WAVAC released a few new products at Hi-Fi '98.  Their Music Dandy 572 amplifier which uses two of the Svetlana SV-572 for output, two JAN 6Y6GT, and two JAN 12AX7WC tubes.  Capable of producing 50 wpc this unit is configurable for 4 or 8 ohm output standard with a 16 ohm option available.  Like other WAVAC products, it follows Shindo's IITC circuit.  The front panel is made of artistically shaped real wood.  frequency response is claimed as 20 Hz - 50 kHz (-1db) and pricing is the super low low K-Mart Blue light special at $8,160.  Another new product is their LCR-X1 tubed phono stage.  Using a µ follower circuit which WAVAC says will generate low output impedance to prevent inductive noise.  Priced at $12,430 while producing a gain of 38db and the unit itself is adjustable to the following:

MM 2.5mV / 47 kOhms
MC Low / 2.5 Ohm (1.25-5 Ohm)
MC Mid / 10 Ohm (5-20 Ohm)
MC High / 140 Ohm (20-80 Ohm)

 

 

Air Tight on the other hand had this cute little KT88-based unit called the Acoustic Masterpiece 101  (AM-101).  Solid-state rectified and using one 12AX7 and one Chinese KT-88 per channel this unit can be configured either for an output of 8 wpc in SE pentode mode or 5 wpc in SE triode mode.  This adjustment is easily accomplished by simply moving a small jumper.  Priced at $1,995 i began to wonder how she'd sound in my music reproduction system.

 

Thanks to the internet (and an artist's rendering) here's a first look at the upcoming Air Tight 300B-based unit!  With one 300B, one 12AX7, one 12BH7, and one WE274 per channel this unit should have an output of around 7 wpc. and priced at somewhere near $4,000.  Air Tight is hoping to have this product available in October.

 

 

Moth Audio was playing, for the first time in public, their model m304TL amplifier.  Looking all cool decked out under thick glass is the 304TL output tube.   It's about as bright as a 50 watt light bulb and outputs 35 watts single-ended with zero feedback.  The driver tube is 5842 while four 5R4 tubes are used for full-wave rectification.  The entire signal path is hand-wired with silver wire.   Electroprint output and interstage transformers are also used.  There are no coupling capacitors in the signal chain.  Weighing in at about 85 lbs. and priced at $9,600 for the monoblock pair these seem to be even cooler night lights then my old fave and beloved Audio Note Ongaku.  Hmmm... wonder if they can cook marshmallows better then the Ongaku could?

 

       
Click photo for larger picture.

Above is the new Legend Audio Triode 200 SE amplifier which uses the 833 A tube.  The cool lookin' matching power supple features a center mounted meter while the slammatocious output tube unit houses the 833 A output tube and it's electronics.  Power output is claimed as 200 wpc @ 4ohms.  The power supply uses two 866A for full wave rectification while a KT90 for driver duties and a 6SN7 for the differential amplifier input are the tube compliment to the output tube.  The power supply alone weighs in at 78 lbs. while the amplification unit is 95 lbs. for a grand total of 173 lbs. per channel/monoblock set!   WOW, talk about your "heavy metal".  Priced at $28,000 a stereo pair this unit was being drool on by many from the trade and the press.

 

 

Manley Labs is showing their all new Stingray tubed integrated unit.   Featuring four inputs, this unit uses (per channel for this stereo unit) four 6BQ5 tubes, one 12AT7, and one 6414 tubes.  This photo has no real resemblance to how beautiful it really is.  The faceplate is beautifully gold plated and the top is chromed (talk about a low light flash nightmare photo opportunity).  Power output is rated at 50 wpc and pricing is $2,250.

 

 

(Humor time)  Some of the best sound at the show was from none other then Audio Research.  The Audio Research tube amplifier model VT200 was powering the killer Radio Shack Realistic 20-2030C speakers.  According to the folks at Audio Research, the "C" version is leagues better then the "B" version.   MAN can these babies put out the bass.  i could swear i heard the 32 foot pipes from the organ music playing.  of course it might have been just my stomach grumbling because it was lunch time.  Not too sure which, though if you hear only one system at the show it really should be this one.  Just to be serious for a moment, yet this system was playing, but only while they were setting up the real system in the room.

 

 

Blue Circle just released their new BC 3000 preamplifier.  This is an about 80% all new unit as compared to their current model, and priced at $6,250 by the way.  There's an all new mechanical dampening, better spring dampening, new tube dampening, all hand-matched power supply caps, the wires are run "free air" and not near any kinda board...  Lottsa new stuff in here!  Soon all the info will be on Blue Circle's website, but for now you can only see it right here.  Sure it looks the same as their other preamplifier, though like people, cars and great pizza, it's what is inside that counts.