Dennis Had Inspire Amps

[Bombadil]

Originally Posted by nhparrot

Let me know how those Russian 6f6s/6f6g sound after you get an try them. BTW try KT77's with your ProAc's. Dennis recommended I try them with mine and the midrange is glorious.

I have a pair of JJ KT77, which DH was recommending once upon a time. Don't know if that is still true. In my system they have a bit more "bite" through the midrange and highs than EL34s and my vintage Sylvania fat boy 6CA7s. Even a bit more than my re-issue Gold Lion KT88s.

Not so much that I would label them as being aggressive or forward. Just a touch more midrange detail, and perhaps a bit less deep bass definition than a KT88/KT120.

Vs EL34, the KT77 is more open with better imaging. The KT77 isn't as "lush" or warm-sounding as the EL34. I've read on guitar amp forums that people have switched from EL34 to KT77 to get a more dynamic, slightly more aggressive sound. I hear that same quality through my system when I'm playing songs with strong lead guitar riffs when using KT77s.

[straitwire]

Originally Posted by Bombadil

How are those monoblocks configured? Triode or Pentode? Estimated output power? They look like beasts.

Hey Bombadil, Dennis sent me some numbers for the unit wired in Triode using a 5AR4 rectifier.
6F6,6V6=5 watts
KT-88=12 watts
Pentode mode or SEP would deliver 22-24 watts with KT-88's.
Thats all I know so far.

[Bombadil]

Those numbers are consistent with his other designs. A standard Inspire KT88 HO in pentode mode produces 12 wpc with one KT88 per channel. So doubling that to 2 6550/KT88 per channel goes to the 22-24 wpc number. Likewise a single 6F6/6V6 in triode mode is 2-2.5 wpc, so 5 with two per channel.

[nhparrot]

Originally Posted by Bombadil

I have a pair of JJ KT77, which DH was recommending once upon a time. Don't know if that is still true. In my system they have a bit more "bite" through the midrange and highs than EL34s and my vintage Sylvania fat boy 6CA7s. Even a bit more than my re-issue Gold Lion KT88s.

Not so much that I would label them as being aggressive or forward. Just a touch more midrange detail, and perhaps a bit less deep bass definition than a KT88/KT120.

Vs EL34, the KT77 is more open with better imaging. The KT77 isn't as "lush" or warm-sounding as the EL34. I've read on guitar amp forums that people have switched from EL34 to KT77 to get a more dynamic, slightly more aggressive sound. I hear that same quality through my system when I'm playing songs with strong lead guitar riffs when using KT77s.

Bombadil, Dennis recommended the KT77's to me based on my system with ProAc Response 1SC's. Although I like the KT77 better than a KT88 or 6L6, the power tube set I prefer most is a 6V6GT, enough so that I have multiple makes of the tube (Pope, Visseaux, Bendix, Hytron).

Originally Posted by straitwire

Hey Bombadil, Dennis sent me some numbers for the unit wired in Triode using a 5AR4 rectifier.
6F6,6V6=5 watts
KT-88=12 watts
Pentode mode or SEP would deliver 22-24 watts with KT-88's.
Thats all I know so far.

straitwire, Isn't a 5AR4 a bit aggressive to use with 6F6, 6V6? Recommendations from Dennis was to use a 5Y3 with the non-GT version of a 6V6 tube.

[straitwire]

Hey nhparrot, it depends on the 6V6 (and the bias resistor value), some 6V6's (usually new manufacture, but not always) don't like it when you raise the plate voltage by using 5AR4's. NOS 6V6's tend to be able to handle the higher voltage but they do turn a little red (blushing).
My C.G.Conn organ amp used 12V6's and all of them had red plate's, but they were tubes manufactured in the late 50's.
So because we don't know which 6V6's the customer will use, it's best to just say avoid the combination of 5AR4's and 6V6's to be on the safe side.

[Rosco65]

I have a question regarding the PSE with IIPS: since we are now supplying B+ voltage from SS rectifiers, does the rectifier tube make difference in voltage? If not, is it safe to run a 6F6 in the same amp you run KT77’s? Is the PSE run a little more conservatively?

[BearCityUSA]

Originally Posted by Rosco65

I have a question regarding the PSE with IIPS: since we are now supplying B+ voltage from SS rectifiers, does the rectifier tube make difference in voltage? If not, is it safe to run a 6F6 in the same amp you run KT77’s? Is the PSE run a little more conservatively?

Disco,

Your and I have identical PSEs as I recall. I heard the 6f6s on DH’s PSE which has the same circuit as ours, just with gas regulators. The presentation was astounding. As DH would say, “plug and play”. Oh, and report back.

Scott

[BearCityUSA]

Originally Posted by BearCityUSA

Disco,

Your and I have identical PSEs as I recall. I heard the 6f6s on DH’s PSE which has the same circuit as ours, just with gas regulators. The presentation was astounding. As DH would say, “plug and play”. Oh, and report back.

Scott

Sorry, Rosce. Damn autocorrect.

[straitwire]

straitwire, Isn't a 5AR4 a bit aggressive to use with 6F6, 6V6? Recommendations from Dennis was to use a 5Y3 with the non-GT version of a
6V6 tube.[/QUOTE]

I forgot to ask if you have the IIPS in your amp, if you do, then like Bearcity said "plug and play"
When I put a 5Y3 in my IIPS equipped FireBottle and measured the voltage then put a 5AR4 in and measured, the difference was only a few volts.

[Rosco65]

Originally Posted by BearCityUSA

Sorry, Rosce. Damn autocorrect.

“Disco Jones” would be a great porn name.