What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?

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Guy 13

Hi all Audio Circle members.
I am curious to know what is the most powerful stereo tube amplifier that is available or that was ever made, that can be call audiophile amplifier?
Picture(s) please.
A picture is worth a thousand words !

Guy 13

poseidonsvoice

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #1 on: 25 Aug 2012, 12:15 pm »
There are pictures on this link:

http://www.vtl.com/pages/Amplifiers/Siegfried/

If you can find the Wotan amps by VTL they were about 1.2 kilowatts as I remember.

Best, Anand.

kingdeezie

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #2 on: 25 Aug 2012, 01:30 pm »
Not as strong as the VTL Seigfried or Wotan, but significantly more aesthetically pleasing is the VAC Statement 450s.

Capable of 900 watts peak output, and 450 watts continuously, they are no slouches in the power department.

http://www.vac-amps.com/homepage.htm

When I hit the lottery, these will sure be in the running for my new amplifier.  :lol:

Niteshade

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #3 on: 25 Aug 2012, 11:01 pm »
I can't find the link. Someone developed a push-pull 500 or 1KW amp (can't remember!) using 572B's. You definitely want high power triodes for this job or else the amp will look like a pinball machine or an OTL.

Being practical, the most pentodes I like to use per channel are 4 and to keep the power rating between 100 & 200 watts per side for big amps. Using any more is asking for trouble for various reasons:
1) Tubes can age at different rates
2) Heat generation
3) Cost of tubes
4) Higher probability of circuit failure due to electrical failures in regards to multiple connections.

A high power push-pull 572B amp can use as few as two tubes per side and provide 500 watts. There are other tubes as well that would be interesting to try such as the Russian GI-7B and variations of that tube.

Sumflow

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mgalusha

Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #5 on: 26 Aug 2012, 12:49 am »
Not as strong as the VTL Seigfried or Wotan, but significantly more aesthetically pleasing is the VAC Statement 450s.

Capable of 900 watts peak output, and 450 watts continuously, they are no slouches in the power department.

http://www.vac-amps.com/homepage.htm

When I hit the lottery, these will sure be in the running for my new amplifier.  :lol:

A friend is bringing a pair of these by tomorrow so I can check them out, can't wait to hear them.  :thumb:

FullRangeMan

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #6 on: 26 Aug 2012, 01:15 am »
Hi all Audio Circle members.
I am curious to know what is the most powerful stereo tube amplifier that is available or that was ever made, that can be call audiophile amplifier?
Picture(s) please.
A picture is worth a thousand words !

Guy 13
A video also worth a thousand words if it is a vintage Philips 1kW amp playing Bach Tocatta 565:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qMVYf85sM
Look the meter pointer...

TONEPUB

Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #7 on: 26 Aug 2012, 01:19 am »
Manley makes some 500 watt mono blocks, and ARC makes the REF750's...


FullRangeMan

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #8 on: 26 Aug 2012, 01:36 am »
I can't find the link. Someone developed a push-pull 500 or 1KW amp (can't remember!) using 572B's. You definitely want high power triodes for this job or else the amp will look like a pinball machine or an OTL.

Being practical, the most pentodes I like to use per channel are 4 and to keep the power rating between 100 & 200 watts per side for big amps. Using any more is asking for trouble for various reasons:
1) Tubes can age at different rates
2) Heat generation
3) Cost of tubes
4) Higher probability of circuit failure due to electrical failures in regards to multiple connections.

A high power push-pull 572B amp can use as few as two tubes per side and provide 500 watts. There are other tubes as well that would be interesting to try such as the Russian GI-7B and variations of that tube.
This GI-7B is really low priced, just 11 euros/each:
http://www.gstube.com/catalog/?key=gi7B
I wonder how it would sound like??

cab

Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #9 on: 26 Aug 2012, 01:50 pm »
Let me try again...Any idea what the btu/hr output is with these?

cab

Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #10 on: 26 Aug 2012, 05:33 pm »
Does it really take 15 hours to approve a post?

Niteshade

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #11 on: 30 Aug 2012, 11:18 am »
Sorry- I haven't been on much lately.

Does it really take 15 hours to approve a post?

Niteshade

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #12 on: 30 Aug 2012, 11:25 am »
I never measured the BTU rating of a large tube amp- but it is significant! I have a Henry 2KD that uses two 3-500Z's for 1.5KW+  out and it runs HOT! The tubes have glass chimneys around them and a hefty blower that pressurizes the lower RF deck & pushes air through the sockets. My estimate on this 90lb monster is about 900BTU's during heavy use.

Using a pair of 572B's per channel in Class AB1 for audio will dish out allot of heat. It would be beneficial to make such an amp in a pressurized enclosure to enhance tube life and the owner's life since the anode voltage would be around 2KV.

Let me try again...Any idea what the btu/hr output is with these?

FullRangeMan

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #13 on: 30 Aug 2012, 10:00 pm »
I never measured the BTU rating of a large tube amp- but it is significant! I have a Henry 2KD that uses two 3-500Z's for 1.5KW+  out and it runs HOT! The tubes have glass chimneys around them and a hefty blower that pressurizes the lower RF deck & pushes air through the sockets. My estimate on this 90lb monster is about 900BTU's during heavy use.

Using a pair of 572B's per channel in Class AB1 for audio will dish out allot of heat. It would be beneficial to make such an amp in a pressurized enclosure to enhance tube life and the owner's life since the anode voltage would be around 2KV.
Could you inform anything about the 572 line sound quality??
Thanks

Niteshade

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #14 on: 31 Aug 2012, 04:54 pm »
The tube itself will not define the sound quality as much as the power supply, driver stage and output transformer. People are used to seeing big bottle tubes in single ended configurations with relatively low plate voltages. I believe a truer response can be obtained by going push-pull and hiking up the B+. (Among other things!)

In a 'standard' configuration, the 572 will be much like  a 829B or others like that.

FullRangeMan

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #15 on: 1 Sep 2012, 06:50 am »
What do you think on this GMI-11 tetrode??
http://www.gstube.com/catalog/?key=gmi11
B+ range from 1200 to 2000V, the glass botle is impressive strong to fly on Sukhoi SU-27 and MIG-29 radars.
A hi quality socket is cheap and plenty avaliable on Russian sites, different from the GM70 socket, which is expensive(Teflon) or unreliable.
Some data:
Oxide cathode indirectly heated.
Heater voltaqe:      range 23-28 Volts 
Heater current:      1.75-2.00 Amps     
Anode voltaqe:      1200-2000 Volts   
Anode dissipation 350W CW & 500W SSB
2nd Grid voltaqe:      250-350 Volts   
1st Grid cut-off voltaqe:    -50 -70 Volts   
1st Grid dissipation:    1.5 W   
2nd Grid dissipation:    8 W   
Capacitance Grounded Cathode connection:
Input:          55 pF
Output:       7.5 pF
Transfer:    <1.0 pF
To start it seems easy than the 833A(2500 - 4000V) and the GMI-11 life expectancy is 25 years in radar or Ham Radio applications.
If its sound is good(Kinkless Tetrode etc) this tube may be a new 6C33...

P.S.: Also there is the exotic looking tetrodes GMI-83(metal plate) & GMI-83V(seems a gray graphite plate).
http://www.gstube.com/catalog/?key=gmi83

« Last Edit: 2 Sep 2012, 05:12 am by FULLRANGEMAN »

cab

Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #16 on: 1 Sep 2012, 12:48 pm »
I never measured the BTU rating of a large tube amp- but it is significant! I have a Henry 2KD that uses two 3-500Z's for 1.5KW+  out and it runs HOT! The tubes have glass chimneys around them and a hefty blower that pressurizes the lower RF deck & pushes air through the sockets. My estimate on this 90lb monster is about 900BTU's during heavy use.

Using a pair of 572B's per channel in Class AB1 for audio will dish out allot of heat. It would be beneficial to make such an amp in a pressurized enclosure to enhance tube life and the owner's life since the anode voltage would be around 2KV.

Wow....can understand why people look for a different solution for summers. Thanks for the reply.

FullRangeMan

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #17 on: 1 Sep 2012, 10:43 pm »
Here is a english datasheet from the GI-7B, the T version is tropical, for hot areas:

http://www.qro-parts.com/images/pdf_files/GI7BT.pdf
Seems it is a very reliable Triode, and it even not use socket, the supply and signal wiring must be solded direct in the tube metal body.
« Last Edit: 2 Sep 2012, 05:14 am by FULLRANGEMAN »

Niteshade

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #18 on: 2 Sep 2012, 11:30 am »
There are plenty of reliable good large triodes out there.  I haven't made a tube AF amp with RF tubes yet but have made RF amps with RF tubes. I don't believe there is a strong market for them due to how expensive they are. It's a different story with RF because there are typically only power transformers and a switched tank circuit.  Tanks circuits are relatively inexpensive, even in the KW range.

Niteshade

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Re: What is the most powerful tube amplifier available today ?
« Reply #19 on: 2 Sep 2012, 11:38 am »
I'd rather use a tube socket. Interesting fact: The GI-7B is used in grounded-grid configuration 99% of the time. The 'fingers' which hold the tube in rest on the grid contact (a circle of metal) and go directly to ground through the chassis. Grounded grid configurations like this are always cathode biased.

For audio: The socket could be insulated from the chassis then it could be grid biased and modulated.

I would most likely use 572B's for my first attempt at a push-pull high power amp. 


Here is a english datasheet from the GI-7B, the T version is tropical, for hot areas:

http://www.qro-parts.com/images/pdf_files/GI7BT.pdf
Seems it is a very reliable Triode, and it even not use socket, the supply and signal wiring must be solded direct in the tube metal body.