Thoughts on the First Watt SIT Amps

Phil,

You make quite valid points between the two versions of the amplifiers. Is your friend`s view of the SIT-2 amp the same as yours or is he happy with them in his system?

Does your friend plan to try the SIT-1 amps to see for himself?

Is he a former DHT SET amp owner?
Thanks,

Charles,

He did not keep the SIT-2 beyond the agreed trial, due to the traits I noted. He returned to tube amplification. I recall his comment being, "I'm done with solid state."

Phil

Upon rereading the 6moons review, it does not seem to argue that the SIT amps are a replacement for tubes as implied by Phil. The reviewer did state that

While this SIT platform does bridge transistors and tubes, it doesn't clone the latter. It remains distinctive. Depending on your triggers and their sequence and what music you fancy, you still might prefer valves.

I am seeking just a bit of that SET tube magic myself, so I still want to hear a few more views on these amps.

As I explained in the review, you can get better than SET performance from the SIT if you precede it with a single-stage DHT preamp. Those are rare critters but I listed a few models from Coincident, Jeffrey Jackson, Trafomatic and Wavelength. Now you hear a direct-heated triode in an ideal circumstance (no harmonic dilution from a driver tube, no massive turns ratio for the output transformer and the valve is driving a stable amplifier input impedance rather than reactive loudspeaker load), far better than the tube would sound in a multi-stage power amp. This combo of DHT/SIT goes places most SETs can only dream of. No noise. More bandwidth. More control in the bass. More resolution. More linear THD. And, the THD can be strategically shifted.

The SIT by itself doesn't sound like transformer-coupled tube amps at all. It's much more linear and far quicker and more open. If you reference an OTL however it gets much much closer...

Hello Srajan,
I thought you made these points clearly in your review. I believe also that phil heard what he so very clearly described. All this means to me is the two of you simply value different sonic attributes and as a result individual preference hierarchies will naturally exist.

I suspect my listening /sonic taste probably(even though I use a DHT single gain preamp) are more in line with phil(as those differences he heard the DHT SET excel matter most to me). As always horses for courses.Thankfully there are choices for nearly all taste.I`d still like to hear the SIT amps if the opprotunity arises.
Regards,