First Watt SIT-4 unbelievable!!!

[sensitivemonk]

Thank you. I have a Shindo Monbrison that sounds nice with triode amps

 

[Semiquavergarydesmondschu]

Thank you. I have a Shindo Monbrison that sounds nice with triode amps

Hi All

My first post on the WB Forum.

I have just purchased a First Watt SIT 4 to replace my Melody Dark Star 300B-1 monoblocks. My experience sounds similar to silverfoxvtx1880.
I have used valve (tube) amplification for over 40 years. I started with a home built 60W (4 x EL34) pair of monoblocks which lasted very well for nearly 37 years (new valves occasionally, of course).

I then purchased a pair of Cube Audio Nenuphar Mini V1 three years ago and I thought it was about time to have a change in amplification. I was contemplating buying the First Watt SIT 3 but decided to stay in the valve (tube) world and, of course, a low powered, triode mode amp was the obvious choice.

I chose the Melody based on hifi website reviews and was initially satisfied with its performance with an improvement over the EL34 amps into the Nenuphars. After about four weeks, I started to hear an intermittent "crackling" sound from one channel. I sent the faulty amp back to the retailer (in another state) and had a total sh*t fight with the courier company. They "lost it" for over four weeks!

The retailer wanted me to upgrade to a more powerful Melody amp (+ $1,000) rather than getting mine repaired. I suspected a transformer problem and I also suspect spare parts supply was the problem. I told them I wanted my amp repaired. Eventually I got it back, and I started tube rolling (+$2,000) with some expensive NOS tubes. Sound improved significantly over the stock tubes.

Last week, I turned it on and one of the amps started to hum loudly. I turned it off within seconds and noticed that the Mullard ($$$) inverter tube was dead. The aluminium cover over the power transformer was hot and the air filled with the smell of burnt insulation. Fortunately, the speaker was not damaged. I am not sure if I would have been that lucky if it had been the output transformer. The moral of the story - don't buy amplifiers with inferior transformer/s.

Anyway, that is the bad news out of the way.

I had my iPad on Radio Paradise Mellow Mix playing through my Auralic Aries G2 and Vega G2 DAC when I first turned on the power to the SIT 4. Suddenly, Neil Young was (almost) in my listening room !! Cold amp with virtually (short testing at First watt) no run in time. By the way, the passive volume control in the Vega G2 works perfectly with the First Watt SIT 4.

I have been playing tracks/albums that I am extremely familiar with and it is a revelation. Surprisingly, older albums (e.g. The Beatles 'Abbey Road') sounds totally different = better. More detailed, NO much more detailed but the biggest difference is the soundstage improvement. I can now clearly hear the effects of the recording room. On the track "Good Morning Little School Girl" on Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" (TP4 Music version) I can clearly hear the ambience of the recording studio on this track.

If you are a subscriber to Qobuz (or even have the album), have a listen to the track '0191' on the album Third Page:Resonance by Sun-Mi Hong. One reviewer described the SIT 4 as an "immersive" experience. After listening to that track, I totally agree with him.

When I bought the First Watt SIT 4, I was just hoping for the reliability that comes with solid state that you do not get with glass and filaments. I was even prepared to take a slight dip in audio quality for the trade off, BUT NO !! I am getting both in spades. I am assuming, of course, that Nelson Pass has selected the best components to withstand the heat generated by 10 watts of class A amplification. I did read the entire Users Manual and I have plenty of natural ventilation to help with heat dissipation.

Sorry for the long posting !!

Semiquaver

 

[Ron Resnick]

Welcome to WBF, Semiquaver!