Enjoyed the review, a lot of information smoothly delivered.

Tarun my friend, a very nice review! That amp ticks loads of boxes and I have great respect and trust in Thomas, that it will satisfy many, many audiophiles risking a foray into higher (priced) territory (audio nirvana). I had to laugh when I heard that some valves (tubes to our cousins across the water) are now rare. Back in the day those things were bread and butter. I would like to congratulate you on the visual presentation of the channel which has gone from strength to strength.. All the best, Rob in Switzerland

Nice review! I had similar thoughts when I had this one in for review. The class A mode was down in power but still the obvious choice for myself.

I LOVE my Class A SET all tube amp ! It also heats my listening room quite effectively !

Excellent review. I have the Galion TS120 Standard Edition and highly recommend it. I had the opportunity to do a side by side test with the Special Edition. Slightly different mid-range presentation with the Special Edition that I found pleasing. I had already purchased the Standard however - zero regrets!

again great review my friend!!!

What a lovely piece of kit. A little out of my price range, but I certainly enjoyed it vicariously through your polished and excellent review. Thank you as always for your time and efforts to share this with us all. All the best to you, Sir.

Good afternoon from Toronto ☕️❄️ I had the pleasure of listening to the amp ( with Thomas ) earlier ( and the earlier version) I found it quite enjoyable. Great video as usual…btw, I’ve ordered the Denafrips Ares 12-1 DAC to add to my headphone stack . Enjoy the weekend 🥃

Excellent and honest review. Thanks once again Tarun.❤

Whilst this product is not for me the review is really concise and informative.

Interesting to go from the TS 120se to the Willsenton R8 in a comparison. The R8 has been refitted with some important internal upgrades. Thank you for a very concise explanation of the many different options to be utilized. Still… seems so much money.

Thanks for your views on this , excellently presented as usual. Should you get the opportunity, I'd love to hear your thoughts on his new solid state power amp tsa 75. It's much cheaper! But it seems an interesting design too..

It was watching Thomas and Stereo reviews of tube amps that convinced me to buy my first tube, a Cayin CS55A, and what a beautiful little amp it was too. The nce you hear a nice tube amp it's very hard to go back to a solid state amp, especially at the same price point. I have no doubt whatsoever that little Cayin would wipe the floor with any solid state amp in its same price point. I have no doubt the Galion is a cracking little amp. As for what features should be on an amp, HDMI ARC. This is but a dream on a tube amp, however I think more manufacturers need to start implementing this. My Cambridge Audio Edge A is perfect, it also doubles as my two channel for TV listening and I can do away with the clunky AVR, separate speakers, unnecessary wiring. It just makes everything tidy and neat, and this appeals to me.

Hi Tarun Your amp reviews are a model of clarity and this is no exception. As regards my design parameters, this is a fun one. It’s mostly about less of some things and more of others. On the less side, it’s the classic British style of absence of interference in the signal path. No filters, tone controls, no balance, no meters or extraneous visiual indicators except perhaps a power lamp. Just a selection of line level analogue inputs with a selector plus volume control, stepped attenuator with 1/2W Takman metal film resistors. I would add a line out for tape recording, with monitor and pre-amp out for bi-amping to matching power amp only. On the more side, it starts with power. Super clean potted toroidal transformers from Toroidy (Polish) in dual mono configuration, with excessive filtering capacity with by-pass caps and R-C snubbers on the bridge recitifers. Discreet components throughout, so no ICs, and ideally some lovely MOSFETs biased in class AB mode. I want an amp, not a room heater. Output of 150 Watts per channel into 8ohms with huge current reserve and vice like damping. Finally, all linking by oversized OCC copper wire from Neotech to discreet rhodium plated connectors for inputs and speakers. Speakers to have two sets of binding posts for bi-wiring. Case made from aircraft grade aluminium with honeycomb webbing on the inside to damp vibrations. Well you did ask 😄

Thank you, Tarun. This review only reinforces the great value of the Willsenton R8. Even with my complete rolling of the R8 with wonderful NOS tubes I haven't spent half of the cost of the Galion.

Those Argon 1s, in that wood finish, are so nice! Great work, Sir! Overpriced amp, IMHO, but that doesn't make it a bad component.

Around the 5K mark its got a "lot" of competition!!

As always a great review! Eagerly waiting for a Sonus Faber speaker review from you 😊. Any plans of a Hegel h390 or h600 review in the near future?

Another great review Tarun. I sort of already own my dream amps. Monoblocs, mostly Class A operation. A pair of SET monoblocs would be cool (!), if there were more choices of high-efficiency speakers.

Quite an objective review. From your muted level of enthusiasm (having watched every video of yours on this channel), I predicted a “Recommended”. Given the high price, I think “Highly” over pitches the value for money aspect.

Thanks for the review. The Galion is a modified version of the Doge 10 at about twice the price.

Great review. Unless people have perfect systems, play perfect recordings, and always sit dead center, a balance control is a must.

I'm more of a pure SET tube guy, but Pentodes run as SET's is still pretty darn good. Love it!!!

Thank you for the review Would like to see comparing this Amp with Exposure and Sugden amplfiers 😮

Thanks for the review Tarun. One can imagine how this unit would sound in class A with a nice set of Quad or Martin Logan electrostatic speakers.

Hi Tarun, this seems to be a very nice amplifier. I get the idea, if you combine somebody who can critically listen very well with an audio equipment designer and manufacturer, you should be on to a winner. But I am still trying to get my head around the pro's and con's of You-Tubers doing this. If I would build an amp for my self, it would only have to drive the speakers I am building it for, i.e 8 Ohm full range drivers. Like the speakers it would have as few components as necessary. As for features, it would have an on / off button on the front and a LED to tell it is on, if it where a solid state amp, or a neon light if it where a valve amp.

Designing my own? Assuming subwoofer(s) in the system, include onboard high-pass and low-pass crossovers for bass management with separate sub-out jacks. That way, one can transfer the burden of low frequency reproduction from the internal amp to the powered sub(s) amp(s). With such a config, 30-50 watts should be PLENTY of power. Example? Parasound Halo P 6 (my current pre-amp for this very reason).

Hmm…always curious about this amp…l loved hearing your honest take on it…with relevant comparisons. I am also curious about some of the more powerful Fezz Tube Amps….they have a great look, are reasonably priced and I am reading around town that they sound great, too! Hope you may be curious about them, as well. 😀

Nice Review. I love my Galion TS120 SE pared with PureAudioProject Duet 15 and i was immediately blown away by it. Before that it was playing on Sonus Faber Olympica Nova On Wall, and this little guy loves twitters. I had bass too on both system , clean on tied. The class A is the best option but for long sessions of listening the AB is a good choice too, especially when you live in a tropical island (Martinique). I lost many tubes in the battle. The HT input is a little bit disappointing and i miss XLR input . In my opinion, this two things have to appear on an amplifier of this price but the most important thing for me is the possibility to repair it or to make a maintenance on it easily. Signing off?

66 lbs doc Its a beaut Glad to see my Willsenton R8 hangs in there pretty good. Love that thing

nice review, as usual... I'd be interrested to know what you think of the Galion transistor amplifier...

😂 Tarun, Thomas, as you may know, appreciates reviews no matter the outcome.

I have no problem with it and had you done the same I would have taken you more seriously than most others provided you have demonstrated you have truly put all of the knowledge you have into a partnership with a designer to produce a worthy product. Some guys could pull this off. You're also one of them had you gone down this road or ever do in future. Unfortunately it is no match for all of the ARC Reference equipment I own (at a hell of a lot higher investment) so it's not on the table. Gryphon next? One last thing, I think this is selling for $2,500 USD here in the States.

Thanks. Can you please review the Elekit 8900 tube amp?

For the money you could in the U.K. buy a Sugden ANV 50 that’ll have more power & legendary Sugden reliability. You could also get the Sugden A21 or SE version & have about £1k left over. Exposure, NVA, Cyrus, Rega, Nytech & Naim all offer cheaper & probably better sounding amplifiers and made in the U.K.

In an integrated amp, I would like an adjustable high pass/low pass filter to separate the the sub frequencies before the PA. Tapeloop is rare and preamp with active splitter before the pa is much less convenient than a intergrated.

Hi , Another fantastic review , I think it’s better to stick with the Willsenton R8 for some more time Any chance to see you in Bristol HiFi Show next week ? Thanks

Another very good review. although a little a little out of my price range..... do you think you may audition the PMC Prodigy one speakers at any time, I would really love to hear your thoughts on the pmc s vs the Amphion Argon 1 s which happened to be my two top choices four upgrade at present lol kind regards James

I really like the idea of providing different sound profiles in this amp. Makes finding and fiddling with speakers, cables and so on even more fun and maybe even leads to better system synergy in the end. Should be doable for solid state amps as well!?

I absolutely love this amp and own one. I listen to a lot of Prog & Rock and female vocals which it excel. This amp did take an age to warm up and I'm taking a couple months. Thanks for your great reviews Tarun.

I bet it sounds great but alas I can't deal with big black boxes in the living room 🫣! Silver or grey or white and wood etc and it's sold! Got my eye on the beautiful little Billie amp mkii.. marble knobs..?! Now you're talking.. !🌞

Well done....Aloha

Thank you for the review. I haven't gotten the Exposure 3510 yet due to shipment issues with local dealer, but after hearing this review and the review of the Musical Fidelity A1 I am curious which will fit my 4ohm nominal/89dB efficient speakers. What are your favorite integrated or amps that give a decent soundstage depth? I use to value horizontal width soundstage but I discovered I like depth much more. I heard the placement of speakers especially along the short wall with at least 3 ft or 4 ft from the rear wall yields more depth than having them along the long wall with minimum pull out from the wall. Thanks Tarun. PS: what gear are you using to record your videos?

If I design my own class a amp I would add a standby function so it can warm up and sound it best before my listening session but not consume too much electricity in the process.

Excellent Review. Seems like tube amps are getting a bit thick under foot.

My own design amp.. wd probably be a tube amp running 6 (3 per side) 7581A in single ended, with Khozmo volume pot

I would focus on great aesthetics for amps and speakers.

THANKS 🙏 TARUN,FOR YOUR HONEST AND OBJECTIVE REVIEW … the question of the day… I would try to follow THOMAS’ path,using the best parts available and the most versatile amp for the lowest cost to reach the most people 🤗💚💚💚

👍🌟‍‍👍‍‍

QotD: for me, a good internal phono stage and headphone amp. Also, I will only buy a fully analogue amp going forward. I’m concerned internet connected, app based products can be suddenly switched off/unsupported… It happened to my Sonos system (kitchen and bedroom speakers) and more recently, Hive CCTV….

Hi Terron,I’m wanting to get the monitor bronze 100 and the Audiolab 7000a what’s your opinion of this combo? Thx Nick

My late uncle (an electrical engineer for the military) built himself a solid state amp. I asked why given he had a stack of high quality military spec valves in the loft. His response has stuck with me. He said " any idiot can build a half decent valve amp but it takes someone with decent electrical chops to build a half decent solid state one, i fancied the challenge". I understand the draw of the valve sound but have always wondered what you are actually paying for If you can change the sound just by swapping valves .

Thanks for the video. I love the look of tubes including these but my love of bass means it’s still solid state for me. To answer your question, my amp would be a separate with a matching preamp. At least 200 WPC into 8 ohms with the power to drive 4 ohm speakers, say 300-400 WPC. XLR out connections to the preamp. A trigger so it’s linked to the preamp on/off control. All the heat sinks and safety checks in place so it doesn’t heat up when cranked but shuts down if needed to protect the speakers and itself. Black with a Matt finish so it looks cool but doesn’t reflect light or show dust and fingerprints. A blue light when powered up and ready to go and red in standby mode. You didn’t ask put the preamp would be busy (need the Mc or Yamaha analog backlit meters) with the amp a very simple powerhouse as described. Maybe I’ll go in reverse and build the amp first and then start my channel.

THANKS TARUN 🤗 ? Of the day… I would pursue the path that THOMAS has with using the best parts available with the most variety of settings for the options of audioPhiles and make it the most affordable for the most people🤗💚💚💚

I watch Tarun, knowing that what he says will confirm what anyone else says is true. The Benchmark for reviews IMO. Another Great One.

Hi Tarun, what sort of music do you listen to when you review equipment, I find myself wondering if various reviews are music dependent

Design wise, yeah looks like too many other tube amps. May of mixed up transformer and tube positions so it doesn't look so pegged and boring but whatever. ❤Thomas man.

13:19 if I could swing it ..the new Linn 360 set up …🤪

Cannot find a willsenton for sale in the UK

Tarun I know this is Leftfield but have you heard of Alchris Audio speakers? Word on the Grapevine is they’re every bit Proac but at old school NVA pricing.

Great review as usual. I know you’re well aware that 30kg = 66lbs not 46lbs. 😊

Hi! Tarun, I do own the Willsenton R8 with upgraded Sylvania C6550. The Galion TS120SE you have just reviewed from Galion Audio by Thomas Tan is another tube amp. I am looking to buy a solid state amp to compliment/add to my R8. Galion audio has just launched the TS A75 solid state amp ( the giant killer ) Thomas's words Lol! Could be worth considering, would you be by any chance interested in doing a review on this model ? Asking since you have just done his TS120SE ... Thanks Alain

It would be a nice addition to your videos if you put the name of the components your talking about on the screen when your mentioning them. I have noticed that alot of the time when you say model names, numbers and so on, i have a hard time processing what you're saying, probably due to your accent and me not having english as my first language. A short list with the name as title and then components or relevant key points listed under would be really helpfull. Note that im also verry new to the audiophile world so it may just be a problem i have

How do you think Sebalius speakers would match up?

Tarun will make a potent amp if he chooses to

I don't know about you but I always prefer image depth to width. It would be nice to have both but usually you get more of one dimension than the other.

why is tube crooked?

So what are those speakers behind you? I’d love to know.

why have you not reviewed any Rega gear?

I'm missing an old school loudness(bass) control. At least it has smart tone controls, but, usually with most amps the bass boost is insufficient. However, you already mentionedthat this amp is not for the ultimate bass lover or rock decibel level devotee.

What I miss most and would love to see as a standard provision on integrated amplifiers and preamplifiers is a balance control on the remote control. I view that as an invaluable addition.

For this sort of money, you can get an R800i with some top notch valves for it, I won’t be rushing out to change mine for this.

LOL!

TBH, this looks like a 500$ chinese tube amp from a few years ago. I d'ont know about the feel of it but I'm not sold on it looks, especially at this price point. But that's me

I'm just going to say out loud what perhaps other people are thinking. Nice amplifier, designed by Thomas, an awesome guy. However, for a Chinese made amplifier this is overpriced. Same price as the American made Rogue Cronus 3 "Dark" version or Cary Audio SLI-80HS. An Audio Research I/50 is only $1000 more.

Interesting. NOT a rave review. More like... it is quite good.

I probably need to lose my attitude whenever tubes are discussed, it’s more than creating a warm sound / colorization of the music right???

Thomas did not design. He is not trained in EE😂.

Won't power 20.7s 😮 Coda Ts v3 800w@4ohms

I wonder what qualifications Thomas has in tube amp design and construction, a complex and demanding subject. I suspect none, probably just a badging exercise using his KZfaq profile. A little cynical for my taste.

30kg isn't 46 lbs!! :)

I almost bought one of these. But I didn't.

Lol

Thomas Sereo? He insists that

No way this can run with a PrimaLuna Evo integrated at a comparable price.

Seems like a waste of engineering to have the a/b option. I can see first x amount of Watts being class a.. but I don't understand the a/b option. I just assume anyone who buys this will be buying to use in class a..even before listening to it first.

30 kilos is not 46 lbs. heads up. another way too pricey piece of gear i will never own but enjoy your work ntl

30 kg is equal to 66 lbs, not 46 lbs.

Ouch! 2 mins in and I’m mortally offended by the term “tubes”!!! What’s with the Americanism? It simply won’t do Tarun you are the British Audiophile!!! It’s just not cricket. 😆😂

You are amongst my favorite reviewers but i'm sick of hearing about this piece. Literally so many reviews

$4,495.00. I’ll pass.

I. Don't. THINK. so.

30 kg *is not* 46 lbs.!!

Ah thought this was his new solid state power amp. Tubes. I'm outta here.

中國製造。😏

The OEM Partner is Doge not Dodge, take care of proper pronunciation.

Taran, Thomas scammed you into this. Like that you are looking across the pond but this is nothing to promote.

Amplifier is rubbish please do not buy this piece of rubbish

Overpriced. Nothing in the review made it sound like it blew your socks off in it's price class.

É o Doge 10 Mk III levemente modificado. OEM.