Here we have a beautiful, young example of Atma-Sphere’s limited production Novacron, perhaps the finest-sounding (and best looking) OTL amplifier in – well, ever! If you’re familiar such popular Atma-Sphere amps as the M-60 or the MA-1, the Novacron’s sound is, frankly, a very substantial improvement. The Novacron has a robust bottom end and a sweet, yet smooth, midrange. It has a very relaxed sound and an easy presentation.
The original Novacron OTL design from the 1990s won wide acclaim for both sonics and looks, but quickly disappeared after just a few dozen were made. So Atma-Sphere recently reimagined the amplifier, while preserving its stunning good looks, and released it in 2014 as the Mk. 3.2. The new amp looks the same on the outside -- but is completely rebuilt on the inside!
The new Novacrons are completely hand-wired, with new power supplies, new driver circuit, new output section, Teflon sockets, V-Cap copper foil Teflon coupling capacitors, new wire, Teflon power tube sockets, etc., etc. On top of that, this particular pair of Novacrons also features the optional Caddock resistor upgrade package. The new Novacron is smoother and quieter, and its has far more authority, than the original.
I’m the original owner, having bought these directly from Atma-Sphere, and I’ve used these amps in my smoke-free, pet free home for 1 year. Selling only because my speakers are efficient enough for much less powerful amps, and I’ve decided to go that route.
I’ve handled the Novacrons gently, and I’ve done my best to keep the mirror finish clean and shiny, which is not easy. Because I am not perfect (!), I have conservatively rated these amps as 8/10 due to some small “swirls” and “rubs” on the mirror finish, mostly visible only if your nose is up close to the amps, which it probably shouldn’t be. The photos posted here include the stock photo from the Atma-Sphere web site, plus photos of the pair that I am selling.
The tube complement for the Novacron monoblocks consists of four (4) 6C33C output tubes, and four (4) 6SN7 driver tubes, per channel. As a bonus, I will include with these Novacrons two (2) complete sets of output tubes and four (4) complete sets of driver tubes, enough to keep you happily listening for years! You will receive a mix of driver tubes, including some rare NOS types, some less rare NOS types, and some stock tubes as well. Both tube types (output and driver) are very readily available, and reasonably priced, if ever needed.
Technical specs for the Novacrons include:
• Balanced Differential Design®
• Class-A operation
• Patented Circlotronic® direct-coupled (OTL) output stage
• Dual-mono chassis construction
• Copper foil V-Cap coupling caps
• Teflon output tube sockets
• Simple manual bias system
• Built in meter for monitoring tubes
• Easily monostrapped for greatly increased power
• Uses only one gain stage for supreme clarity of sound
• Proprietary precision components used throughout
• Low-noise "star" grounding topology
• Fully hand-wired point-to-point electronics - no circuit boards!
• Stable with all input and load conditions
The physical dimensions of these beauties are 16" deep x 16" wide x 6" tall, and they weigh 54 pounds each (without tubes).
If you wanted to buy a new pair of Novacrons, you’d pay $19,200, and you’d wait about 6 months until a pair could be manufactured. My pair is just 1 year old, and it’s available for 40% less than the list price!
The asking price of $11,500 is very fair, and I will consider reasonable offers as well. PayPal is welcome and adds the usual small fee. Any questions, just ask.
Many thanks for looking!
