[Paul Morris]

I am a Japan-resident New Zealander and audio hobbyist (Accuphase CD player, Leben amplifier, Blue Circle amplifier,
JM Reynaud speakers, other) . A while back some forum participants asked what happened to Almarro, a Japanese maker of SET amplifiers and for a short time, speakers. They had wanted a schematic of a product and noticed that Almarro's website was down. Having visited Almarro a few times, I can answer this question. First, Almarro was never a company but a brand name of the Network Supply company in Nagano Prefecture. (1938 Kanaenakadaira, Iida-shi, Nagano Pref., Japan 395-0801). It never launched a website in Japanese and sold only in markets outside Japan. Very few people in Japan would know of this brand's existence. The three (A31B, A205A, & A205AMk II) SET amplifiers it made, however, received critical acclaim, especially the A31B which used Soviet 6C33C output tubes and which a positive feedback reviewer declared a "sonic miracle". 6moons also sang its praises. (I auditioned it in my home and it would have been the last amplifier I ever owned except that it ran volcano hot and would have cost a fortune in electricity bills. But it was other-worldly good.)  Some two-three years ago Network Supply appears to have decided to focus its core business and wind down its hobbyist-like audio equipment venture. I suggest sending a request for a schematic to the company at the address above. I expect that the request would be met.   

[FullRangeMan]

Welcome aboard Paul
By what you said I suspect Almarro is no more so,
do you have any email of this company?

[Wind Chaser]

Hi Paul,

Welcome to AC. Interesting insight in to company that made great products that received good press and then vanished into the Bermuda Triangle. I've never owned anything by Almarro, but I did consider one of their amps about 10 years ago. How long has been since they've slipped off the radar?

FRM,

1938 Nakadaira Kanae
IIDA-City NAGANO
JAPAN[/font]

TEL: +81-265-52-1788
FAX: +81-265-24-6783
E-mail: gpnet@mx2.avis.ne.jp

[Phil A]

Welcome!

[ArthurDent]

Greetings & Welcome to AC Paul 

[FullRangeMan]

Thanks Wind Chaser!
Big time information.

Iida-shi in Nagano-ken looks a nice city:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn2_jpu0JmY

[wushuliu]

A former forum member was gracious enough to bring over his almarro once and i was blown away by its realism. I just never had efficient enough speakers to justify buying one.

[FullRangeMan]

This is one of the prob from manufactured speakers they use low efficiency speakers, one 6C33 can easily driver any 96dB speaker, but usually they are only 90dB and say it is efficient.

[Wind Chaser]

This is one of the prob from manufactured speakers they use low efficiency speakers, one 6C33 can easily driver any 96dB speaker.

Not if the impedance swings from one extreme to another. There isn’t a SET amp that will sound half as good as a $20 Class D amp with my speakers - which are 95 dB sensitive.

How do I know? Been there, done that. I even gave a cheap amp away to a perfect stranger forum member to prove my point. He didn’t believe me until he received the amp ... shortly thereafter he disposed of his beloved 300b and went SS. Another member with the same speakers ditched his Audionote SET after being positively gobsmacked by the superiority an older SS Krell integrated amp.

YMWNV in this regard.

[FullRangeMan]

Not if the impedance swings from one extreme to another. There isn’t a SET amp that will sound half as good as a $20 Class D amp with my speakers - which are 95 dB sensitive.

How do I know? Been there, done that. I even gave a cheap amp away to a perfect stranger forum member to prove my point. He didn’t believe me until he received the amp ... shortly thereafter he disposed of his beloved 300b and went SS. Another member with the same speakers ditched his Audionote SET after being positively gobsmacked by the superiority an older SS Krell integrated amp.

YMWNV in this regard.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidences.
These are extraordinary claims, main on these SS amps with multi output transistors like Krell.

Impedance swings are by product from complex nasty xovers, avoid it at all costs.

[Wind Chaser]

These are not extraordinary claims. And impedance swings are not necessarily exclusive to, or an inherent byproduct of crossovers. 

You know FRM, I was once like you, enslaved by ignorance. It’s a heavy yoke to bear, but enlightenment will set you free.

[FullRangeMan]

Do you know any FR driver with impedance swings?
Its hard I like multiway monopole speakers but no one is free from this bad luck.

[Tyson]

These are not extraordinary claims. And impedance swings are not necessarily exclusive to, or an inherent byproduct of crossovers. 

You know FRM, I was once like you, enslaved by ignorance. It’s a heavy yoke to bear, but enlightenment will set you free.

Tube amps work well with speakers that are not a difficult load.  What is a difficult load?  It's a speaker with moderate to low efficiency with moderate to large impedance swings.  This isn't new information, it's part of basic system matching.  For a speaker that has sharp impedance swings, even a hefty tube amp will not perform optimally. 

Tube amps do best with high efficiency speakers with flat impedance.  Again, this is basic system matching stuff.

[Norman Tracy]

You know FRM, I was once like you, enslaved by ignorance. It’s a heavy yoke to bear, but enlightenment will set you free.

Arrogance is also a heavy yoke to bear. Perhaps my ignorance is in believing there are multiple routes to the goal of peak Hi-Fi experiences.

Welcome to Paul Morris and please ignore the noise from the rabble in the balconies. Thank you for getting the info about Almarro on the record. So many Hi-Fi companies are like desert flowers, they bloom when conditions are right share beauty with the world and then they are gone.

[Wind Chaser]

Tube amps work well with speakers that are not a difficult load...

Tube amps do best with high efficiency speakers with flat impedance.  Again, this is basic system matching stuff.

Unfortunately the basics have eluded some who just can't seem to grasp the basics. 

[FullRangeMan]

No prob boys, this hobby is all about personal taste,
there is listening rooms for all tastes.