The world's smallest valve amplifier ?

[Dave Cawley]

http://www.soundhifi.com/FOURUMIMAGES/minidark.jpg

http://www.soundhifi.com/FOURUMIMAGES/miniback.jpg

http://www.soundhifi.com/FOURUMIMAGES/minilight.jpg

http://www.soundhifi.com/FOURUMIMAGES/minisystem.jpg

One of the great things about the MAD weekend was borrowing Nick's Miniwatt valve amplifier! OK, so I have been busy but today it surfaced onto the top of my list. It's so very small I decided to partner it with the Sony DAT running at 48Khz, the one I had at the show. What can I say? It's loud enough that you have to shout over it, has bass, is transparent, no hum, and worked out of the box.

It's the sort of amp I would have in my office with a pair of Focal 807V bookshelf speakers, simply lovely.

It's tiny, too tiny in fact, but for 2 1/2 watts you could pay a fortune for a 2A3 amplifier, 10 times more in fact.

I'll put it on the bench tomorrow and provide some test results, but only for interest, basically it does what it should, and rather well too! Would I buy one, yes I would.

Regards

Dave

[aquapiranha]

Nope!

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/Magazine/equipment/0306/greatech_uvac.htm

http://www.greatech.de/audio_technology.php

;-)

[anthonyTD]

hi dave,
its a cute little thing, i too have made some tiny single ended amps for hi fi and guitar over the years but most have been mono blocks and used valve rectification. if i can remember how to post a pick :scratch:.
A...

[Dave Cawley]

Hi Steve

Looks way smaller to me??????

Dave

[aquapiranha]

Hi Steve

Looks way smaller to me??????

Dave

Hi Dave this greatech thing is tiny, uses sub-miniature valves..

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/munich2005/part3/kolibri.jpg

:)

[Marco]

Hi Steve,

I'm not getting anything coming up - just a white square with a red cross... Do you have to be a registered (logged-in) member of enjoythemusic.com to view the picture?

Perhaps you could host it instead on Imageshack or Photobucket so we can all see it, dude? :)

Marco.

[Dave Cawley]

Still looks the same size to me, have you measured them both???

Dave

[Beechwoods]

Hi Steve,

I'm not getting anything coming up - just a white square with a red cross... Do you have to be a registered (logged-in) member of enjoythemusic.com to view the picture?

Perhaps you could host it instead on Imageshack or Photobucket so we can all see it, dude? :)

Marco.

Looks fine to me, Marco. It's your bonkers computer again, la!

[Marco]

LOL - it's that browser thing again, dude. I can assure you that all I'm getting is a white box with a red cross :(

This happens quite often... If Steve hosts the picture on Imageshack or Photobucket instead and edits his post accordingly, I know I'll then be able to see it :)

Marco.

[aquapiranha]

Hi Steve,

I'm not getting anything coming up - just a white square with a red cross... Do you have to be a registered (logged-in) member of enjoythemusic.com to view the picture?

Perhaps you could host it instead on Imageshack or Photobucket so we can all see it, dude? :)

Marco.

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb256/aquapiranha/kolibri.jpg

:)

[aquapiranha]

And..

http://www.impamp.com/

http://www.impamp.com/impamp_files/impblack_med.jpg


Videos

http://www.impamp.com/impvideo.html

[Marco]

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb256/aquapiranha/kolibri.jpg


Now that's better - chee-arz! :)

Marco.

[NickB]

Steve

With respect do those two "smaller" amps not cheat by having a separate mains supply, the one Dave is using has everything in the one case. As we all noticed at the time the main socket is the most imposing thing on the amp!!

Nick

[aquapiranha]

Steve

With respect do those two "smaller" amps not cheat by having a separate mains supply, the one Dave is using has everything in the one case. As we all noticed at the time the main socket is the most imposing thing on the amp!!

Nick

Yes you might be right Nick! the second amplifier I mentioned does say on the website that it is the 'smallest valve amplifier in the world' so I think there may have to be a steward's enquiry!

The one Dave posted, are those EL84? or are they smaller? I will have to have a look.

:doh:

[Dave Cawley]

Hi Steve

Still waiting for the size!!!

Dave

[aquapiranha]

Hi Steve

Still waiting for the size!!!

Dave

Impamp is..

1W/Ch • 10-20KHz +0/-2dB • Input -20/+4dB@10kOhm • 4.4" X 3.0" X 3.0" • 111mmX76mmX76mm • 12VAC@1A

Kolibri is..

140 x 85 x 75

Though I think as mentioned the Kolibri uses an external PSU, and since the power requirement for the Impamp is 12V I assume that does too.

:)

[Dave Cawley]

http://www.soundhifi.com/FOURUMIMAGES/minidark.jpg

OK, the "unit" is smaller. But it can hardly be called an amplifier, as without the power supply it can't possibly amplify! Rain and parade come to mind, I believe this is still the Words smallest valve amplifier!

Regards

Dave

[aquapiranha]

Dave, I think you should email the manufacturers of the Impamp as they clearly claim in thier literature that they produce the smallest amplifier in the world.

(personally, I couldn't care less, it's the same as saying 'my amp is the biggest' which is not how amplifiers' quality is measured is it? lol)

:)

[Dave Cawley]

As this is a low cost product I used the "fast test area". http://www.soundhifi.com/test.html The frequency response was -3dB from 50Hz to 50Khz, the lower being due to the size of the output transformers, and the upper surprisingly good. Damping was 2, a bit poor, but it is a valve amp and tiny. Power at the onset of serious clipping into 8 ohms was just under 2 watts.

Now this isn't a poor result at all, and you have to pay 10 times more to get a 2A3 to perform significantly better. Nothing is particularly bad and that is why it sounds so good.

Regards

Dave

[The Vinyl Adventure]

are you selling these little amps then dave?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

No one has pointed this out so I though I would


http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/miniwatt/miniwatt.html

in ref to our convo earlier dave - now I have seen the picture of the red one in the review I do actually remember seeing it eBay myself, although I also can't find it now! I kinda with I'd got one now, I had just assumed it would be a pile off poop.. Perhaps I should have taken note of what is said about asumption! Oh well I need all the moolar I can with my current plans!!

.....

I'm going to look into sending the deck to you on Thursday, il let you know when to expect it. I forgot to ask, is there any issue sensing via currior? If not can you pm me with address, email, and best phone number so I can get quotes etc

cheers!

[Giant Haystacks]

hi i have a friend who has a half watt amplifier with western electric style tennis ball shape valve in it i will try to get photos up which i have. ill see if girlfriend can help me

[Themis]

There's also a good review at TNT : http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/miniwatt_amplifier_e.html and ToneAudio : http://www.tonepublications.com/spotlight/the-miniwatt-amplifier-take-a-fresh-look-at-hifi/

[The Vinyl Adventure]

is this the little bugger?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-tube-amplifier_W0QQitemZ170404367509QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27ace44c95

[Macca]

is this the little bugger?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-tube-amplifier_W0QQitemZ170404367509QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27ace44c95

Cool!

I love the description too - 'with Chinese antiques tube' and 'Recommended speaker: the sensitivity of more than 86 Dolby, impedance more than 6 in Europe':)

[Dave Cawley]

It looks identical to the one I tested. Can't say anymore!

Dave

[Themis]

Cool!

I love the description too - 'with Chinese antiques tube' and 'Recommended speaker: the sensitivity of more than 86 Dolby, impedance more than 6 in Europe':)
86 decibels, certainly. And I guess the impedance is not "European" !!! :lolsign:

[Macca]

86 decibels, certainly. And I guess the impedance is not "European" !!! :lolsign:

What impedence do they reccommend for other continental land masses? What is the best impedence for Antartica, for instance?:)

We need to know!

[Themis]

is this the little bugger?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-tube-amplifier_W0QQitemZ170404367509QQcmdZViewItemQQptZ LH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27ace44c95
It looks like a clone : it's not written "MiniWatt" on it...

[Ali Tait]

What impedence do they reccommend for other continental land masses? What is the best impedence for Antartica, for instance?:)

We need to know!

Ah well,you don't need such efficient speakers there coz of the cold air!