Supreme amplification = 2A3 tubes + Tango transformers
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- Опубліковано 30 тра 2024
- Tube amplification is capable of delivering a sound reproduction exploding with emotions, air, details and engagement BUT you need the right components to unleash that...here are a few of the best!
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Altec 19 video: • ALTEC 19 speakers: Mas...
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#2a3 #takatsuki #tubeamp
Your enthusiasm for this tube and transformer rectifier amp jumps out of the screen - nice to see
It is wonderfull to see like minded person appreciating tubes. I have a beautifull system but I learned very quickly that majority of sound quality comes from room/listening space signature. I wonder where do you listen to your misic. My system has 4 separate beutifull gloss mahagony wooden enclosures (toroidal Txs and yes point wiring):
* PRE-AMP: 4 x EC45PI-E + 2 x ECC83S
* 2CH AMP: 4 x ECC82
* LEFT CH POWER AMP: 4 x PX 300B + 1 x ECC82
* RIGHT CH POWER AMP: 4 x PX 300B + 1 x ECC82
2 SPEAKERS each: 15" Nirvana single driver full range driver inside mahagony cabinets 600mm W x 600mm W x 1500mm H with 3 ports at the bottom
Very nice! Here is a fairly recent room tour even though the Mc30 are only resting on the speakers, now, with this 2A3 video it is clear why: ua-cam.com/video/YyOLKomyC78/v-deo.htmlsi=2ZZtc8vkPmAaOIFz
Great review Guido! I understand totally your passion for low power tube amps. I am myself into 45 tubes and I just can't find anything better so far. The "sweetness, the air, etc." Just wow! So I am glad that you will be exploring new high sensitivity speakers avenues, because that's where it becomes hard to find good and affordable 100db+ speakers. I am presently using a pair of original 1960's Altecs A5. If you can get past their unbelievable huge sizes, they are quite amazing! Cheer's and keep on the good work!
Awesome stuff, Guido! Great history lesson of ISO TANGO transformers. High quality transformers absolutely make a huge difference. A lot of tube amps today just sound like solid state, so just buy a SS amp if that’s the sound you’re looking for.
The design with no feedback also makes a big difference. Never heard of that company, but they obviously care about putting out a top notch amplifier. Beautiful gut shot with nice parts. Those carbon resistors have a certain sound that often works well with tube amplification. Thank you, Guido. Great stuff as usual 👍🎶😊
According to what I could find, Sanei Musen (三栄無線) was a store in Tokyo Akihabara that was pretty famous for their amp kits and pre-built amps.
Interesting!!! 🙏 Thanks!
I have been buying Sunvalley (Japan) Point-to-Point wiring gear and the latest purchase is Sunvalley SV-S1645 - 45 Tube Amp with Hashimoto H20-7U.
5 watts? Maybe with a KR, any normal 2A3 will get you to 3.5 watts. Great video Guido. Made a couple of these about 20 years ago. Very special stuff.
The best hifi I ever ever heard is a Matsui music centre from the 80s. It will blow your melon.
I love seeing others discover the virtues of a great 2A3 amp! I've been building and modifying DHT SET amps for a few years now, nothing can touch them for pure and natural sound. Most 2A3 would only output 3-4 watts, but yours is actually interstage coupled and can push a little more power, likely dipping into A2 operation when push hard. Those input transformers are wired in between the preamp and 2A3 if you look closely. You might try looking for early RCA or Ken-rad 5U4G, they have suspended filaments and contribute to excellent sound.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing that!
I love to see I am not alone!
I have a Pioneer VSX-D1S as my receiver, and I replaced the stock speaker connectors with visually identical connectors on yours so that I can use banana plugs. It's one of those small details that elevates the system.
thank you Guido for all yours good advices.thanks buddy!
Brilliant video as usual & nice amp!!!
I am not surprised this is much better than the MC 30's good job!!! Enjoy!
Nice work Guido. Congratulations on a wonderful find.👍🎧🙂
KR Audio 2A3 are among the best produced today (Czech Republic).
I first heard SET amps probably twenty years ago, specifically purchased higher sensitivity speakers so I could used 845 tubes. Continued to use 845 amps for well over fifteen years, and then came upon some Klipschorns about seven years ago, modded them over the years such that only stock item left is bass cabinets. Anyway, soon after purchasing the Khorns decided 300B's may be even a better match so purchased custom built 300B monoblocks based on Audio Note Ongaku designs, these use hand wound silver litz wired transformers. These easily bested my 845 amps, more refinement, transparency, resolving, natural timbre. I've long contemplated trying a 2A3 amp with the Khorns to see what they bring to the table, your video has reinspired me to search out a good one. Previously used Wright Sound 2A3 monoblocks with Omega loudspeakers in a bedroom system, those 2A3 had this 'lit within' quality in the midrange I've not heard in any other SET amp, curious to see if that quality would transfer to the Khorns.
SET linestages also integrate just wonderfully with SET amps, currently using 101B's in my Coincident pre, recently experimented with Pass XP22, didn't cut the mustard.
Thanks for sharing that. Really love to test a pair of Khorns! Silver litz transformers must be amazing. Looking forward to explore that too. Bravo! I had the XP22 too but did not convinced me. In my room, way too bright.
Hi Guido. The ECC83 By Telefunken would be a nice try, too. Friend of mine( Electrotechnician) said they are usually the gold standard for HIFI -Tube- 21:33 Devices.
Great video! I love my 2A3 amp. I recommend Elrog 5U4G. I haven't tried the one you have, but if you get the urge to explore you can't go wrong with the Elrog.
Another cool vid! off topic but i gotta say after some work by my friend from Japan i recieved yesterday 2 of the 3 discs from 3 Blind Mice and awsome! So thank you so much for the heads up on some awsome stuff!Black Orpheus indeed.
I am looking forward to starting my own tube amp journey soon with a Dynaco clone. From the research I have done, the input tube is the most important component in shaping the sound of the amp, then the transformer and then the output tubes. So much to try with the rolling .... but the rolling takes time. The tubes have to break in to reach their potential.
Beautiful video
Esoteric and alchemical
Magic! 😅🌞❤️
I own and use an Opera Consonance cyber 10 signature which uses 4 x 2A3 power tubes in push pull. Approx 12wpc . It goes too loud if I want into my Cain &Cain Abbeys (95 db)
The sound is very natural
Sounds like a beautiful system you’ve got there. I used to have Quicksilver mid mono monoblocks that had 4 EL34’s in PP as well, which put out close to 40 wpc. Just didn’t need that kinda power to run my 95dB sensitivity speakers a# well. I always biased the tubes as low as possible without making them sound anemic.
2A3’s have a certain kind of magic to them, and again, your rig sounds amazing. 🔊✌️🎶
Great video again Guido 👌 Compared to the MC30 I guess, this is predominantely due to the difference between SET and PP (and between Triode and Pentode) 🔉🎵🎶
I made my own tube amp, and Tangos are awesome!
Bravo!
Those levels are very useful for gain matching with your pre-amp and speakers. For example with 100+ dB sensitivity speakers you can dial down the input sensitivity so that your pre-amp in the middle of its volume range. With my Altec 604 I can’t really use them with an 12W 6V6 push-pull Shindo Apetite because the volume is so low unless I can drop down the source voltage to 0.6V. In the future I will most likely have to use this amp with the less sensitive Altec Flamenco. Shindo used to have the level controls on his amps as well. Congrats on the nice amp.
Exactly!
Nice! Have you tried a McIntosh MC225?
I love the sound of mine.
And another question - what step up/down transformer do you like?
Step up/down are coming up in a new vid!
Tubes are cool, like your videos. I'm thinking a Cryo bundle from Walthen for my Decware Rachael intergrated.
I have wrote it in the past and I am saying it again now.... Best UA-cam channel for analog audio.... I have pre-order from decware the model sarah with the 300b tubes... I already have a pair of zu audio dw6 in the Supreme edition speakers and I am saving for the t+a 200 DAC.... Hope to. Find great dsd files to test them when the Amp arrives.... Again.... Great work my friend... Keep up the the good work. Greetings from greece.
Thank you so much!😊 The Sara is on my radar! Let us know how it sounds along with a few details of your system.
I may do something better...it comes with a flight case u know and Italy is just 2 hours away by flight.... But it still has 2 years more to get ready... Who knows...!!!@@anadialog
Fun!
You’ve just entered a new rabbit hole.. One of the newest YT channels I have found is Giacomo Pagani’s channel.. He has an impressive curated system.. With Tamura/Tamradio iron this time (most likely originating from “Concorde” in Japan, just to give a hint..)
I knew Giacomo before the channel. He has impressive stuff, Loth-X Ministrel which I was very close to buy from him and the Sakuma gear, a dream!
First input capacitor for 5r4 is 4uf
Hi Guido.........Welcome to the club ! ..................FINALY !
Quality OPT's must go with the quality of the design , the components, ......and the tubes .
Tubes on this level must be exclusively or nos or something build like those Japanese 2A3's.
NO worth to use to use those and those Tango OPT's in a regular design.......it's only spoiling tubes and those components , like trowing pearls for the pigs ......
ECC801s Telefunken ..............;beats any other 12AT7..........( expensive isn't it ! )
Some other very good ECC81 tubes........( tip) .........The ECC81 nos made by VALVO
The very special quality M6182/cv4024 .............build like tank , almost on pair with the Telefunken..........( speciam M series from Mullard ) ..Beware there are copies not worth to buy ( pay attention because they look quite similar, look at the engraving at the lower side of the bulb )
Regular Mullard ECC81 ...I never liked them .........as you experienced also.
The holy grail .............hahaha .............single plate 2A3 ..............good luck to find real unused nos !
I have only one and it's a FIVRE......the usual design of a 2A3 is a double triode inside the bottle .
In fact it is based on a double 45 triode in one tube..........some 2A3 ( the 2A3W-reinforced industril type ) is build with two separated 45 triodes in the tube.
Real nos/nib become very rare and quite expensive............I compared with current production , even the expensive mesh plates from EML........well in the end you go back to what older tubes can sound because of finer tonal shadings, emotions, natural texture of the harmonics etc ...a pair of EML cost near to 1000 euro today , better spent it otherwise on real stuff ..
Ha this will not be the end of your story ...............;one day you will discover the magic and the fine virtues of the 45/245/345............especialy the ballonn shapes , you will need a handkerchief hahaha.
Besides this ............;when you need power the Mac will still be one of a kind.........
The best transformers I ever heard were super permalloy ( Japanese also)
At that time they costed almost 5000 $ , imagine today , if one can still find them...
Anyway a new musical world and the connection from music to the soul ........is opend for you and to share ;
Kind regards
Thanks for sharing that…actually, I am already in the 45 globe mesh heaven…stay tuned! ;-)
nice! your amplifiers must fear gas attacks 😅
If you want to do some amp searching find yourself some old Marantz 8B tube amps. Even better if you can find some that got the Sid Smith mods...Magic! I don't know which years or models but I believe there was a time period when the transformers were all wound BY HAND! Those are the gems to get. I have a pair of SS Mod Marantz 8Bs driving the electrostatic panels of my Martin Logans and the sound is beautiful.
Thanks! That is actually on my list, thanks for the specific model recommendation!
Great video as always! Are you exploring the possibility of a tube DAC?
Thanks! Nor for now…
Ciao Guido,
You should check out TEKTRON tube amps made in Sicily. I’m actually driving my Horns with an even smaller output “45” triode tube. Pure magic addictive sound! Small output triodes combined with high efficiency speakers is also my preferred recipe for that seductive sound just providing goose bumps from emotions while listening to music which becomes a journey in time and space back into the original recording session, meeting the artists in your listening room!
Thanks yes, Tektron does seem over priced but maybe one day…I also am exploring in these days a 45 amp which is very nice but unfortunately the 2w are not enough for the ALTECs unless I use strong signal like digital sources.
Hi,
As I understand, tube(s) give(s) a pleasing sound and the quality of transformer gives the best possible or worst without never giving a specifically pleasing sound.
In other words, a good tube will give you a pleasing sound without (much, at least) degrading the sound, a bad tube will still give you a pleasing sound but will also degrade it. As for the transformer, a good transformer will give you the best sound possible that the signal chain can give, nothing more, nothing less and a bad (poor quality) transformer will most likely loose highs and a really bad one might also loose basses and (why not) also mids.
Another thing to consider concerning the tubes is that an amplifier is design to work with some type of tube, not any specific brand, but some unique specifications, if a tube has all the same specification then the one originally used with the amplification, then it will complete its work as intended, if not, it will change the sound in an manner that is impossible to predict, it's not a question of quality of the tube, because it is not the tube itself that change the sound but how it disturbs the signal chain that is intended to work with the specifications of a certain tube.
This part of that video explains it very well: ua-cam.com/video/XtrW3-d3V1E/v-deo.html (it talks about guitar amplification, but, of course, the same applies on Hi-Fi amplification).
So, the best is to try some quality tube(s) with the same specification(s) then the original one(s), you might also experiment with other tubes, but as the result is unpredictable, you might loose money before finding some tube(s) that, bye chance, has good results.
Bye.
Holy moly! A lot of misconceptions here.
1 - transformers have a huge part in the sound, that is why they are putting them everywhere now in mic preamps and other pro gear to give more warmth to this digital world. Yes, clearly we are going away from neutrality but I like color so that is why I go after great transformers. In fact, those who want pure tube sound must go OTL OCL.
2 - absolutely NOT true. Quality tubes, meaning components, design and quality of the material make a world of difference. That is why Telwfunken and Millard tubes are so sought after and cost so much, they sound much better and last much longer. You just jelled the concept of tube rolling. Please experiment because I am afraid you are reproposing others narratives like the guitar amp video (another world from HIfi) and mainly focused on push-pull.
I never told that the tube quality didn't change anything, on the contrary, but, I told that different types of tubes (tubes with different specifications on voltage and so on) create instability in this complex machinery that is an amplifier. I didn't look the specifications of the tube that you tried, maybe they all share the same specification and maybe that is different from the guitar amplifier that have a bunch of very different tubes, but the principle that I explain is still true.
Guitar or Hi-Fi amplifiers share lots of things, certainly a lot more that you seem to think, of course some things are different, like the ability to distort purposely the signal for a guitar amplifier, and certainly lots of details, but the main principles are the same.
Try the Linlai, preamp tubes, the 12ax7 blew away the Goldlion at half the price.
Thanks!
I had boxes of 2a3,s and lots of other tubes popular for single ended amps 1930 to 1950,s brand new still in the box lots of ken rad tubes lost them in a stupid trade in my younger days probably for high wattage amplifier
custom made top for the kuzma ?
Yup, on my design 😎
"Potatos smasher" rectifier...
What speakers are you using?
ALTEC 19
You seem to dislike transformerless amplifiers and preamps. Have you listened to linear tube audio? Out of Maryland in the United States? I have their separates in their outstanding. If you haven’t listened to them, I would suggest you test them.😊
No, I actually listened to amazing OTL but I like coloration, in particular I like the sound of quality transformers…but I also love tubes. I haven’t listened to linear tube audio, taking notes!
Try and drop you a video of my system
4k.... I walked away.
Whats her Name?
Solo a vedere i trafi mi viene male....
No, attenzione Guido. Le 2A3, monoplacca o no, non sono assolutamente corrispondenti delle 300A o 300B. Hanno caratteristiche differenti, compresa la dissipazione anodica, sensibilmente inferiore rispetto alle 300B. Non sono quindi intercambiabili!!!
Grazie ma non ho detto che sono intercambiabili. Ho detto che ci sono amplificatori che ospitano entrambe le valvole perché hanno degli accorgimenti interni che lo permettono. Come questo ad esempio: www.ebay.it/itm/125760389072 oppure questo getaudio.eu/en/elekit-tu-8900-300b-2a3-se-power-amplifier-diy-kit/
Ah, ok. Mi era sfuggita la parte "esistono degli amplificatori...". Temevo che potessero partire faville e fulmini dall'ampli. Tutto ok allora. Sembra effettivamente un gran bel prodotto. Anche se forse 5 watt da un single ended con le 2A3 è un filo ottimistico (immagino almeno con una THD al 3% ad 1 Khz)
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Good riddance.