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

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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Beverly Hills, CA
I was happy to see finally in person the awesome NAT Magma New SE SET amplifier. As far as I know this amplifier, with an output of 170 watts from one GM-100 tube, is the highest power, single-tube SET amplifier available today.



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morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,391
4,988
978
Switzerland
How did you like the sound in this room? It wasn't perfect but I thought overall it was quite good...quite alive and present. Perhaps a bit thin in the lower voices and occasionally a bit splashy but it was one of the few I could listen to and feel like I am hearing music rather than sonic effects. That NAT tube is just amazing to look at!!
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,443
13,473
2,710
London
How did you like the sound in this room? It wasn't perfect but I thought overall it was quite good...quite alive and present. Perhaps a bit thin in the lower voices and occasionally a bit splashy but it was one of the few I could listen to and feel like I am hearing music rather than sonic effects. That NAT tube is just amazing to look at!!

I preferred more the kronzilla vivid g3 sound on the ground floor. The NAT was the best looking amp imo.
 

shakti

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2015
1,437
2,383
480
Cologne, Germany
I loved the room, as mostly Andrej was the "DJ" and he knows some fancy stuff to play :)
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
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Beverly Hills, CA
I can't help but thinking of an explosion when I see those amps lol

I agree. That is why they are a nonstarter for me.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
How did you like the sound in this room? It wasn't perfect but I thought overall it was quite good...quite alive and present. Perhaps a bit thin in the lower voices and occasionally a bit splashy but it was one of the few I could listen to and feel like I am hearing music rather than sonic effects. That NAT tube is just amazing to look at!!

The rest of the system is unfamiliar to me too, so I did not take time to stay and listen. I think they do look absolutely amazing, and the new metal protective cage is a much better idea than a single front piece of glass.
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,391
4,988
978
Switzerland
The rest of the system is unfamiliar to me too, so I did not take time to stay and listen. I think they do look absolutely amazing, and the new metal protective cage is a much better idea than a single front piece of glass.

Hmm, isn't that the reason to go to Munich, to hear the unfamiliar and be surprised?? For example, there was a tiny booth on the ground floor that had Supravox speakers. I had heard of their drivers and heard them used in Cessaro, Lansche and some others but not their own speakers. Boy was I surprised!! Great sound (with new Line Magnetic 845 amp) and crazy low prices (I thought they missed a zero!!) Total surprise
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
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520
Eastern WA
They look like something you'd get at a baby shower and have to throw away after a yard sale...

But I'd be interested to hear them. They could just be hidden amps. Surprisingly the price of the tubes isn't horrifying.
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
The rest of the system is unfamiliar to me too, so I did not take time to stay and listen. I think they do look absolutely amazing, and the new metal protective cage is a much better idea than a single front piece of glass.

Unprotected GM100 amplifier from Electronluv - probably in the development stage. I looked at the GM100 specs - 306 watt just for heating the filament! I will never refer again to the 833 tube 100W filament power as excessive! :)
 

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spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Francisco, probably my desert island power amp, already being a Nat aficionado.
I suspect I’ll have a pair one day, maybe when I’m upgrading my system in Hades LOL.
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
Taiko, kudos for risking taking photos from above the Magma
1- the heat coming off them could easily have vaporised you
2- had they decided to blow at that point...
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
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.
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,391
4,988
978
Switzerland
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.

What did Ken do to cause the explosion or was it simply not true?
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
According to reliable reports, the amp and tubes were delivered in perfect working order.
In order for the amp to be moved from test bench to demo room, the tubes have to be removed.
It was during this procedure that the tube was critically damaged, and so the tube blowing went from “if” to “when”.
And so it came to pass, re the “incident”, and this being more remembered than a wholly positive review.
Had the tube been carefully removed and reinstalled, this would not have happened.
 

morricab

Well-Known Member
Apr 25, 2014
9,391
4,988
978
Switzerland
According to reliable reports, the amp and tubes were delivered in perfect working order.
In order for the amp to be moved from test bench to demo room, the tubes have to be removed.
It was during this procedure that the tube was critically damaged, and so the tube blowing went from “if” to “when”.
And so it came to pass, re the “incident”, and this being more remembered than a wholly positive review.
Had the tube been carefully removed and reinstalled, this would not have happened.

Sounds more like it was put in incorrectly and the wrong voltages went to the wrong places...
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,605
5,413
1,278
E. England
That’s all I know. That review certainly has never helped Nat, w potential customers, including myself, saying “but I’ve heard they’re unreliable...”
 

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