New mega power tube is out :KT-120

[soundofvoid]

The new sensor corp has announced the production of a new power tube that even betters the KT-90
by 10 Watts per tube!http://www.newsensor.com/releases/KT120TungSol.pdf
Price around 75$ each and the prospect of a tube amp with mega watt output is "ante portas".
Another use is to have a tube that will last 10 years when set as a KT-88.Not bad!

 

[kach22i]

You have converted your GTA SE-100 to take KT-88's, are you thinking of useing these?

Link:
http://www.newsensor.com/ProductHighLight.aspx?ProId=1342

New Sensor now announces the Tung-Sol KT120, which has a plate dissipation of 60 watts, making it the most powerful tube in the 6550/KT88/KT90 family. A pair of these tubes in push-pull configuration can deliver power levels of 150 or more watts. When used at the parameters found in existing 6550/KT88/KT90 circuits, the Tung-Sol KT120 is impervious to overload, delivering peak power with extreme reliability and long tube life.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Wonder how they would work in place of 6550s? Do they have similar requirements?

 

[soundofvoid]

You can use them in place of 6550's or KT88's or KT90's in order to get a much more reliable tube for the same settings.
You will probably need to rewind the PS transformer to give you the extra power to really load them,and you have to check your output transformers
and see if they can take the extra output power.
And George, i am thinking about it but they are far wider than the KT90's that i use! My measurements show that the distance between the paired "bottles"
will be something like 0,5 cm-too close for comfort!Probably thermal hotspots will arrise and compromise reliability...
Plus the purchase of 30 KT120's isn't a task to be taken lightly...let alone the thermal output in a room with so many BIG tubes!
Greece is a hot country during summer!

 

[MylesBAstor]

You can use them in place of 6550's or KT88's or KT90's in order to get a much more reliable tube for the same settings.
You will probably need to rewind the PS transformer to give you the extra power to really load them,and you have to check your output transformers
and see if they can take the extra output power.
And George, i am thinking about it but they are far wider than the KT90's that i use! My measurements show that the distance between the paired "bottles"
will be something like 0,5 cm-too close for comfort!Probably thermal hotspots will arrise and compromise reliability...
Plus the purchase of 30 KT120's isn't a task to be taken lightly...let alone the thermal output in a room with so many BIG tubes!
Greece is a hot country during summer!

Do you know of any companies contemplating using them?

 

[soundofvoid]

No Myles,i don't.I believe that the first production runs will appear on tube stores (tube depot etc etc) within the month.
It will take time for any serious manufacturer to fully exploit the characterics (electrical and sound wise) and start production
of an amp that can take these from the start.But if i was working at Audio Research,VTL,Conrad JohnsonJadis,Macintosh,Manley, etc etc etc
i would chew my nails waiting for it to arrive...Plus remember all those companies making guitar/bass amplifiers for the pro audio market.
Only issue would be that only one factory will be making them-just one flavour!Same as the KT90 story...

 

[MylesBAstor]

No Myles,i don't.I believe that the first production runs will appear on tube stores (tube depot etc etc) within the month.
It will take time for any serious manufacturer to fully exploit the characterics (electrical and sound wise) and start production
of an amp that can take these from the start.But if i was working at Audio Research,VTL,Conrad JohnsonJadis,Macintosh,Manley, etc etc etc
i would chew my nails waiting for it to arrive...Plus remember all those companies making guitar/bass amplifiers for the pro audio market.
Only issue would be that only one factory will be making them-just one flavour!Same as the KT90 story...

Looks like the new Jadis JA-120 will be using the new KT120s. See www.jadis-electronics.com and go to power amps.

 

[soundofvoid]

Fewwww!They are quick those frenchmen!Although no pictures yet, and the auto bias will take care of the small variations from the one tube to the other...
They are carefull enough not to bet their money onto one pony!

 

[Mobiusman]

After 2 weeks ago I heard a pair of ARC Ref 210's using KT 120's. Also in the system were an ARC Ref 5, CD 8, DAC 8, Nola Baby Grands and the latest MIT IC's and speaker wire (whatever that means). I realize that there were many variable in this system, including probably insufficient burn-in time , BUT I was seriously unimpressed, as were most of the other people at the demonstration (about 20 people). We all felt that it sounded like a system and not music, but then that might have changed with more burn-in time.

What struck me the most as a long time fan of KT88 sound versus 6550 sound, is that the sound of that system, possibly the tubes, sounded very much like a slightly sweeter 6550, with allegedly more power (hard to determine because we were not at the amp's limits) but unlike any KT88 I ever heard, and to my liking much less involving.

I know that the subject of listening room has been a hot topic on this site recently. I have some familiarity with the listening room in which I heard the previously mentioned system and must say that I heard set of Paradigm Signature Ref 8's, driven by a pair of Bryston 28's, Bryston preamp and CD in the same room recently. The Paradigm Byrston combo was exciting has still, several months later, has me wanting more, while the fore mentioned system was completely uninvolving, albeit not offensive. And, BTW, I am a dipole and tube lover!