I'm in the seventh day of a 15 day in-home audition of the Moscode 401HR. George Kaye told me that amp would require 100 hours to open up to 90% of its potential. Thus far, it has just over 150 hours.
It is a very musical amp. Nice extension without edge or glare. The image is wide and solid. Bass goes nice and deep with good control, although not as crisp and slammin' as some purely SS amps or digital amps I have tried. In my room, the bass is more true to the music, and provides an excellent foundation without sounding out of balance with the rest of the frequency spectrum. In fact, the 401HR's bass is better than that from any tube amp I have heard at home.
The midrange and treble is silky like a good tube amp. It's not quite as holographic and magical as the midrange on my VAC Phi 110/110, but it's still very early in the burn-in process, and this area could very well improve. The VAC didn't develop its magic until hundreds of hours into the burn-in process.
What is terrfic about the Moscode is how easily the sound can be tailored with tube rolling. The changes I get rolling tubes in the 401HR are more immediate than any changes I have realized by rolling KT88 or 6SN7 tubes in the VAC (to the credit of the VAC). The stock Electro Harmonix and Sovtek tubes are quite capable, but rolling in some NOS 12AU7 or 6922 tubes makes a clear change for the better as the highs become sweeter and the image becomes more 3D. I have rolled Siemens E88CC, Mullard ECC82, Tungsram 12AU7, National 6DJ8 and RCA 5814A. The 12AU&/5814A present a slightly softer and larger image. Very, very nice. The 6DJ8/6922 create a punchier sound with a more coherent image, IMO, and they better define the edges of the instruments.
Yes, I would say the Moscode combines the best of both worlds, but it favors the best qualities of tube amps. I imagine someone walking into a room who was not familiar with the Moscode, and without seeing the amp, would guess the amplification was 100% tubes.
A very nice amplifier. I am absolutely enjoying my time with it.
It is a very musical amp. Nice extension without edge or glare. The image is wide and solid. Bass goes nice and deep with good control, although not as crisp and slammin' as some purely SS amps or digital amps I have tried. In my room, the bass is more true to the music, and provides an excellent foundation without sounding out of balance with the rest of the frequency spectrum. In fact, the 401HR's bass is better than that from any tube amp I have heard at home.
The midrange and treble is silky like a good tube amp. It's not quite as holographic and magical as the midrange on my VAC Phi 110/110, but it's still very early in the burn-in process, and this area could very well improve. The VAC didn't develop its magic until hundreds of hours into the burn-in process.
What is terrfic about the Moscode is how easily the sound can be tailored with tube rolling. The changes I get rolling tubes in the 401HR are more immediate than any changes I have realized by rolling KT88 or 6SN7 tubes in the VAC (to the credit of the VAC). The stock Electro Harmonix and Sovtek tubes are quite capable, but rolling in some NOS 12AU7 or 6922 tubes makes a clear change for the better as the highs become sweeter and the image becomes more 3D. I have rolled Siemens E88CC, Mullard ECC82, Tungsram 12AU7, National 6DJ8 and RCA 5814A. The 12AU&/5814A present a slightly softer and larger image. Very, very nice. The 6DJ8/6922 create a punchier sound with a more coherent image, IMO, and they better define the edges of the instruments.
Yes, I would say the Moscode combines the best of both worlds, but it favors the best qualities of tube amps. I imagine someone walking into a room who was not familiar with the Moscode, and without seeing the amp, would guess the amplification was 100% tubes.
A very nice amplifier. I am absolutely enjoying my time with it.