Hi Quiet Earth ~
Thanks for the wonderful description of what sounds like important tweaks that help to
bring the Almarro to a higher level of balance and resolution... given your careful listening
practices and professional experience, I suspect that I would love the music your Almarro
makes as much as you do!!!!!
Most audio products are developed and designed to fit a "price point"... a "range" of cost
that fits what becomes through practices of the market place a price niche... many designers
stop developing their products once the formula for profit is reached for a particular niche...
and it is often left to us... the audio lover... to "finish off" the refinement of an amplifier, for
example, with tweaks like the several you have thoughtfully implemented in your Almarro ~
In many ways that is an unfortunate practice... so-called high end audio should have a
different ethos when it comes to developing products such as amps... at least the designer
should offer the "upgrade" when you purchase their products... the way kit manufacturers do ~
Roger Modjeski has developed a little 4 watt SET amp based on a 1950's television sweep tube,
which incidentally is extremely robust, a lovely little thing that could wind up selling for about
the same price as the Almarro... I heard this amp throughout its development...
it sounds dangerously close to his best amps... such as his 245.1 45/SET, which Roger sells
for $1800. This new little SET amp with just 1 sweep tube per channel!!!!! would sell for
around $800. ~
Roger designed it as an entry level SET for people who want to get a large slice of the
SET magic for a pittance!!!! it is smooth as silk and voices sound so magical it brings
tears to the eyes... Srajan wants to review it, but Roger is involved in developing a new
electrostatic speaker that sounds heavenly and has very little time to attend to anything
else at the present moment ~
Roger has about 4 of these amps left... he sold several to "insiders" that heard of them
through the grape vine... it was DMason who talked Roger into creating this amp after
his own experiences listening to what this sweep tube can do to create musical nirvana ~
Roger is giving me one to play with next week and a full "review" of my impressions will
follow sometime in the next few months... but here is an American designer who is a genius
by any standard one would wish to apply who has created an entry level SET amp that
sells for less than the Almarro and it is fully realized... no tweaks necessary!!!
Roger loves to design and develop products so much he rarely has time to market
anything... and yet he has unquestionably the best SET amps in the world... based on circuitry
ideas that are light years ahead of anyone else... he has completely rethought the physics
and theory behind the entire science of SET circuit design and has discovered entirely new
methods and pathways for getting sound that is simply delicious... Deb and sit spellbound
listening to the RM 245.1 45/SET amp... it simply brings music to life in a way that defies
description... as if you are listening "inside" of the music, at its heart, at the "source" of
its power and radiance!!!!!
If anyone is interested give Roger a call: 805.687.2236
http://www.ramlabs-musicreference.com/Warm Regards ~ Richard ~