What's likely to happen when an 845 tube fails?

213cobra, "most 300B amps have had too little discipline in the deep bass region to be usable on truly full-range speakers."

Although someone here recently disagreed vehemently with me on this point, I agree with Phil's comment.

Also, I might have heard the same 845 amp Phil uses at a Zu get together two months ago here on the East Coast, though I'm not sure.

Bob, I've been around the DeHavilland 845 monos you're considering, both at the local dealer who had it on display, and at the customer (our own Sbank) who wound up purchasing it. They're quite a competent, and I believe, well-engineered pair of amplifiers.

That said, I'm going to guess the amplifier is going to be used in powering your Fried C3/L-C4 satellites. Is that right or wrong? If it is those speakers, as we've discussed many times, you don't need very much at all to drive them, and low end isn't a concern in this instance. After yesterday, where I was at an old tube amplifier builder friend's workshop, and we drove an old pair of Dynaco A25 with a 2 wpc 45 SET amp, I'm more convinced about the Fried's requirements than I was before that. No matter what you go with, the Frieds will be more than fine.

Joe, correct, the 845's will only power my sats, running full range. It's amazing how much cleaner and extended bass is since Joel and I switched to the ScanSpeak's. Bass duties still relegated to powered subs(blended in around 50Hz).

I picked up a couple pairs of the rediculously priced Dueland Cast caps not long ago and am anxious to hear their effects. With only one cap and two inductors in the x-over, everything matters.

Joe, I forgot to mention, "Charlesdad" brought over his 8 wpc 300B Coincident Frankenstein's a while back. He wanted to hear them in my system with my MP-1 and I was glad to oblige.

Running only my sats(they're not really Fried's anymore so Joel and I refer to them as FrankenFried's), in my 28'x 22' great room with 11' ceiling, 8 watts was more than enough to fill the room at SPL's that were more than adequate and then some. Really nice amps!

Personally though, I'd still prefer a bit more power and control, thus my interest in the 845.

Bob, I think you've been considering the DeHavilland 845s for over a year, correct? Pull the trigger on those amps already!

As you heard, the true TL (though most don't know, Bud insisted TL was MOST critical for the mids, not the low end) Fried C sats do not need any more than an SET to drive them. And, for me, driving a loudspeaker means a minimum 95 dB at the listening chair without breaking a sweat.

The wonderful, surprising, and (to most people) impossible to believe thing about the series crossover Bud espoused is that you almost gain the ability to divorce yourself from the choice of amplifier. By that I mean, by varying the ZETA value, yet still keeping them first order in the truest sense of the word, you can make them sound as forward as a pair of Lumenwhites or as rich and luxurious as any Vandersteen. Or, looking at it from the amplifier perspective, as lively as Naim or as relaxed and liquid as a CJ. All of this, for the very miserly sum of a couple of caps and a coil. So, that's always a consideration in lieu of amplifiers if you seek to alter the sound down the road - after the DeHavilland 845s, of course.

PLEASE let us know what you think of the Dueland caps in those beauties when the time comes.

Hi Bob,
I just happen to come across this thread while browsing today. Bob I thought my Frankenstein MKII driving your speakers was quite exceptional sound in your large room. The combo filled the space and was very dynanmic,transparent with liquidity and just plain good musical pace and flow, nice match!

Bob I think you should purchase the 'lusted after' DeHavilland 845 amps,I`m certain they`d also make a superb match with your speakers.Before Arthur Salvatore got his Frankenstein amps he had stated much high regard for the Dehavilland SET amps.

It would be a lot of fun to compare(friendly of course) these two fine SET amps and note how they differ based on output tube and circuit.
Best Regards,