Coincident Frankenstein mk.2 amps

Hi Joe,
I understand, two terrific amplifiers with their own individual strengths, both excellent overall and can be enjoyed independently. I have a loaned First Watt S.I.T. special Nelson Pass designed D.I.Y. he did in push pull for additional power (40 watts). Pure class A and ultra simple circuit.

One of the best transistor amplifiers I’ve heard up to this point. Really good sounding top to bottom, quite impressive. In direct comparison the Frankenstein is more organic, reach out and touch tactile and palpable performers are more realistic. Both amplifiers are top tier however the Frankenstein at the end of the day is more emotionally engaging. The S.I.T. conveys emotion quite well but not to the same degree.

The solid state S.I.T. has very precise imagining placement and exceptionally good separation yet the Frankenstein is the more open and nuanced of the two. It’s a really interesting comparison of different topologies and design approach.

I can imagine how good your Pass Labs XA 30.8 must sound in your system.
Charles

To be candid 90 % of my music listening is jazz which is overwhelmingly acoustic instruments and human voice.  No doubt that this favors the innate qualities of a very good 300b SET amplifier. The Frankenstein is excellent with electric blues music,  I don't listen to much rock and roll. 
Charles 

Resurrecting an old thread as I just pulled the trigger on Frankensteins, mkIIIs.  I had the Dynamo mkIII with 300b tubes and I was truly blown away by it.  I contacted Israel about upgrading the 300bs and he convinced me to instead put the money toward the Frankensteins.  I would love to hear from @charles1dad  @snopro  @wkkim @germanboxers  about any additional impressions and if you still own them.  Thank you.

@charles1dad  which SIT amp did you compare the Frankensteins to?  I demoed a SIT-3 against my Dynamo and the Dynamo was superior in just about every way possible.  

Hi
Tswisla,
Congratulations on acquiring the Frankenstein MK III. I f Israel declares it an improvement of the MK II I believe him based on previous updated products from him. As you may know not every Coincident owner has been pleased with their encounters with Israel Blume even though they loved the performance of his products. I’ve enjoyed first rate treatment from him and I hope that your experiences with him are the same.

I’ve owned the Coincident Frankenstein MK II and Statement Line Stage for 10 years and as I’ve written before my joy and appreciation for them has actually grown. As long as you have an appropriate speaker match I can’t imagine that you’ll be anything but very happy with the Frankenstein. Its one of the most natural and pure sounding amplifiers I’ve ever heard. Outstanding rendering of vocal and instrumental tone/timbre/harmonic overtones. Again this assumes a proper matching speaker.

I didn’t hear the First Watt S.I.T.1 or 2. I heard the Nelson Pass D.I,Y. push pull version he designed for those desiring more power (about 35 watts per channel). I had a broken-in model in my system for several weeks. Excellent sound quality and really a terrific transistor power amplifier. Ultimately I preferred the Frankenstein. Just a bit more organic and emotional in its reproduction of music which increased the sense of realism for me. . However the push pull S.I.T. is a wonderful amplifier and would serve some systems better depending on the particular speakers in use.

As you know these preferences, SET,SS,OTL,Class D etc. are all subjective and influenced by individual circumstances and objectives. For my needs the Frankenstein has been superb and is my last amplifier.
Sincerely,
Charles