Keep us updated on your amp trials, I am interested in amps in the 20wpc range too
Hello.
Thanks for your interest,
For now, I had a few amps and preamps rolling V.S my own set up.
Some of them not quite in the league I had in mind, but to audition low watt tube amps, not to mentioned SET/PSET or their kind in Israel, in not many word -not easy-. To say the least.
I had my set up amps and preamp for a long time now, it is a custom, high-grade top of the line parts (Tamura, Tango, Mundorf, Tantlum, Wbt. Yamamoto etc.) designed and constructed by the most brilliant person I know in our community. He design and build the most outstanding tube amps I know… and a small group of friends did get him to build for them some of the unique sounding amps around. The problem is, it is expensive! Very expensive for a "no name" (almost zero Commercial ability worldwide, only the PPL who know who he is will put their money on them) the other problem is the time consuming for the process.
So, I thought maybe before I had in to his house and start a new build, maybe check some other commercial amps around and see what work better and what not.. or less so.
When I was waiting for my speakers to arrive, I was afraid maybe my PP kt120 – 120w will be more than the Universe mk4 can handle, but I guess my worries gone when I press Play for the first time they played. My amps play wonderfully clear and with authority and sound density. The Universum are very delicate sounding but can convey any recording or pressing with the outmost clarity that I heard.
However, mu curiosity got over me and I cannot resist rolling some amps to find out if I missing something magical. I have always read about the most engaging dynamics ang magical sound between SET and horns and now, I have the chance to listen to that magic (allegedly).
I had two SETs amps for now to audition in my system since the Universum arrive.
But some more equipment arrived and enter my entire system.
The first one I could here is the Yamamoto 300B SET with their own preamp. I had some misconception it might will be to Low watt for the Uni, but I had a great time to listen to them in my system. The power amp was controlling every aspect of the sound. It was a bit less dynamics from my own set-up but not something I couldn’t live with.
The highs were with more trail and sweetness and a bit more holographic. The bass even though it were a bit looser, it got deeper and with more texture than anything else.
However, there were one problem that we heard in that session- the mid bass around 300-400hz was a bit massy and pressing on our ears. i discovered later Relying on another audition I had with the new Luxman kt88 with the same problem that its coming from negative feedback on. The Unis might be sensitive to this In conjunction with my room and acoustics)
After the Yamamoto experience, I was asked by a friend of mine which is an audio dealer locally if I want to hear some great 845 amps that he have in demo. So,
The second SET I had the "pleasure" to bring to session is actually a PSET – the Absolare 845 signature. The word Pleasure is in quotes because we couldn’t hear it after all, the balance connection that I need to use (my own pre amp is balance only) with them were not working properly. We figured it might not materialized in his demo units…(a very strange thing in my book, but it’s the dealer point to make with the manufacture, not mine).
We could bring up the Absolare pre amp, but I was not in the mood for it, and thought it make this whole deal not relevant for me anymore. So I send it and him back home without any clue how they play.
In between I had the opportunity to listen with shindo lab pre amp instead of mine, the Luxman kt88 class A amp instead of mine (connected direct from my dac as he have a gain control) the Manley stingray I had from a previous system I used to have.. and some others.
So for now, no combination were good and stable enough to "beat" my own setup but more to come. I spoke to the person who build my setup and asked him if he got any other already build amps I can audition, and he say yes, so I will get in the near future some of his work to try and listen if the magic is there in single ended… with my new horns.
