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Model: | Latino ST-70 kit |
Category: | Amplifier (Tube) |
Suggested Retail Price: | $875 |
Description: | Updated kit built Dynaco ST-70 power tube amp |
Manufacturer URL: | VTA |
Model Picture: | View |
Review by airtime on October 21, 2015 at 08:53:18 IP Address: 73.226.116.199 | Add Your Review for the Latino ST-70 kit |
Remember that feeling when you audition a stereo that just nails it and hits all the right spots. Well I have been trying to write a review on this amp for six weeks without sounding like a sales pitch. This is my third and final draft so here it goes.
Let me first start with the designer Bob Latino. One HECK of a nice guy that is willing to give you all the help you need. I personally did not run into any problems. But Bob was there. He offered his phone number and answered emails within hours. If you decide to build this kit you are not left high and dry with out support. Bob will help you sort out any questions or problems you run into.
Building this kit was a lot of fun. I ordered the kit just to save money. After I opened the box and laid out the parts I thought, "what the heck did I get myself into?". Well, after the first cloud of solder fumes wafted up my nostrils I was hooked. I found myself waiting to go downstairs and work on the kit. The only advise I would offer is that you DO need an illuminated magnifying lamp. The PCB solder points are very small and you do need a fine tip solder iron. Otherwise I think Bob spent more time organizing and labeling those little parts bags then it actually took to build the kit. Everything is clearly outlined and well labeled. The instructions are very clear and at NO point did I wonder what Bob was referring too. All you need is basic soldering skills to put this amp together.
The parts quality are top notch! Bob didn't save a penny on cheap parts. A lot of kits send you a "starter" set of tubes. Adding cost later on because you end up upgrading on your own. The set of tubes that comes stock with this kit are what I would call keepers. You would be hard pressed to find better. The Driver tubes were vintage NIB GE 12AU7's. Yeah try finding a better tube there!. The EL34's were Shanguans. Now I have never heard of these tubes. Apparently they are very well known and BTW - one fantastic sounding tube! Nooo complaints there.
After three months and several hundred hours of listening here's how it sounds. I would like to make it very clear that this is NOT your grandfathers Dynaco. This is a new modern upgraded and redesigned version with a modern sound. The fallacies of flabby bass, bloating, etc... do not apply here. The sound is crisp, clear, clean, articulate and tight. Imaging is very wide. Even better and wider separation than my NAD C275BEE power amp with 0.009% distortion. All this while still maintaining that warmer tube charm and NO hint of being sterile or cold. Highs are clean, midrange in proper proportions and bass is snappy and crisp. Dynamics are in perfect proportion. Actually what I did noticed was the smaller nuances. Something that typically separates tubes from Solid state amps. That detail, bounce and separation of background instruments is noticable. I could go on but I'm sure you are sick and tired of reading pointless descriptions. Let me leave it like this. If you were walked into a room blind folded and listened to this amp, you could mistake it for a several thousand dollar solid state amp. In short I am happy and yes it does maintain a tube quality sound. So don't read too much into this statement.
Read the web site to see how flexible this amp is with tube choices. You could spend a life time just tube rolling. One thing I would like to close on is something that has been already been mentioned in other reviews. When I first turned on this amp I thought is wasn't working. This is the quietest amp I never heard. I mean NO background noise.
I can't impress upon you how wonderful this amp sounds and performs. Without a doubt this amp is second to none it it's class!
charles
Product Weakness: | none that I can think of |
Product Strengths: | Great sound in all areas and very flexible rolling tubes |
Amplifier: | VTA ST-70 |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Conrad Johnson Classic 2SE |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Marantz NA7004 streaming player |
Speakers: | Zaph Audio SR-71 |
Cables/Interconnects: | Home made |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Classical |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 15 x 17 x |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | Three months and over 200 hours |
Type of Audition/Review: | Home Audition |
Your System (if other than home audition): | Home |
I'm way late to this party, but stumbled into the review. Like others, I couldn't agree more. After owning the Hafler DH220 and DH500, New York Audio Labs Moscode 300, Discrete Technology LS-2 (modded BK ST-140), and slightly modded/stock Dyna 70s for 20 years, I can say that the VTA -ST-70 mods are by far and away the best sounding amps I've owned.The descriptions of the sound stage and inner detail are spot on. It's a very, very enticing amp to listen to. So much information presented in such a smooth, natural, and delicate way. Dynamics are great, bass is punchy and sounds like music. I didn't realize my speakers and my system were this good until doing the VTA mods.
A single VTA ST-70 is a great bang for the buck. I happened to have two, so I modded both and run them in a vertical bi-amp configuration in triode mode to take it to the next level. What can I say? I love the amps and the sound I'm getting, and the electric company loves me using them! ;-)
Edit: Dec-29, 2023:
Some 3 years+ later, I still really like these amps. More so now than ever, largely due to a new configuration of the whole system.Vertical bi-amping has been blended with horizontal bi-amping with the addition a SS integrated amp mated to an active low pass crossover to drive the main woofers below 80hz. The passive low pass woofer crossover has been bypassed, and the tube amps run as single channel monoblocks to drive the mids/tweeters. Wow....that change got my attention! A system I've owned for 30 years and thought sounded really good, took a significant step forward. It's just better....there's not a more accurate way for me to say it. Great amps.
Edits: 12/29/23 12/29/23
Not your grandpa's amp might be the point - different yes, the classic Dynaco circuit, certainly not. Some things don't need improving and no amount of tube rolling will help once that is lost!
Yep it's better. Seems all the upgrades that were offered over the years were simply to get to THIS point.
I would consider this my last amp. And I plan on ENJOYING tube rolling to every extent this amp offers. It's an endless combination of tubes to be tried and I plan on trying plenty of them.
Starting with the GL KT-66. Sure it's not a vintagey sound. It's better!
thanks again Bob Latino for the wonderful job designing this amp.
charles
I have done the upgrade myself buying the board from Tubes4 hifi. I cant agree more. Its an excellent amp. I used it with Spendor SP1/2E and it bettered a Rogue Tempest II. I have used it with Cornwalls, Fostex BLH FE166's and now my Rebuilt Quad ESL 57's.
Its a great amp with great bass and very reasonable cost.
Thanks for posting your official review.... and for answering all of my build related questions while you were in the process of putting your kit together. Nice job! Enjoy.
Hey Airtime, excellent job! The VTA Latino ST-70 kit is something that Stereophile might never review. You have filled that void with strait forwardness and a just the facts way. Some reviewers that are published use mystical over fabricated adjectives and life describing environment listening descriptions. Charley, you get right to the meat and potatos. I don't see Bob Latino making any big profits other than spreading the joy of listening and building your own rig like people did when Heathkit and Dynakit were in their hayday. Bob wrote me a while ago with a step by step process to test my Dyna Mark3 transformers that was easily performed by myself. He saved my rebuild project without making a cent and gave a lot of his time doing so. To me this is the greatest example of (passion) and American built to boot. Hey Charles, let me check your green card. The members here should love your step by step building pictures and progress as the Audioxpress magazine used to do, I certainly do!.....Mark Korda.
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