vvega Posted March 18, 2006 Posted March 18, 2006 i though due to there eff of like 105-107 db SET tube amps were the requirement ?? from mu understanding at the low powers required to power the drivers teh higher powered trasisters/solid state amps tend to have high distortion at very low outputs atice crosovers woudl allow for eazy tuning as its just a turn of a knob rather than a chang in coil or cap size sorry if this seams like rambling owen just tring to get things factual rather than speculative v
Owen Y Posted March 18, 2006 Author Posted March 18, 2006 Most "realities" in audio are probably more relative than factual & I can only offer up from my own (modest) experience... If I was powering horns with SS I would use low power SS, such as Linsley-Hood's 10W design, or Nelson Pass Zen or First Watt (www.firstwatt.com), or 47 Labs/Gaincard. Incidentally, Nelson has an article on the above site which offers an explanation of why Single-Driver spkr systems have synergy with SE tube amps. The thing that interests me most about active/electronic xovers is the potential to equalise for in-room responses, something a conventional spkr designer is mostly unable/unwilling to do. Cheers, Owen
Guest Guest Posted March 18, 2006 Posted March 18, 2006 I have taken the WAVAC SH 833 amplifier off Trade Me because of the very rude comments I was receiving. The WAVAC SH 833 is very expensive I know and beyond 99% of us ever owning, but it is also a art form when you see one of the WAVAC amplifiers in the flesh, in my opinion as much as any other art form painting, sculpture etc plus you have the bonus of being able to play music with them which is art in itself. Thanks Jason. :confused:
Michael Jones Posted March 18, 2006 Posted March 18, 2006 Originally posted by Jason-Parmenter I have taken the WAVAC SH 833 amplifier off Trade Me because of the very rude comments I was receiving. 1448 page views - very impressive!
vvega Posted March 18, 2006 Posted March 18, 2006 i wounldnt be to concered about it. The world is full of losers tring to make them selves feel better by belittling people with no brainer comments trade me seams to bring out them all out i guess its the ambiguity of the internet breeds it just my thoughts v
vvega Posted March 18, 2006 Posted March 18, 2006 this is basically the system your saying ?? Attached files
Guest Guest Posted March 19, 2006 Posted March 19, 2006 Yes that would work for me. I have a picture of the Avantgardes playing to 400 people. Thanks Jason. Attached files
Puunda Posted March 19, 2006 Posted March 19, 2006 I've read the Stereophile review about a year ago when I found out there was such an expensive amp. Although the reviewer loved them, and couldn't find enough words to describe how brilliant they were, and could ALMOST justify the cost. When it came to measurements (as Stereophile does), the editor (who was taking the measurments) said he simply could not understand what the reviewer was raving on about.
craig f Posted March 19, 2006 Posted March 19, 2006 Originally posted by Puunda . . . Although the reviewer loved them . . . When it came to measurements . . . he simply could not understand what the reviewer was raving on about. Just goes to show that measurements aren't worth much in the end. Cheers, Craig.
camdyman Posted March 19, 2006 Posted March 19, 2006 ...Or that the only meaure that impresses people is price
Owen Y Posted March 20, 2006 Author Posted March 20, 2006 What impresses ME most about WAVAC is that their amp designs embody the ideas of Nobu Shishido, who was a big contributor in the 70s to the awakening Western audiophiles to the sound of SE Triode amplification. He published in DIY magazines such as Glass Audio, MJ & won Stereo Sound awards. His main innovations were probably the use of industrial Transmitting Triodes (eg. 805, 833 tubes) and his patented Inverted Interstage Transformer (IIT) coupling concept. Shishido died in 1998. Shame about the prices. Cheers, Owen
Puunda Posted March 20, 2006 Posted March 20, 2006 Originally posted by Craig F Just goes to show that measurements aren't worth much in the end. Cheers, Craig. Or it may goes to show that listening test aren't worth that much in the end ... that people simply don't listen with their ears, and are blinded by the price, brand, and bling factor.
craig f Posted March 20, 2006 Posted March 20, 2006 Originally posted by Puunda Or it may goes to show that listening test aren't worth that much in the end ... that people simply don't listen with their ears, and are blinded by the price, brand, and bling factor. I'm willing to bet that neither you or I have heard the amp in question. It may well be as good as MF said, or it may sound as bad as JA measured. Regardless, I'm yet to see measurements that tell me how an amp is going to sound or more to the point, if I'm going to like it in my system set up in my room. MF isn't afraid to call a dog a dog, as shown in the current Stereophool, and I doubt that he's seduced greatly by the sticker price either. Each to their own. I know I won't ever be owning one but it'd certainly be interesting to have an open minded listen. By the way, being blinded by the price, brand, and bling factor works both ways as a lot of people simply get the shits with anything expensive before they listen to it, "knowing" that it can't be worth that much. Cheers, Craig.
Guest Guest Posted March 20, 2006 Posted March 20, 2006 I have lived with the Kondo Audio Note Gaku On amplifiers for 5 months, the WAVAC Ver 1.3 833 amplifiers for only 3 days (wish it had been longer) and the WAVAC EC 300 B amplifier for 6 months now. I have also owned the Marantz T1 project mono blocks which were stunning and one of the best amplifiers I have ever had the pleasure of playing music through. The WAVAC amplifiers sound very uncoloured, music just flows from them, not a really warm sounding amplifier like some tube amplifiers but incredibly fast in responce on music transients, also revealing of inner detail that no solid state amplifier that I have heard has come close to. Best Solid state amplifier I have listened to was the Halcro playing through Sonus Faber Stadivari speakers. Really looking forward to Lamm ML 2.1 as I have not heard these yet. Thanks Jason. Attached files
Owen Y Posted March 20, 2006 Author Posted March 20, 2006 Interesting to hear about the Marantz T1, Jason.... The Marantz shares some design philosophy with the Wavacs I think (I don't recall the Wavac ccts excactly), in that they are both Transformer-Coupled designs. The Marantz is particularly interesting & retro... you can see from the pic, 2 x 845 Triode output tubes, they are Push-Pull configured, driven by 2 x 300Bs, with another 2 x 300Bs as input tubes! The amp is entirely Xfmr-Coupled from input through to output. That's 3 Interstage Xfmrs + Output Xfmr per channel !! (That's why the chassis is so bulky, it's full of iron.) So much for the contention that transformers are one of the (sonic) drawbacks of tube amps :cool: Cheers, Owen
Owen Y Posted March 20, 2006 Author Posted March 20, 2006 Actually, I see only 4 x 300Bs in total & I presume this IS the Marantz, stereo chassis? I wait to be corrected Owen
Guest Guest Posted March 20, 2006 Posted March 20, 2006 Hi Owen Yes the Marantz T1`s were transformer coupled from Input to output, Input, Inter-stage, driver and output transformers all used. The head engineer Mr Kosaku Ueno from Marantz was give a open book to build his ultimate amplifier as his reward for his services to Marantz over the years. 65 KG per mono block, not one to lift by yourself more than once!!! Two 845`s are used as power rectifier on the output stage and two 845 for the output power, a 5U4G rectifing primary and driver stage, 50 watts class A triode maximum 75 watts. Incredible sound 3D soundstage you could walk into even driving B&W 802 matrix 3 effortlessly. This amplifier provides power what feels like 150 to 225 watts of a solid state design. Great to dry out any condensation you might have in your room so you can tell your partner (WAF) you are actually multi tasking not just sitting down listening to music. But seriously a incredible amplifier and still rated as the best amplifiers ever made by Ken Kessler. Thanks Jason.
Owen Y Posted March 20, 2006 Author Posted March 20, 2006 Folks, This amp is interesting, cos,... Even though most tube audiophiles are in love with Single Ended Triodes (me too), this amp is Push-Pull Triodes... but done properly, as Push Pull amps used to be made, using Xfmers to do the job of Phase-Splitter. This is theoretically much more accurate than modern tube Phase-Splitters. The circuit has balanced symmetry from input to output. P-P also gives more power output. Back in the real world, the only amps I can think of that are Xfmer coupled Push-Pull triode, are Sun Audio. eg. Euro2600/pr, for 15watts 2A3PP in Kit form, see: http://www.audio-cube.nl/sunaudio.htm Cheers, Owen
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