Gramophone Dreams #27: EleKit TU-8600R amplifier kit Contacts

Sidebar: Contacts

EleKit, EK Japan Co., Ltd.. Tofuro-minami 2-19-30, Dazaifu-city, Fukuoka, 818-0105, Japan. Tel: (81) 92-923-8235 Web: www.elekit.co.jp. North American importer: VK Music, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Tel: (604) 931-8844: Web: www.vkmusic.ca

Deutsche Elektronenröhren Manufaktur GmbH, Robert-Bosch-Strasse 26a, D-88131 Lindau, Germany. Tel: (49) (0)173-3773747. Web: www.elrog.com

ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
Anton's picture

Don't get filthy now...

If they build it, I will come.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

"Build Me Up Buttercup" ........... The Foundations :-) .........

Ali's picture

Its very nice we have you in Stereophile Herb. Thanks for such an elaborative review.

Ortofan's picture

... remaining at chez Reichert long enough for Herb to acquire and evaluate samples of the EAT 300B and new production Western Electric 300B tubes?
https://www.europeanaudioteam.com/en/e.a.t.-300b-valve-wp000024.html
https://www.westernelectric.com/products/300b.html

butch.bond's picture

I 'd like to humbly suggest a fresh 300B tube shootout- especially if the new production WE 300B ever debuts. Thorsten's classic is by now outdated (it served us well for a long time). How about it, Mr. Reichert?! Also, once and for all: are EH Gold Pins the same exact tube as Gold Lion PX300B's? You seemed to miss a perfect opportunity to tell us. Thanks for a great review.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Check out Stereophile article ..... 'In search of the perfect 300B tube' by PVW :-) ...........

Jason P Jackson's picture

How often do you see tube rectifiers driving the output of modern tube or solid state amplifiers?....power conditioners? Power Conditioner? It's getting too silly. End of subscription.

Ali's picture

And I wonder Herb if one day you also give EAR 869 a chance for review. To me its one of the most heavenly sounded SET amp, any amp, ever made by human being! Especially it sounds wonderfully with my Wilson Sasha2 although it is just shy of 15 watts. Regards.

tonykaz's picture

I'll bet they are. Any takers ?

The Highest HighEnd Audio Systems seem to have tubes "Singing" seductively.

All things considered, the Schiit Valhalla 2, loaded up with carefully selected Russian Tubes, was the finest Singing Amplifier I've ever heard. ( I've heard & owned plenty of Amps )

Having said all that, I come to prefer & rely-on the "Stable" Performance of a Class A Solid-State Amplifier or even a nice AB Solid-State Amplifier with a well-Rolled Tube Amplification as Back-up/ Show-off Gear.

Tube Gear is variable in Singing Voice & way too variable in useful life cycle and getting "Pricy" unless they are the best dam tubes EVAH and the Quarterly Bonus was bigger than expected.

Still, the "right" tubes can give the cute little Schiit Valhalla 2 a Luciano Pavarotti Singing Voice. ( it even has a Pre-Amp output ) Price: $350ish.

Tube Gear and Tube Rolling is an exciting social Hobby in itself and if there is a leading Authority it would be Mr.HR with guys like Kevin Deal finding supplying the fresh "juice" .

God Bless the Tube Only People who seem to be inspiring manufacturers to Build greatness. ( like Psvane )

6SN7s & EL34s make the World a better place!

Tony in Michigan

ps. Can we have another review Category: Vacuum Tube Reviews ?, such as the Psvane ACME Supreme series 300B pair MSRP $1,075.00 USD

tonykaz's picture

Mr.HR seems to have the flowing ability to describe some of the most nuanced variations of sound qualities. Hmm

I wonder:

Can/Could one of those PS Audio Power Plant devices deliver a reliable Foundational Base for our Mr.HR to ply his Reviewing Craft?

Would it increase the accuracy of all those liquid adjectives ?

Would it minimize the Neurotic/Psychotic tendencies of Audio Gear's perceived performance.

We should expect Greatness from our "Senior Editors", shouldn't we, especially if he's HighEnd Audio's Poet Laureate.

Tony in Michigan

ps. might as well suggest that Steve G. should also have a PS Power Plant, dammit !

Jack L's picture

...My sample was assembled by the distributor using WBT silver solder. (I recommend tin-lead solder, which melts at a lower temperature than silver, and reduces the likelihood of cold-solder joints.)" quoted Herb Reichert.

No lead solder please for health's sake.

I've been using lead-free SILVER solder wires for many many years. Mine is always MG Chemicals RoHS approved lead-free silver wires, cheap & low melting & healthy !!!!!

For audio signal paths soldering, I ALWAYS use silver solders, period. NO cold joints at all!

For grounding or non-signal path circuits, I may use lead/tin solder wire.

Listening is believing

Jack L
Canada

Jason P Jackson's picture

I noticed you removed your worthy and informed response to my whinge regarding valve recs and power conditioners and other assorted grumblings. It appeared in my inbox. Oh and thanks for the heads up regarding MG Chems Silver solder. I'll check that out.
I take well to criticism. I ignore nonsense. The dishonest have there own war.

Jason Jackson
Sydney AU

Jack L's picture

Hi

You are welcome !

Ali's picture

And again dear Herb, If you try to get your Qutest an external USB battery pack instead of using its own external PS, you will be probably rewarded with even more vibration all over your body rather than just your ear drums when you listening to a cello suite! Cheers.

adeep42's picture

I've always wanted to try a 300B SET amp. Herb, your review provoked me to order the upgraded kit specced like yours and with the Gold Lion 300Bs. I have built many kits over the years. This was the best packed, picked, instructed kit I have ever seen. The build was fun. I would only suggest that folks without much soldering experience practice first as the PCB is densely populated in some places and some solder pads can be really close to one another.

When the time came for lift-off, I had the usual jitters. Viola, tubes glowed and the amp's sound floor was extraordinary. Even without break-in, driving my DeVore Gibbon 3XLs, they never sounded better. They sang in the most musical fashion. From the lowest notes to the highest, it was a whole new experience.

Thank you Herb!!!!!!!!!

Jon L's picture

Herb, I bought both the Abyss 1266 Phi TC and Elekit TU-8600R after reading your review. You said "through my Abyss AB-1266 Phi headphones connected to the output of EleKit's TU-8600R SET 300B amplifier. The depth of space and accuracy of tone exceeded anything I could imagine hearing from loudspeakers."

When I connect the Abyss to the front headphone jack on Elekit, with all the jumper settings, there is not enough power and I can hear distortion from clipping even at low-moderate volume levels. When I directly connect the Abyss to the actual speaker binding posts, there is more than enough power and never clipping. Did you drive the Abyss fine from the front headphone jack somehow or are you talking about connecting the Abyss to the speaker binding posts? Thank you.

Herb Reichert's picture

thank you for reading my stuff. For the Elekit review, I connected the Abyss to both - front and back. But my finings matched yours. I mainly connect the AB-1266 Phi and the HiFiMan Susvara and HE6se - to the output terminals of power amplifiers.

hr

hemingway's picture

Hi Herb, this one is old news but perhaps this comment will find you...
Did you pair this amplifier with your ls3/5a's by chance, and if so how did you find that match?

Best regards.

X