How did the sound quality of our model "KT88 Triode Connection - High End" compare with your previous amplifier? For detail and slam the Chord has it all. But the KT88" to me made voices, especially female sound more real." Low level notes decayed longer. The treble is sweeter," and at £1,350 it's a steal. I am keeping it"
email from Mr T B - AVC, my KT88 arrived today and after 4 hours of listening they had blown away my Michell Alecto monoblocks including my Audio Research sp9 pre amp costing approx. £3750 new. This £900 amp is a real bargain. The midrange is more clear, the top end sweeter, and bass was more tuneful and defined and a shade deeper. I highly recommend this amp to anybody into music and not keeping up with the jones amp.
How did the sound quality of our model "KT88 Triode Connection - High End" compare with your previous amplifier? More fluid and detailed. Retrieves dying echoes of notes. Voices have a real solidity, but are sweeter, purer with less sibilance. It can be surprising when someone in the recording dropped something in the room !! Bass is clean, detailed and not 'boomy' and goes as low as my speakers allow (which with 12" drivers is pretty low !).
Other comments : Out of the box I was impressed with build quality. Stainless steel body is a nice touch. I was impressed by the amp when I first plugged in, but something was lacking. Then it occurred to me that using the 8 ohm tap may not be best for my speakers So I switched to 4 ohms and what a surprise ! It made a huge difference ! The sound lost some bass weight but gained hugely in soundstage. The sound 'hung in the air' between, and around the speakers. Clarity and detail was increased greatly. I'd recommend experimenting with changing the speaker connection to anyone ! Needless to say you can't have it back ! PS - The size and shape of the KT88 valves adds to the visual appeal. They look the way you expect valves should look !
Naim NAC 102 + NAP 180 + Hi Cap power supply.How did the sound quality of our model "KT88 Triode Connection - High End" compare with your previous amplifier? Incredible. Like no other amp I have heard.
Comparazione Tra Electro Harmonix KT88,svetlana,Tesla,Valve Art:by Jason Serinus
Electro-Harmonix KT-88:il meglio.
When I reported the findings of this tube comparison to Bob Bergner of RB Audio , he repeated an oft-heard assertion that a manufacturer's KT-88s always sound better than their 6550 equivalents. Knowing how jazzed I was about the E-H 6550, Bob immediately contacted various distributors, and learned that Electro-Harmonix had just begun producing KT-88s.As of mid-June, 2002, many tube distributors that carry Electro-Harmonix have their KT-88 on backorder; I obtained my quad directly from Bob at RB Audio. This tube looks identical to the E-H 6550 except for a change in lettering.Simply put, in my amp, I find the E-H KT-88 superior to the E-H 6550. It offers more color, more depth, more refined highs, and a tighter bottom end. The sound is richer, fuller, and more exciting.On a new recording of Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor played by Gilmore Award-winning pianist Piotr Anderszewski directing Sinfonia Varsovia (Virgin Veritas 7243 5 45 5042 3), the strings, hardly the most gorgeous-sounding on the planet, come across as less strident than with the E-H 6550; the timpani have greater impact; the soundstage is more three-dimensional; color is more pronounced; and, most importantly, the piano itself is more clearly focused, with greater ring on top. This may not be a five star recording, but it is far more satisfying when heard with the KT-88s.On my favorite Terry Evans "Blues No More" standby, everything sounds better with these tubes: the cymbal brush strokes are more focused and precise, Terry's voice is rounder and richer in color and midrange, the bass is far more focused and impactful, and the soundstage is more three-dimensional and engaging.I auditioned the Evans track in numerous rooms at CES 2002, hearing it through amps and preamps far more expensive than my own. I cannot forget how good it sounded in two rooms equipped with the dcs Purcell, different models of Verity speakers, Nordost Valhalla cabling, and amps more powerful and costly than my own. Now that my Bruce Moore amp is equipped with Electro-Harmonix KT-88 and Siemens NOS CCa tubes, and I too have Valhalla cabling, I am hearing sound that approaches the level of richness that I heard on those significantly more expensive systems at CES.The Electro-Harmonic KT-88 is the clear winner of this comparison. It now powers my amp. Regardless of whether it proves optimal for your equipment, it deserves an audition.
Electro Harmonix
Most excellent KT88 factory selection, "PL" I found to be better than 0,5mA per Quad in most cases. You can callibrate your tube tester with those! Mechanical quality is superb. Failure rate is close to 0%. No problems reported. The BEST KT88 from new production.
reasons why you should buy valve amplifier
IL KT 88 amplificatore a valvole e' risultato meglio di:
1. Guaranteed to cure the harsh sound of your CD and metal cone / dome speakers
2. 40 watts Class A EL34 valve amplifiers to reduce ultrasonic noise from CD players.
"EL34 " has additional tuning to control ultrasonic resonance of "ultra linear" transformers
3. Massive transformers give more powerful bass slam than most transistor amplifiers and most 300B Single Ended amplifiers and most KT88 Single Ended amplifiers.
4. We have signed Testimonial forms to prove that 90% of customers prefer our "warm and old-valve" to the transistor amplifiers listed below :-
Arcam 110 preamplifier and 120 power amplifier expensive Hi-Fi Choice recommended (1992) Arcam A85 Diva expensive What Hi Fi 5 stars award winner + Hi Fi Choice Best Buy Arcam Alpha 10 expensive What Hi-Fi 5 stars Supertest winner (1999) + Hi Fi Choice recommended Arcam Alpha
