Trelja's new tube amplifiers - Granite 860.1

In the past month, I have purchased a pair of Granite 860.1 tube monoblock amplifiers for my main system, and could not be happier.

The first thing I would like to say is that I have absolutely no relationship to Granite whatsoever. Although, since buying these amplifiers, I have been in contact with Don Hoglund, and have developed an incredible amount of respect for the man. Don has built an American (VERY important to me) high end audio, which produces incredibly great sounding gear at prices I find extremely attractive. In the short time that I have gotten to know Don, I see that customer support, and service after the sale are two things that Granite goes out of its way on. These traits are actually followed through on, not just lip service.

I had purchased a Granite 657 tube CD player in the winter, as some will recall the CD players that have really impressed me most in my audio journey were the Audio Aero Capitole, Electrocompaniet, Granite 650, and YBA. Based on my pleasure with the 657, I decided to take the next step and try a pair of the 860.1 tube amplifiers.

One small anecdote I would like to share with everyone here before I get too deep into this is that while playing these amplifiers the morning after getting them, my wife asked if she could have them in her system! She was simply enchanted by the sonics. On top of that, the very manageable size and attractive cosmetics had turned her into an instant Granite fanatic. Within one song, she enthusiastically commented to me that she has never heard anything as special as what she was currently hearing. No matter what, when your wife gets bowled over by a purchase, you know something VERY different is going on.

Allow me to give a general introduction of the Granite 860.1 monoblock tube amplifiers. These amps are about half the width of a typical component, and their weight is also manageable. Side by side, a pair should fit nicely into a rack, presuming said rack is tall enough to accommodate their 9" height. Despite this, I can assure you that no corners have been cut whatsoever. The amplifiers look very attractive to me with their exposed tubes, covered transformers, polished stainless steel bodies, and acrylic matrix faceplates with the luxuriously relaxing cool blue Granite logo glowing soothingly bright.

These amplifiers are sure to please a very wide variety of individuals due to their myriad settings. They can operate in triode or pentode, and with varying amounts of feedback, from none at all to a moderate amount. Each setting is different enough that one will get the impression they just bought a stable of amplifiers, and can choose the one they feel suits them best. And, while the included tubes are the fantastic JJ KT88, tube rollers are sure to be in heaven. The amps can run 6L6, EL34, 6550, and KT90 as well. Don has definitely built the amps for the ultimate in ease as each tube is independently biased, mitigating the need for matched pairs.

Although I was told the amps were optimally set up to sound best, triode with no feedback, the curiousity in me drove me to try all of the possible combinations. In the end, it served nothing more than proving what I had been told. Operating the amps in triode with zero feedback produced the best sonics - alive, beatiful, sweet, incredible!

I had been warned that the Granite monos were not warm amps, but they were sweet. Interesting, I thought, but totally accurate. Theirs is not the lush, warm euphony a lot of tube amplifiers exhibit, masking over detail and excitement for ease of listening. No, these amps had as much detail as anyone would ever ask for, but there was something quite magical about the sound. I keep going back to the words sweet and beautiful when describing the Granites.

Anyone who has known me here for the past five years knows that, as opposed to the tubes themselves, I always harp on a tube amplifier's transformers. Let's face facts, the heart, soul, guts, and expense of a tube amplifier are its transfomers. What separates the good or not so good tube amplifiers from the great ones, the Air Tights, Audio Notes, BATs, Jadis, Lamms, and Thors of the world, are the transfomers. Add Granite to this very esteemed list.

Although Granite doesn't hype them much, my own opinion is that the secret weapon of these ampifiers are the transformers. First off, they are huge. Overspeced to be sure. These massive trannies are the reason I simply laugh when I read the amplifiers are rated at a mere 30 watts per channel in triode. The Granites are without a doubt the most powerful two EL34/KT88/6550/KT90 tube a side amplifiers I have ever encountered. Suffice it to say that they absolutely drive the pants off of my Coincident loudspeakers, sending their 10" woofers flapping around with authority - my own personal judge of an amplifier's bass response. A lot of amps require the owner to make the switch to pentode when the situation becomes demanding, not the Granites. You can run them in the pure, sweet, dimensional triode mode all the live long day.

A very interesting feature of these amplifiers are the integral Alps volume controls. This lends the capability of being able to run a line level source, such as a CD player, directly into the amps. The immediacy, clarity, refinement, dynamics, and slam I observe in this configuration flat out make me believe I may never use a preamp ever again in my life if I can help it.

I do not hesitate to say this is the best sound I have ever gotten from my system. Late night listening marathons are now once again a regular occurrence for me. They are simply a joy. While the sound includes everything I have outlined above, there is no listening fatigue whatsoever. I can listen all night, pulling out CD after CD after CD. Discs I have written off long ago not only become listenable but downright enjoyable for me.

From a service perspective, one major concern I had voiced to Don was that some in this field will not make the circuit diagram available to the consumer. While it would surely be nice if products didn't break or companies did not go out of business, but the reality is that both of these happen. As such, if the company dies, then the component dies, you may be stranded up the creek with no paddle. Don assured me this was no problem, and at that moment I knew I had found the company I would throw my full faith, allegiance, and support behind.

In short, I honestly believe I probably have just come into a lifetime purchase. The combination of wonderful sonics, outstanding value, American craftsmanship, a great company which stands behind them, and Don himself make me wonder why I have taken so long to find this path. I encourage anyone who is able, to give the Granite tube ampifiers an audition. I think you may just come away thinking they are one of the absurdly best buys in high end audio today, definitely reference level components for a quite modest pricetag. Granite is the type of company that leaves me confident that an American company can compete with the best from the rest of the world. The requirement being a young, agile, clear thinking, creative, passionate, smart company such as Granite. I recommend the Granite 860.1 monoblocks, and the Granite nameplate unconditionally at this point.

Enjoy,
Joe