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Does anyone have any experience of hybrid valve and solid state power amps?

Hi guys

I ask this question because I recently had a listen to a JE Audio Dyad S400 power amp. I was very impressed by its performance, but, correct me if I'm wrong there don't seem to be many hybrids around, or are there?


What are your thoughts on how they compare to other designs?

bazb
pwhinson
158 posts
 
I’ve had both an Aesthetix Calypso and then a new Aesthetix Janus driving an Atlas with very good results on Thiel 2.4s. I am contemplating selling the Atlas...its a beast which at age 60 I'm tired of wrestling...so I had been looking to Bel Canto but was disappointed in the Ref 600s I trialed for a week. That led me back to solid state gear. At the moment I am utterly shocked that I’m liking the Bryston cubed amps which are sweet an delicate completely UNLIKE what I experienced a few years ago with the Bryston Squared series which I hated...very very harsh and metallic upper midrange. I’m also seeking to somehow trial a Pass Amp.  Both of which of course would just put be back into another 100 pounds amp but I'm looking for bullet proof and I think both the Bryston and Pass products are pretty much that.  But back to your question the hybrid tube front-end with the solid state driver stage on the Atlas was a very very good design involving Jim White. The amp has absolutely top quality parts and some innovative engineering in it. Consider an Atlas. It has not been trouble free though ... its in California right now getting a new board that developed a short. It will come back good as new to Atlanta soon I hope.  I may or may not sell it.  Still pondering.
tomcarr
1,504 posts
 
I love my Vincent SP-331 with Vandy 2Cs
whitecap
120 posts
 
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roberjerman
4,319 posts
 
+1 For NYAL Moscode 150! Designed by George Kaye. A four-tube front end driving a set of 4 MOSFETs per channel. Also available: the 300 and 600 (150 WPC and 300 WPC). 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 

Most hybrid amps have a valve input stage and solid state output. Roger Modjeski instead went with a bipolar input stage and valve driver and outputs stages in his Music Reference RM-200 amp. It’s a great amp (100w/ch, from only a pair of KT88 or 6550 tubes per!), residing in Stereophile’s Class A/Tube category for many years, where it is by a wide margin the lowest priced amp. Unique for a valve output-stage amp, it puts out more power at 4 ohms than at 8 (1, 2, 4, and 8 ohms taps provide. 1 and 2 ohms in a tube amp?!)) and has an unusually low output impedance for a valve amp, resulting in a more even frequency response than typical.

A well-kept secret (it’s not expensive or fashionable enough?), Music Reference having few dealers, doing no advertising, and infrequently reviewed (just like Eminent Technology products, designed by the great designer/engineer Bruce Thigpen). Modjeski (and Thigpen) has no interest in playing the frequent model-revision (one change to the amp in twenty years, now in Mk.2 guise), endless-update marketing game. His amps are keepers, rarely coming up for sale used. Buy one and concentrate on your music.

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