wyetech x supratek?

I have the Jade and Cabernet Dual. Considering that the Jade is $3,800 and the Cabernet $8,000, you can already guess how the comparison ended. Where the Supratek pulls ahead is in the "intangibles" - 3D space, organic continuousness... whatever snazzy words you want to make up to describe a very obvious "something" that's not frequency-response related, not really tone related, not really dynamically related etc.

On the usual laundry list, the Jade is probably as good as they come - very quiet, very wide bandwidth, built like a tank, linear, low distortion ... the works. If you could level one tiny criticism, it might be that it's perhaps slightly on the dry or lean side for valve aficionados.

That's where the Supratek pulls ahead. It adds that "elegance" without going voluptuous, that "flow and waft'n'wane" thing that you'll notice easily yet when asked to explain what exactly makes it so will leave you at a loss.

Some people call that $4,000 difference "the magic". It kinda tells it all without being very specific. And it's bloody hard to be very specific which is why I call those extra qualities the intangibles.

Not sure this helps but since I have both machines and use 'em both, I thought I'd chime in -:)

I'm very happy with both and for the money, think that the Jade is a slam dunk. If you can afford double and understand the law of diminishing returns, then the Cabernet Dual is the next step. It's pretty small in the objective sense but pretty big in the subjective...

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 30, 2006 at 06:42:57

High-end Dreamer
Audiophile

Posts: 1702
Joined: April 13, 2000

Have you heard the Opal linestage at length...? If so, I'm curious as to how you think it stacks up vs. the pre's mentioned above, or other top pre's.

Mike

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 30, 2006 at 10:24:16
Srajan Ebaen Reviewer Posts: 462 Joined: June 18, 2005	The Jade is the one I have long-term experience with now and how Wyetech's dearer models would compare to the Supratek I don't know -:)

*Best descrition of intangibles* and the law of diminishing returns I've ever read!-NT, posted on October 30, 2006 at 11:46:44**
lancelot Audiophile Posts: 1722 Joined: March 23, 2001	NT

*Re: Best description of intangibles* and the law of diminishing returns I've ever read!-NT, posted on October 30, 2006 at 11:50:09**
lancelot Audiophile Posts: 1722 Joined: March 23, 2001	NT

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 30, 2006 at 12:57:11

morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9356
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005

You also reviewed the Pearl, which is a closer price competitor. I too have reviewed the Pearl and found it to have attributes quite similar to what you describe in the Jade. To my ears it was missing some real richness (as in; its on the recording and just isn't quite getting off of it) that I found was better with some other preamps of similar or higher price. Do you find the Jade and Pearl to be virtually indistinguishable in their sound thus making the Jade a much better value?

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 30, 2006 at 21:31:01

Srajan Ebaen
Reviewer

Posts: 462
Joined: June 18, 2005

The Jade I ordered well past the Pearl review. The Supratek wasn't in house when the Pearl was here and my system has changed rooms since and other components so there's no way I can predict how the Pearl/Supratek comparo would shake out now, with the Jade present as well. I never had the Pearl and Jade in house at the same time -:)

Here's a sneak at a new preamp that has SOTA ambitions as well - just to throw in some weapons of mass destruction - er, crass distraction.

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 31, 2006 at 02:52:42

morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9356
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005

Well its nice to see that they cornered the market on power transformers!! I have never seen so many in any audio product. The whole power supply also looks very ambitious. A long way from the simplicity I saw in the Kondo M7. Do you have this now for review? This company also makes a quite good OTL amp and if you haven't heard an OTL amp in your system yet then you haven't heard speed and resolution from a tube amp.

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 31, 2006 at 03:17:12

Srajan Ebaen
Reviewer

Posts: 462
Joined: June 18, 2005

I'm working on something Crofty but we're still sorting out exactly what -:)

I have heard OTLs and while I can appreciate their speed, I prefer a bit more harmonics and weight on my beef. Plus, the tube forest on fire concept isn't my idea of a good time, heat-wise. Alas, Croft now makes their TransValve hybrids which use 6SN7 inputs into single pairs of p/p MOSFETs in a very simple zero feedback circuit claimed to do the OTL thing with real drive into low impedances for a change... now that just could be the shit, couldn't it?

And yes, this new Absolut 1 preamp does rather go iron all the way...

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 31, 2006 at 05:19:37

morricab
Distributor or Rep

Posts: 9356
Location: switzerland
Joined: April 1, 2005

Sounds a lot like my Sphinx amp, also a zero feedback, hybrid. You are right about the hot amps though. It was the main reason I sold off my Silvaweld OTLs. However; they were not at all lean, they were very very right actually.

I have heard the same thing from the Einstein and Joule Electra OTLs. All of these OTLs (including the Silvawelds I had) were using the 6C33C tubes and the trick there is that if you have enough of them you don't need any negative feedback or at least quite a small amount. Some of the older OTLs required pretty large amounts of negative feedback for low output impedance (something the 6C33C fixes nicely) and also for stability (something that has been addressed by clever thinking since Futterman) and could be a reason for that leanness you heard. However; the transparency is also spooky good and it makes you realize how much the transformer is affecting the sound. For sure it depends on the implementation. I remember hearing that the Tenor amps were also the real deal (again 6C33C tubes) but alas, I never got to hear them.

Try to get your hands on a Joule Electra or Einstein (maybe easier in Cyprus) and you will see that leanness isn't really in their vocabulary.

One other one that SHOULD interest you is from Transcendent Sound. They actually make a SINGLE ENDED OTL amp!! A pair, bridged for mono puts out around 4 watts.
http://www.transcendentsound.com/single ended.htm

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on October 31, 2006 at 05:44:41

Srajan Ebaen
Reviewer

Posts: 462
Joined: June 18, 2005

Lots of good stuff to explore, isn't there?

Yeah, heat isn't one thing I need around here. However, Croft's Cypher OTL is only 5 watts and uses a minimum of output glass, all inside a regular size case. Again, I don't know what they have in mind sending over. We'll see when it gets here. I'd assume it'd be their newest stuff which would be the TwinStar amp line.

If a pair of p/p MOSFETS direct-coupled to the speakers (no coupling caps, nothing) can mimick OTL direct-coupling while being flavored with a pair of small-signal valves on the front end... it sure sounds appealing on paper...

Srajan: are you slated to receive the integrated from AMR?, posted on October 31, 2006 at 09:34:22

enzo

The AM-77 uses 5687s in the class A, zero NFB preamp stage, and bipolars for outputs using some kinda "feed-forward" correction...

Rumor has it you'll be reviewing it??

Re: wyetech x supratek?, posted on November 1, 2006 at 08:30:59

kgturner
Audiophile

Posts: 537
Location: 36695
Joined: February 15, 2003

george:

haven't heard the wyetch. i own a chardonnay and intend to upgrade to the cabernet. i just wanted to post and let you know that mick has updated his site and is now selling the dual cabernet at $5k instead of the $8k mentioned by srajan. from the site, it appears the new dual is different from the review version in that it is two preamps in one or can be combined for biamping. one preamp circuit uses a 6SN7 / 101D configuration. the other circuit uses a 6SN7 / 6H30 configuration. i have no idea how it sounds, but i do plan to order one around july of 2007.

kevin t

Amp/Preamp Asylum

wyetech x supratek?

201.8.252.178