I tried driving something in that same 86 dB/m range before my Zu Omens arrived, and it definitely ran out of steam - particularly in the bass range. Your experience may vary - so please report back!

Inspire KT88 SE triode wired
 

New guy here. I just ordered an Inspire KT88SE triode strapped. It will have less power than the ultra linear version. Will post more after it arrives.

I have been a tube-a-holic for years and I excited about this amp. :D

Welcome FloridaBoy! Interesting variation. What does "triode strapped" mean? And how much power with which tubes? It's named after a pentode tube, so confusing. :scratch2:

My KT-150 runs at 10 - 12 watts when running KT-88's depending on rectifier.

The amp I am getting is single ended but wired in triode. It will produce less power but the sonics are, IMHO, seductive. Most of the amps Dennis has produced are single ended but are ultra linear. More power is produced with the ultra linear iteration. My speakers are 99db so I opted for triode. I have seen one Inspire that had a switch to toggle back and forth between the two.

FloridaBoy... Welcome to AA! :wave:

Still interesting! Makes me think about upgrade possibilities that might be possible for my amp. Switch between triode and UL, hmmm.

Now you've done it! :lala:

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Should receive my IFA-1 today via FedEx.:banana:

Dennis mentioned in our correspondence that he's made some circuit upgrades on my particular amp. Not sure what they are but he was very pleased with the results.

I'll report back when I get it installed in my system.

The :music: is what matters. Low power tube amps and efficient speakers sound the best to me too.

The metal base Mullard 5AR4 is regarded as the best and they are not cheap.
However, the black base double D getter 5AR4 from the same era is a sonic twin and a lot cheaper. I have both and will post pic when I figure out how.

Okay so I received the IFA-1 today and everything arrived in fine order thanks to Dennis' great packing.

The Bryston Mini T's don't seem to be a problem for my particular IFA-1, which I believe is about 12 wpc and KT88 based. I had Dennis install a Blue Velvet Alps stereo potentiometer and I'm listening at my desired level with the knob at about 2:00.

More break-in required for sure but so far Antonio Forcione's "Tears of Joy" is sounding magnificent! Great bass (a bit looser than my Hegel 160's), full and deep, beautiful extended highs and of course, that gorgeous midrange that only tubes can do.

I do have a low oscillating hum that I can't seem to get rid of. It is not affected by the volume control, so any helpful suggestions are welcome here. I've tried both shielded and unshielded power cords on the amp, but no difference.

I am ecstatic at the performance I'm hearing right now!