the typical tube amp, whether newer or older: try NOS tubes manufactured in Britain (ie: Mullard, Brimar, Genelex) especially in the amp's early stages.
For a sound somewhere between the cleanest and warmest: tubes from Holland and Belgium (ie: Amperex, Philips, etc) will generally do it.
For the more dedicated tweaker: change out resistors in the signal path, for noisier/warmer types, such as carbon composition.
Some of the oil-filled capacitors out there are quite warm, or: seek out NOS Black Cat types. They'll warm things up also, when used as coupling caps.
Lots of way to find a sound that sates your particular tastes, with a valve amp.
Re-tubing expense is a valid point, given that it requires 4 pairs of the 300b. Fortunately 300bs are generally long lifespan tubes. It’s nice having only 1 pair in my SET amplifier.
I’ll stick with this vintage beauty I’ve owned for 25 years. It’s going back to VAC for the MkIII S update in January 2023. It’s has worked flawlessly all these years.
This VAC Renaissance 70/70 amplifier in my opinion is a true classic and wonderful sounding. Very wise to have it sent to VAC and let Kevin Hayes do his thing.
Charles
Many of the fine examples offered are VERY EXPENSIVE. The classic tube sound does not have to be so costly. What's more classic than a Marantz 8 or its downmarket contemporary, the Dyna Stereo 70? You can buy a brand new one with modern parts and upgraded input circuitry here:
and The 275 is an excellent amp…. Seeing one at Best Buy the other day all dusty , and left on 24/7 was really sad The Magnolia up here does a poor job representing McIntosh. It’s pathetic actually for such an iconic brand
The first & certainly one of the all time greats in this category you’re defining is the McIntosh MC 275! “New & improved” version sounds Excellent, solid build quality & a timeless design. To me, in its power range of about 90 real watts/ channel ( as confirmed by John Atkinson) , it sounds more like real music than most other amps I’ve heard. Can be used bridged in mono for more power & they just came out with a higher powered version too.
I have a Cary Audio SLI-100. I’m a newb audiophile. My only real comparison was a McIntosh MA352. The Cary was the clear winner at thousands less. It has more detail and clarity while not getting fatiguing at all. Very happy with the purchase. TheSLI-80 allows for tube rolling while the 100 does not. Decware did answer the phone for me but the wait was 18 months.
I wanted a system that could slam and rock hard as well as handle jazz, vocals, acoustic stuff etc. Apparently the only knock on the old school 300b amps is that they won’t give you that big gut punch. I’ve never heard one personally.
I think ampsandsound should go on your list. The pictures on their website show nice layouts, point to point wiring, turret boards, etc., and I’ve read they favor that older, classic sound. I’ve been looking at some of the combo headphone and speaker amps. The speaker amps are out of my budget. Not sure how it would compare to my PrimaLuna. I’ve been getting into headphones, but not enough to be willing to compromise my speaker system. I don’t really like selling any gear anyway.
My Toolshed replaced a pair of Quicksilver Mid Monos.... the best value in audio at $2200 a pair !!! Huge value proposition with these amps. Yeah they are ugly, but they are all about bang for the buck.
I had them seven years, they were / are awesome for a 40 watt amp.... super reliable. Sound exceptional. Still on the fence whether to keep or sell. They are built like tanks, I’m sure I would get a lot of milage out of them in a second system.
Not to dump on anyones product in particular but please beware tube amplifiers which have the tube sockets soldered directly to a circuit board. It is not a reliable construction over the long term especially for those who enjoy tube rolling. Heat and the mechanical action of pulling and pushing on tubes as you change them can crack solder joints and circuit board traces.
There are some very high cost amps with this construction and I am always surprised they choose this method. I would always prefer a product with tube sockets mounted to the chassis and then flying leads to a circuit board or even better true point to point wiring.
Quicksilver amps are wired point to point, but they aren't as pretty as Toolbox. Aric Audio amps are wired point to point. Aric will customize to the specs desired also.
I couldn't even get Decware to pick up the phone or answer an e-mail. Three year plus wait? I definitely made a wise decision buying this amp . I would love to put this thing head to head with their 300b....
I hope you haven’t confused me for a tubephobe. I love tubes. I can appreciate and like a good class A SS amp, but tubes rule my heart. I just don’t care for extra warmth where it doesn’t exist. A little to the right of neutral is good for me. Vintage sound misses the mark IMHO….
I’ll stick with this vintage beauty I’ve owned for 25 years. It’s going back to VAC for the MkIII S update in January 2023. It’s has worked flawlessly all these years.
@ozzy62that maybe the case for you. Not me. I have 3 systems in my house well 4 if I include my workshop and I have the full gambit of gear. From tubes to GaN amps. I get to enjoy it all. How about you?
That Toolshed is full of vintage parts, NOS tubes and new 300b…. This amp isn’t rolled off at either extreme but it does have a beautiful tone and sounds phenomenal, so yeah better than “vintage” I guess
Toolshed and Qualiton. You guys that own these amps really think they sound like “vintage” equipment? You do know that’s not really such a good thing, don’t you? Just curious…..
Thanks Jerry ! I love this thing, definitely the last stop on the amplifier merry go round for me. Only "con" if there is one is that I'm married to high efficiency speakers for life. I doubt I'm using a watt with most listening so the "first watt" school of thought is really at play here.
Matt and I discussed a preamp early into this build. About a month after i got the amp he reached out saying he was moving forward with the project and I said I'm in.
Dekay, the amp is fully point to point . The boards you see are most likely the filament regulation. It is a discrete design. He works with a few people , Gordon being one to make those to ensure ultra quiet operation. A lot of amps that use antique tubes need him pots to make them quiet. This amp doesn’t. You can put your ear next to the tweeter on a 99dB efficient speaker and it is dead quiet.
Matt was great to work with. It was an easy choice to have him build me another unit. The preamp he is building me is even more anticipated because I know the quality and sound first hand. You will never see either one of them for sale, I am sure of that.
The photos on the site are a good example of what's inside. Nothing secret in there, just honoring my word not to distribute pics of his work. Which some of is a collaborative effort with Gordon Rankin. That's all. He didn't ask me not to, it was just understood that I wouldn't be posting pics of his design, which is his IP.
Sure these amps share a basic circuit design going way back , but this is his design. You are reading way too deep into it.
@oddiofylkindo strange and frankly suspicious that he asked you not to post photos of the inside. I work in an industry where intellectual property can be worth a lot and I've never seen restrictions like that. I assume he asks all his customers to not post photos.
I have looked at his photos on his website and it does look nice inside. He created g-10 circuit boards for certain parts that are point-to-pint, not printed. clever.
So unless your amp has some secret that isn't in the photos he posted, I have to wonder.
If he does have a secret in there it will get out eventually but I can see his desire to delay it as long as possible.
I'm just curious. I have no intention of building amps to compete with him.
I promised Matt not to show internal pics, he sent plenty along the build but those are "his" pics. He does have construction photos on his site and on Insta and FB that that speak to the quality of build. It’s first rate inside too.
No zip ties or double face tape holding things. He uses clever use of stand offs to mount all internals. Everything is done on custom made point to point turret boards
It’s as nice on the inside as it is on the outside, built by someone who clearly loves what he does ....
Cary used to wire their amps point to point. I don't know for sure if that still holds true, although I think it does. I do know that my Cary SLP90 (pre) is wired point to point, but the SLP05I recently picked up is PCB.
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