Wanted: Joule Electra VZN-220 Rites of Passage

[Ron Resnick]

I am looking to buy a pair of Joule Electra VZN-220 Rites of Passage amplifiers.

Please let me if you have a pair for sale or if you know of a pair for sale.

Thank you.

 

[Sablon Audio]

Ron, I believe they only made about a dozen sets of these however these guys might be able to unearth a pair for you -

http://sigsound.com/classic-product-info/joule-electra-info-page/

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you very much!

 

[DaveyF]

Ron I'm not sure if you have heard the Rites of Passage, and in what size room. When I heard them, I was struck by how they are able to throw a huge soundstage and are tremendous in their top end resolution, but what also struck me was this....
They are major heat engines! I would think that unless you have a giant room and/or are willing to run AC all of the time while they are playing, that your room will be an oven in no short time.

 

[Ron Resnick]

The VTLs already generate a lot of heat, so more heat is not going to be a big deal.

Where did you hear the VZN-220s?

 

[DaveyF]

The VTLs already generate a lot of heat, so more heat is not going to be a big deal.

Where did you hear the VZN-220s?

Couple of years ago at an audio meeting. One of the members was using them. Not sure if he still owns them or not??
Great sounding amp, but something that generates that much heat would be a no no for me. Have you heard them?

 

[Ron Resnick]

I have not heard them but I found a dealer who used to carry both Atma-Sphere and later Joule Electra.

I am on the trail in hot pursuit!

 

[Argonaut]

Does this variant of the Circletron not utilize a degree of Negative Feedback ? Some will, particularly where higher power output is required, conversely MA-2 and MA-3 do not as far as I am aware.

 

[ddk]

I am looking to buy a pair of Joule Electra VZN-220 Rites of Passage amplifiers.

Please let me if you have a pair for sale or if you know of a pair for sale.

Thank you.

A very close friend had a pair I doubt they can drive your speakers Ron they were struggling with his B&W 802s, wattage doesn't mean driving ability and do you really want an amplifier with that many tubes in it without any service backup?

david

 

[KeithR]

Ron - I would reach out to the guy in NY who sold Merlin & Joule. Rich Brkich iirc

I heard them at CES years ago - for only 5 minutes as the heat drove me from the room Always liked Joule sound.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Yes, it has adjustable local feedback to better match the output to the impedance of the speakers.

Thank you. Keith. I spoke to Rich today.

David, Rich is the leading technician for Joule Electra in the country. He is the go-to technician for these products.

 

[morricab]

The VTLs already generate a lot of heat, so more heat is not going to be a big deal.

Where did you hear the VZN-220s?

Hi Ron,
I know I mentioned these to you in another thread but I tell you honestly you have never felt heat from amps like amps with a bunch of 6c33C tubes!

I had the very excellent sound Silvaweld OTL reference monoblocks many years ago and they had "only"4 x 6C33Cs per channel. I had to get rid of them because after a couple hours of running they had my room a good 10 degrees hotter! I was having to listen in my underwear!

The Rites of Passage will put out heat like you never thought possible from an amplifier. I doubt the VTLs even come close despite the much higher power rating. It is not even that the Rites will run so much lower bias it is the damn heater on these tubes that draws a few amps...per tube. I have never felt a tube run so hot before or since.

Recently, I had a pair of Wall Audio M50 monoblocks that have 2 x 6C33C per channel as PSET making about 35 watts per mono. They also ran ruinously hot. Now the Ayon Crossfire, which makes almost the same power but runs much cooler because the heater filaments don't draw this ridiculous amount of power.

Not saying you shouldn't check them out but I am saying that you have not been prepared for that kind of heat before. It will be dissipation of over 1000 watts per monoblock.

 

[audio.bill]

Hi Ron,
I know I mentioned these to you in another thread but I tell you honestly you have never felt heat from amps like amps with a bunch of 6c33C tubes!

I had the very excellent sound Silvaweld OTL reference monoblocks many years ago and they had "only"4 x 6C33Cs per channel. I had to get rid of them because after a couple hours of running they had my room a good 10 degrees hotter! I was having to listen in my underwear!

The Rites of Passage will put out heat like you never thought possible from an amplifier. I doubt the VTLs even come close despite the much higher power rating. It is not even that the Rites will run so much lower bias it is the damn heater on these tubes that draws a few amps...per tube. I have never felt a tube run so hot before or since.

Recently, I had a pair of Wall Audio M50 monoblocks that have 2 x 6C33C per channel as PSET making about 35 watts per mono. They also ran ruinously hot. Now the Ayon Crossfire, which makes almost the same power but runs much cooler because the heater filaments don't draw this ridiculous amount of power.

Not saying you shouldn't check them out but I am saying that you have not been prepared for that kind of heat before. It will be dissipation of over 1000 watts per monoblock.

You're not alone... I used to have a friend who ran Atmasphere OTL mono amps, and whenever we'd go over to listen he'd answer the door in his underwear!

 

[microstrip]

Ron,
What is the topology of the output of your Eclipse preamplifier? The output from the resistor array is buffered?

 

[microstrip]

You're not alone... I used to have a friend who ran Atmasphere OTL mono amps, and whenever we'd go over to listen he'd answer the door in his underwear!

Heat is part of OTL's - they have to supply current and the large cathodes must be conveniently heated. Each 6C33 dissipates 41.5W just for filament! (A 6550 filament dissipates around 10W) .

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ron,
What is the topology of the output of your Eclipse preamplifier? The output from the resistor array is buffered?

From the Io Manual:

"The phono stage contains three main amplification sections and an output buffer section. The first section is a high gain, low noise, zero feedback single ended amplifier composed of two low-noise 12AX7 vacuum tubes. This then feeds a high gain, low noise differential amplifier (two 12AX7 vacuum tubes) which amplifies the signal and produces a complementary minus phase signal. Thus, the unit is balanced from the second amplification section through the output. The signal is then applied to the third amplification section which is nearly identical to the second. It also contains two 12AX7 vacuum tubes. The filter is next in the signal path, a purely passive design with the highest grade capacitors and non-inductive wirewound resistors throughout. Lastly, the signal is buffered and sent to the output jacks in balanced form. Each separate amplification section has its own power supply filtering network and regulated heater supply to isolate the individual sections and prevent them from interacting."

 

[microstrip]

From the Io Manual:

"The phono stage contains three main amplification sections and an output buffer section. The first section is a high gain, low noise, zero feedback single ended amplifier composed of two low-noise 12AX7 vacuum tubes. This then feeds a high gain, low noise differential amplifier (two 12AX7 vacuum tubes) which amplifies the signal and produces a complementary minus phase signal. Thus, the unit is balanced from the second amplification section through the output. The signal is then applied to the third amplification section which is nearly identical to the second. It also contains two 12AX7 vacuum tubes. The filter is next in the signal path, a purely passive design with the highest grade capacitors and non-inductive wirewound resistors throughout. Lastly, the signal is buffered and sent to the output jacks in balanced form. Each separate amplification section has its own power supply filtering network and regulated heater supply to isolate the individual sections and prevent them from interacting."

Where is located the resistor array?

 

[Ron Resnick]

On the front panel -- the stepped attenuators.

 

[morricab]

On the front panel -- the stepped attenuators.

Hi Ron
If you plan to use the Eclipse as a preamp you need to make sure that the last thing the signal sees before leaving the phonostage is an active stage and not volume adjustment resistors. If you have a doubt then ask Aesthetix.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, but I have no doubt.

The Io is a combination phono stage and line stage. I have used the Io to drive directly the MB-750s for 18 years.