FS: 'Art of Sound' Tube Distinctions KT88

[montesquieu]

Appropriate for today's AoS fifth birthday :birthday: ... for sale consequent to some wider system changes:

Tube Distinctions 'Art of Sound' classic edition KT88 class A push-pull amplifier.

Created for Steve Toy by Anthony Matthews, using the (already excellent) Puresound A30 as the base, this works in some of the approach of Anthony's celebrated copper amps.

This is a really wonderful amp, having seen off a whole range of power amps in my system up to £10k and beyond. Particularly suited to big Tannoys as it has the grip required to drive (and stop) those big cones, it has the current delivery to drive all sorts of speakers, but also has wonderful subtlety and emotion.

Steve's original sales thread says it all better than I could: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4110&highlight=tube+distinctions

The current valve complement includes a set of Svetlana KT88 Winged C's and a pair of Mullard GZ34 rectifiers together worth probably about a third of my asking price alone. It's been back to Anthony for a checkup in recent weeks, it had bias resistors renewed/uprated and declared tickety-boo.

Offered at the truly bargain price of £950 collected from Reading area.

I'll leave it here for a week or so before offering it elsewhere, hope it stays in the AoS family.

[Marco]

Nice one, Tom. This amp is something very special, folks, so anyone who fancies a phenomenal sounding valve amp, for a distinctly non-phenomenal price, snap this baby up, ASAP, and proceed to listen to music with a permanent grin on your face!! :trust:

:exactly:

Marco.

[montesquieu]

Should just add that this (with Tannoys at least) this amp has seen off some prestige competition I've either owned or had through the door including EAR509 monoblocks, Cary 303 300b PP monoblocks, Audio Note Meishu Phono Signature (300b SET), Unison Research S8 845 SET, Icon MB845 PP monoblocks, Audion Silver Night Mk II 300b PP monoblocks ... all of which retail for a minimum of 6-10 times what I'm asking.

[Marco]

That's most interesting, Tom - some very high quality amps there! Now, if the AoS TD amp has seen off all of those, just imagine what the Copper amp would be capable of seeing off............?!?! :eyebrows: ;)

Incidentally, what did you think of the Cary 300B monoblocks? I've always rated their kit, but never actually heard any of it. I've always wanted to hear their SLP-05 preamp:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7199/6931890532_67eff9dbc7_b.jpg


http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5447/7077965509_01385d6a75_b.jpg


...which I think looks the dog's danglies!! No idea if it sounds any good though.

Marco.

[synsei]

:drool:

[Barry]

You're just swayed by the pretty blue meters Marco. :lol:

[Marco]

Lol, yes... And the fact that it's fully-balanced and uses multiple 6SN7 valves, which are my favourites to use in a preamp, oh and I like kit made by small specialist manufacturers, such as Cary. None of yer boring mainstream, mass-produced pish! :nono:

Marco.

[montesquieu]

That's most interesting, Tom - some very high quality amps there! Now, if the AoS TD amp has seen off all of those, just imagine what the Copper amp would be capable of seeing off............?!?! :eyebrows: ;)

Incidentally, what did you think of the Cary 300B monoblocks? I've always rated their kit, but never actually heard any of it. I've always wanted to hear their SLP-05 preamp:

...which I think looks the dog's danglies!! No idea if it sounds any good though.

Marco.

Haven't heard the pre, Marco ... the monoblocks were pretty nice, and hernia inducing in their weight. They had that lovely 300b thing going for them, but the very bottom octave (always a big ask in the GRF cabinets which are 300hz mid horn loaded so always a little down in the bass compared to ported cabinets) was missing, actually not there, compared to the TD KT88, which was right up there in terms of refinement but just had better grip and depth.

I remember a while back reading an article by Kevin Hayes of VAC (Valve Amplification Company - interestingly the only amp really to compete in my system with the TD was a VAC PA60 KT88 amp) who said that done right, KT88s could have just as much detail, air and tone and ambiance as a 300b, but without the bandwidth limitations so often experienced with 300bs unless the iron is absolutely superlative. I think this is what Anthony has achieved in his approach too.

[Marco]

Absolutely, Tom. I can tell you for a fact that I'm not missing out on one iota of fabled 300B 'midrange lurveliness', with the KT120-powered P/P Copper amp, and it does all the other important stuff too, just as well! Anthony is one clever muchacho, in terms of valve amplifer design.

You really must come up and listen to Ian's Copper amp (and mine). Trust me it WILL blow your mind....... ;)

Marco.

[Barry]

Lol, yes... And the fact that it's fully-balanced and uses multiple 6SN7 valves, which are my favourites to use in a preamp, oh and I like kit made by small specialist manufacturers, such as Cary. None of yer boring mainstream, mass-produced pish! :nono:

Marco.

Points in its favour! I'm very keen on fully-balanced designs. Only waiting for a decent fully balanced phono stage or headamp (or SUT), then I could rewire my pick up arms and be fully balanced from source to speaker.

I understand Project Audio have a fully balanced phonostage for around £800. Has anyone heard it? Is it any good? Hi-Fi Choice have a review of it, and think well of it - but I would be much more interested in the views of fellow members.

[montesquieu]

Points in its favour! I'm very keen on fully-balanced designs. Only waiting for a decent fully balanced phono stage or headamp (or SUT), then I could rewire my pick up arms and be fully balanced from source to speaker.

I understand Project Audio have a fully balanced phonostage for around £800. Has anyone heard it? Is it any good? Hi-Fi Choice have a review of it, and think well of it - but I would be much more interested in the views of fellow members.


Ahem ... it is a sales thread ....:)

[Barry]

Ahem ... it is a sales thread ....:)

Yes, you are quite right. My apologies. Good luck with the sale.

[The Black Adder]

PM Sent

[montesquieu]

On hold for Joe.

[lordmortlock]

A lovely thing. Will you let me know if Joe decides against it please Tom? Very interested.

[montesquieu]

A lovely thing. Will you let me know if Joe decides against it please Tom? Very interested.

Will do Jake.