Record breaker: Raphaelite CS30-MKII tube amplifier review and measurements

[EVDavis]

One Pair | 10 Inch Full Range Drivers and Cabinets – Complete Official Speakers | Origin S-10

Normally, these speakers are for pre-order and the fabrication would take up to 4 weeks. As the speakers have to be shipped by sea, it normally takes 3 weeks for arriving at US port. In our listening room we use Decware SE84UFO for these and both us and the creator of amplifier, Steve Deckert...

www.lii-audio.com

Those are beautiful speakers. I prefer the darker ones.

 

[GXAlan]

Those are beautiful speakers. I prefer the darker ones.

And if you are in the US

Lii Song Reference Speakers| DECWARE

With the DECWARE Zen Triode amplifier - 2.3 watts of SET Bliss!

www.decwareproducts.com

 

[EVDavis]

And if you are in the US

Lii Song Reference Speakers| DECWARE

With the DECWARE Zen Triode amplifier - 2.3 watts of SET Bliss!

www.decwareproducts.com

I am and I have little room for more speakers, lol. Also, a little rich for me but I'd love to hear them.

 

[computer-audiophile]

I just like the curved shape. It is also good against standing waves inside the cabinet. I first built such speakers 20 years ago and published the story on the Internet.

My picture of an early prototype:

 

[EVDavis]

I just like the curved shape. It is also good against standing waves inside the cabinet. I first built such speakers 20 years ago and published the story on the Internet.

My picture of an early prototype:

View attachment 302416

Excellent cabinetry work! I'd love to have the big old speaker behind it

 

[computer-audiophile]

The big speakers in the background were actually original Altec A7 VOTT from the forties. But my own former designs would be much more interesting to me again today. I have already considered buying back a pair. My wife also loves them.

But I have the space problem today too. I don't want to have too much audio stuff sitting around the apartment, no matter how nice it may be individually.

There are a few of my speaker and tube amp creations still in use today by various friends and audiophiles in Europe.
I built those for them after they were delighted with the sound they heard at my place or at scene-meetings.

 

[egellings]

Excellent cabinetry work! I'd love to have the big old speaker behind it

Is that big speaker a Voice of The Theatre by Altec, or a clone of it?

 

[computer-audiophile]

These were originals from the forties, as I already wrote. Unfortunately, I have not found better pictures of it.

 

[egellings]

These were originals from the forties, as I already wrote. Unfortunately, I have not found better pictures of it.

View attachment 302649

Thank you. I had not seen your earlier post on the topic. Are those amps home-brewed?

 

[computer-audiophile]

Thank you. I had not seen your earlier post on this subject. Are these amplifiers homemade?

Yes, that was my former "red series" of SET amplifiers with the 300B and 211 triodes that I built 20 years ago.

 

[EVDavis]

Yes, that was my former "red series" of SET amplifiers with the 300B and 211 triodes that I built 20 years ago.

View attachment 302650

View attachment 302651

What's this speaker?

 

[computer-audiophile]

What's this speaker?

Thank you for your kind interest. On the first picture it is a horn loudspeaker from Avantgarde Acoustic. On the second it is an old radio cabinet of a SABA Freiburg radio equipped with 5 pcs of the legendary SABA Greencone speakers. Two tweeters on the sides. I had removed the defective electronics from it and used the whole thing as a speaker room sound box in mono. I had two of these old SABA Freiburg units and also built various full-range speakers especially with Greencones.

 

[EVDavis]

Thank you for your kind interest. On the first picture it is a horn loudspeaker from Avantgarde Acoustic. On the second it is an old radio cabinet of a SABA Freiburg radio equipped with 5 pcs of the legendary SABA Greencone speakers. Two tweeters on the sides. I had removed the defective electronics from it and used the whole thing as a speaker room sound box in mono. I had two of these old SABA Freiburg units and also built various full-range speakers especially with Greencones.

Yes, sorry I meant the older speaker in the second picture. It looks so cool. I'm guessing the midrange is very nice.

 

[Mikie Likes it]

Paul Klipsch thought that harmonic distortion was a minor issue while intermodulation distortion was a major problem because most music contains harmonics but intermodulation introduces nonmusical frequencies.
I have an Elekit 8600S 300B amp with Western Electric tubes that has good reviews in Stereophile. It would be interesting if the reviewer compared one of these to the Raphaelite.
Thanks to the reviewer and commenters for an interesting read.

I just completed a 8600S build myself. Very happy with this amp. I have not seen much in the way of reviews or measurements. I have heard that people on this site generally do not like tube amps.

 

[egellings]

I just completed a 8600S build myself. Very happy with this amp. I have not seen much in the way of reviews or measurements. I have heard that people on this site generally do not like tube amps.

They generally do not measure as well as S.S. designs do.

 

[GXAlan]

I just completed a 8600S build myself. Very happy with this amp. I have not seen much in the way of reviews or measurements. I have heard that people on this site generally do not like tube amps.

“This site” is a mix of European and North American audiophiles, so it’s hard to talk in generalities other than to say that solid state is the dominant tech in audio.

You will find a sizable group of vinyl enthusiasts here as well as tubes.

What people here insist is that the differences, if any, can be measured.

 

[DonR]

I just completed a 8600S build myself. Very happy with this amp. I have not seen much in the way of reviews or measurements. I have heard that people on this site generally do not like tube amps.

Preference is a personal choice. Tubes tend to measure less accurately than SS.

 

[Mikie Likes it]

They generally do not measure as well as S.S. designs do.

Yes Sir ! It is a matter of personal choice indeed ! The audio world can certainly get deep into evaluations based on measurements and such. I am just a novice in this hobby. I have a degree in electronics and spent 35 years of my life as a equipment technician in the Semiconductor industry. I love the details of audio science and appreciate all of the experts on this forum ! So much knowledge to be learned here !

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Yes Sir ! It is a matter of personal choice indeed ! The audio world can certainly get deep into evaluations based on measurements and such. I am just a novice in this hobby. I have a degree in electronics and spent 35 years of my life as a equipment technician in the Semiconductor industry. I love the details of audio science and appreciate all of the experts on this forum ! So much knowledge to be learned here !

I have a degree in electronics and decades in audio and video media. I'm fine with well-designed tube solutions that measure sufficiently well to be in the same ballpark of frequency accuracy, noise and distortion as CD, since that is the default benchmark these days.

 

[Mikie Likes it]

I have a degree in electronics and decades in audio and video media. I'm fine with well-designed tube solutions that measure sufficiently well to be in the same ballpark of frequency accuracy, noise and distortion as CD, since that is the default benchmark these days.

Key word "Well Designed" Thanks for your reply Sir !