Most beautiful and exotic tube amp

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by audiorocks, Mar 17, 2018.

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  1. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
  2. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
  3. I'm partial to the Yamamoto amps. Nothing big and bruising, just meticulous Japanese craftsmanship.
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    Oddiofyl, Ezd, kessi and 10 others like this.
  4. moops

    moops Senior Member

    Location:
    Geebung, Australia
    Weston Acoustics - Artisan 300B

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  5. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I’ve seen these before and my first thought was if you need 40 Kt 88’s to drive your speakers, it’s time to look at getting a SS amp.

    My second thought, what good are those rack handles?
     
  6. beowulf

    beowulf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chula Vista, CA
  7. Gasman1003

    Gasman1003 Forum Diplomat.

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    [​IMG]

    Unison Research 845-Absolute
     
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  8. JackJD

    JackJD All I Want is the Truth...

    Location:
    PA

    Also makes exquisite audiophile espresso... :winkgrin:


    :wave:
     
    Mike from NYC, ggg71, ggergm and 12 others like this.
  9. First thing that came to my mind was WALL-E. :)
     
    Melvin and riverrat like this.
  10. JBryan

    JBryan Forum Resident

    Location:
    St Louis
    Joss' Electroluv amps are works of art... the best of audio porn in my book. Of course, I've never listened to anything out of his shop and he has a propensity to use tubes that set off geiger counters but its probably still worth any long-term radiation illness. The Yamamoto is also a favorite design - not so much as an 'exotic' but of its beautiful simplicity. I've had a couple of the 'moto 2A3/45-based amps and I wish I'd held on to at least one of 'em but friends kept talking me out of them.

    Way back in the '90s, Jeff Korneff built a 45-based amp that was pretty exotic for its time. It had a very straight-forward and retro look with gray hammer-tone chassis and red transformer bells - very 'cool' for the time and it was copied quite a bit (except for the gray/red bit). He used vintage Jensen and Sansui trannys that made the amp sound really nice as well. Along that line, I also like (another fella from PA) Fred Volt's Emotive Audio designs - especially the early ones. Very well designed with the best parts available though he kinda went 'eye-candy' when he started etching the top plates... still beautiful. There are others I like (Jadis, Thor, etc.) but they tend to look better than they sound and that takes them off my list.
     
  11. continuing the Yamamoto theme, a HA-02 headphone amp. Mine very rarely gets used now but it just looks so good that I can't bring myself to part with it. Purchased direct from Mr Yamamoto a few weeks after first release. An interesting experience completing the transaction using online translation, a bit of reading between the lines needed at times.
    Looks just as sweet under the hood.
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  12. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    To my eyes, it's a lot more exotic than beautiful...:biglaugh:
     
    IanL likes this.
  13. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Here are some exotics:

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    kessi, Aftermath, NOS300B and 15 others like this.
  14. John Buchanan

    John Buchanan I'm just a headphone kind of fellow. Stax Sigma

    Could we please have brand name and model numbers mentioned?
     
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  15. tiger roach

    tiger roach Forum Resident

    Wow! Steampunk audio.
     
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  16. beowulf

    beowulf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chula Vista, CA
    Dalby Audio Design UK I kind of cheated around the parameters of the OT's though as that is a 3 box preamp and not an amp ...
     
    John Buchanan likes this.
  17. beowulf

    beowulf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chula Vista, CA
    THÖRESS Puristic Audio Apparatus you can definitely see the German Klangfilm influences in these new interpretations.

    845 Mono Blocks:
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    It's what's on the inside that counts though ... does it get anymore obsessive than this?
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    Phono Enhancer:
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    Again the attention to detail ...
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  18. gd0

    gd0 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

    Location:
    Golden Gate
    If it's a 70s film, I'm thinking more like Young Frankenstein.
     
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  19. Erik Tracy

    Erik Tracy Meet me at the Green Dragon for an ale

    Location:
    San Diego, CA, USA
    Carver Statement KT120 monoblocks
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    Gobs of tube goodness.
     
    Manimal, billnunan and mktracy like this.
  20. AlmanacZinger

    AlmanacZinger Zingin'

    Location:
    The Land of Zaat
    I should've said 80s ala Return to Oz.
     
    gd0 likes this.
  21. Melvin

    Melvin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    Steam punk-o-rama! I love these.
     
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  22. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident

    Location:
    The West
    showtaper, mktracy and Benzion like this.
  23. PopularChuck

    PopularChuck Senior Member

    Location:
    Bay Area
    mustache wax not included
     
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  24. BigGame

    BigGame Forum Resident

  25. beowulf

    beowulf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chula Vista, CA
    Yep, Trafomatic Audio makes some really beautiful stuff IMO. Very classy looking ...

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