Thoughts on the First Watt SIT Amps

Charles1dad,

I want to avoid tubes for a few reasons.

1 they are inconvenient.
2 they are inefficient.
3 they are expensive to replace.
4 they are noisey.

But some tube amps & tubes do sound excellent. I am with you regarding the SET organic & holistic sound. I cannot seem to be able to beat my 2w amp for sonic bliss.

The systems that have lasted the longest & provided the most joy for me have been with tube power amplification. With all the new technologies and ideas that have come in the many years since the tube was invented, I find it hard to believe tubes have not been superseded in all areas.

As for luck finding an SS amp that's capable of such virtues? I have found absolutely none...yet.

Can the SIT be the start of this road? By the sound of it probably not (pardon the pun).

Why has no one got an SET a logarithm that comes on a chip? You plug it into a highly efficient amp stage with earth shattering spec and job done. You decide if you want a 45 mesh sound or a 300b or whatever to drive any speaker?

Come on its the 21st century. Do I really have to continue with this 100 year old glassware from an age of steam engines?

Charles1Dad-

I liked the SIT-2 very much, although wondered if it was a bit dynamically limited- above 92dbs or so I could hear it distorting in my room. It doesn't have tube decay, so is still a different sound than tube- but it has a very similar midrange to great SETs. I was really astonished by it's sound at times.

I ran it with a McIntosh C2300 tube preamp w/ NOS teles, so clearly not a DHT preamp. I really don't have interest in the monos as they don't increase power. Doesn't seem like anywhere worth 2x the $, bias adjustment or not. The gem of the line is the stereo version imo.

Keithr,
Thank you for your insight.
It seems Phil`s impression nailed the essential differences between the amplifiers and in the end it will boil down to taste and sonic vitues that are cherish most.Complete note substain-decay is a quality I won`t compromise, this loss is too significant in order to get bass a bit tighter or faster.It`s easy to understand the variance between Phil and Srajan.
Regards,

Chad,
Noise is`nt an issue in my system at all.With your 107db sensitive speakers(mine are 94 db) It could be. As to expense, yes my Takatsuki 300b pair is very expensive. Their perforformance is extraordinary! and I`d continue to buy them again in a heartbeat for the sheer joy and pleasure they provide. When SS amps equal this ability I`ll be very interested.

This thread has been very interesting and thought provoking. I believe the Frist Watt SIT amp is an exceptional product and genuine achievement. I also believe it will out perform many SET amplifiers,It all depends on one`s reference point and past SET amp exposure.There are noticeable quality/performance levels among these amps and a certain hierarchy is in place. Some SET amplifiers are indeed colored,slow,soft, too warm,rolled off etc, Others will demostrate supreme speed,openess,tone,dynamics etc.

My feeling is the true top tier SET amplifiers will out perform the SIT amp in certain vital areas of music reproduction and tactile realism- emotional connection. The SIT amps may have certain advantages in the 'hifi' realm/parameters i.e. image focus,transient speed,'tight' bass(perhaps less natural bass bloom or texture?).
Regards,