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A year has now passed since I first introduced
the Audio Hungary P200 Amplifier & C200 Preamplifier to my
shortlist. This amazing musical combo beat many other units (some
nearly four times the price)!
Other changes within the system chain had to
be made to enable this combo to perform at their best, such as
interconnect and speaker cable changes. After that was completed,
I began to get a sense of what tubes (or valve) amplification
really had to offer.
I will try not to repeat much of the description
of what I experienced in the earlier ‘Deep Listening’
descriptions (Please use the link at the bottom of the page
to read more about that). This tube upgrade or (tube roll)
experience is more of an extension of the previous amplifier &
preamplifier review.
KT120 TUNG-SOL TUBE (existing tubes supplied
with the P200 Amplifier)
In September of 1950 Tung-Sol introduced the
5881, an uprated and industrial version of the 6L6GA with a 23.5
watt plate dissipation, opening the doors to the hi-fi movement
of the 1950s. This rugged tube also found a home in the '59 Fender
Bassman and servo amplifiers used in B-52 bombers. In 1955 Tung-Sol
raised the bar of high fidelity with the introduction of the 35
watt 6550, which could deliver 100 watts with a pair in push-pull
configuration. This tube was used in the Dynaco Mark III and Sunn
amplifers.
KT150 TUNG-SOL TUBE (upgrade tube roll)
With a massive plate dissipation of 70 watts,
the Tung-Sol KT150 is the most powerful octal beam tetrode ever
produced. A pair of KT150s can allow an amplifier with a power
output approaching 300 watts to be built.
The Tung-Sol KT150 glass envelope is a special
egg shaped balloon that was developed to improve thermal dissipation
and maintain a superior vacuum for the best sound. The fact that
the glass envelope has no flat sides means the Tung-Sol KT150
has no problems with microphonics.
Using the KT150 tubes
As mentioned above, the KT120 tubes were supplied
with the Audio Hungary P200 Amplifier. You do have the option
to have either the KT120, KT150, or KT170 tubes supplied with
the P200 Amplifier, but as this was my first tube amplifier exploration,
I felt it was best to opt for the KT120 and see how I got on.
Well, as you probably read from the initial Audio Hungary amplifier
& Preamplifier Experience Review, I got on just fine! I confess
when I first heard the term (tube rolling) I imagined the term
referred to some type of intricate bakery technique!
So, ‘how does the KT150 sound (or feel)?’
Well, after only a few hours into the recommended seventy-two
hours tube burn in time, my first impressions were… WOW!
At this relatively early
stage I had no doubt the KT150 valves were keepers! I began
to write copious notes (four a4 sheets to be exact) from the
outset explaining the various burn in (run in) stages, what
I was hearing and feeling. But as I looked back at my notes,
I felt I over cooked it and used far to many ‘hi-fi’
terms and terminology. My listening experience was such that
I was actually overloaded (in a nice way) with emotions. It
was a revelation to experience all of the musical pleasures
first enjoyed during the Audio
Hungary Qualiton P200 Power Amplifier & C200 Preamplifier
Experience Review part three, plus, there was just so much
MORE here on offer. Even more musicality, fuller soundstage,
more refined instrument textures, more muscularity and more
power overall (which my MartinLogan ESL11A speakers loved)!
I returned to all of the vinyl albums I had
listened to during the above mentioned experience review, such
as Rachmaninov – The Four Piano Concertos / Rhapsody on
a Theme of Paganini” (Vladimir Ashkenazy, London Symphony
Orchestra, Andre Previn) 3 disc vinyl box set, Ron Carter “All
Blues” and Wayne Shorter “Speak No Evil” and
I was shocked at just how much more musical information was revealed
using the KT150 valves. Playback of any genre on CD format also
highlighted the greater musical energy available using these valves.
I could now also hear MORE musical information at lower volume
levels.
.jpg) |
I calculated that it
took over one hundred hours for the KT150 valves to really settle.
After this time I sat back and listened with pleasure for many
hours in full confidence that I had made the right decision
to upgrade. NOW, with the above experience fully under my belt,
it was time to explore ‘other’ upgrade areas within
my hi-fi chain. Of course, any music loving, hi-fi enthusiast
will know, there is always room for further improvement, especially
when you’re listening room and components within it are
only one year old. Growth, knowledge and ideas continue at a
pace with further discussions and experimentation…
Robin Francis
© Michael Valentine Studio
November - December 2024
Turntable
AMG Viella V12 turntable with AMG Teatro MC with newly fitted
the Fritz Gyger II stylus & AMG reference tonearm cable.
Phono stage & interconnect cables. Whest
PS.40RDT Special Edition phono stage.
We used the Townshend F1 Fractal balanced XLR interconnect cable
between the phono stage and Audio Hungary C200 Preamplifier.
CD player
Musical Fidelity A3 CD player.
Pure silver bespoke RCA cables between CD player and preamplifier.
Amplification
Audio Hungary P200 Amplifier &
C200 Preamplifier with supplied Tung-Sol KT120 tubes
(Tung-Sol KT150 tubes are the optional upgrade (tube roll as per
above Experience Review).
With Townshend F1 Fractal balanced XLR interconnect cable between
power amplifier & preamplifer.
Speakers & speaker cable
MartinLogan ESL11A speakers (ARC - Anthem Room Correction switched
off)
with Townshend DCT Isolda speaker cable.
Table
Quadraspire Q4 EVO 4 tier shelf.
Power & mains cables
Russ Andrews balanced mains unit (BMU 3000)
Russ Andrews Powerkord 300 mains cables for Russ Andrews BMU 3000,
amplifier, preamplifier, CD player and speakers.
Various alternative BMU configurations were
used during this experience, such as power amplifier, or preamplifier
plugged directly into the wall as well as the BMU 3000.
Connecting the power amplifier & preamplifier to the BMU300
gave best results to our ears.
Further
Recommended
Viewing
|
Use the links below to go to the Audio Hungary
Qualiton P200 Power Amplifier
& C200 Preamplifier Experience
Review part three...
Go
back to Hi-Fi Experience Home Page