Audio Valve Baldur 300+

[vizcal]

Any one that has heard Audio Valve Baldur 300+ Mono block and Audio Vale conductor Pre Amp? I would appreciate members thoughts.

 

[213Cobra]

I have. Separately and together. Both have a clean, objective, bursty sound. Not the most tone-density you can possibly get but transparent, revealing, fast, agile. Medium power triode p-p amp using 6as7. It sounds more objective than most triode amplifiers; less romantic but still toneful and musical. Excellent power supply. Not the quietest amps you can buy (sn -84dbm). Well built, great auto operation. Seriously engineered. As a linestage the Conductor is less distinctive sonically than alternatives, IMO, but it does nothing to detract from the good qualities of the Baldur. What does distinguish the Conductor is it is capable of being very energetic. It has a power supply bigger than many amps.

I've never had personal time with the combination, so these are impressions. I did hear Baldur 300 in my own systems several years ago and what I've heard in alien setups was not contradictory. You have to need or want that level of triode power. If you have sufficient speaker efficiency to do with less, I like simpler. While the Baldur certainly minimizes what I'm about to point out, some of the slight haze you hear in massed-output-tube amps creeps in.

Phil

 

[vizcal]

Thanks Phil. I presently have the Audio Valve Eklipse pre amp which replaced Unison research unnico pre. Very happy with the SQ. I also have the Auris Audio Forte 150 Mono Block powering Sopra N3 speakers. Recently I got the Linn Akurate DSM network player. Wow!! that changed the listening experience. Was listening details never heard before.
I was looking into getting the Baludr 300+ , I do not have the opportunity to listen to one in my area. What did you exactly mean by less romantic? Warmth? I agree with you , it is seriously engineered .

 

[213Cobra]

If you like the Eklipse you will love the Conductor. The Baldur has no "warmth" to it, so it will not smooth over a harsh or hard recording. It's not euphonically enhanced by seducing colorations. And it lacks some of the tone density of the best, most objective SET amps. But is has none of the pentode/tetrode hash of more convention tube amps in its power class.

Phil

 

[XV-1]

If they are anything like the Sunilda phono stage they are neutral, devoid of any type of musicality.