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Inspire by Dennis Had Enjoying Vacuum Tube Audio

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  #4441  
Old 04-18-2018, 04:33 PM
FloridaBoy FloridaBoy is offline
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Default Almost three years

I have had the Inspire LP27a and triode strapped amp for almost three years. I've changed capacitors, some resistors and rolled tubes.I may keep experimenting but I will never sell them. They never cease to amaze. They are that special.

Thanks Dennis!
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  #4442  
Old 04-19-2018, 11:46 PM
Musica Amantem Musica Amantem is offline
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Originally, I wanted my amp to be able to control itself (to not require a Pre), so I requested a DACT attenuator when ordering it from Dennis (Amp is a Triode-strapped HO KT88). It sounds great by itself, especially when coupled with the ZBit for balanced inputs. But, once I requested the LP-27a, also with a DACT, the single-ended pairing produced such body of sound, sound-stage, gain and texture improvements, I've since barely used the Amp without my Pre. Such a synergistic coupling had to come from the same creator!
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  #4443  
Old 04-21-2018, 08:43 AM
Breakdown7 Breakdown7 is offline
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Anyone own both the LP-3a and LP-27a? I was curious of the differences in sound quality, gain etc....

I use and LP-27a and really enjoy it with my PSE (IIPS) amp. Would the LP-3a sound quite a bit different beings it uses 6SN7's? I know the gain of the LP-27a is 12db with 27 tubes and 14db with 56's.

Last edited by Breakdown7; 04-21-2018 at 03:21 PM.
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  #4444  
Old 04-21-2018, 07:27 PM
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BearCityUSA BearCityUSA is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Breakdown7 View Post
Anyone own both the LP-3a and LP-27a? I was curious of the differences in sound quality, gain etc....

I use and LP-27a and really enjoy it with my PSE (IIPS) amp. Would the LP-3a sound quite a bit different beings it uses 6SN7's? I know the gain of the LP-27a is 12db with 27 tubes and 14db with 56's.


BD7,
I do own both a 27a and a 3a, though my LP-3a is a 2013 vintage LP-2 modified in 2016 to the 3a circuit in 2016. As a LP-2 it was designed around the 6h1n tube, a 6dj8 variant. After the mod Dennis told me to try 6cg7s (a 6sn7 in a smaller bottle) which I did. I settled back on the 6h1n-eb Russian Rockets. My tube of choice in this pre. None of this answers your question but it does clarify that my LP-3a is not quite the same as a current production but is is the same circuit using different med mu dual triodes. It also has many thousand more hours on it than my 27a.

I have not spent much if any time doing direct a/b listening sessions. The two get swapped back and forth between office and house, PSE and KT Inspires respectively. Currently the 3a is paired with the PSE. The 3a does provide significantly more gain than the 27. I think maybe twice as much. If that is necessary or even desirable would depend on the rest of your setup and ears. Both definitely came from the same designer, obviously, but the voicing is very familiar between the two. The best Way I can relay the level of difference between the two is with an output tube analogy. Say you swapped between 6v6s and kt-77s in your inspire amp. The difference is significant but you can tell you are listening to the same Inspire amp. It's like that.

The lp-2 to lp-3a mod was a significant upgrade. Between the 27a and 3a I cannot say one is better than the other, just different... and both are simply awesome. Thank you Dennis.

I think there is a 2016 LP-3a for sale on one of the Marts for $950 BTW.

Scott
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  #4445  
Old 04-22-2018, 04:21 PM
FloridaBoy FloridaBoy is offline
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I found the 2016 LP-3a. It's Harley black and someone is going to get a super deal. He also has a HO Fire Bottle at the same price. $1,800 for the pair.Not me though. I'll stick with the lowly lp27a.

Last edited by FloridaBoy; 04-22-2018 at 04:24 PM.
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  #4446  
Old 04-22-2018, 11:22 PM
Bombadil Bombadil is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BearCityUSA View Post

The best Way I can relay the level of difference between the two is with an output tube analogy. Say you swapped between 6v6s and kt-77s in your inspire amp. The difference is significant but you can tell you are listening to the same Inspire amp. It's like that.
Now that is an interesting analogy. For in my Inspire amp using 6v6 output tubes will give me a headache within 20 minutes. I find them a bit shrill and forward. Wherein KT77 tubes sound very nice with a smooth midrange.
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  #4447  
Old 04-23-2018, 07:44 AM
Breakdown7 Breakdown7 is offline
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Thanks so much for your input guys. Dennis makes so many different designs and variations; it can have your head spinning without manuals, etc.
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  #4448  
Old 04-23-2018, 06:15 PM
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BearCityUSA BearCityUSA is offline
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Default Dennis Had Inspire Amps

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Originally Posted by Bombadil View Post
Now that is an interesting analogy. For in my Inspire amp using 6v6 output tubes will give me a headache within 20 minutes. I find them a bit shrill and forward. Wherein KT77 tubes sound very nice with a smooth midrange.


So that analogy did not work for you Try this. The 3a is like the biGGer fraternal twin brother of the 27a.

BTW, I get the feeling DH thinks the real gem of his pre amps is the 27a and the 3a is a variant of the same circuit which uses current production tubes. I may be wrong though. I was wrong once before.

Last edited by BearCityUSA; 04-24-2018 at 06:45 AM.
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  #4449  
Old 04-24-2018, 09:20 AM
decooney decooney is offline
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Gotta question for you guys who've tried various amps from Dennis.

While I love the tone and sound of my 10wpc Inspire Triode Hot Rod KT150 amp, my custom speakers at 91db need a bit more power to light up my air motion transformer tweeters.
I'll probably have to end up re-selling it and stepping back up to 60wpc mono blocks. Or, find some older DH amps and send them to him to modify them, if I can find some with more power. This is for a 2nd set of speakers I'm working on developing that will top out at 92db max at 1w/1m. I already own a Cary V12R with 50/100wpc tube amp, it sounds amazing with upgrades so I'm familiar with what my speakers can do and just know I need more power to make my speakers perform at their best. Separate discussion.

Question:
Since Dennis departed from Cary Audio (say in the past 5 or so years), do any of you know if Dennis ever made any higher power mono block tube amps above 25wpc? If so, what is the name/model of the amps?

Last edited by decooney; 04-24-2018 at 09:23 AM.
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  #4450  
Old 04-24-2018, 06:03 PM
FloridaBoy FloridaBoy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by decooney View Post
Gotta question for you guys who've tried various amps from Dennis.

While I love the tone and sound of my 10wpc Inspire Triode Hot Rod KT150 amp, my custom speakers at 91db need a bit more power to light up my air motion transformer tweeters.
I'll probably have to end up re-selling it and stepping back up to 60wpc mono blocks. Or, find some older DH amps and send them to him to modify them, if I can find some with more power. This is for a 2nd set of speakers I'm working on developing that will top out at 92db max at 1w/1m. I already own a Cary V12R with 50/100wpc tube amp, it sounds amazing with upgrades so I'm familiar with what my speakers can do and just know I need more power to make my speakers perform at their best. Separate discussion.

Question:
Since Dennis departed from Cary Audio (say in the past 5 or so years), do any of you know if Dennis ever made any higher power mono block tube amps above 25wpc? If so, what is the name/model of the amps?
Not mono block but here you go.

[http://www.stereomojo.com/AES%20Supe...eampreview.htm

A fabulous amplifier made by Cary Audio in the U.S.A.! Dennis Had, the founder of Cary Audio, was seeking a way to make an amp that sounded like the mighty CAD-805 single ended monobloc amps in a package that the man on the street can afford. The secret of this amp (and any amp) is the output transformers. This amp has texture. And tons of it.

The amp is point to point wired so tweekers will have a field day. It runs the tubes very easy so there is no drama down the road. In fact, you can tube roll and this amp will allow you to use 6L6GC, KT66, KT77, KT90, KT120, as well as KT88 and 6550!

Last edited by FloridaBoy; 04-24-2018 at 06:05 PM.
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