Ianus Essentia, TriodeFet amplifiers are out

Phantom-Audio

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So the Essentia is more like an OTL Sound?

Whilst the other Concero SET Amps are more like Tube injected Sound?
 

Legolas

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Well it certainly acts like a big bottle SET as regards beautiful mids and sweet detailed treble. Soundstage and separation of instruments is 100% SET like as well. IMO in my tests with the Essentia we have in our demo system, the current drive / bass control is possibly better than the best tube power amplifiers. I am not sure of the level of 'tube injected sound' as you state. If you mean friendly third harmonic, I don't notice any of that getting in the way of the music. What I do hear is pure, clean and fast - really transparent sonics, with zero fatigue and the best solid state sound I have ever heard. I can in a blind test imagine a big tube amplifier is in the system, and indeed the 2 tubes in each monoblock can be seen through the top plates, along with the front facing digital meters for the tube bias and current.

So in summary, the Ianus Essentias quite possibly have found the holly grail of pure big bottle SET amplification with non of the challenges as regards bass control and bass details / speed.

If you want more, let me know. As you can probably tell, I am rather over the moon with the Essentias!
 
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Phantom-Audio

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Well it certainly acts like a big bottle SET as regards beautiful mids and sweet detailed treble. Soundstage and separation of instruments is 100% SET like as well. IMO in my tests with the Essentia we have in our demo system, the current drive / bass control is possibly better than the best tube power amplifiers. I am not sure of the level of 'tube injected sound' as you state. If you mean friendly third harmonic, I don't notice any of that getting in the way of the music. What I do hear is pure, clean and fast - really transparent sonics, with zero fatigue and the best solid state sound I have ever heard. I can in a blind test imagine a big tube amplifier is in the system, and indeed the 2 tubes in each monoblock can be seen through the top plates, along with the front facing digital meters for the tube bias and current.

So in summary, the Ianus Essentias quite possibly have found the holly grail of pure big bottle SET amplification with non of the challenges as regards bass control and bass details / speed.

If you want more, let me know. As you can probably tell, I am rather over the moon with the Essentias!
Yes, I what i meant well some SET (Tube Dependable) Such as the 300B tend to have a very Euphoric Midrange some people perceive this as Natural sound though i usually find it as Artificial warmth being injected into the audio spectrum, third harmonics is pleasing to the ear but there are shortfalls in other aspects such as control, dynamics speed and transparency.

Which SET Tubes would you consider this sounds closest to? DHT Tubes all have their own sonic signature.
 
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Legolas

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If I was forced to say which tubes the Essentias are closest to, it would have to be the 813 tube, which we use in the Concero Monoblocks.

Yes I agree with you, 300B has a nice warmth and midrange centric signature, even the best amps using that tube IMO. It is not a bad thing if that is what the owner wants. I prefer to have a linear, fast and well controlled amplifier, that has a sweet and detailed treble with zero harshness or fatigue, nothing that can remind me I am not listing to live music. That is my idea of an idea amplifier. Until recently, that was IMO the world of big bottle SET amplifers. NO MORE....
 
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Phantom-Audio

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If I was forced to say which tubes the Essentias are closest to, it would have to be the 813 tube, which we use in the Concero Monoblocks.

Yes I agree with you, 300B has a nice warmth and midrange centric signature, even the best amps using that tube IMO. It is not a bad thing if that is what the owner wants. I prefer to have a linear, fast and well controlled amplifier, that has a sweet and detailed treble with zero harshness or fatigue, nothing that can remind me I am not listing to live music. That is my idea of an idea amplifier. Until recently, that was IMO the world of big bottle SET amplifers. NO MORE....
I like 300b tubes but i find them boring over a longer period of ownership. Whilst they are sweet and musical not all genre of music works well with it. This also depends on the amplifier designer as i have heard some 300bs to be transparent and others not so much. they do excel in the midrange and that's the only reason why i liked them but not enough to own any.
 

bonzo75

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Yes, I what i meant well some SET (Tube Dependable) Such as the 300B tend to have a very Euphoric Midrange some people perceive this as Natural sound though i usually find it as Artificial warmth being injected into the audio spectrum, third harmonics is pleasing to the ear but there are shortfalls in other aspects such as control, dynamics speed and transparency.

Which SET Tubes would you consider this sounds closest to? DHT Tubes all have their own sonic signature.

While 300b could often be euphonic, it usually is so because instead of using it in 5 to 10 watt, amps usually stress it for more wattage. At 5 to 10 watts it can give very good linearity and more bass than many small tubes.
 
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Legolas

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If an amplifier has to do it's job 100% of the time, it should not be music type restricted or excel in one area, and struggle in another. That to me makes no sense.
I have to say here, I really feel I am missing nothing with these Essentias. Pure Class A SET magic and using a Triode fet stage, this is a different path, quite unique. I also can avoid the tube rolling rabbit hole, though I appreciate some like to do that. Having said that, the 280F and 281 tubes in each monoblock can be interchanged by equivalent types. AND you can change the bias and current as well. This subtly alters the sonic footprint, and allows system tuning to taste. The Essentia also has a feedback circuit with 5 setting, and a TVC input level adjust for high or normal gain preamplifiers. Both these features can be bypassed as well. I am using direct input, and no feedback.

 
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morricab

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I like 300b tubes but i find them boring over a longer period of ownership. Whilst they are sweet and musical not all genre of music works well with it. This also depends on the amplifier designer as i have heard some 300bs to be transparent and others not so much. they do excel in the midrange and that's the only reason why i liked them but not enough to own any.
I use 300B (6 watts) monos to drive my horn mid/tweeter (110db/watt). Not euphonic but crystal clear when providing probably just a few milliwatts. Probably would have some bass distortion issues (trafo saturation) into a full range speaker but for a restricted range they are excellent.
 

Phantom-Audio

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I use 300B (6 watts) monos to drive my horn mid/tweeter (110db/watt). Not euphonic but crystal clear when providing probably just a few milliwatts. Probably would have some bass distortion issues (trafo saturation) into a full range speaker but for a restricted range they are excellent.
When it comes to driving a full-range speaker the smaller amps run out of steam. if its applied to the horns only this is usually never an issue.
 

Legolas

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When it comes to driving a full-range speaker the smaller amps run out of steam. if its applied to the horns only this is usually never an issue.
That is one of the reasons Aries Cerat major on big bottle output tubes such as the 813. You just don't get the level of control and dynamics with the smaller tubes. Yes in a hyper efficient horn system it helps, but efficient bass horns are rare and huge, mostly DIY. Having said that is can be done, as in the 1930's lessons learnt in cinemas using flee powered tube amplifiers proves.

I favour SETs, as that to me seems to communicate with me, connect me to the music. Of course higher powered SET amplifiers need higher voltage tubes, so there is the answer. 300B is very nice, but if you want to go large, you have to go with the big boy 813, 211, 845 etc.
 
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Phantom-Audio

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That is one of the reasons Aries Cerat major on big bottle output tubes such as the 813. You just don't get the level of control and dynamics with the smaller tubes. Yes in a hyper efficient horn system it helps, but efficient bass horns are rare and huge, mostly DIY. Having said that is can be done, as in the 1930's lessons learnt in cinemas using flee powered tube amplifiers proves.

I favour SETs, as that to me seems to communicate with me, connect me to the music. Of course higher powered SET amplifiers need higher voltage tubes, so there is the answer. 300B is very nice, but if you want to go large, you have to go with the big boy 813, 211, 845 etc.
Ever heard the 212?

I owned the 212 LM Amps for a few months. The 212 are being used by a few different manufacturers.
 

Legolas

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Quite possibly, at Munich hi-end. The tube is one subject, the output transformers another, and the power supply. It all can get costly and grow in both size and weight to do it right. Sadly there are a lot of compact and 'domestically friendly' designs out there. The focus of any amplifier design IMO needs to major on the sonics, then factor in size, weight, cost of parts. It is really the only way to get top level sound IMO. And therein lies the problem....
 

morricab

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Ever heard the 212?

I owned the 212 LM Amps for a few months. The 212 are being used by a few different manufacturers.
GM70 amps can be very nice sounding as well... never heard the LM 212 amp though...
 

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