Budget SET or SEP recommendations?

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.

I have a lot of tubes hanging around and tried some "still OK after some use" KT150s in the Had amp, but found the supplied GL KT88s sounded better somehow. I have some barely used Sovtek 88s, Tung Sol 6550s and more GL 88s, and I did buy a backup Amperex 6SN7GTB…I've sent another query to Had regarding the LP-3a preamp, and can only guess when or if he'll respond. Ebay messaging…meh...

The fire amp is not going to be biased high enough to run kt150's or even kt120's unless you have the model made for kt150.You could probably change some resistor values and bias the 150's with the proper voltage.

Being a member of a local audio club I have heard almost all of Dennis's amps and I liked the el84 version the best if you have the right speakers,the kt88 is good too.

Kenny.