First listen: Air Tight ATM2

[antipop]

Originally Posted by Jerome W

I see Georges.
If you are shopping for high end tube monoblocks, you should try to listen to the Wavacs 805. They are SET amps and deliver 2 x 55W. 14500 euros for the pair.
Stephen ( Puma Cat ) listened to them and considers them as the best amps he ever heard.
They got rave reviews.

Jérôme, I'm not looking to change my amps. I've always been interested by the design of the Air Tight and wanted to see if the sound matched the look.

I don't find the Wavacs as attractive look-wise but I've never listened to one. If I was shopping, I'd take a look at the Nagra.

BTW, I'm listening to music but I find it flat and emotionless despite playing my favorite tracks. I guess I'm not in the mood.

[Jean-Marc jmajma]

A wonderful room I know very well, with beautiful furniture from the Italian Bassocontinuo ....

Happy you enjoyed the Saturday afternoon.

Georges, did you listen to vinyl with Martial or Thierry?

[antipop]

Originally Posted by Jean-Marc jmajma

A wonderful room I know very well, with beautiful furniture from the Italian Bassocontinuo ....

Happy you enjoyed the Saturday afternoon.

Georges, did you listen to vinyl with Martial or Thierry?

Yes that Bassocontinuo is a beautiful piece. The leather on top really adds a lot to the look.

There was a VPI Scout 2 on demo but I was too happy letting Martial pick the songs from the Aurender. First we listened to whole tracks, then we skipped a bit faster to discover more artists. His collection and knowledge of it are limitless.

I always have fun when I stop by, they are both very friendly and they know how to take care of the customers. I wish more shops were like this.

[miniguy]

Originally Posted by antipop

They are still expensive ! The MSRP of the ATM2 is 11.5k€ and the ATM3 is 17k€.

But the difference makes you wonder if you should save a bit more and get the 3 altogether. Those are amps that you keep for a lifetime.

The design of the ATM2 hasn't changed in 25 years and it is one of the oldest amp still in production. The ATM1 was recently updated to the 1S version.

You are right about the longevity of the ATM-2, but there have been some minor changes from the original: captive power power replaced with IEC socket, better speaker binding posts fitted and power transformer painted gloss gray. That's it. I have owned it since 2005 and it will never leave my system.

[miniguy]

I meant power cord replaced with IEC socket.

[querstrommotor]

Greetings from Berlin,

yes the ATM2 is maybe one of the best KT88 amps in HiFi history.
If one thinks of MC 275 - this is not completely wrong.....
The ATM2 has, in difference to modern MC 275, still, as it was on the vintage MC 275, the 12BH7 driver tube for the KT88.
The output transformers are within the best you can get, they are produced for Air Tight from Tamura - fantastic quality!!!!

If you want to hear what this amp is capable of - you have to throw out every single tube, which comes with the amp.
Change them to top of the line NOS tubes.
I use for my ATM2 a quad of GEC KT88 black plates triple getter - in my case CV 5220 from 1967.
The 12AX7 position is in my case fitted with Telefunken ECC83 smooth plates, the splitter stage is fitted with Mullard CV 493 long plates square getter coin base.

This is one of maybe 4 or 5 settings, wich blows the socks of - no comparison to the stock EH and chinese KT88 setting.

Also important is to keep in mind a valid preamp - the ATM2 - as all Air Tight classic amps (ATM1S, ATM2, ATM3Mono, ATM4, ATM300, ATM211) need the 600 ohm standard preamp - or even less output impedance.

It is a little bit as with shindo - use with the ATM2 one of the classic preamps from Air Tight, and it will fit perfectly.

Keep in mind, that the reference preamps are not made with these classic amps in mind - they all have a too high output impedance.

Perfect for the ATM2 ist the ATC1 HQ, ATC2 HQ or ATC3 HQ - ATC2 and ATC3 are just line preamps, ATC1 HQ is a full function pre, which is a modern interpretation of the classic Marantz 7C.
The ATC2 has a very compareable layout as the line stage in a MAC C20 - it uses a tube rectifier a 6X4 or their derivates - and the ATC2 can be upgraded with the matching RIAA stage ATE1 - which makes a fantastic combination.
The ATC3 is a stripped down version of the ATC2 - and inspite of the simpler layout, it sounds fantastic.

Also there is the ATE 2005 RIAA stage in the Air Tight portfolio - it is the only RIAA stage in the portfolio, which has 2 mm inputs as also a mc input - no other Air Tight RIAA shares this.
So you do not need a Step Up - but you could)))
The ATE 2005 is a reference like RIAA stage, which fits also in the classic Amp portfolio - it has also an output impedance of 600 ohms, and it is also able to drive one of the amplifiers direct - without a line stage in between.

Hope this helps

greetings

Ekki

[Bluemcintosh]

Originally Posted by querstrommotor

Greetings from Berlin,

yes the ATM2 is maybe one of the best KT88 amps in HiFi history.
If one thinks of MC 275 - this is not completely wrong.....
The ATM2 has, in difference to modern MC 275, still, as it was on the vintage MC 275, the 12BH7 driver tube for the KT88.
The output transformers are within the best you can get, they are produced for Air Tight from Tamura - fantastic quality!!!!

If you want to hear what this amp is capable of - you have to throw out every single tube, which comes with the amp.
Change them to top of the line NOS tubes.
I use for my ATM2 a quad of GEC KT88 black plates triple getter - in my case CV 5220 from 1967.
The 12AX7 position is in my case fitted with Telefunken ECC83 smooth plates, the splitter stage is fitted with Mullard CV 493 long plates square getter coin base.

This is one of maybe 4 or 5 settings, wich blows the socks of - no comparison to the stock EH and chinese KT88 setting.

Also important is to keep in mind a valid preamp - the ATM2 - as all Air Tight classic amps (ATM1S, ATM2, ATM3Mono, ATM4, ATM300, ATM211) need the 600 ohm standard preamp - or even less output impedance.

It is a little bit as with shindo - use with the ATM2 one of the classic preamps from Air Tight, and it will fit perfectly.

Keep in mind, that the reference preamps are not made with these classic amps in mind - they all have a too high output impedance.

Perfect for the ATM2 ist the ATC1 HQ, ATC2 HQ or ATC3 HQ - ATC2 and ATC3 are just line preamps, ATC1 HQ is a full function pre, which is a modern interpretation of the classic Marantz 7C.
The ATC2 has a very compareable layout as the line stage in a MAC C20 - it uses a tube rectifier a 6X4 or their derivates - and the ATC2 can be upgraded with the matching RIAA stage ATE1 - which makes a fantastic combination.
The ATC3 is a stripped down version of the ATC2 - and inspite of the simpler layout, it sounds fantastic.

Also there is the ATE 2005 RIAA stage in the Air Tight portfolio - it is the only RIAA stage in the portfolio, which has 2 mm inputs as also a mc input - no other Air Tight RIAA shares this.
So you do not need a Step Up - but you could)))
The ATE 2005 is a reference like RIAA stage, which fits also in the classic Amp portfolio - it has also an output impedance of 600 ohms, and it is also able to drive one of the amplifiers direct - without a line stage in between.

Hope this helps

greetings

Ekki

Nice write up. Much appreciated. Im very interest in 211 amps. Any thought on these amps ? Thanks in advance.

[antipop]

Originally Posted by querstrommotor

Greetings from Berlin,

yes the ATM2 is maybe one of the best KT88 amps in HiFi history.
If one thinks of MC 275 - this is not completely wrong.....
The ATM2 has, in difference to modern MC 275, still, as it was on the vintage MC 275, the 12BH7 driver tube for the KT88.
The output transformers are within the best you can get, they are produced for Air Tight from Tamura - fantastic quality!!!!

If you want to hear what this amp is capable of - you have to throw out every single tube, which comes with the amp.
Change them to top of the line NOS tubes.
I use for my ATM2 a quad of GEC KT88 black plates triple getter - in my case CV 5220 from 1967.
The 12AX7 position is in my case fitted with Telefunken ECC83 smooth plates, the splitter stage is fitted with Mullard CV 493 long plates square getter coin base.

This is one of maybe 4 or 5 settings, wich blows the socks of - no comparison to the stock EH and chinese KT88 setting.

Also important is to keep in mind a valid preamp - the ATM2 - as all Air Tight classic amps (ATM1S, ATM2, ATM3Mono, ATM4, ATM300, ATM211) need the 600 ohm standard preamp - or even less output impedance.

It is a little bit as with shindo - use with the ATM2 one of the classic preamps from Air Tight, and it will fit perfectly.

Keep in mind, that the reference preamps are not made with these classic amps in mind - they all have a too high output impedance.

Perfect for the ATM2 ist the ATC1 HQ, ATC2 HQ or ATC3 HQ - ATC2 and ATC3 are just line preamps, ATC1 HQ is a full function pre, which is a modern interpretation of the classic Marantz 7C.
The ATC2 has a very compareable layout as the line stage in a MAC C20 - it uses a tube rectifier a 6X4 or their derivates - and the ATC2 can be upgraded with the matching RIAA stage ATE1 - which makes a fantastic combination.
The ATC3 is a stripped down version of the ATC2 - and inspite of the simpler layout, it sounds fantastic.

Also there is the ATE 2005 RIAA stage in the Air Tight portfolio - it is the only RIAA stage in the portfolio, which has 2 mm inputs as also a mc input - no other Air Tight RIAA shares this.
So you do not need a Step Up - but you could)))
The ATE 2005 is a reference like RIAA stage, which fits also in the classic Amp portfolio - it has also an output impedance of 600 ohms, and it is also able to drive one of the amplifiers direct - without a line stage in between.

Hope this helps

greetings

Ekki

Welcome Ekki, you should post pictures of your systems. They should look great

[querstrommotor]

Hi Paul,

I did not have the chance to listen to the 211 amps in my system, I had in the past the ATM300 - which is the other SET alternative in the Air Tight Line Up.
My personal problem with both - is the problems you will run into - getting NOS Tubes.
The price for originally WE300B is insane - and Radiotron 211 are equal rare and very, very expensive.
The thing is - If you never had the chace to listen those amps with those NOS tubes, you think they sound great - but if you ever had the chance - there is no way back - it creeps slowly in you....;-))))) - to that day, where you bite the bullet....
But I am not prepared to pay 1800,- for a pair of WE 300b - or even more for Radiotron 211 - and - the price is just the half of the story - to find real NOS is the other part...and, as I am not changing every couple of years - you need also spare tubes - that is the reason, why I sold the ATM300b - which was not so easy.....;-((((((

The drivability of the 300b is one of the best I know of - the 300b ha a damping factor switch, where you can ad negative feedback - I know it is not the pure way of thinking SET - but with 6db of neg feedback, you can drive 90db speakers to a respectable level.
With more sensivity, you can decide - with neg feedback the 300b sounds more precise, without, you get all the famous bloom in the mid tones....
You have almost three amps in one package - because you can adjust - no feedback - the pure idea behind SET, 6db feedback and 12db also.....it is a very versatile amp - beautifully build and soundwise a princess.....
All Air Tight amps are not too tubey - they have always this special bass - not soft an thick, the bass ist tight an deep and fast - I like that...

The 211´s ar even more accurate, than the ATM300....which is a matter of these tubes.

Greetings

Ekki

[querstrommotor]

Dear Georges or antipop,

thank you for your nice welcome - I have to check how the picture procedere works here....I thing I need something like a flickr account to have a link to the pic???

Will try something in the future....

Greetings

Ekki