As a guitar player and audio engineer I' m glad to see people still interested in tube gear. I wasn't aware of the KT150/170 neat tubes! Tons of dissipation, TONS of power available, very cool!

So glad you did not close down your channel. Love your shows

Thomas you have revolutionized audiophile criticism..." OH SHIT moment" now enters our vocabulary, besides " airiness and sparkle, etc.", congratulations!

Stunning, my dear friend. Simply, awesome. 🎶🙌🏻. Thanks.

Thanks for another great vid. Glad to know you're attending the audio show with the the Galion, wish you have a great success on your demo. ✌️

Thank you for your immediate reply and the info! $800 is way better than $2,000! I love tube amplification especially with electrostatic speakers which we have; Martin Logan Expression 13A but i promised my wife no tubes. Why? I am 74 years old and many people my age, especially males are passing away. I don’t want to leave her with a living room of tube gear that if a tube fails she does not know how to replace! We were at an audio show an Kevin the designer of VAC told my wife he would personally come to our house in my absence 😂 Good sales save on his part; notwithstanding his “it’s just like changing a light bulb” I know someone who had Audio Research and when the tube failed it took with it took out something else with it. The cost of the repair, since he was out of warranty was equal to the cost of the amp so he had a $3,000 boat anchor instead. Have you looked at Octave? German Stereoplay rates it at the top of tube amplification in their monthly Rang und Namen. My first love was Martin Logan CLSII with no crossover driven by an all Audio Research chain. I was smitten last year by the reviews of the Michi M8 Mono blocs, the Michi P-5 and S-5 separates but most of all by the integrated the Michi W-5 now in version 2 iteration with a retail of $8,000 I did a very deep dive into all integrated amplifiers at around the $10,000 price point that have a built in phono stage and one that did not from all the recommended ones by German Stereoplay magazine and to my amazement all had specs, specifically S/N ratio for MM and MC stages WORSE than what we have now! Several were equal for the MM stage but far worse for the MC stage. I was inside the Martin Logan Owners Forum and some are using the Michi M8 mono blocks which received top ranking from Stereoplay and a great review in Stereophile. Soundstage did measurements for the Michi W-5 integrated and in every parameter exceeded the manufacturer's claims in the best possible way. I even entertained Musical Fidelity's top integrated and thought I would add their phono stage and it turned out that according to Soundstage measurements it did NOT meet the manufacturer's claims and to tell you that I find that off putting is an understatement. This piece has received rave reviews but again let down by phono section and really a sideways move in terms of power Stereoplay's list is called Rang und Namen and ranks a piece by sound quality first and then for value meaning sound against the asking price; below the first number is sound the second for sound of the DAC and the last the value ■ Technics SU-R1000 62|-|61 90 ■ Rotel MICHI X5 60|-|61 88 ■ MusicalFidelityM8Xi 59|-|60 88 ■ Luxman L-507Z 62 89 (no DAC) I also looked at this Esoteric F-05; no improvement Here is the most recent Stereoplay summary which is released monthly: www.connect.de/filedownload/documents/118676701/RANG-NAMEN-stereoplay-2023-09.pdf Any ideas would be appreciated; the only reason we are looking is I read a review in Soundstage and he said the Michi X5 really woke up the bass and midrange of his ML; this was exactly what I wanted to hear as we are looking for more oooomph!

🤗AGAIN THOMAS..YOUR EXAMPLE OF THE NIGHT 🌌 SKY AND THE MILKY WAY IS PERFECT IDEA 🤩💡

Thomas, you know how good you are now? People are quoting your review to sell used gear!! I'm used to seeing quotes from Stereophile, The Absolute Sound......but to see yours brought a smile to my face. Congratulations and keep on doing what you do because to a lot of us Audio Geeks you are becoming one of the greatest audio reviewer of all time regardless of media forum.

Hi Thomas, with regards to voltage and tubes the following is my understanding. The anode voltage together with the grid (negative) voltage are parameters that affect the bias of a tube (i.e to obtain the desired working point/anode current), tubes biased differently will sound different you might have heard the expression "running a tube hot or cold". In most amplifiers the anode voltage cannot be adjusted so it is just a design parameter. Finally and importantly the design of the output transformer is very important. The design aim to match the tube internal resistance to the speakers impedance to have maximum power transfer and bandwidth.

Just look at the volume button, and imagine what's behind it, I think they're stepper, probably -eizz??, and 40 kg. Thanks for sharing!!

I used to listen to 6550 tubes all the time. No one even mentions the any more. In the day I preferred to KT88.

845 tube-these were used as modulators in an older CEMCO 500kw SW transmitter built in 1948! 300 tubes were used in older Western Electric 1000 w AM broadcast transmitters. Used them as modulators.

🤗THOMAS,YOU REALLY SURPRISE ME…I DID NOT KNOW YOU WERE A TUBE Connoisseur TO SUCH A DEGREE, YOUR EXPERIENCE “ in the audio kitchen “ IS VERY VALUABLE FOR TUBE LOVERS 💚 …ALONG WITH YOUR AUDIOPHILE BUDDIES…YOU ARE ABLE TO COOK 👨‍🍳 SOMETHING FOR ALMOST ANY TASTE 🤗👍😁😎💚💚💚

Thomas, I so much enjoy your enthusiasm for your videos.. and your honesty of your opinions obviously are made in the best interests of your viewers; and yet, you are true to yourself in stressing "my opinions". I like people who are honest...and yet have the capability of doing it with respect to opposing opinions--great job! Please stay the same and never change your values and format of your videos. I believe in that respect, you will establish and keep a loyal fan base! Thank you! By the way...what is the recording and artist you use at the end of your videos? Interesting....

To me high power tubes are those that are used in 500kw and 1mw radio transmitters. An exmample is the Thompson CQ650. This high gain from tetrode has a plate disapation of 650kw! This tube would cost $150K! Runs at plate volts 15kv,60A and 2 kv screen voltage . I run a 500kw SW transmitter that uses the CQ650 is its RF output stage.

Thanks for the video. I am thinking of buying the Cayin Soul 170i. Ofcourse first to the store for listing.

Thats a Beast !! I can not thank Thomas enough for getting me to try A tube amp . Honestly I stayed away From tube amps due to relability vs Solid state , But after trying the Doge I was like omg ! I am a big fan Of Mosphete Integrated amps and tubes remind me of the ultimate Mosphete lol 😆 If you love the Yamaha Big Boy sound then i know you'll love Doge !

Another great Video Thomas. I love the "Oh sh*t moment" comment. Funny but honest and real, as you always are. Could you take a moment to comment on Mr. DIY's amplifier. I often hear you mention it, as have others, but I've never heard anyone mention what kit it was. Did Mr. DIY dream up the circuit diagram on his own and build it from scratch or did he find the kit somewhere and put it together. I've put together several amplifiers, my favorite being the Elekit TU-8600S, but this amplifier you keep talking about makes me want to build it.

I came up with one and Thomas you may well like. People don't change they just gain knowledge...

I've had my eyes on this amp for a while. Amazing review. Honestly I wish they would've made it a single ended class a amp instead of push pull ab. Since it is I'd honestly take the gallion ts120. It's a no brainer to me.

I have gotten EXCELLENT sound reproduction from a Scott LK 48 intergrated amp from the late 50’s-early 60’s that used 7189 tubes in each channel-PP gives 24 clean watts per channel. Ran them into high efficiency speakers-all the power you need! Don’t need your own power station to run them! The big tubes used in the amps shown are cool-but too big,too expensive for most of us high fi listeners.

Tube rolling on an valve amplifier is an interesting endeavor. Satisfying results are dependent on the capabilities of the amplifier. I would agree just because you can, does not mean you should. The current pair that I use, I have found work well with everything it can support, it was designed to do so. I decided to purchased them over a pair of the lauded McIntosh MC275, because of this versatility. Albeit, them being better sounding is a matter of preference. So far, I have used with them the KT 88, EL 34, 6550, KT120 and KT150. I prefer the KT150 and KT88 sound the most. But, that is just me. The KT 150 however put its performance on par with an pair of Tube amps that were twice their price. Albeit the bass on those mono-blocks had more snap, and conveyed little more naturalness in the mid-range, it could not match them in the low end authority, were not as precise on tone and sound-stage, nor were the dynamics of an performance as powerful.

I just love my 170i… it sound amazing amazing

Such nice presentation and a comfortable recording of your voice which makes listening to your hifi adventures a relaxing experience

Great video as always. That is a nice looking amp.

Preach it, and teach it, Thomas!😄 I'm really enjoying the journey you're taking us on. My own projects will be the better for it.

As for being the most powerful or second most powerful tube in the world, I'm pretty sure there's a company called Eimac that would argue with you. Let me suggest you look at the Eimac 4CW50,000E. This is a 38-pound tetrode with a rated plate dissipation of 50,000 watts (using water and forced air cooling). A pair of them in class AB1 will produce an undistorted 195,000 watts of audio. I'm pretty sure that will drive whatever speakers you want.

Great video as always Thomas

“I dunno…Velociraptors?” LOL, good one Thomas!

IMHHO, I am not one to flatter people, but it’s NOT flattery when it is TRUE And when it comes to eating we have all had meals we enjoyed home cooking and outstanding meals that we remember for years…and TUBES are something that I have never had an opportunity to develop an appetite for…and you and your audio buddies have given me A DESIRE FOR MORE 😁😅💚💚💚

Hy Thomas, You are a great story teller, I love it. When you are in a concert hall (or a pop festival venue) you probably have noticed, like I have, that every spot (or group of seats) in the hall have its own sound. I is like the same with the story of the array of power amps you just have posted. I own for 30 years a pair of electrostatic loudspeakers (Audio Static type ES100, once reviewed in Audiophile May 1995 mentioned as breath taking speakers from Holland.) and I have been all that time in the best seat of the hall all that time :) Rob Wynschenk, (from the Netherlands)

Oh yes at a surplus store so many years ago found a CASE of 300 WE JAN army/Navy white box 300s priced at 2 bucks each-they were new-back then didn’t have lots of money nor any equipment that used 300 tubes. Now I think of those and how they were two bucks each at how much they are worth today! And remember 300 tubes were used in the first Western Electric cinema amps for reproducing early film soundtracks!

2A3, 45 and 71A tubes for the win, sorry man 😎 The bottle shape of the 170 looks cool tho.

i have seen 250,000+ dollar tube amps which make 2500 watts. 😎

Great video as always and the title does get the click so even though you better clarified it in your opening statement I'm not sure that's true either. Any chance you can test the NAT Magma New HPS "Single Ended Class "A" Triode (D.H.T.) Power Output max. 170 Watts" ? This may be the worlds most powerful tube and it's called Magma because of the color of the anode that is so real to volcano's magma. To power this beast the power supply is providing 1000 volts. It costs more than a new car and it could probably heat your whole house in the winter but I've always wanted one (two they're mono blocks) and as you know we all live thru you vicariously. Keep up the good work

Conrad Johnson uses 6550 where do they fall in the groups; Allnic also uses the kt170 and almost all the reviews of their products cite pureness of sound.

Love how you guys casually put "over than a grand" tubes on the edge of the table lol.

Try KT90 and you will be blown away. Tigth and fast drum, soft bass and middrange to drown in sound. Amp i use is GS-audio 901.. Exelent quality and i know it because i build tube amps on order. Last project were 240watt tube monobloks.. LoL

Slack, granted...lol... And glad to hear you're having some success with the Galion.

Put the 170i with a pair of Harbeth SHL5P XD's.

Would appreciate any advice on tube rolling 101 for integrated amp, (in my case, Cayin CS55) Which one should I try first? the pre (12AU7/12AX7) or power (KT88)

Hello Thomas ..............DA 100 ( Osram Valve ) ..............100 W The WE 212E.......................275 W 845................100 W .......and there are some others... Power and quality coupled like a balanced pair..............what you gain is also what you lose..... What do mean high power valaves like the ones you mention is to TRY to match two different worlds.......Valves with speakers who have low impedance , very low sensitivity and loss of low level micro dynamics and needing high dampling factors and high power ....... yes its works but not in the same league as the speakers which were build in the past for this technology..............it's all about the hype of tubes and to satisfy audiophile demand create bt the marketting and to experience the vertues of an older technology which has some qualities absent in the solid state world .......solid state has a cristaline structure ............vacuum has not ......... There are good solid state amplifiers and bad tube amplifiers .....but the potential will never be the same....due to the nature of electrical behaviour....................one never explores the potential of a race car in the dessert..............a 4X4 will outclass it.............but it will not beat the racecar on a track like the former. Have a lovely Thomas .............the world and the world of audiophiles is filled with paradoxes.

I don't man, I was playing with the idea of using old Soviet klystrons for audio duty....also check out some bespoke amps using giant radio transmitter triode for output tube.

13:03 Hello have you already tried the soul 170 with Martin Logan Regards

That's a big 1

Dear Thomas, I love you content however I would love to see a review on Line Magnetic. The LM-805IA or LM-219IA PLUS or LM-845 Premium. And would love to hear how they stack up against the Cayin. Do the pepsi - cola test ! Many thanks in advance!

NAT Audio Magma, employs a single GM100 tube for 170 watts output, Class A.

Apparently you've never heard of Klystron transmitter tubes manufactured by Eimac, some of which can produce from 300KW to 1MW each!

The “Big Leap” over the 150 is the Big Price

Yes Mr. Thomas I have to fully agree with you with the red flag syndrome. Money flowing down gutters and drain because of it...

I think you need to reconsider your tube preconceptions. We have been too long in the tube horsepower race, just as we were in the transistor horsepower race in the 1970s/80s. Many makers are (re) discovering the virtues of low output tubes and/or single-ended tube topologies (SET) for their ability to dissect small signal inner detail. As you say, these tubes "don't make your jaw drop" but this is mostly because you need to join a low output tube with an appropriate ultrasensitive speaker. Scouting out the audio press, I can see speakers with >95 db/watt sensitivity and amps under 10 watts output (often under 5 watts output), and rarely do I see complaints about lack of low end or low volume. I think the main reason why these products are ignored or unknown is that most makers of low output/high sensitivity systems are boutique makers that you don't see in stores or advertisements but they are worth seeking out, and KZfaq, SIGS (special interest groups) and various blogs are excellent venues for this.

I just Sub&like your chanel. Goodluck!

Willson Audio Watt Puppy 6….🎉

Thank you Thomas for the great review! Can the power tubes be rolled as well... KT88, 6550, KT120 & KT150's?

Good job Thomas 👌have you test the AUDIO RESEARCH VSI 60 with KT 120,i would like to know your opinion. Thanks 🙏

Another great video…s

All perceived observations and opinions are function and valid only with speakers made today ..............not so with speakers made for tube amplification.......... Audiophiles are conditionned by marketing .....just like people are conditionned by the media/politics/religion/education..... Example ................The Galion ( which is probably a good amplifier for the JOB )....coupled with the Wilson speakers .......

Too bad Cayin is not well represented in the USA... I worry about after sale support.... Otherwise, I will be all over it as their portfolio is very wide.... Well done Thomas !

Thanks for the review. Can you get a modded Eico HF 81 tube amp n review it. This amp has 6L6 tubes? low power but great bass.

Hi Thomas, you mentioned you managed to get the TS120 to where you want and beyond, are you referring to the standard version or the upgrade version?

listening to the audio demo at the end i noticed very very little bass, is that how it was for you? loved the video always a pleasure cheers

Check out Eimac tubes. Real power.

Dear Thomas, I have started following your channel and there is so much to learn from you, i am struggling to buy a tube amp, could you help. should i buy Muzishare R100 or McIntosh 275? or Wellington R8 KT88?

what's going on with those speakers next to the ribbon tweeters is that a port?

I hope you can review the OTL Atma-sphere amps - completely tube driven which supposedly are "better" bc they are transformerless.

Can I swap KT170s for my K88 in Antique Sound Lab Hurricane Mono Blocks?

Hello Thomas! Could it drive correctly BW 802(n)

Thomas , do you know Hungary audio , the xp200 ? Maybe a very solid alternative to the Cayin , indeed Aldo with kt170 , and about the same price , The c200/p200 are astounding , but that’s another price , and pre+ power ,..plus not fair

What is the basis of Mr DIY’s amplifier? Does he have his own channel?

First of all thanks for your videos in general and specifically this one ! Do you think the KT170 automatically works this magic in any amp that can handle KT150 and/or KT170 ( my Ayon can and my 150s are close to aprox. 2.000hours ) Tks

very nice product

Will you be reviewing the Caying HA-3A?

Thomas on you three categories why don’t you mention the 6L6 tube ?

Hi Thomas, love your channel. I have totem signature ones. Can you recommend a warm, smooth amp for it? I am using a Rotel rb 991, but it seems too bright.

Thanks Thomas again for another great review. I am the happy owner of a Cayin CS150A and now I have learnt from Cayin themselves that the CS150A can run KT170, just adjusting the bias. Any ideas of how could the CS150A sound with KT170 vs. the Soul 170i?

Hi Thomas. Love your video. I am a fan of your. I have Willsenton r-800i with 48 w per channel. I feel it has no bass. Do you think the KT88-117 that I can role to it amplifier , can you give me ideas how to improve the bass on that amp. Thank you very much and have a good day

hi Tomas , great review , the sincerity in the last part of your video is appreciated , I hope one day hear the top end sparkling detail in my system (: i was wondering if this cayin 170i could make good match wiht kef speakers? any insight?

Any experience with the orsefon 275 McIntosh clone?

Hi Thomas, just one question have you listened to the Cayin C840A-pro, if so when do you think? THANKS

Quick question if I want dynamics which should I choose since I cannot audition either (buying an audio product without and audition is nuts); Cayin CS-150A or Line Magnetic 150IA?

What about the tenor tube amps?

💯🧡

Question..... Hello Thomas, thanks for your precious reviews ! I own a Cayin A-55T that sounds fantastic. Recently I bought a pair of loudspeakers JMRenaud Offrande Suprême 2. I don't know if you know about these LP but definitely, my Cayin A-55T is not powerful enough for them. So I want another Cayin and I wonder which one would fit ? I'm thinking about the CS 170i. Do you think it would fit ? NB : I love smooth jazz music, with subtile treble, breathing mids and present bass.

My new tube power amplifier class A use KT170 and awesome. Also please what's the name of the expensive British tube?

How is the noise floor on thjs amp ...?

Thank you for this video! I am really loving everything I am reading about this amp. But from the looks of it, there is no US dealer. Do you happen to know anything about this?

Amazing review...Some fun metaphors... I am one of those asians you mentioned who like 'lively Cayin sound'. 😀 I actually have a A88T Reference version with Genalex Gold Lion tubes and love the sound, forward but in a pleasant way. I just hope the sound stage could be bigger and bass more robust and deeper. Does Soul 170 can do that? Can you or someone advise? Appreciate and many thanks.

I wonder how does Soul 170i vs Hegel H590? One of the most powerful tube amp vs a very powerful solid state amp

Is it true that it costs $2,000 to replace 4-KT 170 tubes if so it throws the entire value to cost equation into questionable regardless of benefits outlined here

The 170 is a better sounding tube in every circuit we've used it in...

Slippery slope to tubes rolling...

Looks very nice. But, why would someone who likes tubes want an amp with a "lively top end"? That's pretty much describing a non-tube sound, no? I know that what I seek out is warmth, and NO edgy top, or highs but smooth and pleasing. Of course, it goes without saying that I am not Asian, lol. Since you mention that. I'm also of the generation that remembers, experienced what is now called, the vintage sound. That was the sound of my youth and what I still value.

I wonder if this Amplifier would work good with a pair of Goldenear Triton Reference, anyone?

With the similarities between Primaluna and Cayin I wonder if the Primaluna can run KT 170 on the KT150 switch position

Love your reviews! But that's an awful lot of slack given, to stay within your own logic, a push-pull 211 amp will put out no less than 260 Watts. Nor will an up to 19.7 Watt triode wired 211, given the right output transformers (that's where the problem lies) sound nowhere near as midrangey as a 300B. As a matter of fact, in the right hands (e.g. Steve Deckert), not even a 300B may sound anywhere as midrangey as we're used to from those half-baked designs people are thinking of knocking these wonderful DHTs.

what brand are those speaker feet?

Can you get ts120 installing kt170s?

Słuchałem tego pieca u siebie z posiadanymi kolumnami polskiej manufaktury Studio 16Hz model Arcada 2,5 drogi zbudowane w oparciu o przetworniki scan speak'a i powiem dźwiękowa petarda. Pomimo, że to push pull gra bardzo podobnie jak dobra trioda (porównanie z posiadanym Cayin CS845A).

And you lost me completely when you claim the feet and cables had any appreciable effect on sound. All value in your opinions now out the window.

I have Audio research with KT150s. At high volume, bass is all over the place. And it feels strange