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SET Asylum Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream. |
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SET Asylum Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream. |
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In Reply to: Korneff 45 vs. John Hogan 45 posted by vman71 on May 2, 2007 at 06:02:21:
I have owned a Korneff 45SE, a Yamamoto A08 and several John Hogan 45 based amps. I had the Yamamoto and a JH 45 at the same time to so I could do a side by side comparison. The Korneff sound is from memory, not a direct comparison. In my opinion, these are all excellent amps and will bring lots of music to your ear.Korneff 45 SE – Very well built, industrial and functional style. Typically stereo amps that will need a preamp. The Korneff 6SN7/76 preamps are a great companion to the amps, or go for a somewhat rare Korneff integrated 6SN7/76/45 amp. Clean, transparent sound, nice tight bass.
Yamamoto A08 – Beautifully built, Cherry top plate with beveled edges seems to float above the support pillars. Stereo amp that will need a preamp. If you are a tube roller, you will have less opportunity here because the 717A driver has only two options, the Western Electric branded (made by Tung-sol) and the Raytheon. Sweet, clear sound, good bass. This was my wife’s favorite amp, because she loved the way it looked.
John Hogan 45 – Very basic, sometimes rough looking (black duct tape covering unused holes in the old organ chassis), but the later ones can look much better. Most JH amps are integrated in the sense of having a preamp section built in and a volume control. The stereo amps have separate volume controls for each channel. So no preamp is needed, but there is typically only one set of inputs, so no switching between sources without shutting down. Tube rollers delight for the typical 6SN7 input, a variety of drivers (26, 27, 76), 45 output and 5V rectifiers (often 5u4G, 5Z3, 5AR4, 5Y3). JH 45 amps have a rich midrange and vibrant highs, but the bass distortion(from using PP OPTs) keeps the bass from being as tight and articulate as the others. Driver selection makes a difference too, 26’s give a tighter, cooler more dynamic sound. 76 drivers give a richer, warmer sound. I have had a bunch of JH amps for several years and they have been reliable with only one exception. One stereo amp had one channel that would occasionally drop about 5 dB in volume. I had someone check it out and they found it was a problem with a tube socket that needed to be replaced. The problem was not due to faulty design, construction or soldering, but the socket itself.
I have a personal preference for the JH amps, being a midrange oriented guy, and loving that richness. I also have a preference for not using a preamp. I have tried a bunch of tube and passive preamps, and always like the more open and transparent sound of not having them in the system. Since I only use one source, switching is not an issue for me. If I had to give up my JH amps (this is not going to happen!), I would probably opt for a Korneff 45 integrated. I love having the tube rolling choices to sculpt the sound to my system, room, and ear. My wife would certainly choose the Yamamoto, and , of course, she would not be wrong.
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- All good - Rick R 05/2/0713:27:54 05/2/07 (0)
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