Tube Power Amp Reviews

Air Tight ATM-1S power amplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; EMT 997, Thomas Schick tonearms; Ortofon SPU-A, Miyajima Premium BE Mono II, EMT OFD 15 & OFD 25 & TSD 15 70th Anniversary pickup heads.
Digital Sources: Halide Design DAC HD USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Decibel 1.2.11, Audirvana Plus 1.5.12 playback softwares; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Hommage T2 step-up transformer; Shindo Masseto & Allegro preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Corton-Charlemagne monoblocks & Shindo Cortese, Fi 421a.
Loudspeakers: Altec Valencia, DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96.
Cables: USB: WireWorld USB Revision 2.0. Interconnect: Audio Note AN-Vx, Shindo Silver. Speaker: Auditorium 23.
Accessories: Box Furniture Company D3S rack (source & amplification components).—Art Dudley

COMPANY INFO
A&M Limited
US distributor: Axiss Audio
17800 S. Main Street, Suite 109
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 329-0187
www.axissaudio.com
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
Rick Tomaszewicz's picture
Submitted by Rick Tomaszewicz on November 12, 2014 - 11:11am

My fave part of your reviews are the personal touches; of how our hobby interacts with the rest of our lives.

As the husband of a very understanding wife, I laughed at the SAF aside! (Any holiday in a foreign city must involve a visit to the best audio shop and a vinyl emporium.) Since cooking is her hobby, it takes no effort on my part to share her interest!

Although serious music listening tends to be a solitary experience, it takes up enough time (and floor area), that an understanding spouse is much appreciated.

tmsorosk's picture
Submitted by tmsorosk on November 19, 2014 - 5:31am

On the contrary, I almost always listen with a friend, usually with the better half.
Can you think of a better way to spend an evening than snuggled up with the wife and a great recording ?

Rick Tomaszewicz's picture
Submitted by Rick Tomaszewicz on November 19, 2014 - 9:03am

you are doubly lucky to have a spouse who shares your taste in music, and to have a sound room big enough to fit a couch!

toon's picture
Submitted by toon on November 12, 2014 - 3:40pm

in the article it points out the "good-quality packing that allows the amp to be shipped with its tubes already in place". Then the problems with the left channel are said to be a result of the test unit being well traveled. Hardly an endorsement of the "good-quality packing that allows the amp to be shipped with its tubes already in place". And lets not forget the failure of one of the output tubes! On a $9,500 amp? I didn't realize being an audiophile involves masochism and self delusion.

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on November 13, 2014 - 4:13am
Quote:
Hardly an endorsement of the "good-quality packing that allows the amp to be shipped with its tubes already in place".

As Art pointed out, this was a much-traveled sample, with a misshaped top panel, perhaps due to being dropped. It had, we believe, been used at shows and by other reviewers before coming to Stereophile. The tube failure was therefore probably not typical.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

jmsent's picture
Submitted by jmsent on November 13, 2014 - 4:36am

Why would anyone send Stereophile an amplifier so beat up that the top panel is bent and there's a bad tube in it? All you've got to show for it is a review of a broken amplifier. Someone at that distributor really dropped the ball on this.

toon's picture
Submitted by toon on November 13, 2014 - 7:11am

Indeed. Art describes " the center of the top panel of my well-traveled review sample appeared to be sagging a bit under the weight of the transformers.". This after stating that "The quality of parts used in the ATM-1S is generally excellent, as is the internal build quality". Looks like Air Tight missed what would appear to be an easy engineering problem to fix. This leads me to assume that they missed something else, especially if the problem was less obvious and more difficult to fix than a sagging top plate. Maybe Air Tight can now come out with an SE model that contains a proper structural brace for the transformers. And they could then charge some ridiculous amount for the SE designated model. It wouldn't be the first time this has been done in the high end.

John Atkinson's picture
Submitted by John Atkinson on November 13, 2014 - 10:41am
Quote:
Why would anyone send Stereophile an amplifier so beat up that the top panel is bent and there's a bad tube in it?

We almost always get new, unused samples for review from US-based manfacturers. But with products manufactured overseas, the US distributor will often have a single sample that is sent out serially for review, to avoid the associated inventory costs of having many samples simultaneously out with reviewers. But they run the risk that a prior reviewer will have damaged the sample or that the sample will be damaged in shipping.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

T B Ong's picture
Submitted by T B Ong on December 10, 2014 - 5:02am

I've used a Air Tight ATC-2 and a pair of ATM-4 since 1996. They are extremely reliable, including the tubes. After 16 years, I needed to change a small capacitor on one of the power amp. An easy and quick fix.

corrective_unconscious's picture
Submitted by corrective_unco... on November 13, 2014 - 9:36am

"I didn't realize being an audiophile involves masochism and self delusion."

It also involves other, more positive things.

John Toste's picture
Submitted by John Toste on November 12, 2014 - 4:05pm

Thanks Art for giving some exposure to a great company. I used to sell them when I was in retail and have fond memories of the models 1, 2 and 3. They were then and are now preferable to many more well known brands.

Regarding your "usual practice of ignoring aftermarket AC cords" - seriously? It would be unlike you to let prejudice preclude useful experience. Would you care to explain your reasoning?

xyzip's picture
Submitted by xyzip on November 13, 2014 - 6:21pm

Japanese hifi-coffee shop. Hario conical-burr!

T B Ong's picture
Submitted by T B Ong on December 10, 2014 - 5:03am

I've used a Air Tight ATC-2 and a pair of ATM-4 since 1996. They are extremely reliable, including the tubes. After 16 years, I needed to change a small capacitor on one of the power amp. An easy and quick fix.

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