Yelamanchili manohar
Well-Known Member
oh okay...well understood...and good afternoon to you too
Vincent SV 237 Mk2/ SV 228 models
- Thread starter Nitin K
- Start date
I'm sure its not the be all end all amp that I may have inadvertently projected it as - which makes the context that much more important - it is unbelievably good for the price at around 2L which is the price range @Nitin K was budgeting. The clincher is that i got it cheaper than the online prices so there's that as well.If ever there was a post tempting me to buy another tube amp, yours takes the cake for bringing me closest to pulling the trigger. And before I even realize it, Iam already drooling at all the pics of the R800i with their glorious glowing tubes on the net. Off to get a towel now.
Now with you in the context i.e. having regard to your existing/earlier gear, the scenario would be quite different but not unlike what i felt when i heard the Aiyima T9 - admirable, nay brilliant for the price but nothing that'll make me swap out my existing gear.
Yelamanchili manohar
Well-Known Member
haha...you are over estimating my humble setup. Iam sure I'd be delighted with the R800iI'm sure its not the be all end all amp that I may have inadvertently projected it as - which makes the context that much more important - it is unbelievably good for the price at around 2L which is the price range @Nitin K was budgeting. The clincher is that i got it cheaper than the online prices so there's that as well.
Now with you in the context i.e. having regard to your existing/earlier gear, the scenario would be quite different but not unlike what i felt when i heard the Aiyima T9 - admirable, nay brilliant for the price but nothing that'll make me swap out my existing gear.
As much as Id like everyone to sample the tube sound atleast once, including @Nitin K. Thought Id add two disclaimers. Tube life and heat are very real. Having tubes in the preamp stage is alright. But having them in the power stage, especially big tubes like 300's and 805's in the Wilsenten R800i will dissipate a lot of heat. And in Indian climate, except in winters, will necessitate a AC if the room is anything but large.
The second is getting replacement tubes in India. Most of my purchases within India, have resulted in close to 10% failure rate of the tubes on arrival. And we cant even expect a refund. Basic tubes like EL34 and KT88's are still possible, but anything else, we have to import. My retubing costs for all the tube amps this year was significant. And I just bought entry level tubes from the maker and nothing exotic. And I hand carried them back, so thats without even factoring shipping and customs if imported.
Both the above factors necessitate a hard rethink in my opinion. And in our market, I would only suggest tube amps as secondary but never the primary amps for continuous usage. It is nice to listen to them once in a while or to end off a session on a pleasant note. But running hard for a few hours everyday, will cost both in electricity and tubes. I realized this late, and now have SS amps for primary duties, with tubes relegated to the special days.
Thnx again Manu, that's a very practical point. I had forgotten to ask about the heat factor considering our hot and humid weather in general.
Assuming tubes in the pre stage won't dissipate huge amt of heat as you have mentioned, hence preferred the hybrid type. Definitely am not looking for tubes in the power stage.
Would surely look forward to hearing tubes if possible before buying.
Thats quite right. The R800i radiates huge amounts of heat. I leave the AC on at all times but at the lowest fan speed and it has no problem maintaining whatever temperature i set it at insofar as the solid state gear is concerned (1 PC, 1 Class A/B Amp, 2 Subs - others are inconsequential). However, with the Wilsenton in action, the temperature rises by a good 1-2 degrees and i have to switch to auto to let the AC manage the fan speed in order to maintain the temp. Not too bad a thing for the delhi winters though
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Yelamanchili manohar
Well-Known Member
haha...imagine my plight sitting 7 feet from them in a small room without AC in Hyderabadi heat. The entire room gets toasty like a Sauna. And by the time the tubes warm up and are in the zone, the searing heat is literally unbearable.Thats quite right. The R800i radiates huge amounts of heat. I leave the AC on at all times but at the lowest fan speed and it has no problem maintaining whatever temperature i set it at insofar as the solid state gear is concerned (1 PC, 1 Class A/B Amp, 2 Subs - others are inconsequential). However, with the Wilsenton in action, the temperature rises by a good 1-2 degrees and i have to switch to auto to let the AC manage the fan speed in order to maintain the temp. Not too bad a thing for the delhi winters though
Thus, want to go class D for primary listening. Can add a tube preamp to get that slight flavour, though it will be far from the full monty of an all tube setup, but will be more enjoyable as a whole.
Does anyone have the experience of using an audio A/B switch? Does it degrade SQ? I have a stereo pre amp with a subwoofer pre out and an AVR with a sub pre out. Currently, the AVR sub pre out alone is connected to the subwoofer. I would like to connect both the sub sources to the sub and switch them when needed. The subwoofer is a REL HT and does not have speaker level inputs.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Hi John,
I presume it is the MK2 version of SV 237 which is out of my budget. Although sound is subjective, but how is the sound signature of the Vincent as there aren't too many reviews and none to audition in Mumbai.
By any chance did you get the opportunity to listen to the SV 228. Thank you.
Rgs,
Nitin
Nope, But i think its excellent pick for that money, its available in chennai for demo.
You can look into Unison research due almost same specs if you not bothered about looks, you will get high quality Italian made amp.
Thanks a lot for your reply John. Both are supposed to be very good. But I prefer an amp with tone controls hence leaning towards Vincent. Apparently the build quality as the few reviews hve found is good.
Yelamanchili manohar
Well-Known Member
@Nitin K ...just bumped into another review in German of the SV 228. Happy reading with google transalate
www.fidelity-online.de
Vincent SV-228 Hybrid-Vollverstärker - FIDELITY online
Der Vincent SV-228 punktet mit einer homogenen und detaillierten, nicht sezierenden Wiedergabe und seiner leistungsfähigen Endstufe.
www.fidelity-online.de
Thanks a lot Manu, for sending the link. I did translate it and has a very positive review especially of the dac which was mediocre on the SV 500.@Nitin K ...just bumped into another review in German of the SV 228. Happy reading with google transalate
Vincent SV-228 Hybrid-Vollverstärker - FIDELITY online
Der Vincent SV-228 punktet mit einer homogenen und detaillierten, nicht sezierenden Wiedergabe und seiner leistungsfähigen Endstufe.
"Vielen Dank" again my friend for taking the trouble.
Yelamanchili manohar
Well-Known Member
Haha...you're welcomeThanks a lot Manu, for sending the link. I did translate it and has a very positive review especially of the dac which was mediocre on the SV 500.
"Vielen Dank" again my friend for taking the trouble.
Hi Kumar,
There is no Vincent dealer in my area. The dealers are WattHifi(Sound by design in Gurugram) and I think Allegra Audio in Chennai. The demos are available with these 2 dealers.
The online reviews are quite positive and at present the Indian rates with taxes are on par with the international rates.
KAUSHIK MAJUMDER
New Member
Hi, You are absolutely correct and exactly on the point in reviewing Vincent SV 237 MK II , I also feel it is a gr8 hybrid AmpsJust checked up on the specs, and seems they use 12AX7 and 6N1P's which should easily last upto 10,000 and 5,000 hrs respectively. Easy to obtain and are not too expensive. The design accommodates tube rolling, so one can replace the stock chinese tubes with better ones, for a noticeable improvement and can add different flavors to the sound. Has good power at 150W/8 ohms. Goes to 250W/4 ohms, which is close to doubling, so shows a healthy and robust power supply. First 10 W in class A, which is what most of us actually use. Considering the possibility of tube rolling and high bias class A design, I think it is safe to assume, that it wont sound bright or shrill ( Infact i think this will sound rich and lush ). And this comes very close to the holy grail of tube pre + class A power combo, in a single box.
And the best part is the build...simply impressive. If this was built in japan, or Europe, we could look at easily 3 times the asking price. Anyways, I will stop now, before I start sounding like a Vincent salesman
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