The Lamborghini Gallardo of tube amplifiers

[Thatch_Ear]

These were in 2 rooms in Las Vegas and showed great in both. They were very impressive looking and sounding, as they should be at $12K per pair.

Parralel SE 845, adjustable feedback, 12AU7s (phase splitter) and 12BH7 (driver).

 

[Thatch_Ear]

A pic I took

 

[Thatch_Ear]

2 off the site.

 

[Thatch_Ear]

I found another pic that looks like it was taken from the same chair I was sitting in, only with a good camera probably on a tripod. By the way this was in the Cabasse showroom and they sounded great. There was this huge Saturn sub with I believe an 18" driver which was shaking the walls down the hall. I thought it would be overpowering in the room but it blended in quite well.
From what I have read the Art Audio SE parallel 845 mono blocks were in quite a few showrooms throughout the 3 hotels, though I only listened to them in 2.
The VAC was there too, but it didn't impress me enough to take a pic, mainly because of looks and price as it sounded quite good. It wasn't better than these though. Triodes are just better sounding tubes than pentodes and tetrodes IMO.

 

[Nick_the_'Nole]

It looks like an alien... :saywhat: IMO it's a little over the top style-wise, a little bit of lucite and lighting can be pretty but that thing is bordering on gross. Of course, fitting with the analogy, the Gallardo is pretty tacky too...

Seriously, the 845s have a nice enough glow by themselves, why did they feel the need to envelope 'em in blue-lit sleeves?

 

[Billfort]

I must have changed into a cranky old curmudgeon (proper usage Thatch? ) but I don't get all this shiny Buck Rogers with glowing blue lucite styling that appears to be so popular with some high dollar gear these days.

Looks like there is a very cool amp under there somewhere though...

 

[tentoze]

I think I saw these amps, too, but I saw so much I won't swear to it.....and, yeh, some of the styling is a bit over the top for an old country boy like me.

 

[Thatch_Ear]

When the room is lit it is actually subtle. Blue does seem to be the designer color this year, I saw SE 211 mono blocks from China with blue billboards as well as the VAC, the Art Audio and in a lot of brushed alum CDPs and other toys.

Pretty sure it is glass on these mono blocks and when the lights are on in the room the only blue you see are at the tops of the glass tubes making a faint blue halo. Dim light and they glow all over and the chrome reflects it like mirrors. As you can see the Cabasse room was dimly lit.

 

[one1speed]

Interesting, with the picts you have from the site, one of them doesn't have the horizonal glass plates. I have to admit that I like them better without the plates...