Budget SET or SEP recommendations?

A couple of things I've realized after a few weeks with the Inspire Fire Bottle: Now I'm chained to high efficiency speakers since (at least for now) I'm so smitten by the performance of the Had amp. I also realized it's not so easy to communicate with Had (2 exchanges so far, but my most recent query about the LP3-A preamp he'd mentioned was a couple of weeks ago and no response yet…if the LP3-A had remote volume I'd buy one) as it's over Ebay messaging only…I get that…also his amps are so rarely on the market they're almost Unobtanium, although maybe there are so few SE amp heads out there it doesn't matter.

Wolf_garcia, I wonder what's your opinion on the ASL amps?  Are they audio bling like the Yaqin or Dared or a step above?  

Much less expensive than all of the aforementioned amps is the little 5/15 wpc ASL MGsi15DT, the KT88 based SET/SEP amp is great sounding, dead quiet and very fun to listen to.  It's basically two different amps in one, when you listen in triode and pentode modes.   I had an early version without the bias meter.  Mine developed a little problem when listening in Pentode mode as it had a high pitched sound.  Replacing the KT88's didn't help and rather than getting it fixed, I sold it.....should have gotten it fixed, probably simple fix - it was a great sounding amp.  I don't see them come up for sale that often, but if you do, I'd jump on it, they can be had for less than $500

One of the writers from Listener magazine reviewed it and went on that SEP was sonically better than SET.  I once had an early Jeff Korneff 6bq5 that was wired in SEP and it was spectacular with great bass.....

Also, at a cost savings are some of the custom offerings from Jef Larsen and there's a guy in Toms River, NJ building SET amps that look interesting as well.  I'd bet that some of these custom amps are every bit as good sounding as some of these commercial amps.  Its a labor of love for these people and your not paying for the overhead of the larger companies....just my $.02 - a little more homebrewed looking, but some of them can be quite nice looking too....

Another Dennis Had Inspire Firebottle KT88 amp devotee. I have a small listening room 12 x 14. I have all the volume I need with volume at 10 o'clock. And I'm driving ML Theos! There's a youtube of same from another user with an Inspire amp/ML Theos combo. So much for being an amp only for highly sensitive speakers. It's not my first rodeo with small watt amps, especially those from Asia. I've owned a lot of gear. I'm happy with the Inspire amp and LP2 preamp. I bought both used, some 4 years back. The amp's a tube rollers dream, and musical as all get out. Hard to do better especially for being hand made in the USA, imho.

I have a Yamamoto A09 which is a 300b design,I have also owned the A08 and the A08s at the same time both were sold though recently.The build quality and sound is outstanding on all the Yamamoto amps but they are very hard to come by.

With that said I would look for one of the Dennis had amps,if you have the right speakers.

Interesting discussion!

Whitestix--Right now, for this "project" I have Omega 3 HO (listed at 97.5db) and S.E.T. Sophia Princess Model 2 (listed at 88db). Plus a hodgepodge of other bookshelf/monitor, unlikely to be "tube-friendly" (at least on paper). Not sure how I feel about el84s for my first go-round, just based on preconception from a couple of guitar amps.

Mikirob-agree. the 280/V12 is awesome.


I think, right now, if I was to pull the trigger, I’d be between the Fire Bottle, Dynamo, and still one of the Decwares. I didn’t make it all the way through what seemed like an endless discussion on another forum on the Inspire. 6sl7 in the Dynamo sound like fun. I have a few to play with from rolling around CAD211fe.