Dsrttuber said:
Wow! I bought one of those amps new years ago. It was a very nice amp for the price, but I wasn't happy with it on rock tracks. I tried many different speakers at the time, but couldn't seem to make a match.
If you are referring to the Audion, I bought it used(1997 manufacture date) last year just to see what EL-34 SET sounds like. It's a nice little, powerful, SET for the used price, but the A318A & B(especially) both revealed how bloated, slow and thick it sounded.
Granted, it's not really fair to compare new production amps to decade old ones because budget passive components (resistors, caps) have come a long way since then. Also, SET design and transformers have evolved greatly.
Luckily, I was already planning on doing a major rebuild with point-to-point wiring before the calamity. First, replace the Alps Blue volume pot with a PEC precision carbon wipe - this is like throwing open heavy curtains on a bright, sunny, day. Should give a much better view of the amps true sound.
Graeme Holland, Audion's tech guy, has given me some helpful advice on affordable component upgrades to get the most out of it. Some locals on the Tube Diy forum on Audio Asylum have given other tips like changing the PS filtering to choke-loaded pi filter (if it will fit) and better caps/resistors in the signal path.
I'd like to add a little of the spatial magic of my Welborne DRD 300B monoblocks and some of the tonal vividness of my Art Audio PX-25. We'll see if the EL-34 has some of those qualities waiting to be revealed.
doug s said:
i have been wery interested in the almarro's, which is why i am following this thread, but i am more interested in their 5wpc set 205mkll, cuz my victory's are 97-db efficient.
Hi Doug,
I just had an Almarro A205A hooked up to my 97dB Cain & Cain I-Bens a few weeks ago. Paul Lim, the Los Angeles Almarro/C&C dealer, dropped by with a customer to check it out in my system(the guy wanted to hear C&C's larger speakers).
The A205A is simply spectacular regardless of price, but especially so when that's taken into consideration. It has a tonal purity that just seems so "right". Piano, vocals, cello, horns were seemingly dead-on. Fantastic clarity/resolution and speed. It is also surprisingly powerful. We were listening at fairly loud levels sometimes and it never seemed to run out of gas. But, at more normal levels it really worked it's magic. I can honestly say that little $800 amp caused me to experience serious short-term "amp envy". It really made me question if more expensive amps are really necessary for great musical enjoyment.
I am not implying it is the best amp I've ever heard, none is. And this little over-achiever certainly has it's own shortcomings and limitations like any other. It all depends wht type of listener you are and where your priorities lie.
If a person is an analytical type who really scrutinizes the minute facets of musical reproduction, there are better. If a person prefers tonal richness over other aspects, there are better. If a person needs extremely wide soundstage and depth, there are better. If bass "slam" is a high priority, there are better. etc, etc, etc.
But, if you are the "set it and forget it" type who just likes to plop down in a listening chair and enjoy music, really good music, letting it simply wash over you, then the A205A is a definite contender, with proper speakers. And there aren't many better in it's price range, just different. At least, that's so in
my system.
Also, there have been a couple of threads on Audio Asylum's Tube DIY forum where a few A205A owners have done some minor parts upgrades that supposedly have released the amp's full potential. I think the biggest benefit has been replacing the stock coupling capacitor with a V-Cap.
If you can swing it, definetly audition the A205A in your own system. It is a revelation. For sheer musical enjoyment, it is every bit as good as my 3-7 times as expensive other amps. Check with Brian B. to see if he still has his "loaner" amp in circulation.