The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
The Dynaco Tube Audio Forum

Dedicated to the restoration and preservation of all original Dynaco tube audio equipment - Customer support for Tubes4hifi VTA tube amp and preamp kits and all Dynakitparts.com products


+3
peterh
skriefal
Bob Latino
7 posters

    thoughts on the KT150

    avatar
    Guest
    Guest


    thoughts on the KT150 Empty thoughts on the KT150

    Post by Guest Tue Feb 24, 2015 5:05 pm

    has anyone here used the KT150 in an M125 or even ST120, (< which might be total overkill), and if yes, what are your thoughts?
    Bob Latino
    Bob Latino
    Admin


    Posts : 3258
    Join date : 2008-11-26
    Location : Massachusetts

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by Bob Latino Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:27 pm

    MontanaWay wrote:has anyone here used the KT150 in an M125 or even ST120, (< which might be total overkill), and if yes, what are your thoughts?

    I have had a few customers use the Tung-Sol KT150 in the VTA ST-120 and the VTA M-125 amps. They should be biased AS A KT88 in these amps. The problem with them is that they are expensive @ about $100 a tube or $400 per quad. They don't really offer anything in the way of better sound or "more power" being biased as a KT88. The Tung-Sol KT120's are almost half the price at maybe $55 per tube and work really well in the ST-120 and M-125. In both of these amps, the KT120 offers about an 8% increase in power due to the larger plates (than a KT88) and their ability to transfer more electrons per second than a KT88. I am sure that the KT150's would be about the same and "possibly" add a little more power when used in KT88 based amps like the ST-120 and M-125's. To take real advantage of the KT120 and KT150 output tubes, you would probably have to get the plate voltages above 600 volts and run the bias at 100+ milliamps per tube. Some say that a PAIR of KT150's can produce 200+ watts but I have my doubts .. The only commercial amp that I know of that uses KT150's is the Ayon Sprit 3 from Austria. Yes - They show the amp with KT150's plugged in but they also state that the amp produces just 2 X 80 watts in the pentode mode - SO - they are using this tube "as a KT88" ... See link below ...

    Ayon Spirit 3 review

    NOTE > (12/16/17) I have had other customers now tell me that the KT150 output tubes will not bias properly in either the VTA M-125's or the VTA ST-120. It is my recommendation that you not use the KT150 output tubes in either amp.

    Bob


    Last edited by Bob Latino on Sat Dec 16, 2017 6:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
    avatar
    Guest
    Guest


    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by Guest Tue Feb 24, 2015 11:24 pm

    holy smokes!!...the prices on these Ayon's....I could utter a lot of expletives......but I shall refrain!
    One would at the VERY least expect that they would use the full potential of the KT150's...especially at those astronomical prices!
    I have yet to find a circuit for an amp 'dedicated' to the KT150's quoted abilities, I shall keep searching.
    skriefal
    skriefal


    Posts : 135
    Join date : 2011-09-20
    Location : Utah, USA

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by skriefal Tue Feb 24, 2015 11:34 pm

    Here's another that also appears to be optimized for the KT-150.  Or so it seems, based on the claimed output of 150 watts from a pair of KT-150s:

    Meixing Ming-Da MC368-B150

    http://www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/meixing-mingda-amplifier-c-17/mingda-mc368-b150-tung-sol-kt150-4-tube-integrated-power-amp-p-1253

    I'm happy with my M-125s, so I'll pass!
    peterh
    peterh


    Posts : 1823
    Join date : 2012-12-25
    Location : gothenburg, sweden

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by peterh Wed Feb 25, 2015 2:49 am

    skriefal wrote:Here's another that also appears to be optimized for the KT-150.  Or so it seems, based on the claimed output of 150 watts from a pair of KT-150s:

    Meixing Ming-Da MC368-B150

    http://www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/meixing-mingda-amplifier-c-17/mingda-mc368-b150-tung-sol-kt150-4-tube-integrated-power-amp-p-1253

    I'm happy with my M-125s, so I'll pass!
    Why fumbling with tiny propetary tubes when 304tl is available and much prettier :
    http://www.radiomuseum.org/tubes/tube_304tl.html
    A single-ended amp with 30w / channel : http://www.alumrocktech.com/amplifier.shtml

    304tl aka vt129 is in current production , in addition they glow nice !
    corndog71
    corndog71


    Posts : 840
    Join date : 2013-03-19
    Location : It can get windy here

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by corndog71 Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:48 pm

    I saw several amps at Axpona last year that were running with KT150's. Can't remember the brands.
    deepee99
    deepee99


    Posts : 2244
    Join date : 2012-05-23
    Location : Wallace, Idaho

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by deepee99 Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:07 pm

    MontanaWay wrote:holy smokes!!...the prices on these Ayon's....I could utter a lot of expletives......but I shall refrain!
    One would at the VERY least expect that they would use the full potential of the KT150's...especially at those astronomical prices!
    I have yet to find a circuit for an amp 'dedicated' to the KT150's quoted abilities, I shall keep searching.

    I wouldn't want an amp 'dedicated' to a proprietary tube made by a single manufacturer. What if that single tube-maker went gunny-bag?
    corndog71
    corndog71


    Posts : 840
    Join date : 2013-03-19
    Location : It can get windy here

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by corndog71 Wed Feb 25, 2015 4:25 pm

    If I knew how to wind my own transformers I would make a KT150 amp.
    sKiZo
    sKiZo


    Posts : 1530
    Join date : 2013-04-01
    Location : Michigan USA

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by sKiZo Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:44 pm

    This is cute ...

    World's First KT150 Integrated Ultralinear/Triode Hi-Fi Tube Amp

    thoughts on the KT150 110839

    Funny looking KT150's ... also rated at 80wpc, which doesn't even touch the potential ... looks like some beefy iron, but hard to tell with a potted xformer.

    And for only $5K!
    avatar
    Guest
    Guest


    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by Guest Wed Feb 25, 2015 5:54 pm

    sKiZo wrote:This is cute ...

    World's First KT150 Integrated Ultralinear/Triode Hi-Fi Tube Amp

    thoughts on the KT150 110839

    Funny looking KT150's ... also rated at 80wpc, which doesn't even touch the potential ... looks like some beefy iron, but hard to tell with a potted xformer.

    And for only $5K!

    thats what I don't get...see plenty of amps using the KT150, but most are under 100W.....can get away with the KT120 and even KT88 in a lot of cases...I guess they use the KT150 so that they can add $3K to the price!!!!!! affraid
    avatar
    rich121


    Posts : 2
    Join date : 2016-05-25
    Location : Washington State

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by rich121 Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:09 pm

    I know this is an older thread, but just to update, as I would purchase the M125 if offered with an updated transformer/cap that would give the benefits of KT150 tube use.

    I have read a lot about the KT150 and the most talked about improvement is not the power increase, but the sonic improvements... most agree that the KT150 takes the best of the EL34/6550/KT88/KT120 tubes and packages it into the KT150.

    There is also the benefit of fewer tubes in the chain to get more power, resulting in less noise/better sound.
    Another benefit, as seen in the amps below, is flexibility of using MANY different tubes.

    The Quicksilver 120 mono's are using just 2 output tubes getting 120 watts output:
    http://www.quicksilveraudio.com/products/Mono%20120.html

    And the V4 uses 4 output tubes to get 170 watts output:
    http://www.quicksilveraudio.com/products/v4.html

    The KT150 just may be the tube of the future.
    Bob Latino
    Bob Latino
    Admin


    Posts : 3258
    Join date : 2008-11-26
    Location : Massachusetts

    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by Bob Latino Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:01 pm

    rich121 wrote:

    The Quicksilver 120 mono's are using just 2 output tubes getting 120 watts:
    http://www.quicksilveraudio.com/products/Mono%20120.html

     

    What they don't tell you is that to get 120 watts out of TWO KT88's or KT150 output tubes you have to run those output tubes really hard. The Quicksilver 120 mono's are probably running a B+ of maybe 630 VDC to get those power levels out of just TWO output tubes. KT150's will take the 600+ B+ but a modern KT88 will probably have a short life in that amp. The M-125's run the output tubes at a more comfortable 500 VDC and the output tubes will last longer. Consider also that each KT150 output tube costs $100 and that a KT88 costs $50 - so using two KT88's @ 500 VDC B+ gives the same power and also costs about the same.

    Also consider that a pair of wired and tested Quicksilver 120 mono's with two KT150 output tubes costs $4395 and a pair of wired and tested M-125's with all tubes and about the same power costs $2795 - a savings of $1600. You can save even more if you build the M-125's from kits ...

    Bob

    Sponsored content


    thoughts on the KT150 Empty Re: thoughts on the KT150

    Post by Sponsored content


      Current date/time is Tue Mar 19, 2024 12:33 am