KT150 in ARC Ref 75/150/250 amps ? .....

joeinid

joeinid

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Have there been any updates on using KT150 in these amps?
 
Joe
The person is Joe Ling. He tried using the kt150. When he installed them, he heard a loud !!!POP!!! and immediately ended his experiment with the kt150's. He said it could have been a bad tube, but he decided not to press his luck. Luckily there was no damage to his Ref 250's.
 
Joe...I would not try them until ARC ok's their use. The circuit design, transformer windings, etc...are all optimized for the KT-120s. My guess is ARC is already testing the KT-150 out and it may or may not be a drop-in replacement for the KT-120 in their current amps.
 
cmalak said:
Joe...I would not try them until ARC ok's their use. The circuit design, transformer windings, etc...are all optimized for the KT-120s. My guess is ARC is already testing the KT-150 out and it may or may not be a drop-in replacement for the KT-120 in their current amps.
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Correct you are Cyril.
 
Thanks guys. I saw that and figured not to even think about it. From what I gather, KT150 are wonderful sounding tubes. I hope they can/will work in my ART monos but will not do anything until proper testing and a go ahead from CJ.

:)
 
But those 150 easter-eggs sure look cool. It'll be interesting to see if they end up replacing the 120's in different manufacturers' products.
 
They seem to be getting more and more popular.
 
Thanks Bob. I'm going back to basics and loving the sound. I can't wait.
 
I don't know about ARC amps but I have been using KT-120's in my old Ray Lumley M-100 mono blocks. They came with KT-88 tubes but I kept having them blow so I decided to try KT-120 and all has been well so far. I don't think the new KT-88's are as rugged as they used to be. I kept track of the temperature of the transformers in each amp with a heat probe and didn't notice any significant change from when I was using the KT-88's. I guess the filament heater windings are up to the task.

I don't think I'll press my luck with KT-150's, the tranny's are too hard to replace. If I had ARC amps, I would probably would wait until I knew it was safe to use them.
 
I think the KT-120 and KT-150 tubes just may be game changers in terms of improving the sound of all amps that can use them as well as tightening up the bottom two octaves of bass and giving us the type of bass that we didn't think tubes were capable of. I first heard this for myself with the ARC VS115 that I previously owned that had the KT-120 tubes installed. I did a review of the Raven Audio Silhouette Reference monoblock amps for PFO that used four KT-150s per side and I was very impressed with this tube. Raven had sent me two quads of NOS Tung Sol 6550s to try as well (and I mean the real ones, not the modern day Russian version) and I much preferred the KT-150 tubes overall. I just bought an ARC REF 75 which was designed for the KT-120 tube vice being compatible with the KT-120 and I really like it.
 
mep said:
I think the KT-120 and KT-150 tubes just may be game changers in terms of improving the sound of all amps that can use them as well as tightening up the bottom two octaves of bass and giving us the type of bass that we didn't think tubes were capable of. I first heard this for myself with the ARC VS115 that I previously owned that had the KT-120 tubes installed. I did a review of the Raven Audio Silhouette Reference monoblock amps for PFO that used four KT-150s per side and I was very impressed with this tube. Raven had sent me two quads of NOS Tung Sol 6550s to try as well (and I mean the real ones, not the modern day Russian version) and I much preferred the KT-150 tubes overall. I just bought an ARC REF 75 which was designed for the KT-120 tube vice being compatible with the KT-120 and I really like it.
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Well my KT150s are arriving today and I will be putting them into my REF75. I know there a those who are using this tube, including the designer of my speaker Carl from Nola and swear by it in the REF75.

I think ARC showing their Gallileo line with the KT150s are a good sign of where they are headed.
 
Priaptor said:
Well my KT150s are arriving today and I will be putting them into my REF75. I know there a those who are using this tube, including the designer of my speaker Carl from Nola and swear by it in the REF75.

I think ARC showing their Gallileo line with the KT150s are a good sign of where they are headed.
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Any KT150 update? Did your amp blew up? :skeptical:
 
So it seems like ARC is testing out the KT-150 in current production amps and as Priaptor mentioned they are designed into the new G Series amps. From what I understand they are quietly sanctioning current production amp owners (Ref 75/250/750) to try out the KT150s, although ARC is not yet selling the KT150s directly (which comes with there extensive tube testing and quality assurance process). I sent in an enquiry about using the KT150 in my Ref 110s (1 generation old at this point...predecessor to the Ref 150) and am waiting to hear if they have tried them out in that amp and if it's ok as a drop-in replacement with same bias settings (I believe 65mA).

For those interested, here is a link to Audio Research's first newsletter (there will be 3 a year) in which they talk about the KT150, the new G Series, and profile/interview their chief listener, Warren Gehl: http://www.audioresearch.com/Content...volume 1.pdf
 
Priaptor said:
Well my KT150s are arriving today and I will be putting them into my REF75. I know there a those who are using this tube, including the designer of my speaker Carl from Nola and swear by it in the REF75.

Hello Priaptor. You said the day June 4, put their new 150 KT in his Ref 75. Could tell us how is the sound.
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nonesup said:
Priaptor said:
Well my KT150s are arriving today and I will be putting them into my REF75. I know there a those who are using this tube, including the designer of my speaker Carl from Nola and swear by it in the REF75.

Hello Priaptor. You said the day June 4, put their new 150 KT in his Ref 75. Could tell us how is the sound.
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He spent some time talking about what he heard with the KT-150s over at WBF. I think you could safely say he is ga-ga over them.
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mep said:
nonesup said:
He spent some time talking about what he heard with the KT-150s over at WBF. I think you could safely say he is ga-ga over them.
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They are the best upgrade you will ever get for 350 bucks (assuming you are talking a REF75)!!

Just amazing. Listening to Mozart's String Quintets right now and all I can say is amazing. One of my favorites and I can say every album I play I am hearing stuff I have never heard before. The cello on this is frightening.

These tubes are highly recommended!
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Priaptor said:
mep said:
They are the best upgrade you will ever get for 350 bucks (assuming you are talking a REF75)!!

Just amazing. Listening to Mozart's String Quintets right now and all I can say is amazing. One of my favorites and I can say every album I play I am hearing stuff I have never heard before. The cello on this is frightening.

These tubes are highly recommended!
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Hi Priaptor.

Use you, 65 mv bias as KT 120?


Regards
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Albert Porter rolled KT150 in his ARC Ref250 last night and very happy with the results. He didn't even need to change the bias.
 
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