KT150 amps

bzr said:
mep, only owned what came with the Mc2301's & rolled the genalex kt88's, in saying that, I'd still take the 150's over a genalex 88
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But those were the reissues and not real Genelex. The good thing is that we have a new output tube on the market that we can all buy at a very decent price and for that we should be grateful. The KT-150 is a great tube and I don't know if we have heard the full potential of this tube yet. The KT-150 is loafing in most of the circuits it's being used in to my knowledge which is great for tube life.
 
Mike said:
Bonzo - do you know if the Orthos XS has been designed for use with the KT150 or is it a KT120 amp where you can use KT150's?
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Not sure. I got the recommendation from Joel of 6moon when I visited him to listen to his Ypsilon Aelius 200w hybrids and Luxman m800 bridged (which I loved, also heard the B1000 bridged later) on Vivid Giya G1s. Other amps he likes includes Burmester, Chord, Spectral, Vitus in SS. He prefers to have SS power and tube pre (coincident in his case), but likes the Ayon Orthos.

This is the review - just noticed this was with his older Vivid B1s, before he got his Giya G1s, but he had the Luxmans then as well.

As far as I can tell, he doesn't say anything about replacing valves, so they seem to have come with KT150 from the factory

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/ayon8/3.html
 
mep said:
I prefer the KT-120 over the current crop of KT-88 tubes being made today (and no, I don't claim that I have heard them all). I also prefer the KT-150 over the KT-120. The original KT-88 tubes built by Genelex and using several names with the most famous being the Gold Lion name are in a league of their own. These KT-88s are beautiful sounding from top to bottom. Speaking of bottom, they also have the best bass I have ever heard from a vacuum tube until the KT-150 came out. If you have a tube amp that was designed for KT-88s and you have the resources to chase down and procure some pristine Gold Lion KT-88 tubes, you owe it to yourself to have the experience.

As for generalities, the real (meaning original) KT-66 and KT-88 tubes were and are great sounding tubes and I think we need to separate those out from the pretenders being manufactured today. I have yet to hear a modern day KT-88 tube that sounds great. Not Sovtek, "Gold Lion," or SED. I never tried the Chinese fire cracker versions.

The KT-120s sound better to me than the KT-88 tubes being made now that I have tried. The KT-150 is in yet another league from the KT-120 in my opinion. Removing the KT-120 tubes from my Ref 75 and installing the KT-150s was like upgrading the amp.
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The original Genalex KT88s are impossible to find. There may be a few left in private collections but I haven't seen any for sale and buying a single tube is not much chop.

McIntosh should rub shoulders with ARC some and help them build a bigger successor to the MC2301.
 
mep said:
I prefer the KT-120 over the current crop of KT-88 tubes being made today (and no, I don't claim that I have heard them all). I also prefer the KT-150 over the KT-120. The original KT-88 tubes built by Genelex and using several names with the most famous being the Gold Lion name are in a league of their own. These KT-88s are beautiful sounding from top to bottom. Speaking of bottom, they also have the best bass I have ever heard from a vacuum tube until the KT-150 came out. If you have a tube amp that was designed for KT-88s and you have the resources to chase down and procure some pristine Gold Lion KT-88 tubes, you owe it to yourself to have the experience.

As for generalities, the real (meaning original) KT-66 and KT-88 tubes were and are great sounding tubes and I think we need to separate those out from the pretenders being manufactured today. I have yet to hear a modern day KT-88 tube that sounds great. Not Sovtek, "Gold Lion," or SED. I never tried the Chinese fire cracker versions.

The KT-120s sound better to me than the KT-88 tubes being made now that I have tried. The KT-150 is in yet another league from the KT-120 in my opinion. Removing the KT-120 tubes from my Ref 75 and installing the KT-150s was like upgrading the amp.
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You should try the ValveArts, Black Treasures, KR Audios, or EATs of the world next time you have a KT88 amp. Quite a nice variety in KT88-land.

I've always found the KT120 tube to have some grain historically. The KT150 didn't seem to have that grain when I heard the ARC 250s at Albert Porter's house.
 
KeithR said:
You should try the ValveArts, Black Treasures, KR Audios, or EATs of the world next time you have a KT88 amp. Quite a nice variety in KT88-land.

I've always found the KT120 tube to have some grain historically. The KT150 didn't seem to have that grain when I heard the ARC 250s at Albert Porter's house.
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Keith - has Albert all but done away with his Allnic gear?
 
KeithR said:
You should try the ValveArts, Black Treasures, KR Audios, or EATs of the world next time you have a KT88 amp. Quite a nice variety in KT88-land.

I've always found the KT120 tube to have some grain historically. The KT150 didn't seem to have that grain when I heard the ARC 250s at Albert Porter's house.
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Nope. The KT-150s are certified Gluten Free.
 
I wonder why were aren't seeing more use of that tube (amps built specifically for the KT150). It's been out since 2014. I spoke to one engineer who told me that when the tube is first turned on it's fine, but 20 minutes later there can be up to a 30% difference in measurements (bias, etc.) between two identical KT150's.

Now, I could be wrong, but doesn't ARC use one tube to bias against the other???
 
Mike said:
I wonder why were aren't seeing more use of that tube (amps built specifically for the KT150). It's been out since 2014. I spoke to one engineer who told me that when the tube is first turned on it's fine, but 20 minutes later there can be up to a 30% difference in measurements (bias, etc.) between two identical KT150's.

Now, I could be wrong, but doesn't ARC use one tube to bias against the other???
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I keep hearing that. I have the Ref 75 and I can only go by the bias meter and the two pots for setting the bias for each push-pull set. I would like to think there isn't a large discrepancy in bias current when each tube is measuring the same on the bias meter.
 
mep said:
I keep hearing that. I have the Ref 75 and I can only go by the bias meter and the two pots for setting the bias for each push-pull set. I would like to think there isn't a large discrepancy in bias current when each tube is measuring the same on the bias meter.
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Me too with a Ref75. One thing I noticed is the 150s hold their bias better than the 120s I had. 120s were original ARC-supplied and supposedly matched closely. The 150s are from a tube store. The 120s would always drift a little. Not much but a little. They had plenty of life left in them so they were not worn out. The 150s keep measuring spot-on from their last setting. I always wait for at least an hour of music playing before I check.
 
Dizzie said:
Me too with a Ref75. One thing I noticed is the 150s hold their bias better than the 120s I had. 120s were original ARC-supplied and supposedly matched closely. The 150s are from a tube store. The 120s would always drift a little. Not much but a little. They had plenty of life left in them so they were not worn out. The 150s keep measuring spot-on from their last setting. I always wait for at least an hour of music playing before I check.
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Dizzie - this is what I'm hearing from other users of KT150 amps too. Joe for example said the KT150's in his Jolida are bang on bias.

Makes me wonder what the facts are. Was there just a bad batch somewhere?

But again, why aren't we seeing more KT150 amps? My GUESS is that manufacturers are very cautious when dealing with a "sole source"....or with tubes, is that "soul source" ;)
 
Mike said:
Dizzie - this is what I'm hearing from other users of KT150 amps too. Joe for example said the KT150's in his Jolida are bang on bias.

Makes me wonder what the facts are. Was there just a bad batch somewhere?

But again, why aren't we seeing more KT150 amps? My GUESS is that manufacturers are very cautious when dealing with a "sole source"....or with tubes, is that "soul source" ;)
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Mike, It should be noted that the Ref75 was not designed for KT150s but I am still getting spot-on bias holding. Maybe other amps not originally designed for KT150s won't hold the bias as well.
 
I have had zero issues biasing my KT-150s or keeping them biased spot-on in my Ref 75.
 
I noticed Mike mentioned the Rogers 200. I have one and love it.Self biasing. I think it's the best sounding all around amp I've yet to own. Built in the U.S.A. with a lifetime warranty. Roger is a great guy. I spoke with him recently, and he mentioned a minor upgrade on the amp in the last few months. He did the upgrade free of charge. That's great customer service….
 
Sonically how would a 6c33c tube stack up against kt150 in a similarly well designed circuit ?

Secondly why aren't there more SET amps based on kt120 and kt150 ? It should be able to provide healthy power while keeping the musical qualities of single ended amps.
 
Pani said:
Sonically how would a 6c33c tube stack up against kt150 in a similarly well designed circuit ?

Secondly why aren't there more SET amps based on kt120 and kt150 ? It should be able to provide healthy power while keeping the musical qualities of single ended amps.
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Because they aren't triodes.
 
But they can be used in triode mode and single ended too. Unison research has done it with kt88
 
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