Absolare SET versus Kondo Kagura

[Ron Resnick]

Who has compared directly in a familiar system these two conceptually similar parallel single-ended amplifiers (the Absolare SET using 845s and the Kondo Kagura using 211s)?

What are your impressions of each of these amplifiers?

 

[bonzo75]

Who has compared directly in a familiar system these two conceptually similar parallel single-ended amplifiers (the Absolare SET using 845s and the Kondo Kagura using 211s)?

What are your impressions of each of these amplifiers?

i have compared that Absolare and the ongaku on the Diesis, but a Kondo compare ime works with the Kondo chain. So as Howie mentioned, he didn’t like his ongaku stand-alone, without the preamp. So the compare you are asking about won’t be fair unless a high level Kondo pre is used, preferably with the phono, and then using NOS 211s.

the Kondo systems I have liked have been full chain.

 

[bonzo75]

A proper compare exercise for this will require a techie to help you roll the valves as they need biasing, and real exotica for the 211 (that said, if you prefer the 211 with stock it is case closed, but if you don’t case is still open). You will have to check how RCA 845 and others work with Absolare.

plus you will need Kondo preamp at a minimum if not phono. Then you will get a proper compare. Doubt you will be about to swing that exercise

 

[Audiocrack]

Kedar is right: no auto biassing with the Kagura’s while the various (Kondo) stock tubes hold this amplifier seriously back. However, if you are able to listen to rightly biased Kagura amps with good tubes and a good Kondo preamp you will be rewarded with a very powerful and pure / non mechanical single ended sound. Not sure though if you need nos 211 tubes for this; the real good ones are incredible hard to find. Maybe currently made 211 valves such as the Elrog 211’s might do the job, but I have no experience with the latter. And if you want the Kagura’s to sound lightning fast, ground them.

So they need some ‘love’ but used rightly the Kagura’s are imo one of the most impressive sounding amps I have encountered in my audio journey (and I heard a lot of power amps in my life). I do not know though how they compare to the absolare 845 amps.

 

[Ron Resnick]

A proper compare exercise for this will require a techie to help you roll the valves as they need biasing, and real exotica for the 211 (that said, if you prefer the 211 with stock it is case closed, but if you don’t case is still open). You will have to check how RCA 845 and others work with Absolare.

plus you will need Kondo preamp at a minimum if not phono. Then you will get a proper compare. Doubt you will be about to swing that exercise

Thank you. I can understand suboptimal, but I cannot understand why this comparison would be "unfair."

Perhaps the Kondo amp sounds optimal with its matching preamp. Perhaps the Absolare SET alao sounds optimal with its matching preamp.

But there's nothing "unfair" about comparing one amplifier with another amplifier without their respective matching preamps.

 

[Ron Resnick]

A proper compare exercise for this will require a techie to help you roll the valves as they need biasing, and real exotica for the 211 (that said, if you prefer the 211 with stock it is case closed, but if you don’t case is still open). You will have to check how RCA 845 and others work with Absolare.

plus you will need Kondo preamp at a minimum if not phono. Then you will get a proper compare. Doubt you will be about to swing that exercise

This is your dogmatic comparison philosophy. Tube swapping is hardly "required" for a comparison.

An alternative and equally valid philosophy is to use the stock components provided by the manufacturer. I don't want to relitigate these philosophies here.

 

[microstrip]

(...) But there's nothing "unfair" about comparing one amplifier with another amplifier without their respective matching preamps.

Yes, nothing is unfair in this hobby, except omission of full details of the comparing experiences.

But IMO unless you properly choose the preamplfier for each amplifier you are mostly testing for subjective compability between preamplfier and amplifier, learning very little about the amplifiers.

 

[Ron Resnick]

I do not know though how they compare to the absolare 845 amps.

Thank you. But then why reply to a specific comparison question like the one I asked?

 

[microstrip]

(...) An alternative and equally valid philosophy is to use the stock components provided by the manufacturer. (...)

An wise decision, IMO.

 

[bonzo75]

This is your dogmatic comparison philosophy. Tube swapping is hardly "required" for a comparison.

An alternative and equally valid philosophy is to use the stock components provided by the manufacturer. I don't want to relitigate these philosophies here.

I would disagree, I would never make a call on a component unless I hear it in its optimized fashion. Listening with stock valves is purely academic. Any valve amp, or a dac like Lampi that can be rolled, or a phono, should be mentioned with associated valves. A TT with its ideal arm cart combinations, or with ideal isolation. Would you want someone to audition Brinkmann only with the Brinkmann arm and the Brinkmann cartridge.

You are the one being dogmatic, I have a cat.

Would you compare two carts only on one tonearm, or will you compare them on their ideally suitable respective tonearms. You could do it on the same tonearm as well, but you would have to do them on their ideal compatible arms

Kondo amp sounds better with Kondo pre

I do not know if absolare does or does not. I do know that Kondo does not sound as good.

In my previous experience I would have chosen the Absolare, but not the Diesis. After listening to Chris’ Kondo Diesis set up, I would wholeheartedly rate it as a brilliant set up and for someone with the money advise that whole set up, Kondo and Diesis included, instead of the Absolare.