Any one have experience with Aric Audio?

[FT251]

---

Over the past 2.5 years I have been updating my system which I originally started building in the late 1990's to early 2000's. (My system is in my profile) Two of the last pieces of that era in the system is the VAC CLA1 Mk III Preamp which has been serviced twice these past 1.5 years, once for an upgrade to Mk III and once to replace resister's, I also have a VAC Renaissance 70/70 amp which was updated to a Signature 1 year ago but this past week I lost the left channel output so it's going back to Florida with me from Michigan to get repaired while i am down there. (I just re tubed it too) I think that although these are both great sounding to this day I may want to keep them as spares for the future or as Kevin refers to them as Museum Pieces.
I don't think I would be happy long term with solid state as I can run my speakers internally amped and the Wavelet as the pre, which I have tried and it's just not for me. Even with the amp down when i just run the VAC preamp and the speakers self powered I prefer it that way. But immediately sensed something missing once the amp was taken out of the chain to be boxed for repair. I just prefer tubes. Well unfortunately I cannot afford to replace with up to date VAC components due to my restricted retired income and the cost. I don't want to take a chance on sourcing used units as I really just want to be done here and enjoy without risk.

I've researched Aric Audio and this looks like a pairing I can integrate into my rig and be happy long term. Seems that I get the impression that those that have his stuff are happy from what I have gleaned on these forums. I am in communication with Aric via email to find the right Amp and Preamp to suit my speakers. Since I already have a 300B based amp was looking for something else he makes. Maybe with 20-50 WPC. My speakers require at least 10 and i am currently at 65 with the VAC.

So if anyone has bought anything from Aric how happy are you with them and have they been reliable and satisfying to your ears? This is going to take me quite a while to save for so I will just use what I have until i can buy their replacements. The good news is the speakers can be self powered and the Wavelet can be a preamp if needed. That was my contingency plan for "spares"

Thank you for any insight.
Happy New Year!

 

[GroovySauce]

I just placed an order for a Transcend PP amp from Aric Audio a few days ago. Estimated 8-10 weeks until delivery. I spoke with him on the phone went over what was important to me and what I was looking for. He was great on the phone and in the follow up emails.

My brother also spoke with him on the phone and placed an order for a Transcend PP amp. We both feel very good about our decision to go with Aric Audio.

I'll most likely remember to follow up on this thread. Feel free to ping me in 2 months.

 

[facten]

There threads over on Audiogon that consistently speak to owner satisfaction with the build, SQ and cost/quality ratio of Aric's amplifiers, as well as, their personal interactions with him.

https://forum.audiogon.com/search/index?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=aric+audio

 

[Carlsbad]

@FT251 in the wattages you are looking at, you are generally limited to push pull which I think is a huge step down from SET. That is my humble opinion but I have spent a lot of money developing it.

Brandon Wade at Apollo Audio Systems (I don't think he has a website but is on facebook) makes some high output SETs that would get you your 10 wpc and I think a few more watts. ask brandon if he has access to higher end transformers and I know he can upgrade other coponents. He is a custom amp builder and will be glad to work with you to make an amp fitting of WTB forum expectations.

I like Aric too but I think he focuses a bit more on his price point. I may be wrong, you can talk to him too. Edit to add: I am a fan of Aric audio, they make good hand-made, point to point, well designed SETs. I don't want this to be interpreted as a negative opinion of Aric at all.

Jerry

 

[GroovySauce]

@FT251 in the wattages you are looking at, you are generally limited to push pull which I think is a huge step down from SET. That is my humble opinion but I have spent a lot of money developing it.

I've found that a low powered push pull el34 based amp, that is designed to sounds like a SET is more involving and has more magic than any SET I've tried. I have very limited exposure to SET amps in systems I know well.

In my system—in theory—only 0.2-0.3 watts is needed for peaks, so it's not a power issue.

I'm currently listening to a Decware UFO25. It does sound fantastic. I prefer the Decware Torii MKV over the UFO any day, there is no aspect of the SET I miss when I have the PP amp in.

I asked Aric to go all out no budget constraints and he was happy to discuss everything, output transformers, caps, switches, connectors and other things. It did raise the price significantly, not outrageously though.

 

[Tuckia]

After my last speaker acquisition, Tobian 15FH which are 99db sensitive, I was looking for an SET amp which was a better match than my 100w SS amp. I found a recent Super 300b SET being offered by Aric at a very reasonable price point. I was interested in the proof of concept (300b SET on these speakers), not outright performance, although I still thought it would be decent. I also had a pair of WE300b to drop in already. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. It is very linear with excellent resolution. Bass is solid and present into the low 20’s. It seems to punch pretty good too, even though the iron is modest Transcendar. I should say modest in price as I think they outperform much of the midrange iron you commonly see at this price point.

This version of the amp is three stage - 6sn7>6v6>300b with Jupiter coupling caps in the first stage, then interstage transformer between driver and output. Generally the parts quality is pretty good. Very good features and design. Also very quiet.

Other SET amps I’ve had - Thomas Mayer 45/2a3-10y, Line Magnetic LM 845 Premium, and Lampizator GM70. Of these, the Aric is more like the TM, but with more punch of course- 1.5w vs 9 watts. It is waaay more resolved than the LM845. It is more nuanced and resolved than the GM70.

I can highly recommend this amp if you don’t want to spend over $20k for big iron. Currently it represents about 3% of my system cost, and it fits right in.

If you need more than 9 watts, he also has a PSET version of the 300b at 18 watts, which can be run as SET at 9 watts as well.

His 211/845 looks like a beast, if you need 30watts.

My amp also drove my former Daedalus speakers at 96db pretty good too.

Terry London reviewed this amp very favorably. I concur with his assessment and the wonderful pairing with the WE300b.

 

[Tuckia]

I should add that I owned a VAC Renaissance 30/30 Signature mk. 3, which was an interesting amp. Based on aural memory, the Aric 300b is much cleaner sounding and more resolved. The VAC could throw some cartoonish images around the room. The Aric doesn’t really do that trick, it casts more of a natural stage, like good SS, but with much better harmonic structure and inner light.

 

[Carlsbad]

@GroovySauce Great news and it is good to hear Aric is continuing to raise the bar. I just noticed his super 300B has a 6V6 driver which addresses one of the weaknesses of many 300Bs, the 6SN7 driver. I predict your amp will be very special. Can't wait to hear your reports.

I'd like to see him make a 300b with a DHT driver.

BTW there is a super 300b for sale used now that is very tempting to buy just to listen to for a while and resell.... but I need to sell amps, not buy them.

Jerry

 

[Tuckia]

In another forum on the same topic (300b lovers on Audiogon) there was discussion on the 6v6 driving the 300b. I didn’t verify, but these guys know their stuff, the 6v6 is a pentode that strapped in triode use, looks a lot like a 45. Using the 6v6 is just practical as NOS 45’s are becoming rare to source. If you don’t mind popping a kilobuck for new 45’s, this would be a good way to go. Then maybe some Monolith iron to continue the spending mood.

Radu Tarta offers a 76>45>300b that looks intriguing, at a higher price point. I like the 3-stage configuration as I don’t use a preamp out of the Horizon dac.

 

[the sound of Tao]

In another forum on the same topic (300b lovers on Audiogon) there was discussion on the 6v6 driving the 300b. I didn’t verify, but these guys know their stuff, the 6v6 is a pentode that strapped in triode use, looks a lot like a 45. Using the 6v6 is just practical as NOS 45’s are becoming rare to source. If you don’t mind popping a kilobuck for new 45’s, this would be a good way to go. Then maybe some Monolith iron to continue the spending mood.

Radu Tarta offers a 76>45>300b that looks intriguing, at a higher price point. I like the 3-stage configuration as I don’t use a preamp out of the Horizon dac.

It’s a difficult choice, especially without auditions and I’ve been thinking GM70 or 300B based amps for something to aim for this year and I’ve been looking at both the Aric Super 300B and Radu Tarta 45 drives 300B as possible amps for here as well as the Audio Note kit 300B interstage monos. Radu Tarta also had an earlier 10Y drives 300B as is the similarly spec’d Treehaus Audiolab 300B. There are also the (many) various iterations of Otoman lab 300B amps out there with a range of different drivers running into both 300B and GM70.

Interestingly there’s Radu Tartas 45>300B using 6CJ3 TV dampers as rectifiers as used in Treehaus 300B and Thomas Mayers similar use of TV dampers for rectifiers whereas the Aric Super 300B uses a more traditional 5U4GB (as also in the ANK 300B) and I had wondered how these different approaches in rectification contribute in the overall character of the amps.

It’d be great to get an understanding of the essential traits of the use of interstage trafos, of running with dht into dht in Sakuma style circuits and also going with either 5U4G type rectifiers as different to using tv dampers in terms of the overall character, dynamics and overall nature of sound with these varying concept approaches to design.

 

[Tuckia]

Hi Tao,
These are some broad considerations that possibly extend beyond the Aric Audio scope of this thread. Many of these thoughts are also center stage for me right now as I survey the field.

Most of the consideration is the speaker/amp pairing. Keep in mind that most comments are made within that context as one size does not fit all in this arena.

Myopia has me focused on utilizing the WE300b. Just like the sound of this tube. I liked it as a driver in the Lampi GM70 amp. I like it better as output in the Aric SET. I like that they are still in production. I like that they could go 40k hours. My speakers can live with 8 watts or so, but they can handle far more. Ideally, 30 strong watts could be utilized here.

I like TV diodes in amp power supplies. They are cheap, reliable, plentiful. NOS 5u4g and new production variants are fairly expensive. I can justify their use in my Lampi dac. They really make a difference in tuning. I have found that the rectifier choice has a more benign effect on the sound in amps. The Aric Super 300b utilizes twin 5u4g. I don't relish replacing them when the time comes.

Some may consider the Aric Super 300b as end game. I'm feeling like I should dump another wheel barrow full of cash into the abyss to maximize what I have. Trying to be humorous, it's not always about cost. I bet the Aric amp outperforms some common quality offerings that cost much more. However, if you want the best parts, you do need to pay the price.

Radu (Shiny Eyes Amplifiers) will offer bespoke amp builds with your input, ulitizing his tried and true methods. Typically he favors two-stage, but as mentioned does 3-stage too. He offers a very interesting 10y or 20a driving 300b. He actually favors the 20a using the EML tube. Good luck finding a 100 year old 20a. This will likely need a strong active preamp to drive. Using 5k ohm Monolith iron yields about 6 watts.

Another interesting offering is the Blackbird mono's being developed by Lynn Olson and Don Sachs, build and distribution by Spatial Audio. These are 25 watt 300b push-pull with KT88 driver and 6SN7 input. Inherently balanced. Cinemag interstage transformers (no capacitors in the circuit) and Monolith output iron. No phase splitter. This could pair beautifully with the balanced outs of the Lampi dacs.

Yet another is the EMIA Permalloy 50/300b - 2 watts or 8 watts. It would make a lovely match for my EMIA silver AVC.

Of course Thomas Mayer. Well known. Yee must pay the price.

Any of these will cost at least 3x what the Aric cost.

Among all of these decisions lies the first religious decision - balanced or SE circuits.

Tao, which speakers are you powering?

 

[the sound of Tao]

Hi Tao,
These are some broad considerations that possibly extend beyond the Aric Audio scope of this thread. Many of these thoughts are also center stage for me right now as I survey the field.

Most of the consideration is the speaker/amp pairing. Keep in mind that most comments are made within that context as one size does not fit all in this arena.

Myopia has me focused on utilizing the WE300b. Just like the sound of this tube. I liked it as a driver in the Lampi GM70 amp. I like it better as output in the Aric SET. I like that they are still in production. I like that they could go 40k hours. My speakers can live with 8 watts or so, but they can handle far more. Ideally, 30 strong watts could be utilized here.

I like TV diodes in amp power supplies. They are cheap, reliable, plentiful. NOS 5u4g and new production variants are fairly expensive. I can justify their use in my Lampi dac. They really make a difference in tuning. I have found that the rectifier choice has a more benign effect on the sound in amps. The Aric Super 300b utilizes twin 5u4g. I don't relish replacing them when the time comes.

Some may consider the Aric Super 300b as end game. I'm feeling like I should dump another wheel barrow full of cash into the abyss to maximize what I have. Trying to be humorous, it's not always about cost. I bet the Aric amp outperforms some common quality offerings that cost much more. However, if you want the best parts, you do need to pay the price.

Radu (Shiny Eyes Amplifiers) will offer bespoke amp builds with your input, ulitizing his tried and true methods. Typically he favors two-stage, but as mentioned does 3-stage too. He offers a very interesting 10y or 20a driving 300b. He actually favors the 20a using the EML tube. Good luck finding a 100 year old 20a. This will likely need a strong active preamp to drive. Using 5k ohm Monolith iron yields about 6 watts.

Another interesting offering is the Blackbird mono's being developed by Lynn Olson and Don Sachs, build and distribution by Spatial Audio. These are 25 watt 300b push-pull with KT88 driver and 6SN7 input. Inherently balanced. Cinemag interstage transformers (no capacitors in the circuit) and Monolith output iron. No phase splitter. This could pair beautifully with the balanced outs of the Lampi dacs.

Yet another is the EMIA Permalloy 50/300b - 2 watts or 8 watts. It would make a lovely match for my EMIA silver AVC.

Of course Thomas Mayer. Well known. Yee must pay the price.

Any of these will cost at least 3x what the Aric cost.

Among all of these decisions lies the first religious decision - balanced or SE circuits.

Tao, which speakers are you powering?

Currently I’m using pureaudioproject horn quintets which run (along with new horn OBs I’m back on a mission to be putting together) up in the high 90s for sensitivity and 8 ohms nominal. The least efficient mid woofers I may settle on in the new build may sit them in at a little lower (but still 96+ db).

I think the Aric super 300B or the Radu Tarta 300B could be a good match in terms of output as long as they are maxed out in terms of delivering great bass control as well as bringing through the nuance of the WE300Bs.

The pureaudioproject quintets have 4 x 15 inch woofers per side and I regularly listen with the amp running at barely 1 or 2 watts… the meters on the 48 watt SET here hardly move at all. The new OB will also have 4 x 15 inch woofers per side… I think I’ve talked myself out of going field coil for the woofers and putting the budget saved into an amp upgrade instead.

In some ways I wonder if having gone with NOS and tubes including WE300Bs as well as a range of crossover mods and with all silver upocc cables for ICs and for the hookup wire in the speakers and in the speaker cables plus really good power and isolation for the LM805 (and that it is mostly at around or under a watt of its output) that the amp is playing with criteria that make for it an atypical advantage in circumstances. But I think going up levels on the amp will be what I need to do to get the most out of the new OB horns with a better spec on drivers and especially in the wide ranger horn compression driver that I now have for them.

I’m also like you sold on the WE300B as a driver tube and these made a significant difference as driver tube in the Line Magnetic 805 amp that I have. I hope WE300B as output tube will work just as well. If I don’t find what I need in something like the Aric or something existing I am leaning towards commissioning a WE300B drives WE300B amp (likely with silver wound trafos). Also something with tv damper rectifiers in the power supply that Radu Tarta runs with make sense to go for as long well if they bring the right character to the amp and very much like you I’d rather not be regularly feeding an amp pairs of 5U4GB’s rectifiers if I can really avoid that in the initial spec.

The data points you give on the Aric Super 300B with WE300B as well as Line Magnetic and lampi WE300B driving GM70 and your experiences with Thomas Mayer are bringing a lot of light to the design concept for me thanks Tuckia.

 

[GroovySauce]

Thursday I took delivery of the Aric Audio Custom Transcend Push-Pull amp.

Aric is a great guy and has a lot of passion for his work.

The initial impressions are extraordinary. I only have 24 hours on the amp at this point and it's been changing it's sound during the burnin seasoning process. I'll hold off on discussing the sound until I have 100 or more hours on it.

Aric said the amp would be silent. I've heard that before, especially with 8 15" woofers a little hum is very noticeable. The amp is so quiet I thought something was wrong when I first powered it up. I put my head near one of the woofers and didn't hear anything, I panicked thinking I forgot to hookup the speaker cables. I quickly double checked and everything was hooked up properly. If I put my ear right next to the Voxativ driver I hear the slightest faint tube sputter.

The amount of control the amp has over the woofers is wild. Even when turned up the authority it possesses leaves nothing wanting.

The amp is huge! He told me the dimensions however, it's one thing to look at numbers on a piece of paper and a whole nothing thing to see it in person.

The amp sounds wonderful right now and I'm looking forward to how the amp sounds in a few hundred hours.

 

[Carlsbad]

Any update? Looks like an amazing amp. --Jerry

 

[GroovySauce]

I received the Lampizator TRP a few days after the Transcend. The combination of the TRP and Transcend burning it was a wild ride. The last 5 days everything has more stable and is sounding incredible.

318 hours on the Transcend and 290 hours on the TRP. I’ve done a few over nights on the TRP generally both have been on and off twice a day. On for a few hours in the morning then off, in the evenings on again.

Current tubes Sophia 274b Aqua II, GL KT77 and Linlai 6sn7. TRP: EML 274b and GL KT77.

A few days ago I put the Holo MAY KTE back in the system to give it a final listen before listing it for sale.

I’m still giddy with how good my system is sounding. I’m hesitant to write too much because I’m so thrilled with the combo I don’t want too gush with over the top impressions.

I do have to say, the first week or two I had the TRP and Transcend playing I had a lump in my gut. I don’t know if it was the TRP or the Transcend, it sounded bad. the first 5-6 days I would sit down at night play a few songs and leave the music room. It was bad and I was wondering if I made a mistake. I’m going to point the finger at the TRP burnin because the few days before the TRP arrived it was sounding really good even with only a few dozen hours on the amp.

Around 190-200 hours on the TRP things started to sound good. 225+ it was getting really good.

I mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again. The absolute silence when no music is playing is really spooky. I’m sensitive to hum and I cannot hear anything with my ear inside the 15” woofer.

The dynamic impact is startling. Songs I know well that I’ve been listening to for years still have parts that make me jump with how explosively notes show up out of the void.

Wesseltoft Schwarz - First Track (live from Berlin) | Really gets me every time. Some of the kick drum and piano/synth strikes are so intense.

The illusion of mass in the room is the best I’ve ever experienced.

The holography, 3D, envelopingness and soundstage are the best I’ve ever heard.

I want to say more but I’m still feeling amazing about how my system has evolved in the last few months. I want to cool down before I get into more details.

Over the last 2 weeks I’ve stepped up my daily mediation to around 60 minutes. One thing I experience during and for a long time after a good mediation session an incredible calm and especially my head has a pleasant tingling sensation. A vast amount of calm energy starts flowing.

I mention this because without meditating after 30-45 minutes I’ll start to feel and experience this altered state while listening to music now. I don’t even need to be focusing on relaxing with my eyes close. I can be writing emails or browsing the internet on my laptop.

My brother ordered a Super KT 88 SE (SET) from Aric Audio. Estimated to ship in ~12 weeks. I’m looking forward to listening to Aric’s SET.

 

[Tuckia]

GroovySauce, nice report. Glad to hear the amp and dac are working out for you. Not sure what you are using between the ZENith and TRP, but if you are into 3D sound as I am, the Shunyata Omega digital cables really bring out the best. I’ve used both the spdif and usb. Both are exceptional.

Last year I moved from the EMIA cu AVC to the ag, between my Lampi and Aric amp. It’s a win all around and highly recommend it. The only thing I’ll mention is that the cu is somewhat more full in the bass. The Ag is better defined down low, but more neutral.

Hearing how good my Aric 300b sounds, which is way beyond it’s price point, I am now Motherlode 2 curious. Are you considering this route? Really don’t need the extra gain, but…

 

[Carlsbad]

@Tuckia I'm sure Aric would be glad to build you a pre with your choice of EMIA in it. He is very accomodating. I've never owned any of his stuff but would by now if I didn't have a custom amp being build. I've chatted with him and he is very open to customization.

Jerry

 

[Tuckia]

Jerry, yes that could be an option. I’ve even considered grafting a silver Slagle AVC into my Lampi Horizon. Maybe after more depreciation has set in. But I do also use a SS amp that really needs the additional attenuation that two VC’s provide. With the lower powered 300b I can bypass the Lampi VC and use the EMIA as the only VC, which yields the best sound quality.

With the 300b utilizing 3-gain stages, the first being 6sn7, inserting the Motherload 2 would add another 6sn7 stage. With the Lampi using 6sn7 equivalent output, this would mean three consecutive 6sn7 gain stages. This leaves me somewhat apprehensive about the concept. However, my revolving door of equipment keeps spinning. I’ll learn more in a month or two about alternate paths forward.

Can you share more about your custom build? Did you go with Brandon Wade? Feel free to PM if too far off topic.

 

[GroovySauce]

@Tuckia I'm using the Snake River Audio USB between the ZENith and TRP. I ordered a Ediscreation Reference Silver USB based on another forum members post. Should ship in 2 weeks. My brother has the Omega USB. It was in a different house and setup that I last heard it. I might have him bring it over one of these days.

I have the Cu EMIA and my brother has the Ag EMIA. Surprisingly we have not compared them.

I'm really happy with the EMIA unit. I don't have any desire to change it.

On thing about my TRP, its output is 3.5v vs the standard 2v. The Transcend is 1.35v for full output so the lowest setting on the EMIA is a bit louder than background music levels.

I do wonder what really drives the 3D holographic sound.

 

[Tuckia]

@Tuckia I'm using the Snake River Audio USB between the ZENith and TRP. I ordered a Ediscreation Reference Silver USB based on another forum members post. Should ship in 2 weeks. My brother has the Omega USB. It was in a different house and setup that I last heard it. I might have him bring it over one of these days.

I have the Cu EMIA and my brother has the Ag EMIA. Surprisingly we have not compared them.

I'm really happy with the EMIA unit. I don't have any desire to change it.

On thing about my TRP, its output is 3.5v vs the standard 2v. The Transcend is 1.35v for full output so the lowest setting on the EMIA is a bit louder than background music levels.

I do wonder what really drives the 3D holographic sound.

Maybe you should connect with your brother more often .

I measured the Horizon’s max voltage out at 3.5v as well. Of course this can vary with output tube type. With my Aric amp‘s input sensitivity of 1.5v, I also have trouble getting the sound level low enough without also turning the Horizon down from 63. But overall it is workable.

Regarding 3D sound. Acoustic sounds are naturally 3D. If an electronic sound, the engineer usually creates some space or other effect so it doesn’t sound like cardboard. Point is, 3D sound should be the normative state. If it isn’t, something isn’t working as well as it should. Maybe favorable tube distortions augment the 3D illusion sometimes. But this may be discernible as a sameness coloration. I’ve never heard more 3D as being less of anything else. Holographic sounds like a step in the right direction.