First Watt amps

the professor

the professor

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I realize that this isn't the First Watt forum but it was hinted to me that I ask here anyway.

Has anybody had much experience with any of the First Watt amps? Now that I have the Devore O/96s ordered, i'm researching amps, and I keep seeing that these keep getting good comments here and there.

As I've been reading this afternoon the S-1 or S-2 especially look promising.
 
Well, you're certainly in the right impedance and sensitivity category. I'll see what I
can find out.
 
Awesome Nelson. Thank you in advance for any info you could provide Jock.
 
OK, so I took a good look at what Stereophile had to say, and in terms of
FW product I think the choice falls between the J2 and the SIT amps.

Apparently the speaker is a little less efficient than the manufacturer's claim
(I have never heard of one being more efficient) and this might point
toward the J2 as it has more power and gain. The SIT amps might bring that
extra bit of magic to the table, but you would be well off trying one first. The
SIT-1 has an adjustment which would help given the wide impedance swings, but
you can get some of that for less money with a SIT-2 and placing some resistance
in the range of 15 to 30 ohms across the speaker terminals. If you do that, get
several 5 or 10 watt values.

In any case, if you approach it with the ability to experiment a bit, I think it will
work out.

np
 
thanks you for your thoughts. it helps a lot. I'm definitely thinking of this system as an experiment and a learning experience for lower powered audio. it will be another month or so before I get the speakers and then "Let the fun begin"
 
I will be interested in what you end up with and how it sounds. I love the Pass B-1 preamp I built and I just bought a used F4 that I am excited to hear with my Decware preamp and Zu Omens. Maybe we should start a FirstWatt forum, there are so many interesting ideas represented in those creations.
 
OK aside from the fact that I chose the wrong time of year to feature a class A amp in my setup (!), I am enjoying the sound of the F4 very much. The decware SET tube preamp (adjustable gain) is a good match. There is a tone density and richness along with clarity that seems right whatever the material. Srajan at 6 moons describes it as "relaxed ultra resolution" which expresses some of what I am hearing. I am not familiar enough with class A to know whether this is an F4-specific trait or normal for class A. For those unfamiliar, this amp has no voltage gain or feedback of its own, only current gain. Now to crank up the AC...
 
Good deal Ron. Glad you are happy. I've always wanted to hear the First Watt amps.
 
I had the pleasure to hear F5 it was just awesome if my speakers where more efficient I would have bought one.
 
^^ Jock...can you share, what you've driven your O/96s with?

These are HIGH, on my want-to-try list. My friend auditioned them, with an ARC VSi-75; and he said it was a glorious combo.

I know a lot of DeVore guys, love Line Magnetic. As for First Watt; I tried an M-2 once.

Man oh man; I had PMC OB1i at the time...and the M-2 didn't really have enough juice, to push them around. But it was sooo sweet-sounding. I'd try another one, in the right system...in a heartbeat!

As for it's better-dressed sibling; a Pass X250.5/8 or XA30.5/8 (or pair of XA60.5/8s, if I'm really lucky)...are "destination" pieces for me; in one rig anyway ;)
 
Not your classic match ups. When I got the O96s, my mission was to try SET and low wattage amps. I haven't gotten there

I've tried - D'Agostino - ARC REF 75 - Cary 211 FE - Macintosh 275 VI - Accuphase P6100

Not exactly low power :)

I would rate them best to worst:

Cary 211 FE (w WE replica tubes)
D'Agostino
MC275
Ref 75
Accuphase
 
the professor said:
Not your classic match ups. When I got the O96s, my mission was to try SET and low wattage amps. I haven't gotten there

I've tried - D'Agostino - ARC REF 75 - Cary 211 FE - Macintosh 275 VI - Accuphase P6100

Not exactly low power :)

I would rate them best to worst:

Cary 211 FE (w WE replica tubes)
D'Agostino
MC275
Ref 75
Accuphase
Click to expand...

Ref 75 didn't grab ya, huh?
 
Try Cary 805 AE. 845 or 211 SET with 300b driver tube.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I would at least give the F6 a try .. now that its close to being available / in production. I am waiting for the 6moons review, soon I hope .. the F5 went extinct way too quickly for the demand
 
It was good, but I liked the others better. It did a better job on the Magico Q1s I had.

I think part of the issue was, as good as it is as an amp. With the O96s, it's noise floor wasn't quite as low as some of the others and with the O96s efficiency, it was a distraction.

CDLehner said:
Ref 75 didn't grab ya, huh?
Click to expand...
 
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