Munich High-End 2018 Ron Report: NAT Magma New SE

[Taiko Audio]

Surely this fear of the Magma GM100 tubes blowing (joking aside) is an urban legend?
The infamous Ken Kessler exploding Transmitters tube episode was an entirely self-inflicted problem, indeed Nat were pretty pi$$ed off as to how this unreasonably reflected on them.

Afaik NAT had some QC issues around the time they became really populair. This seemed limited to DOA or not fully correctly functioning units which needed to be returned. That alongside of lengthy delivery times gave them a bit of a bad rep in these parts of the world. Seems to be fully resolved now though, they continuously seem to improve both looks as build quality aswell. Attached photo is of a recently delivered transmitter.

 

[morricab]

Afaik NAT had some QC issues around the time they became really populair. This seemed limited to DOA or not fully correctly functioning units which needed to be returned. That alongside of lengthy delivery times gave them a bit of a bad rep in these parts of the world. Seems to be fully resolved now though, they continuously seem to improve both looks as build quality aswell. Attached photo is of a recently delivered transmitter.

View attachment 41076

Blast shield??

 

[microstrip]

Afaik NAT had some QC issues around the time they became really populair. This seemed limited to DOA or not fully correctly functioning units which needed to be returned. That alongside of lengthy delivery times gave them a bit of a bad rep in these parts of the world. Seems to be fully resolved now though, they continuously seem to improve both looks as build quality aswell. Attached photo is of a recently delivered transmitter. (...)

It would be great if they could show pictures of the inside of more recent units showing the circuits and built quality - the existing pictures of perhaps older units immediately drove me away sometime ago.

 

[andromedaaudio]

One of the nicest dealers in Holland WenWaudio always said that,
His tubeloving expirienced clients ended either up with CAT OR NAT in the end.

 

[bonzo75]

One of the nicest dealers in Holland WenWaudio always said that,
His tubeloving expirienced clients ended either up with CAT OR NAT in the end.

Do you mean Nico fox?

 

[andromedaaudio]

No Karel wind , super relaxed great also for trading in stuff
https://www.wenwaudio.nl/

 

[andromedaaudio]

Another dealer around here, which i try to persuade to give my speakers a go , says on ceramic speakers Cat is hard to beat
Vitus for solid state, he also agrees Cat power Amps are a bit noisy. Monos even more.
May be it would be An Idea for CAT to pot them.
Besides the mentioned he likes Jadis Octave Conrad johnson.
Jadis PA 100 he says is really quit.
Could be the balanced version they make SE too.
Could be that in general a se design is noisier , thats what i Read here and there

 

[Taiko Audio]

Do you mean Nico fox?

He used to be the distributor for The Netherlands but is now retired. The dealer is w&w audio indeed. Delivery times are still quite long though.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Another dealer around here, which i try to persuade to give my speakers a go , says on ceramic speakers Cat is hard to beat
Vitus for solid state, he also agrees Cat power Amps are a bit noisy. Monos even more.
May be it would be An Idea for CAT to pot them.
Besides the mentioned he likes Jadis Octave Conrad johnson.
Jadis PA 100 he says is really quit.
Could be the balanced version they make SE too.
Could be that in general a se design is noisier , thats what i Read here and there

If I’m not mistaken, Bernd Bold has had custom transformers made for CAT amps which were fitted by Ken, much quieter on 50Hz.

 

[Taiko Audio]

Blast shield??

Could be!!

 

[bonzo75]

He used to be the distributor for The Netherlands but is now retired. The dealer is w&w audio indeed. Delivery times are still quite long though.

Yes Nico helped establish the brand in the market and converted cat, lamm, and VTL users from what I understand. He himself owned the Siegfried before moving to Nat. I have been to his place.

 

[bonzo75]

I can't make out from W&W's site what else he stocks? What speakers does he use the Nats on?

 

[andromedaaudio]

Oh okay i didn't know that.
Only downside of W en W i think he could definetively improve the listeningroom acoustically at least when i was there quit some time ago

 

[andromedaaudio]

I dont know, i think his speaker gear changes quit often y 'd better call him.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Yes Nico helped establish the brand in the market and converted cat, lamm, and VTL users from what I understand. He himself owned the Siegfried before moving to Nat. I have been to his place.

Is NAT. a religion?
Lol

 

[bonzo75]

Is NAT. a religion?
Lol

For Marc.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Yep, I bow at the Nat altar every day. And am rewarded with rare musical insight.
A new guy here who is a seriously big player with a system and lp collection to die for has just signed up to the Nat cause, and it’s one of the few, if only, alternatives he likes to his seriously optimised regular tube amps.
By all accounts the high current of the Magmas drives his horns superbly well, providing a really intoxicating sound. Maybe not quite as delicate and subtle as his usual 46 tubes amps, but an exciting alternative perspective.
I don’t want to identify him since he’s a very private individual, he can chime in if he wants.
But for me, his approval of Magmas further reinforces the good feeling I have in choosing and sticking with the brand.

 

[Tango]

Yep, I bow at the Nat altar every day.

You will get even better sound if you light up three incenses as part of the ritual.

Tang

 

[bonzo75]

Yep, I bow at the Nat altar every day. And am rewarded with rare musical insight.
A new guy here who is a seriously big player with a system and lp collection to die for has just signed up to the Nat cause, and it’s one of the few, if only, alternatives he likes to his seriously optimised regular tube amps.
By all accounts the high current of the Magmas drives his horns superbly well, providing a really intoxicating sound. Maybe not quite as delicate and subtle as his usual 46 tubes amps, but an exciting alternative perspective.
I don’t want to identify him since he’s a very private individual, he can chime in if he wants.
But for me, his approval of Magmas further reinforces the good feeling I have in choosing and sticking with the brand.

This is kind of like saying I don't want to give the individual away, but over the past 6 years he posted religiously about his Vic transfi linear tracker and TT, started the biggest grounding box thread inn the history of all forums, and has recently been on about an isolation platform. You might as well name someone if you are describing in such detail

 

[analogsa]

Heard the GM100 a few years back. Sound was horrendous and there was an overwhelming ozone smell, as those were apparently pushed at extreme B+ voltages. In comparison the NAT Magma looked and sounded almost domesticated, yet nowhere near as good as top quality DHTs are capable of sounding.