Nat Audio - giant killers?

[SVS]

WHat brand is your SE-833? Is it a WAVAC?

These amplifiers are made for several bands.

AUDIO LOT СHALLENGE SE-833MX Ламповий однотактний звуковий підсилювач

AUDIO LOT СHALLENGE SE-833MX Ламповий однотактний звуковий підсилювач

audiolot.com.ua

 

[SVS]

Class A se 80w per chanel, now they new one with GU-88 I believe with 100w per channel.

Analog 833A is GU48.
In general, the sound of powerful SE amplifiers is jaw-dropping with its monumentality. But it passes quickly. Some remain with this monumentality, others move on.

 

[Zappadaddy]

I think I will create now thread about Horning so we will not poison this one here about NAT.

 

[morricab]

I think I will create now thread about Horning so we will not poison this one here about NAT.

Maybe Spirit would like to know about options for replacing his Zu speakers?

 

[Zappadaddy]

Here is a new tread about Hornings vs Tannoy Westminster Roayal and NAT Magnetic. It should be interesting reading since I am very honist how the comparasion really is without favoriting one another eventhough my heart is with Tannoy for many years. . https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/horning-agalme-hybrid.37726/

 

[Golum]

Any recent purchases for the NAT Magma Ms?

Check @Thundersnow thread about Magmas

 

[spiritofmusic]

Have been putting in some thought to next set of 211 tubes, two years into my current quad, a third lot of 40s GEs.
Complicated both by my amps not being self biasing (I'd rather an engineer who knows what he's doing takes the risk with 1000V potentials), and the fact that there are no free trials or money back on tube purchases that don't work out sonically.
From £2k for AN 4242 and Psvane Acme, to £3.5k for Mayer Elrog 211, to £6k for Mayer Elrog 4242, to £8k for NOS Amperex and £8-14k for NOS Telefunken RS237s, this is a HELL of a crapshoot to get wrong.
Especially because I genuinely can't fault the SQ of my GEs.
So, as I scour the web to get any reliable data points, I find an interesting comment on Steve Hoffman Forums.
Someone has a Kondo Ongaku, known to be voiced around the GE 211, sounds great with them.
He also has an AN Jinpro, voiced around the AN 4242s, again sounds great.
But switch the tubes between these amps, and SQ suffers...in both.
And despite me not being able to prove it (Nat amps have so little about their engineering online, the company doesn't respond to questions), I'm sure my dealer said my SE2SEs are voiced around the GEs, and it would be a crapshoot to go beyond them, even for tubes that ostensibly are sonically superior, the Mayer Elrog 4242s, Amperex and Teles.
Better the devil you know makes sense, but wishful thinking in the high end can be the death of you...may be the reason I put to bed any fantasies of moving past GEs to "better" 211s.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Sure, I've bought stuff sound unheard with little/no chance of refund, but was a lot more sure that things would work well...my Zu Definitions 4 changed from the 2, different stylus on Straingauge system, the Stacore isolation platform for my TT, major mods packages to CDP, amps, Zu high pass filter, TT plinth and motor.
I guess in all these situations, I could easily work out where my "current" situation could easily be bettered, and why the "proposed" solution/upgrade/mod should work as advertised.
A major change of tubes that would set me back anywhere from £2.5k to over £10-15k, feels like a different, much riskier proposition.