I usually try to make it to the Rocky Mountain Audiofest in Denver every October,
but I got word , it was going to be cancelled. ( They later decided to put it on any way)......
As an alternative I was invited to come to Livingston Montana , the home of Dennis Fraker and
Serious Stereo . Yes the place where they hand build the world Class $10,000 a pair 2 watt/chan.
SET mono-block amps.
I was invited along with 3 other DIY SET enthusiast, to listen and tweak a new 2 stage SET amp
that uses a KT-88 output and no feedback. Something that's never been properly examined in the
circle of SET /SEP amp builders. One guy Tom drove from Virginia ,back up thru Missouri to pickup Jeff and his amp
,then on to Montana. I couldn't make the drive , I flew to Bozeman and was picked up by Dennis's brother
Brian and was driven to Livingston. When I arrived we had a 3rd member, Ash had driven down from
Seattle the night before,
Jeff Medwin the designer /builder with help from Dennis Fraker, had been working on this project
for about the last 8 months. Now it was listening time. For sources we used Dennis's excellent
Digital system , his special built computer with Lynx soundcard and Berkley Audio A/D convertor,
Panasonic BluyRay DvD player. With Dennis's favorite music source DVD's " Celtic Thunder",
We first listened to one early pair of Dennis's SS 2A3 mono-blocks using a pair of AVVT-2A3's then
switched in some EML2A3 Mesh plates. During this time Jeff was making a Capacitor change at
Dennis's suggestion to Jeff's KT-88 amp. We then put Jeff's amp in the system ... it really sound
good. With really great dynamics, but it was not up to the SS 2A3 standard. Jeff made another
tweak, then we listened again. ..... Still not quite there.
The next day after breakfast it was back to Dennis's and more listening to other SS @A3 amps
with different output Transformers and different driver tubes. What an enlightening experience !!
We took a break for food and a short trip over the mountains to Billings Mt. for some sightseeing.
I had never seen such beauty in our country before.... absolutely spectacular .
Next day more Tweaking and listening. By the end of my 3rd day there Jeff new amp was performing
just as one of Dennis's world Class amps with expensive Triode 2A3 amps .........but using a Cheap KT-88 !
Here is Jeff's writeup on AudioKarma.
https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/185504-montana-directly-coupled-2a3-amps-versus-missouri-kt88s-in-sepentode-zero-nfb/ Willie
