BTS
New member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2015
- Messages
- 14
There was no trace of harshness in my set. AirTight tubes where airier and more flowing than the Elrog that was a bit punchier.
Air Tight vs VTL vs Triode Corp of Japan
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
There was no trace of harshness in my set. AirTight tubes where airier and more flowing than the Elrog that was a bit punchier.
- Thread Author
- #82
Paul - you should start a separate thread of 211 vs 845. It all depends on A. The amplifier design, B. The actual 845 and 211 tube used. Of course a NOS 845 in a well built amp will sound better than a new cheapie 211 tube in a poorly built amp!
I have a lot of experience with both and overall, to my ears, generally speaking, the 211 is better. It's generally, in most applications, smoother, meatier sounding and gives more of a classic tube sound. It's one of the reasons why you see the 211 in the classic tube amps like Kondo, Air Tight and many others. Also, many new designers, like Lukasz told me, just like its sound better.
Generally speaking, I find the 845 has a harder sound. And let's not forget, the 211 is a classic tube in every sense of the word. Like most tubes, it was used in a wide variety of applications (not just audio). The 845 tube on the other hand, is a tube that was purposely built for audio. You would think that would give it a leg up, but to me, it doesn't. YMMV.
I have a lot of experience with both and overall, to my ears, generally speaking, the 211 is better. It's generally, in most applications, smoother, meatier sounding and gives more of a classic tube sound. It's one of the reasons why you see the 211 in the classic tube amps like Kondo, Air Tight and many others. Also, many new designers, like Lukasz told me, just like its sound better.
Generally speaking, I find the 845 has a harder sound. And let's not forget, the 211 is a classic tube in every sense of the word. Like most tubes, it was used in a wide variety of applications (not just audio). The 845 tube on the other hand, is a tube that was purposely built for audio. You would think that would give it a leg up, but to me, it doesn't. YMMV.
mep
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2013
- Messages
- 5,086
Mike-I'm pretty sure the 845 was designed to be a transmitter tube and the military used them in the old days for just that purpose. You will not find the 211 or the 845 in RCA's Receiving Tube Manual. You will find them in the RCA Transmitting Tube Manual.
- Thread Author
- #86
AT is Single Ended. Lampi is push pull. AT has won many accolades over the years. The Lampi is new. The AT is made by artisan hands in Japan. Lampi is designed and built by a brilliant young engineer in Poland. AT takes one 211 tube per amp. Lampi takes two. Sonically? No idea.
Dpod4
New member
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2013
- Messages
- 1,321
Take a look at interior shots of both brands' products. Layout, parts, soldering, point to point wiring. With all due respect to other brands, Air Tight build quality and tenure of respect and product quality/consistency is in a league I believe very few can touch. I believe Miursa-San and his father were responsible for taking Luxman to the pinnacle.
I can't speak so much for Allnic but my Silvaweld phonostage (by Mr. "Allnic" Kang Su Park) and preamp are keepers for life! Great sounding gear from them.
I would give KR Audio a very long and very serious thought. It is among the very best sounding gear (top rated in Germany...the Kronzilla monoblocks were Nr. 1 in Stereoplay magazine for 10 years!) that i haver heard or owned (I had the VA350i (3 of them) that makes 30 watts). The new KR VA680 is top rated by the German magazine "Audio" and sounds utterly fantastic. Not like SS and not like tubes...like music.
I have also owned NAT and I have a friend that had several of their products so I have heard at length a fair crossection of their products. Mine is a massive hybrid (Symbiosis SE) that is very good but doesn't quite shed the presence of the SS in the design. In a direct comparison to a VA350i (which I regrettably sold to a friend when my daughter was born...fear of burns and all) on my Odeon "La Boheme" horns, the KR was noticeably superior in resolution and the decoding of space. The tone was very similar and bass was drier with the NAT but not as textured. The KR won easily. The other NATs I have heard are all 211 or 805 based. I have heard the NAT SE-1 (two versions), the NAT Se2SE (2 versions), the NAT SE3 and the NAT Single integrated (805 tube). The 211 amps are very good with high resolution and slam. Not as "pretty" sounding perhaps as some others but you do get the sense you hear it all. I have only directly compared the "budget" NAT Single to the KR VA350i and again the KR won easily but the Single is not at the same level as the 211 based monoblocks. The best sounding of the bunch was probably the older version of the SE-1 followed by the older version of the Se2SE but all were quite close sonically. My friend was using first the NAT PLasma preamp and later NAT Utopia. It is important to note that he later switched to KR Audio.
KeithR
Active member
Which 211 and 845 tubes were your favs ?
there seems to be more 845 tube amps on the market these days. 211s pretty rare.
Agree with something like the mb450 / mb750.
The Siegfried's are very fast and expensive.
The airtight integrated 300b 9w amp was way superior to my ears compared to the the Audionote 9w integrated on a trio with bass horns set up. The Airtight was better on all aspects of tone, soundstage, dynamics, transparency, imaging. The AG 150w class A monos were better than the Airtight only on controlling the bass, as expected. Biamping or using a more power Airtight should take care of that. There were 5 of us in the room all who agreed with that.
Demo music was opera and orchestral, heard Mahler 2 longest during an audition
Demo music was opera and orchestral, heard Mahler 2 longest during an audition