Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 4, 2010 Posted September 4, 2010 I have been trying out a lot of different amplifiers to see what will drive my speakers best. Some I am pretty sure I want to sell, some may be keepers, but in the end I will only likely keep a couple of them. I have decided that KT88/6550 valve amps are not quite right with the speakers, so I have the following amp for sale: - Audio Research VT60 with new set of valves incl Amperex Bugle Boy 6922, very recently tuned up by Clarry Schollum. Owes me over $2k but can let go for less than that. Big and ballsy yet sweet textures and tones - very musically engaging and does everything pretty well to very well. It also seems to be unfussy about speakers. I am only letting this one go because of the stellar (and more expensive) competition (see below) that it has been up against. Expressions of interest also taken on the following - around $3.5k for either of these. I don't own these two but they were lent to me by gentlemen that did so on the chance of a sale so I decided to list them here too. - VAC PA60c, 3 chassis stereo amp, also recently tuned up by Clarry with new tubes installed - an absolute classic, beautifully made, able to be switched easily between triode and ultralinear, but again the KT88 sound isn't quite right with my speakers. - KR Antares VA340. I really like this one - very smooth with power and detail. I find it almost perfect for me but have a nagging doubt that it slightly lacks dynamics in my setup, and so I will probably not be keeping this one. This one is the power amp only version of the 340 integrated, which means it is more or less identical to the VA320 except in the more appealing 340 layout, and that it comes with the more musical and seductive 300BXLS tubes. Also comes with a second pair of 300BXLS tubes. Given how long these tubes last, whoever buys this amp will not have to be changing valves for a very long time. Others that might come up are: - Bakoon Satri SCA-7511 MK2. At the top of the heap in my home system, so far, on balance, so may be a keeper, but if I let it go it would be at around $3k. This is an integrated or a power amp, depending on how you want to use it. The very best treble of any amp I have heard, if you want it accurate, detailed, utterly clean and extended, without any tinkly emphasis. - Mapletree Super Stealth. Somewhat surprisingly, once valved with the very hard to find Bendix power tubes and some lovely Marconis, and a couple of other tweaks inside, these have been the best sounding of the lot, but their 8w output is sadly too low when you feel like turning the wick up on my 90dB 8 ohm speakers. Also the best bass of the bunch. These are probably worth around $1300 the pair with the standard valves, but I have some great tubes to go with these, including some 1950s RCA power tubes that are referred to as the 'Creme de la Creme' - referring to the creamy textures. But the Bendix are, in my view, better. - Burmester 036 - Wow, amazing amp, similar to the KR above in some ways but more open and more dynamic. More like $6.5k for these. Cost USD11k new in the US. - Gryphon Callisto 2100 - This is an integrated I probably won't sell. Worth around $4.5k I would say. With remote. - Nelson Pass First Watt J2 - check this out on the internet - there are many reasons to want one of these. Jfets are arguably the best amplifying device ever, certainly the best solid state device, and in this amp are used as power output devices in zero negative feedback and single ended mode, by the best designer at doing such things. This is another likely keeper. While I haven't made up my mind, the lounge is getting a little cluttered with all this gear so the right offer on the right amp might elicit a sale, so if anything takes your fancy, drop me a line. Otherwise I will firm up what is definitely for sale in a couple more weeks. The first 3 on the list are definitely available now.
kaka Posted September 4, 2010 Posted September 4, 2010 Looking at the Bakoon site they only show one amp now - the successor to your one. No sign of a replacement for the higher output model they used to offer.
eRaS1553552749 Posted September 4, 2010 Posted September 4, 2010 The 'classic' webpage should list their other models - which I understand, continue to be updated. The styling of the newer model is more to my tastes though. I wonder how their DAC sounds.
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 4, 2010 Author Posted September 4, 2010 I think the only one Peter will be bringing in now will be $15k ish and have higher power. For me the Bakoon has never clipped on 90dB speakers, whereas some 20w valve amps have. I agree on the looks front eRaS. It is a good thing they are small. Small and ugly is so much better than big and ugly. Trying a range of amps has taught me the Bakoon is incredibly accurate from the lower mids up to the top treble, except for a phenomenon audio writers call being 'brightly lit from within' - which means there is a broad range emphasis in the upper mids. It isn't peaky and in first listen it sounds just right, but over time you begin to realise it is there. For me the bass is excellent too compared with other amps tried, but that isn't so an all speakers as the Bakoon doesn't have a huge damping factor. So far its foibles are less than any other - except perhaps the little Mapletrees with the good valves in them - they are just brilliant - maybe I should be buying more efficient speakers instead of mucking about with amps...
eRaS1553552749 Posted September 4, 2010 Posted September 4, 2010 If I had more efficient speakers I would definitely revisit the Bakoon amplifiers. They were beautiful to listen to. I wonder why (more) speakers aren't more efficiently designed.
Owen Y Posted September 5, 2010 Posted September 5, 2010 eRaS;132336 wrote: I wonder why (more) speakers aren't more efficiently designed. Many factors...historically, the transistor was invented, allowing copious watts from a small, efficient package. And... also later due to the pursuit by designers of technically 'perfect' lspkr specs...multi-driver lspkrs, heavy cone materials, complex xovers, etc. Now, with the advent of multi-channel HT, lspkrs seem to be becoming more sensitive again.
Owen Y Posted September 5, 2010 Posted September 5, 2010 Apologies for the digression... Back on topic plse
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 5, 2010 Author Posted September 5, 2010 The Mapletrees have gone, as has the KR, and I will be lending the VT60 for a member to try. Forgot to mention that the VT60 has NOS GE 6550A power tubes and NOS Amperex Bugle Boy 6922 signal tubes.
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 5, 2010 Author Posted September 5, 2010 Just realised that the NOS tubes in the VT60 cost over $1k on their own so I probably have the price a little low - oh well, a bargain for someone. VAC PA60c and Bakoon still available.
gortnipper Posted September 6, 2010 Posted September 6, 2010 Is that Bakoon the same one Peter had at his place? If so, I thought it was a very sweet sounding rig. I was not as impressed with the KR amp, however.
ilikecrumpets Posted September 6, 2010 Posted September 6, 2010 gortnipper;132424 wrote: Is that Bakoon the same one Peter had at his place? If so, I thought it was a very sweet sounding rig. I was not as impressed with the KR amp, however. When I visited Peter he had the Bakoon running with a Modwright Transporter feeding into a pair of Coincident Pure Victory loudspeakers. Boy this rig sounded good!
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 6, 2010 Author Posted September 6, 2010 gortnipper;132424 wrote: Is that Bakoon the same one Peter had at his place? If so, I thought it was a very sweet sounding rig. I was not as impressed with the KR amp, however. Possibly - but there was a slightly dearer version with stepped attenuator and a couple of other differences that he might have been using. The KR can sound good, but like all amps of this calibre, it depends on what speakers you put them on. For example, if I set up my speakers for the Bakoon and then put on the KR it sounds odd, with a gauze-like colouration over it and lacking in dynamics. But if I move the speakers a foot closer together and a foot forward, the KR sounds great and the Bakoon a little tipped up. The Bakoon is pretty special though, and has always had plenty of power for me.
gortnipper Posted September 6, 2010 Posted September 6, 2010 Antipodes;132430 wrote: For example, if I set up my speakers for the Bakoon and then put on the KR it sounds odd, with a gauze-like colouration over it and lacking in dynamics. But if I move the speakers a foot closer together and a foot forward, the KR sounds great and the Bakoon a little tipped up. The Bakoon is pretty special though, and has always had plenty of power for me. That is how the KR sounded for me - slow and soft, no matter how I tried to move my 604s around. Granted, I have a slightly problematic room and WAF, which limited things somewhat. The Bakoon amp is one of the few SS amps that tempts me.
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 7, 2010 Author Posted September 7, 2010 VAC has probably gone now too. I will part with either the Bakoon or the First Watt J2, but haven't decided which one of those two to keep yet. A member has put first dibs on auditioning the Bakoon, but that will have to wait till I have finished mine.
johnnyC1553552718 Posted September 9, 2010 Posted September 9, 2010 Antipodes;132472 wrote: VAC has probably gone now too. I will part with either the Bakoon or the First Watt J2, but haven't decided which one of those two to keep yet. A member has put first dibs on auditioning the Bakoon, but that will have to wait till I have finished mine. Be interested in your thoughts on the First Watt J2. Have considered one but not sure about the relationship with my Dyn C1's (4 ohms / 86dB), which quite like the umph of the Perreaux 350. 350w AB vs 24w class A into 4 ohms ?
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 9, 2010 Author Posted September 9, 2010 gortnipper;132450 wrote: That is how the KR sounded for me - slow and soft, no matter how I tried to move my 604s around. Granted, I have a slightly problematic room and WAF, which limited things somewhat. The Bakoon amp is one of the few SS amps that tempts me. For me, the KR sounded that way for the first 3 days and then it would sharpen up and get more dynamic, and by the fifth day it was extremely impressive - but I suspect it just goes well with the speakers. But it really is important to have them powered up continuously - they can be in standby - for several days before the softness and compression goes away.
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 9, 2010 Author Posted September 9, 2010 johnnyC;132616 wrote: Be interested in your thoughts on the First Watt J2. Have considered one but not sure about the relationship with my Dyn C1's (4 ohms / 86dB), which quite like the umph of the Perreaux 350. 350w AB vs 24w class A into 4 ohms ? The J2 is not suitable for 4 ohm speakers and certainly not for 86dB. I found the Bakoon to be enough for some 4 ohm 86dB speakers, but only just.
Antipodes1553552706 Posted September 14, 2010 Author Posted September 14, 2010 Audio Research VT60 is still available, and the VAC PA60c might still be. Both of these amps are beautifully made and in fine condition.
Recommended Posts