 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Audition Equipment Review
Reproduced courtesy of Audio &Video Lifestyle magazine
No.16.0 Integrated Valve Amplifier
By Michael O¡¯Connor
That China has emerged as a Hi-fi and home theatre powerhouse in the new century should come as a surprise to no one. As our editor, Nic Tatham describes in next month¡¯s edition following his recent visit to the IAG manufacturing planet, China¡¯s capability is vast, and continues to grow seemingly without end. The forms that China goes about its hi-fi manufacturing can probably best be categorized in three different ways. The first is that manufacturing which occurs for audio companies based outside China. He second is manufacturing which occurs under established hi-fi brand names, the rights to which have been bought outright by Chinese companies. Quad and Wharfedale are but two examples of former British brands that are now made by Chinese factories. The final category, and perhaps that which we are least familiar with here in the west, are hi-fi products of totally indigenous, Chinese audio companies. But that unfamiliarity is changing fast as more Chinese products find their way here and with it, a growing reputation for performance , quality and, perhaps most significantly, value for money. The Classic range of amplifiers and CD players are a product of the Beijing Yushang Electronic Audio Technology Company. They have been available in the Asia, European and US markets for the past 10 years and are now available locally courtesy of Melbourne based distributors Final Link Audio. For review this month is the Classic No.16.0 integrated tube amplifier. Although valve amplifiers are now synonymous with high-end audio, it is a status they¡¯ve assumed relatively recently in the west. By the time the seventies came around, transistors were king and valve amplifiers were embarrassingly dated. No self-respecting audiophile would dare be found listening to one. It was a different story in Asia however where the old valve designs of the west continued to be held in high esteem. A perception emerged in Japan and other places that whatever their shortcomings, when compared to transistors, valves had a richness and naturalness of tone that was absent from most modern amplifiers. This view gained currency in the west during the eighties. New valve amplifier companies were established as a result to cater to the emerging demand. It comes as little surprise than that many of the amplifier designs produced in China today use valves. I must confess however that what did surprise to me was that, save for the Russian made EL34 tubes, all of the components of the No.16.0 are made in house by Classic.This type of manufacturing is almost completely absent in the west, were it is the norm to select components from different suppliers, and to then assemble them into a product. When you hear manufacturers go on about the benefits of assembling components in-house, few of them could possibly boast of such close control over the entire manufacturing process. The resulting amplifier has a high build quality. It is solidly constructed of aluminium all over, including such details as the input and volume knobs. Its appearance I would describe as being somewhere between interesting to outright kooky. Either way, the unit¡¯s something of a visual showstopper. A large power transformer dominates the front of the amplifier.Behind this sits the four, glowing EL34 valves. Behind these are two output transformers and the smaller input and inverter tubes. On the right hand side of the amplifier is a knob for volume control and knob to select the different inputs. There are four different RCA inputs in total, none of which is a phono-preamplifier, so you will have to use an outboard unit if you want to plug in a turntable. Above the volume and input knobs is an LED display that lets you know for how many hours you have had the amplifier powered on for. This is of course information you might like to know with a valve amplifier, as the valves only have a limited life before they have to be readjusted, or eventually replaced. The Electro-Harmonix EL-34 valves have a stated life of 2,000 hours before their bias may need to be adjusted. Ingeniously, the bias and adjustment of the valves is something you can undertake yourself without even moving the amp, as on the left hand side is a mater that shows the current of each EL-34 when a small corresponding switch is pressed. If after a while the valves do start to show less current than that recommended, then you can adjust their bias by turning a small screw at the base of each tube. Ordinarily, the testing and biasing of the valves is something that has to be undertaken by a technician, so the inclusion of the meter on the No.16.0 is a welcome one. On the rear of the amplifier are the four unbalanced inputs. Either side of these are banana plug outputs for speakers cable. The plugs are capable of screwing down for use with spades. There are separate taps for 4ohm and 8ohm speakers. Also on the back panel is a small black switch for selecting between pentode and triode operation. In pentode mode, the amplifier is rated at 40 watts per channel and is capable of greater dynamic range. In triode mode it is rated at only 20 watts per channel, but is said to have a deeper sound stage and more exquisite tone. After the amplifier is removed from the excellent packaging in which it arrives, the EL34 tubes must be inserted into their sockets. The smaller tubes are already in place. The amplifier doesn¡¯t come with a tube cage, but I don¡¯t think I have to remind you not to touch the valves when the amplifier is on; they run very hot. Once the speakers are hooked up, pressing a switch on the front panel turns the unit on. A small green LED flashes to let you know the amplifier is in warm-up mode. After about a minute and a half, the LED stops flashing and you are ready to go. Beginning in pentode mode, the Classic No.16.0 sounded warm and detailed with plenty of resolution. With Led Zeppelin¡¯s How The West Won,the amplifier exhibited good drive and kick on the Jimmy Page guitar solos and John Bonham¡¯s kit. Being a valve design, it isn¡¯t the last word on things like bass and dynamic attack, but it did display enough of these things to satisfy all but the most ardent heavy metal freaks. With the Berliner Philarmoniker playing Don Quixote, the amplifier did an excellent job of filling out the body of the orchestra and conveying the different colours and emotions of the muxic. The EL34s of course have a sound all their own. They are wonderful with things like individual string and brass instruments. On solo passages, the cello sounded natural and woody. The French horn was sparkling in the distant, ¡°over the hill¡± kind of way. Satisfied with its pentode performance, I turned the amplifier off and switched it over to triode mode. This has the effect of halving the power to just 20 watts per channel and doubling the harmonic distortion to a hefty1%. To get the large Legend Kantu 4 loudspeakers going, I had to dial the volume up to at least half way and even then they sounded strained. But what was lost in volume and added in distortion, was more than made up for in midband sparkle and brilliance. I haven¡¯t been tempted to switch the amplifier back since. In effect, the tubey warmth of the sound is magnified in triode mode. The difference is best appreciated with smaller acoustic music such as Miles Davis¡¯ In Person Saturday Night At The Black Hawk. Each instrument sounds somehow more real and palpable. Miles¡¯ trumpet dazzles with its lonely lyricism. The piano and bass contrast with their earthy and organic tones. Interested to hear how it would sound, I listened to Grace by Jeff Buckley and was transfixed. It was simply a different take entirely on how I had previously listened to this album. Each instrument was separated out like never before. Buckley¡¯s voice seemed alive and in my room. As I noted before, all of the action was in the mid-band. There really wasn¡¯t bass or really high treble to speak of. But then, this is part of the allure of valves. Most listening is done in the mid-band, and valves excel in this range. The result is just so listenable and fatigue free. Particularly in triode mode, I found myself listening to cd after cd without the temptation to skip tracks, change discs or go do something else entirely.. it somehow knocks the rough bits off the music and leaves this airy, floating, almost imaginary sound. Distortion and a lack of dynamic drive not withstanding, the result can be breathtaking. The Classic No.16.0 amp deserves to find plenty of buyers here in Australia. It¡¯s a very classy, well-built piece of audio equipment that is sure to delight users for years to come. Ancillary Equipment:
|
No.16.0 Review from Australia
|
