SET amp owners thread

[morricab]

What are some 845s that you have had a good experience with?

New Audio Frontiers was the best 845 based amps I have heard at some length. I haven't heard the switch Aries Cerat made from 813 output tubes, which are amazing, to 845 but I can't imagine them being anything other than excellent.

 

[Atmasphere]

I got my Audion 845 back. The internal ground loop is fixed. There is still some noise. A small amount of buzz/hum with my 96db PAP Trio 15 Coax. Not extreme but heard. I doubt these would work with over 100 db speakers.
The amps have a large lush midrange. Fat and full. The mid bass is good. The whole midrange throws a pleasing organic flow. Violins, guitars and vocals are engaging.

The top end is nothing like my Blade amps (KT88 PP). The Blade has far far superior control, textur and detail on a snare crack and cymbal shimmer. The Blade also has far better speed and definition on bass notes. The Audion has a full fleshy bass. The Blade has a tight detailed bass. You clearly hear fingers on the fret and the wood of the instrument with the Blade. The Audion gives more a body resonance of the bass. More full and liquid. More harmonic overtones. Both are engaging for their own reasons. Being I have to clear my house to prepare for the move I had to pack up one or the other amp. It wasn't that hard to keep the Blade in my rack. Its a far better amp all around. Would I like a little more flesh in the midrange. Yes. But I wouldn't give up the rest to have it.

I did try to biamp the Coax as the crossover can do as such. Complete disaster. Just fell apart on so many levels. Much better with 1 amp feeding the speaker.

The Audion also has to have the Elrog 845. Linlai is not the same air and space. The Audion also loves the Torus RM20. Its a good amp. I will hang onto it for a while. There are times a big fat sound is pleasant. But truthfully, the Audion can go to a new home and I'm not screwing anyone. It would have been a whole lot less money to just give them away after I got burned. But I got to hear them run properly and they are nice. Just not nice enough to last the long haul.

Sounds like the plate load of the Audion is set a bit too low so as to maximize power. If set a bit higher, it would not respond with so much energy as the impedance of the speaker goes up in the bass near resonance. So the Blade is presenting in a more neutral way, owing to its lower output impedance.

 

[Audiolimits]

How have you liked the Belden cables so far. Did you get interconnects, and did you build them yourself or purchase them already made?

Hello, The Belden interconnects sound fantastic with the Destination Audio Gear. I have also tried them with other systems but with not as good of results. Destination Audio chooses to use lesser expensive cables to voice their equipment therefore many high end expensive cables will not sound as good. Sam from Destination custom make a pair of speaker cables for his speakers. This would be the choice of cables for me. They will perform as well as other in the 20K+ range

 

[TST]

Hello,

I would like to get recommendations which 845 tubes would be best to get. Sound quality is the only important factor. I am using a new audio frontiers stereo 845 special edition as amplifier with Psvane 845 we replicas at the moment. The replicas sound very nice, but would like to hear from others if there are better alternatives and what differences they perceive. Hope to get some nice replies from you all!

Thanks!

 

[RichardA]

I have had the best sound on my New Audio Frontier amps with the Psvane ACME 845 tubes

 

[bonzo75]

I have had the best sound on my New Audio Frontier amps with the Psvane ACME 845 tubes

Did you try RCA?

 

[RichardA]

No I cant seem to get my hands on a set of 4 but I'm willing to try

 

[TST]

Hello Richard,

thanks for your reply! Did you test other 845 tubes, like Elrog or maybe the new Linlai? Which tubes do you have experience with?

I was hoping for some more response... I was kind of expecting more people trying different 845 tubes to get the best out of there power amps! If you have some experience, please share!

 

[strapper211]

Hi,

I am a little late to the party,but I use the Lamm ML3s with
the Avalon Saga Signature Speakers.As long as you don't go
crazy on the volume control.I mean it will play plenty loud but if
you want concert levels it is the wrong amp.But within its limits it
is like heaven,would not trade it for any other amp.
Just my 2 cents.

Regards Robert

 

[morricab]

Hi,

I am a little late to the party,but I use the Lamm ML3s with
the Avalon Saga Signature Speakers.As long as you don't go
crazy on the volume control.I mean it will play plenty loud but if
you want concert levels it is the wrong amp.But within its limits it
is like heaven,would not trade it for any other amp.
Just my 2 cents.

Regards Robert

Or you need more sensitive speakers I would guess....

 

[escultor]

Hello Richard,

thanks for your reply! Did you test other 845 tubes, like Elrog or maybe the new Linlai? Which tubes do you have experience with?

I was hoping for some more response... I was kind of expecting more people trying different 845 tubes to get the best out of there power amps! If you have some experience, please share!

Hello, greetings everyone, I have been visiting the site for a while now.
I'm addicted to tube amps, Set especially
Regarding the 845, I have tried and use RCA and GE and some made in China, I prefer the RCA
I have also tried the Elrog, both the normal ones and the TM ones. These last ones are very good
If I had to have only one pair I would stay with them.
Greetings

 

[RichardA]

Hello TST, I have not tried the Elrog or the Linlai global elite. I could never find anyone that would say the Linlai was better than the Psvane ACME.
I could not tell you why I did not try the Elrog 845. Perhaps it was problems of the past when I looked them up on maybe somehow I got the idea they were not compatible with the New Audio Frontiers product. I have never seen then used together. If someone has any other information I welcome it, otherwise I an gonna finish up my part in the tube conversation since this is the set amp thread and tubes have other forums.

 

[bonzo75]

Hello, greetings everyone, I have been visiting the site for a while now.
I'm addicted to tube amps, Set especially
Regarding the 845, I have tried and use RCA and GE and some made in China, I prefer the RCA
I have also tried the Elrog, both the normal ones and the TM ones. These last ones are very good
If I had to have only one pair I would stay with them.
Greetings

Welcome Escultor, great opening post. May I ask what amps, speakers, and analog you are using?

 

[escultor]

Welcome Escultor, great opening post. May I ask what amps, speakers, and analog you are using?

Thanks Bonzo
Well like I say, Im addicted, many amps...a lot of them Set... 71a, 45,10, VT25,VT52,10y,801a, 46,47,50,300b,PX25, PX4, DA30,DA100, RS237, GM70, 212, EL56, F2a, 6c33, Ra120,E406n
211, 845... Etc
I guess you can call me a "collector"... in cases many of a kind
Speakers Tad 2404, Voxatix Pi, JBL DD55000, Avantgarde Duo, JBL L300, Yamaha NSX 10.000
Klipsch Belle , also Altecs 604e EV Lowthers etc
Turntables Yamaha GT2000x, Micro Seike 777air, Denon DP100, Sony TT8000, Garrards, Vpi etc
My main pre Shindo WE RA1474 but I have a few Audio tekne, Kanno, Octave etc

 

[escultor]

What's Best? Soulution, CH Precision, Vitus, or Ayre?

@bonzo75 How would you attribute the excellent tone of the pilium to the two paths you described in the following post (admittedly several years ago)? Is Pilium more full bodied or more clean and transparent (whereby I do not want to claim that a full bodied playing amp could not also be...

www.whatsbestforum.com

the room on the post 77 is one of mine, it was posted by a friend

 

[the sound of Tao]

What's Best? Soulution, CH Precision, Vitus, or Ayre?

@bonzo75 How would you attribute the excellent tone of the pilium to the two paths you described in the following post (admittedly several years ago)? Is Pilium more full bodied or more clean and transparent (whereby I do not want to claim that a full bodied playing amp could not also be...

www.whatsbestforum.com

the room on the post 77 is one of mine, it was posted by a friend

Lovely looking room in that other thread escultor.

 

[escultor]

Lovely looking room in that other thread escultor.

Many thanks Sound of Tao

 

[morricab]

Thanks Bonzo
Well like I say, Im addicted, many amps...a lot of them Set... 71a, 45,10, VT25,VT52,10y,801a, 46,47,50,300b,PX25, PX4, DA30,DA100, RS237, GM70, 212, EL56, F2a, 6c33, Ra120,E406n
211, 845... Etc
I guess you can call me a "collector"... in cases many of a kind
Speakers Tad 2404, Voxatix Pi, JBL DD55000, Avantgarde Duo, JBL L300, Yamaha NSX 10.000
Klipsch Belle , also Altecs 604e EV Lowthers etc
Turntables Yamaha GT2000x, Micro Seike 777air, Denon DP100, Sony TT8000, Garrards, Vpi etc
My main pre Shindo WE RA1474 but I have a few Audio tekne, Kanno, Octave etc

Gorgeous Yamaha GT2000x...does yours have the gunmetal platter? I have a standard GT2000 but with external supply and vacuum holddown.

 

[escultor]

Gorgeous Yamaha GT2000x...does yours have the gunmetal platter? I have a standard GT2000 but with external supply and vacuum holddown.

Hello Morricab, I do have the gunmetal plater and feet but I have not installed yet

 

[Kingrex]

Hello Richard,

thanks for your reply! Did you test other 845 tubes, like Elrog or maybe the new Linlai? Which tubes do you have experience with?

I was hoping for some more response... I was kind of expecting more people trying different 845 tubes to get the best out of there power amps! If you have some experience, please share!

I have a pile of 845 to get rid of. $500 would include a pair of Lin Lai with about 100 hours on them. The rest are all sorts of Shuguang.