Best measuring tube amp

[al2002]

Thanks. I can see the circuit and parts list now.

 

[MattHooper]

I'm not competent to know, but I'd remembered that Roger Modjeski's Music Reference amps measured quite well (per JA) in stereophile.

Found a link:

Music Reference RM-200 Mk.II power amplifier Measurements | Stereophile.com

Sidebar 3: Measurements I used Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It" and www.ap.com) to measure the RM-200 Mk.II. Before performing any tests, I checked that the output tubes were all correctly biased. However, the...

www.stereophile.com

 

[lashto]

Purely out of curiosity - what is the best measuring pure tube amplifier you know of?

Off the top of my head I think the Quicksilver Horn Mono's are a serious contender. See here: https://www.stereophile.com/content...n-mono-monoblock-power-amplifier-measurements

Interpret "best measuring" however you wish.

@tomchr 's Darn Good 300B measures very well for a SET without NFB (might just be the best in its category). Just look at pages 31-32

 

[fpitas]

@tomchr 's Darn Good 300B measures very well (for a NFB-less SET). Just look at pages 31-32

Not bad for what it is, I guess. And that illustrates why the professional world went away from single-ended amps.

 

[tomchr]

"For what it is" is the key here. If you want high power and low distortion a single-ended triode without global negative feedback is not your best option. If you want a single-ended triode amp, the DG300B is a good candidate.

Tom

 

[USER]

Now this is interesting! That light on the front!

I have a lot of respect for Mr. Carlson.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Tom Evans Audio Design Linear A and B might be interesting contenders

 

[lashto]

Now this is interesting! That light on the front!

I have a lot of respect for Mr. Carlson.

nice one.
But there seem to be 10+ tubes on that thing! That's $1-2000 just for the 'bottles' and a lot of (potential) headaches

 

[fpitas]

nice one.
But there seem to be 10+ tubes on that thing! That's $1-2000 just for the 'bottles' and a lot of (potential) headaches

I'm not an aficionado of tubes, but I don't think you buy them for the practicality.

 

[lashto]

In terms of looks and build quality I really like https://www.toolshedamps.com/.

Here's their 300B

 

[lashto]

I'm not an aficionado of tubes, but I don't think you buy them for the practicality.

You surely don't
But there is quite a difference in headaches&costs between a typical amp with 4-5 tubes and one with 15 like that Carlson.

 

[fpitas]

You surely don't
But there is quite a difference in headaches&costs between a typical amp with 4 tubes and one with 15 like that Carlson.

Yet, the Carlson is probably more admired for just that reason. I would not assume a rational selection process.

 

[mhardy6647]

Yet, the Carlson is probably more admired for just that reason. I would not assume a rational selection process.

Might as well just go for the gusto and get a very vintage EH Scott radio. Statement pieces in electronics from the Duesenberg era.

48-Tube E.H. Scott Quaranta by Jacques Dubois

Fabulous reconstruction of a 48-tube radio - the E.H. Scott Quaranta (1936)

www.campx.ca

Even EH Scott's lesser radios were -- in those days, and in most cases -- works of art.

Not to be confused with H.H. Scott -- another fine old audio brand, but rather more modern and rather more hifi in a way that would register with even this site's members.
H.H. Scott built some very, very fine FM radio tuners for several decades. Their commercial broadcast signal relay quality tuners, e.g., the 4310, were exemplary.

but I digress.


(none of the above is mine -- although I do have a few lesser H.H. Scott tuners)

 

[xaxxon]

I'm actually pretty interested in this topic. There's a local builder, Linear Tube Audio, that makes OTL headphone amps (among other components) and I'm hoping to swing by this weekend with my DAC and headphones and give this amp a listen:

microZOTL MZ2 Headphone Amp / Preamp / 1-watt Speaker Amp by Linear Tube Audio

The second generation of the product that started LTA, the MZ2 remains the reference introduction to the unique ZOTL circuit.

www.lineartubeaudio.com

I've heard it before, but I want to really give it a good listen to see if it floats my boat. Owners rave about it and state it's the best of the SS and Tube attributes in one package. My curiosity is piqued. I've got a RME ADI2 DAC and the SS headphone amp section of this is great, but I suffer from fear that something out there is subjectively better sounding and I'm just not sure. I think giving this LTA amp a listen would be interesting.

“The best of solid state and tube” are mutually exclusive

 

[Keith_W]

Is there a consensus as to which type of tube amp is the best measuring? e.g. OTL, SET, SEP, Pentodes in push-pull, triodes in push-pull?

 

[GXAlan]

Is there a consensus as to which type of tube amp is the best measuring? e.g. OTL, SET, SEP, Pentodes in push-pull, triodes in push-pull?

The best measuring one is still the one with the highest negative feedback but this isn't going to be consistent in best "sounding" amp.

 

[GXAlan]

When you say best "sounding" amp, what do you mean? In other words, how would you characterize "best sounding"?

Well, I am one who measured

Sonic Frontiers SFS-80 Review (Vintage Tube Amplifier)

Sonic Frontiers SFS-80 Tube Amplifier: A "new" benchmark to beat from 1992 Up next on testing gear that would be impossible to ship safely... the Sonic Frontiers SFS-80 tube amplifier. 70 lbs, all concentrated in the transformers. Believe it or not, Sonic Frontiers is a company we all know...

www.audiosciencereview.com

and

Kenwood L-08M Monoblock Amplifier (Vintage Review)

Kenwood L-08M Monoblock Amplifier Review (Vintage Gear; QuirkAudio restored) Where were you in 1980? In Tokyo, Japan, a small team of engineers released the most sophisticated amplifier of its time... A bit of history In the 1970's, an elite team of veteran Trio-Kenwood engineers left the...

www.audiosciencereview.com

and these

3 Generations of Marantz flagship integrated amps measured

Three Generations of Marantz flagship integrated amps measured (updated PM-10 test!) One of the biggest challenges with amplifier testing is shipping the gear without damage. We've already seen how the JBL SA600 from 1965 pretty much has an amplifier section that performs similarly to the JBL...

www.audiosciencereview.com

The numbers are very clear what the ranking should be based upon measurements. If I use well recorded classical music, the best sounding amps are the solid state amps.

However, if I use great music from mediocre singers (La La Land Soundtrack) or great singers with mediocre recordings (Sur Mes Gardes - Joyce Jonathan), the tube amp is better. The phantom center is wider/less precise but no matter how much I KNOW it’s coloration, I prefer the tube amp. If you have a Tidal or Amazon Music, you should try listening to those albums on a variety of different systems.

 

[al2002]

I do believe that this thread is rapidly drifting off topic……

 

[GXAlan]

Accuracy is replicable. Personal taste, however, is not.

Exactly. And right now, the best 5 W SINAD tube amp is the one I have measured. . But I think what is also important is what you are listening to. We all agree that we have different tastes in music — and there are some recordings that benefit from transparency and others that do not.

What I have come to appreciate is that choosing euphonics is not like rejecting science. We can still aim for euphonics while avoiding 60 Hz AC mains noise or making sure components are electrically grounded for safety.

@al2002 , the thread has gone off topic since no one has submitted an APx555 or E1DA Cosmos ADC measurement of a tube amp that has beat the SFS-80 that I posted so far.

 

[lashto]

Might as well just go for the gusto and get a very vintage EH Scott radio. Statement pieces in electronics from the Duesenberg era.

(none of the above is mine -- although I do have a few lesser H.H. Scott tuners)

nice ones.

Here's one contemporary tube-forest: Audiovalve Challenger (also check their Baldur)
20+ tubes and that is just one monoblock!