http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/ Engadget Comments for NAT Audio's Magma is one beastly tube amplifier http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 7:42AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/www.electronluv.com
oh shit the site is disabled, well here are a couple articles about the man, his tube amps and his 6foot tall copper horns
http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/josh/josh.html
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/westernelectric/300b.html
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Nono honey, leave those overalls ON.]]>Nov 15th 2007 7:59AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 8:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/
Don't touch Jimmy, Jimmy...Jimmy!

Oh dear.]]>Nov 15th 2007 8:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 8:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 8:09AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 8:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 8:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 8:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Also, Audiophiles.]]>Nov 15th 2007 8:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 8:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/
http://www.oldradio.com/archives/hardware/Gates/1T.htm
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The Eimac 450TH is a power transmitting tube, used for RF applications. Its frequency response in the relatively narrow audio band is... well, let's just say it's not good. My guess is that the NAT Audio folks sought the biggest, ugliest single-ended triode tube they could and built the biggest, ugliest-sounding amp they could. The design challenges involved in getting a SET to sound good (or even acceptable) at those power levels are not trivial, and I don't think that NAT Audio has surmounted them.]]>Nov 15th 2007 9:53AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/
Datasheet:
http://datasheets.electron-tube.net/sheets/088/4/450TH.pdf

I'm waiting for someone to produce an amplifier based on the 4CX20000A. It would look pretty impressive but I'm guessing the blowers might be a bit noisy...

http://www.g8wrb.org/data/Eimac/4CX20000A.pdf

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The heater on that big tube draws 12 amps (thanks for the link Shane) - that's bloody ridiculous, even by tube standards.

Though $55K seems a bargain for a 160W of single-ended class A of tubey goodness.]]>Nov 15th 2007 10:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/
I bet it does sound extremely sweet when paired with the right speakers, however...]]>Nov 15th 2007 10:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 11:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 11:33AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 1:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 2:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 15th 2007 9:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/
In other words a 30 Watt tube amp output is comparable to a 90 Watt solid state amp.]]>Nov 16th 2007 8:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/
That said, different manufacturers quote different power ratings for their equipment. One company might quote the power of an amp as the absolute peak power, while another might measure the loudest it can get before distortion. The latter figure is a much more useful measure for a hifi amp, however, many less reputable companies like the beef of the specs of their amps by quoting the max rating. Since tube amps tend to be more expensive and have audiophile-savvy buyers, their specs tend to be of the more accurate kind. A 100W before distortion amp is much more powerful than a 100W max power amp. ]]>Nov 16th 2007 10:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/15/nat-audios-magma-is-one-beastly-tube-amplifier/Nov 21st 2007 9:54AM