Inspired (no pun intended ) by answers in my other thread (300B Amps - Are they really the best? ), I came across Dennis Had's "Inspire" amps. I'm particularly interested in the 300B version. Of course, ordering from Germany is not that easy (tax, customs, repairs, etc.). Hence the question of who has had experience with the Dennis Had Inspire series? What to expect from it? I tried to find more information on them here on this forum, but I wasn‘t really successful.
I'm interested in the feedback as well. I've wondered mainly about the quality of parts (primarily transformers) as opposed to circuit design which I presume to be solid. The aesthetics/fit/finish look a little cheap including the knobs and switches but perhaps that's a way to keep the costs down with sound quality remaining high?
Already gave you my $0.02 in the other thread. For more reading and answers to your question check the inspire forum on audioaficionado.org. around 700 pages of dennis had info.
the volume knob is metal and actually feels very nice. Switches are solid too. You can change the knob easily too, should they bother you. Personally I am not fan of the gold faceplate or the burgundy color, but they are quality.
That amp just looks silly to me. The chassis is too small for 300b's, with all the tubes and tranformers jammed close together. It works for some of his other amps, but not this one. jeff
Had an Inspire EL84 amp once and sold it after I bought Magnepan 1.7 speakers since it was underpowered for those. One of the best sounding, trouble-free, quietest amps I've ever owned. Wish I had kept it!
Hi Jeff, thank you for your reply. Can you explain this a bit more in detail please? I‘m not a technical guy but obviously if it doesn‘t work it‘s of interest to me, since I don‘t want to invest in something that „doesn‘t work“. Why would this be the case? How do size and sound correlate in this case? Thanks a lot!
I like the look of this amp by the way. The color too! I find it very nice. @vinylkid58 : I thought about it again. There are also the amps from Decware, which are also rather small. Maybe even smaller (at least some models). Steve Deckert is also developing a 300B. I think he went with the larger board for this one (in comparison to his SE84UFO models).
Thank you. The question is, why is this necessary with 300B amps while it is not with other ones (not all certainly)?
Why is what necessary? Physical size? Same pieces for a 2a3 build size wise. 300b looks lopsided with too small a chassis.
Okay, so was the "works" from the post above just for looks? Then that's no problem for me, because as I said, I like the look of it. I thought it was a technical comment. Hence my query.
I believe that generally speaking, you need big beefy transformers if you truly want the highest quality. Also, the output transformer for an 8 watt 300b amp is going to be larger than that for an el84 or sv83 amp. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
having owned and currently own a DH designed Cary product I would not hesitate to purchase that amp if i were in the market.
I have had mine for about 2 years now. I like the looks. That is a personal decision. I also like the sound. I also have one of his KT-88's, and a similar Elekit 6L6 I made with my grandson, so yes, I like the SET/SEP sound. I use the amp in rotation with about five others, tube (PrimaLuna) SS (Moon) and even Class D. I have had no problems with my Inspire gear. I have used it with a number of speakers, etc. with good results. I have found that when used in a nearfield set-up, the 300 b-v is a clear winner. Even with Magnepan LRS (I know--not supposed to do that) in a nearfield set-up, it sounds better. To fill a room, it is happier with my Zu's. Recently, my Elekit crapped out (crack in a circut board I believe..tubes were to tight for it I suspect.) I was using it for my desktop rig. For fun I replaced it with the Inspire. It was very nice, of course (driving Totems). I don't know if current models do this, but mine came equipped with a 1/4-inch stereo jack powered off the 300 b's. It's a tight fit and required me to secure a flat plug adaptor. I did so, and plugged in. I've had a lot of headphone amps, and this is the nicest, most musical headphone amp I've ever had. I have not read of anyone doing this, although Dennis suggested it in the letter he sent. (The user guide had not been printed then.) It is just a nice, unadvertised extra you get with this otherwise delightful amplifier.
Is there anyone who owns a Dennis Had 2A3 amp? How does it sound? Also in comparison to (his) 300B amps?
Just traded my Dennis Had KT88 SEP amp for one of his 2a3/45 amps. I'll report back with a comparison to his 300b amp once I spent some quality time with it.
Mostly curiosity that drove the swap. Have a feeling the Pass xa25 will remain the main amp, but looking forward to vintage tube magic and Jazz. But, we'll see...
I was thinking about buying one of Dennis' KT88 amps but someone on this forum mentioned that single ended amp transformers need an air gap, and this necessarily results in a large transformer. I think the thread was discussing something else (probably the cost of single ended amps and not Dennis Had's products). Doing some online searches seemed to bear this out, and you can get a sense of the size of a transformer by how large it looks next to a tube. Needless to say, different amps have different sized transformers. Now, something to bear in mind is that I don't know what the heck I'm talking about. I'm not an engineer. I don't build amps. But the output transformers on these Inspire amps look positively wimpy. Is that cause for concern? I don't know. But I'll pay more and get something else if I decide to go down this path...unless someone can convince me that this is not cause for any concern. But the KT88 amp is 12 watts and Dennis seems to suggest (from what I remember) that it'll power speakers that are around 88dB. Hmm, I just don't know. Volume is obviously a key factor. I like the idea of rolling different kinds of tubes (that's fun), but the more I think of it, getting an amp made for one kind of tube seems like a better idea. The amp has a clear identity in terms of sound signature and every part of its build is going in that direction. An amp that takes 8 different kinds of tubes - maybe not so much.
Dennis uses custom designed airgap transformers. What he is currently building is his passion project/retirement hobby. He does not need to rely on this as a source of income thus does not need to cut corners for financial reasons. He has been building gear for over 60 years, so I trust he knows what transformers are best suited for his creations. Regarding tube rolling - He makes several other amps that are less flexible/more dedicated in that regard. Tube amps will always be influenced by the tubes used even within the same type (i.e. modern vs vintage 300b). Some more some less. That does not preclude a "house sound" though.
Yes, Dennis obviously knows what he's doing. But I'm sure if we got 10 amp builders together some would agree with his choices and others would not. If I could hear all 10 opinions (pro and con) I might have a chance to come to a conclusion I trust. But as a consumer that has very limited knowledge of how a tube amp should be made, I have to come to my own conclusions based on information I read or hear that I then try to interpret. I'm sure we've all heard how important transformers are. Bigger, beefier (especially in an SE amp) is better. So that's one of the things I have in mind as I look at what is on the market. I'm not really talking about a house sound. What I'm saying is that if I were to build an amp, I'd want it to excel at something. I'd want it to have a certain sonic character. Based on that, I'd choose the right tube to build around - the tube that has the sonic traits I am looking for - and then design the amp to get the best out of that tube. How does one do that if you can roll so many different tube types in a single amp? It may sound excellent and it would sure be fun to tube roll, but is the amp going to get the most out of any of the tubes it runs? I would guess not. I don't mean to disparage Dennis' creations. There are pros and cons with everything, and as long as people like the sound these amps produce and they are reliable then they are totally worthy. I'm just putting out a couple of questions/concerns I have as someone who may consider buying a tube amp at some point in the next five years.
All valid thoughts. In the end YOU need to trust the builder you pick and be happy with their design you choose. There is also a 700+ page thread on audioaficionado (you may already know this). Some of the posters there collaborate with Dennis. You might be able to get or find some of your questions answered there straight from the source.
