[rydenfan]

I have always had a passive interest in Butler amps. Does anyone here have any experience with them?

http://www.butleraudio.com/home.php

[Double Ugly]

I have always had a passive interest in Butler amps. Does anyone here have any experience with them?

http://www.butleraudio.com/home.php

I've owned two 2250s (used in bridged-mono) and a pair of the Monad monoblocks.

[rydenfan]

And what did you think of the 2250's?

[Midnite Mick]

I have always had a passive interest in Butler amps. Does anyone here have any experience with them?

http://www.butleraudio.com/home.php

I've owned two 2250s (used in bridged-mono) and a pair of the Monad monoblocks.

I always wondered what you replaced you Monads with.

[Double Ugly]

And what did you think of the 2250's?

Good amps, but a little light in the bass IMO.  The presentation is good, but it's hard to believe the tubes are in the signal path.

It's very competitive at their price point; there are better options for my taste.

I always wondered what you replaced you Monads with.

A Spectron Musician III Signature Edition.

[satfrat]

I've owned 2 Butler 3150 amps for about 4 years now and absolutely love them in my 6.1 home theater/music system. I find them to be dynamic, clean and nonclipping in my system. I've had mine zeroed out while using a Sunfire Theater Grand 4 processor w/o any clipping whatsoever. I've had my amps cryoed, I'm using Isotek gold coated fuses and I've surrounded the transformers with Stillpoints ERS, I use Herbies tube dampeners fwiw, and Audiopoints after removing the massive rubber feet,,,, all of which simply make for a lower ground noise while increasing the clarity. I've heard a few others have minor complaints about them tho, Carl had an issue with them and Lonewolf feels they're weak on bass with his Timepieces but for me these issues are nonexistent,,, again in my system. I have both no complaints and no desire to part with my pair.

To my ear and in my system, I consider them a tube hybrid amp that hasn't really been recognized. But that'sonly my opinion fwiw. 

Cheers,
Robin

[mca]

I had a TDB2250 and thought it was pretty good until I compared it with a friends AVA Fet Valve Ultra 550. The AVA stomped it in detail, smoothness and especially the bass.

[Rob Babcock]

I have a Butler 3150 amp and really like it alot.

[ajzepp]

I've owned a 5150 for the past year or two and still love it.

[jon_010101]

Good amps, but a little light in the bass IMO.  The presentation is good, but it's hard to believe the tubes are in the signal path.

It's very competitive at their price point; there are better options for my taste.

Funny you put it that way -- if built like their patent, the tubes are actually used as diodes between the driver and output stage to reduce crossover distortion.  They should be pretty transparent in that application

A very clever application, but not at all what I would have expected!

[Double Ugly]

Funny you put it that way -- if built like their patent, the tubes are actually used as diodes between the driver and output stage to reduce crossover distortion.  They should be pretty transparent in that application

A very clever application, but not at all what I would have expected!

The TBDXX50 series is that (transparent), but though the circuits are said to be very similar, the presence of the Monad's 300Bs is clearly audible IMHO.

And I mean that in the best possible way.

[RPM123]

I've owned the 2250 for a couple of years and it performs very well... at least with my Dali Helicon 400 speakers. I find it to be a very transparent and "fast" amplifier, compared to some ICE powered amps that I have owned or auditioned. The transient response can be startling at times on large orchestral passages. It is also very "easy on the ears" and looks very cool with the backlit blue lights on the tubes. It also runs very cool, unlike many tubes amps and the tubes are supposed to last for thousands of hours. It does not sound like a "typical" tube amp with bloated bass and "syrupy" midrange. Some people think that the bass is bit light, but that is likely a speaker dependent factor and/or simply a matter of personal taste. The Butlers are a very good value IMHO, especially on the used market. Which leads me to the next point... I will likely be selling my amp, since I am looking to try something different. Ah... the nature of this hobby!  :roll:Look for an ad on the Gon later this month.

Glenn

[datman]

I have had a TDB2250 for about 4 years, the longest I have owned ANY amp.  I just got it back from Butler after having it updated to current specs.  One of the changes is the "bass improvement" upgrade.  Having never thought the amp was bass deficient in any way before, I am curious as to what will be improved. 

I will be using it with a pair of Musical Affairs Grand Crescendo SAG PHY-HP equipped coaxial speakers that are 97 dB efficient.  This assumes they will ever be released by customs.  I am prepared to switch to an OTL tube amp, probably a Transcendent T16, but I do not expect to have to.  I will post my impressions once I have them.

[satfrat]

I have had a TDB2250 for about 4 years, the longest I have owned ANY amp.  I just got it back from Butler after having it updated to current specs.  One of the changes is the "bass improvement" upgrade.  Having never thought the amp was bass deficient in any way before, I am curious as to what will be improved. 

I will be using it with a pair of Musical Affairs Grand Crescendo SAG PHY-HP equipped coaxial speakers that are 97 dB efficient.  This assumes they will ever be released by customs.  I am prepared to switch to an OTL tube amp, probably a Transcendent T16, but I do not expect to have to.  I will post my impressions once I have them.

How will you be able hear any perceived improvements with your upgraded Butlers with new speakers? You would need that Butler to be returning to a system that you know well in order to even come close to achieving that. Seems like the best you can hope for is to be satisifed with the new matchup. Best of luck to ya on this.

Being an owner of 2 Butler 3150's, it makes me wonder what's to be achieved with this upgrade. If it's just improved bass, then it  would amount to nothing to me as I have an 80Hz cuttoff to my Butlers with an ACI Force XL having everything below 80Hz being directed to it. Now adding an Audio Magic Pulse Gen ZX inside the Butler's, now that's an upgrade! 

Cheers,
Robin

[Phil]

I love my 2250.  The bass came alive in my system with a change in powercord (and then speaker cable).  I also have a pair of Hammond 193Ms chokes plugged into the lower duplex that powers the amp and this tweak added weight to the bass.  Inexpensive tweak and easily reversed and/or used elsewhere.
YMMV, of course.

The 2250 is very transparent and dynamic (fast!) with that something that tubes can bring, especially to vocals.  Overall, a bargain IMO.  If I had more room in my rack, I'd add a second one.

Phil

[K.C.]

I have 2 of their tube driver mobile amps biamping in my car. Incredible sound for the road.

http://www.butleraudio.com/car.php