Hey Everybody,
Now that my review on Elfberht's has been posted I want to share some information on my experience with amplifiers driving them, along with the DI/DI SE's.
1) My favorite combo (s) on the DI/DI SE's are the LTA Micro-ZOTL / Triode Lab SET 2A3, retails for $3,900.00 and LTA Micro-ZOTL/ AricAudio SET KT-88, retails for $2,100.00. The 2A3 amplifier gives you a touch, and I do mean just a touch, more warmth and "meat on the bones" in the mid-range then the SET KT-88, which still has just a beautiful tonality in this very important frequency range, but Aric's SET KT-88 bests it in overall macro-dynamics and bass extension/control. If you only listen to acoustic music you will be thrilled with the 2A3 amplifier; however, if you listen to all kinds of music (rock, blues, heavy metal, big music pieces) along with acoustic jazz then I would recommend the SET KT-88 amplifier.
2) When I took the ZOTL/2A3 combo to power the Ulf's I still loved the tonality/colors, and image density. However there was a problem with the spatial dimensions regarding that the music seemed to be coming from just in front of speakers and lacking depth/width. The Ulf's did not do the magical disappearing act like its smaller siblings easily do. However, when I put the AricAudio SET KT-88 amplifier in the system I still got the great purity of tonality, 3D imaging of a SET design and then these big son of a gun speakers vanished in to a giant realistic layered sound-stage like a small reference level two way monitor does!
3) The only other SET amplifier that I auditioned that produced about the same level of performance across the board as Aric's SET KT-88 was a pair of SET 300b mono-blocks that retail for $9,000.00. To tube this amplifier "the right way" to get to this level of performance with NOS tubes, which I have in my own personal collection, would about another $1,500.00 for the pair. In Aric's amplifier to get great performance a pair of NOS RCA black plate triple mica 5751's, along with a pair of JJ Blue glass KT-88's comes out to about $200.00.
AS I stated on this thread already we have another Aric who goes on my short list of creative designers building high quality, great performing gear at such reasonable prices.
Now that my review on Elfberht's has been posted I want to share some information on my experience with amplifiers driving them, along with the DI/DI SE's.
1) My favorite combo (s) on the DI/DI SE's are the LTA Micro-ZOTL / Triode Lab SET 2A3, retails for $3,900.00 and LTA Micro-ZOTL/ AricAudio SET KT-88, retails for $2,100.00. The 2A3 amplifier gives you a touch, and I do mean just a touch, more warmth and "meat on the bones" in the mid-range then the SET KT-88, which still has just a beautiful tonality in this very important frequency range, but Aric's SET KT-88 bests it in overall macro-dynamics and bass extension/control. If you only listen to acoustic music you will be thrilled with the 2A3 amplifier; however, if you listen to all kinds of music (rock, blues, heavy metal, big music pieces) along with acoustic jazz then I would recommend the SET KT-88 amplifier.
2) When I took the ZOTL/2A3 combo to power the Ulf's I still loved the tonality/colors, and image density. However there was a problem with the spatial dimensions regarding that the music seemed to be coming from just in front of speakers and lacking depth/width. The Ulf's did not do the magical disappearing act like its smaller siblings easily do. However, when I put the AricAudio SET KT-88 amplifier in the system I still got the great purity of tonality, 3D imaging of a SET design and then these big son of a gun speakers vanished in to a giant realistic layered sound-stage like a small reference level two way monitor does!
3) The only other SET amplifier that I auditioned that produced about the same level of performance across the board as Aric's SET KT-88 was a pair of SET 300b mono-blocks that retail for $9,000.00. To tube this amplifier "the right way" to get to this level of performance with NOS tubes, which I have in my own personal collection, would about another $1,500.00 for the pair. In Aric's amplifier to get great performance a pair of NOS RCA black plate triple mica 5751's, along with a pair of JJ Blue glass KT-88's comes out to about $200.00.
AS I stated on this thread already we have another Aric who goes on my short list of creative designers building high quality, great performing gear at such reasonable prices.