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Has anyone had a chance to hear the Acoustic Masterpiece M 101 by Air Tight?? This is a cool looking single input "integrated" using KT 88 tubes in an 8w/ch amp. It appears to be extremely well built in the pics I have seen (and if it is up to Air Tight's standards). No dealers near by so I am curious what others think before I make a road trip. Thanks in advance.
Follow Ups:
I can attest to Tim's statement below that the driving power of this amp is indeed limited. Be VERY careful with speakers used.
I have heard it. It looks extremely well built, and my understanding is that the transformers are very high quality. The dealer said that the designer did not recommend using it as an integrated, but said it sounded best with a pre ( I heard it with an Air Tight pre). I could have bought it for $1200 US from the dealer but passed. It has a very distinct tonal quality that I can see would be very appealing to some. There is a review in Listener last year that was very much in line with my own experience. I suggest looking for the review - I believe it was by Peter Breuninger - it was in a long review of various SET's.
I have the M101 for more than 2 years now (which I bought in Osaka). It is wonderfully sounding amp and maybe the best match I have heard with vintage Tannoy York so far.The amp can work with EL34 as well without any modification but it sounds much better with KT88 (from GEC of course). If I have to point out the weakness in this amp, I would say is the limited driving power. Even as it said 8W (KT88 UL) on the spec, the amp behave more like a 3W amp and is no more powerful than a 6BQ5 or 6BM8 SE amp. As such, the amp would have to be used with a pre-amp unless a > 100db speaker is used.
And it does sound more refined in triode mode, but the loss in power is very significant.
Acoustic Masterpriece has recently introduced a matching pre-amp called C101 using, I think, 3x 12AU7 in SRPP mode. This is what I want to get on my next trip to Japan.
Tim
Thanks for your input ... interesting comments especially regarding the drive capabilities. The only review(s) I could find of the amp were from Audio Musings and all for reviewers who tested the amp found it to have tremendous drive for an 8w amp. They used it with everything from ATC monitors of 83db efficiency to Magnepans. In each case they preferred the sound and drive of the amp run direct (no preamp). Another of those audio mysteries I guess.
Yes, someone in the on-line Air Tight User Group also mentioned that he has satisfactory result matching ATC speaker with M101.But I can tell you that I have used the M101 with LS3/5a and I cannot get enough volume with simple slow music even when the volume control of the M101 at maximum and an active pre-amp at beyond 3 o'clock position (start at 6) in a 150 sq feet room!
Even with > 90db 15" Tannoy Red, the matching pre-amp (a Lafeyette KT600A) has to be in nearly 2 o'clock position to get reasonable volume.
Having said that, all speakers I use with the M101 are 15 ohm models. You may get more power from lower ohm tap.
Tim
just a guess but maggies have a very flat impediance (basically 4 ohms FLAT), i dont know anything about ATC.
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