Dennis Had Inspire Amps

[cgn-dt-n]

Originally Posted by C10

Played around a bit and could not detect conclusive differences between the 301 and 0a1 that came with the amp, so I put the Cunningham 301 back in because I think the globes looks cooler.

Hello C10,
from the optics I agree with you. The tubes look cool.
I tested them with a 0A3 GT, I find this combination even better, as they look more discreet in the background like the big coke bottles.

The Cunningham rainbows, Arcturus in blue or the special series of Silvertone with reddish colored glass also look stunning.

the 01a I run have gold-colored getter, also nice to look at.

But is optics really everything? much more important is whether the tube fits the rest of the set-up and whether you are satisfied with the sound.

[cgn-dt-n]

Originally Posted by Isaacc7

In theory, the 807 and 6bg6 tubes should essentially be the same as 6l6gb. The 807 can actually be driven harder but I don't think that's an issue for these amps. If you didn't want to use an adapter you could buy RCA, GE, Sylvania, etc. 6l6gb and should have basically the same sound. On the other hand, once you've bought the adapters you can try all of those different manufacturers at a lower cost since the 807 are inevitably less. That is especially true if you want to try marques like Mullard or GEC. If you want American tubes, the 6bg6 are mostly the same as the 807 but even less expensive. You can actually get 6l6gc Sylvania tubes in 6bg6ga bottles at a fraction of the price.

I have GEC (branded Cossor), Mazda, Mullard, and Fivre 807 tubes. All of them can sound great, especially those Cossor tubes. Should you try them? That depends doesn't it? I think it's safe to say they sound different than the KT88 and 6v6. On the other hand, you can get great sound from any particular tube type in these amps. I love trying different tubes and different tube combinations and so the 807 has proven to be a relatively inexpensive way to try a lot of different brands.

If you like the 6l6 sound then I think the 807 are a fairly cheap way of trying many different companies' offerings. Likewise if you just want to try some new tubes the 807 are fairly inexpensive. If you are in the states I think the 6bg6 tubes are the best deals going and are another option.

Hi Isaacc7,
thanks for the quick reply.

if the 807 sounds similar to the 6L6 I am a little skeptical if it is something for me.

I have the RCA 6L6 and find it very good with blues. Distorted guitars, bass and drums come convincingly from the speakers. Bass-heavy R ́n ́B that my wife likes to hear also fits well.

With classic, tenor and soprano voices I like it more neutral, closer to the true.

When a violin sounds like a viola and its size makes me nervous. or when a voice suddenly gets a body that looks gigantic. When a Martin D28 suddenly sounds as big as a baritone guitar, the fun of the music passes.

when friends are visiting they always find the sound great, but these little things drive me crazy.

I'm more interested in a realistic sound and not in a sound that changes timbres and proportions.

I now also go to a jazz concert or to the opera to listen to classical works with or without singing, rather than going to a rock or pop concert.

PS
I'm not from the US, I live on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean

[khashmi]

So I’m having a love hate relationship with this rectifier. It’s the famous Mullard 5AR4/GZ34 from 1958, manufactured at the revered Blackburn plant in England. I’ve read countless reviews with an overwhelming majority raving about it. So I started looking and noticed that it goes on the used market for around $250 a pop on average. It is either branded as such (Mullard) or white labeled with other European or American brand names but still essentially a Mullard. The two popular date codes are F31 (late 1950’s) and F32 (early 1960’s) if I recall correctly. In addition to the date code, it also has a manufacturing code and if that code starts with a ‘B’, it confirms that it was made in the Blackburn plant.

I bid on a 1958 Amperex Bugle Boy branded Mullard F31 B8 with Double O getters and won! So the first day I put it in, I was astonished how the Dynamic the Had amp suddenly became. My reference experience with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Tin Pan Alley’ was at GT Audio in NJ (it’s really a mansion with 5 different audio rooms with easily over a million dollars of gear and the guy has his own YouTube Channel where reviewers come to review his gear). I spent half hour in his basement room being driven by the $20K Mola Mola DAC (he is the official distributor of Mola Mola) and Forte IV’s. In my rig, that track has never managed to be quite as dynamic as I heard at GT-Audio—until I used the Mullard rectifier—still not as dynamic as the reference but very very close!

Imagine my delight!

But from second day, I’m noticing a slightly more audible transformer hum. Yesterday, I took the rectifier out and the hum vanished. Then I put in another favorite rectifier (the Sophia Electric Aqua 274b) and there was the normal barely audible (and easily ignorable) hum that I’m used to. Put the Mullard back in and the louder hum reappeared. Since my rack is made of plastic, I inserted a wooden platform underneath that I use for my Project TT and even that didn’t help with lessening the hum.

Just to be clear, I can’t hear the hum when music is playing but it’s annoying to hear it when the music is off. According to the seller, this tube hasn’t been used in 40 years so perhaps it needs time to settle? I plan to continue breaking it in.

RCA 807, Mullard GZ34, Sylvania GTA 6SN7 by Tube Dad, on Flickr

1958 Amperex Bugle Boy branded Mullard 5AR4/GZ34 by Tube Dad, on Flickr

[C10]

Originally Posted by cgn-dt-n

Hello C10,
from the optics I agree with you.

But is optics really everything? much more important is whether the tube fits the rest of the set-up and whether you are satisfied with the sound.

Obviously optics are not everything since this is about audio, but, as I said, since I could not hear any meaningful difference between the two tube sets I picked the one I like the look of better.

[cgn-dt-n]

Originally Posted by C10

Obviously optics are not everything since this is about audio, but, as I said, since I could not hear any meaningful difference between the two tube sets I picked the one I like the look of better.

True, I would do the same in this case.

[cgn-dt-n]

[QUOTE=khashmi;1066494]So I’m having a love hate relationship with this rectifier. It’s the famous Mullard 5AR4/GZ34 from 1958, manufactured at the revered Blackburn plant in England. I’ve read countless reviews with an overwhelming majority raving about it. So I started looking and noticed that it goes on the used market for around $250 a pop on average. It is either branded as such (Mullard) or white labeled with other European or American brand names but still essentially a Mullard. The two popular date codes are F31 (late 1950’s) and F32 (early 1960’s) if I recall correctly. In addition to the date code, it also has a manufacturing code and if that code starts with a ‘B’, it confirms that it was made in the Blackburn plant.

I bid on a 1958 Amperex Bugle Boy branded Mullard F31 B8 with Double O getters and won! So the first day I put it in, I was astonished how the Dynamic the Had amp suddenly became. My reference experience with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Tin Pan Alley’ was at GT Audio in NJ (it’s really a mansion with 5 different audio rooms with easily over a million dollars of gear and the guy has his own YouTube Channel where reviewers come to review his gear). I spent half hour in his basement room being driven by the $20K Mola Mola DAC (he is the official distributor of Mola Mola) and Forte IV’s. In my rig, that track has never managed to be quite as dynamic as I heard at GT-Audio—until I used the Mullard rectifier—still not as dynamic as the reference but very very close!

Imagine my delight!

But from second day, I’m noticing a slightly more audible transformer hum. Yesterday, I took the rectifier out and the hum vanished. Then I put in another favorite rectifier (the Sophia Electric Aqua 274b) and there was the normal barely audible (and easily ignorable) hum that I’m used to. Put the Mullard back in and the louder hum reappeared. Since my rack is made of plastic, I inserted a wooden platform underneath that I use for my Project TT and even that didn’t help with lessening the hum.

Just to be clear, I can’t hear the hum when music is playing but it’s annoying to hear it when the music is off. According to the seller, this tube hasn’t been used in 40 years so perhaps it needs time to settle? I plan to continue breaking it in.



Hello khashmi ,

hopefully this will get better with the humming over time.
I found the Mullard 5AR4 in my system very good.
A great tube that not only breathes more power and control into the KT 88, but also allows crazy dynamic jumps.

Perhaps it has really just been lying for too long and has to get used to it.

The Tung Sol I have makes crackling noises for about 2 minutes after turning it on. but then there is dead silence, neither a sound from the tube nor a hum from the transformer.

[zeitlos]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and am interested in Dennis Had's 300B amp.

In the meantime I was able to buy a 300B amplifier (FEZZ Audio Mira Ceti) and borrow another (Air Tight 300B).

I could get the Air Tight used quite cheaply (still almost too expensive for me ). Now I'm wondering if the Inspire might not be the better solution for me after all?
How is it tonally aligned? Also as neutral as the Air Tight? Has anyone ever been able to compare these models ("my" Air Tight is the 1999 model).
Can you buy the Inspire 300B without tubes? I just bought a new WE300B this week! Since I'm in Germany, I still have to pay VAT and customs on the purchase. So that adds up a lot.

Oh yes, has anyone ever received a broadcast to Europe from Dennis Had. Do the devices arrive safely? What happens if you have a technical problem? It's going to be more difficult because the distances are long, isn't it?

First and foremost, I would be interested in the tonal components. And: A remote control would be great But I suppose it‘s not available for Inspire amps, right?

[Masterlu]

zeitlos… Welcome to AA!

[zeitlos]

Thank you

[cgn-dt-n]

Originally Posted by zeitlos

Hi, I'm new to the forum and am interested in Dennis Had's 300B amp.

In the meantime I was able to buy a 300B amplifier (FEZZ Audio Mira Ceti) and borrow another (Air Tight 300B).

I could get the Air Tight used quite cheaply (still almost too expensive for me ). Now I'm wondering if the Inspire might not be the better solution for me after all?
How is it tonally aligned? Also as neutral as the Air Tight? Has anyone ever been able to compare these models ("my" Air Tight is the 1999 model).
Can you buy the Inspire 300B without tubes? I just bought a new WE300B this week! Since I'm in Germany, I still have to pay VAT and customs on the purchase. So that adds up a lot.

Oh yes, has anyone ever received a broadcast to Europe from Dennis Had. Do the devices arrive safely? What happens if you have a technical problem? It's going to be more difficult because the distances are long, isn't it?

First and foremost, I would be interested in the tonal components. And: A remote control would be great But I suppose it‘s not available for Inspire amps, right?

Hello timeless,

Greetings from NRW,

Import duty and VAT on equipment price and postage 20%
Very securely packaged. Felt 10m dimpled foil per carton.
I bought 4 devices from Dennis and except for a broken guide pin of a 6SL7 everything arrived in perfect condition.

BTB has also managed this with broken tubes, and the transport route from them to me is only a fraction of the distance.

Sound: Dynamic, neutral, beautiful timbres, rather tight bass for a tube, no typical 60s tube sound.

However, I do not have the 300B-V but the 300B-DJH with 2 6SL7 and the larger output transformers.

Since I don't know your devices, I can't tell you anything about differences.

The devices are built for eternity.

Dennis said to me, "Worry about your tubes and not the amplifier, which is designed for 24/7/365. My devices have almost no problems."

According to other forum members, Dennis should have a very unbureaucratic and fast service for complaints, if there were not that immense postage from Germany.