Valve amplifiers have been a staple of the audiophile world for many years and still continue to be, their aesthetic properties and more importantly sound quality make them attractive to all music lovers who want to enjoy there music in style. Over the years amplifier design has changed, where it was once valves that ruled, transistor is now king – this said however there are manufactures out there who still hold a flame for high quality valve amplification, I not talking cheap far east examples you find on eBay: some so bad a complete valve, cap and transformer change is necessary! This, unless you have the patience of a saint or a spare eon is not ideal. We at AA are pleased to be able to offer you the sublime Icon Audio range for all your valve amp requirements.
Icon are a company you have probably heard of if you spend you time looking at Hi-Fi like me, valve amplifiers have always intrigued me, the look, the emotionally engaging sound and every time I know we have some Icon kit coming in I have a big smile on my face! Based in Leicester with a design team headed up David Shaw, probably one of the nicest and most approachable Audio boffins out there, he kindly agreed to a short interview, this can be seen towards the end of this blog! Their philosophy is simple: “Valve reproduction systems still have as much to offer in the world of Hi-Fi as transistor counter parts”. Quality of components is a key feature over at Icon, cheap ones do not last, sound nasty and look naff – only the finest chassis and components are used through out. This means no Printed Circuit Boards (PCS’s) and that means pure valve sound, super fast dynamics and an emotional connection rarely seen outside the Pentode/Triode world! Lets take a look at some of our favourites:
Our Picks
Stereo 40 MkIIIm
Matching speakers and valve amplifiers is a question we get asked quite often and yes it is true that if you have a low powered valve amp (think single ended 3w 300b for example) then you will need an extremely efficient speaker, ideally 93dB plus. If you are looking for that “valve” sound but do not have a highly efficient loudspeaker such as horn speakers then the Stereo 40 is just at the right price point with enough power to give a kick, augment your musical engagement and generate an emotional response, a great introduction into the world of valve amplifiers.
Icon Audio Stereo 60 MkIIIm
The bigger brother of the Stereo 60, featuring KT120 valves from the offset, being of Icon quality no component is left unconsidered – if you have a large floorstander the 60 is the amp you should be looking at – it is also available in a power amplifier variety and more recently Icon recently have introduced the KT150 valve into the Stereo 60 and models above (optional upgrade), this 150 is a brand new valve from Tung Sol, sharing similar characteristics of other KT valves but with improved quality! Ask a team member about it today.
Serious about Valves?
Those of you out there who are looking for a little more performance when it comes to valve amplification may want to look in the direction of a pre-power combinations, this pairing offers the ultimate in dynamics, drive and clarity. Furthermore to that monoblocks (pre-power) will push the boundaries even higher, now you may be thinking “expensive” and to be fair they are not cheap but high quality components cost, and it is a serious investment in your musical enjoyment, this neatly brings me on to the Icon Audio MB30SE
The design gives more than a nod to past amplifiers, Quad II spring to mind: David the designer did confirm that he has a pair, although not instrumental in the 30SE design he did say that the II’s where involved in the design of the flagship 845 monoblocks, match these with a suitable Icon preamp such as the LA4 and you are on the way to audio nirvana!
Interview with David Shaw
I got the opportunity to do a phone interview with David Shaw Icon’s lead design engineer, a true audiophile, amp genius and all round nice guy.
Q: David: What got you into amplifier design, specifically valve amplifiers?
A: I was unhappy with the so called “better” solid state designs outside there, I couldn’t get the sound I was looking for with these– being a engineer I set about looking for the sound I required based upon amplifiers I enjoyed however these amplifiers where out of my reach (expensive valve designs) and realised I could get a better sound at a cheaper price, once I had done this it would have been rude to not share this with the world!
Q: How long have you been designing amplifiers for?
A: Easy one, 15 Years!
Q: Do you have a favorite amplifier you have designed?
A: They are all my babies, I love them all!
Q: You can’t pick one?
A: They are all different, they offer different options for different customers, we are very aware that we need to offer products to anyone looking at valve amplification on any level, if I had to pick one I was most proud of however it would be the 845 mono’s! I am also really pleased with our new KT150 driven Stereo 60, we are expecting great things and early indications look fantastic!
Q: One for the music lovers out there, do you have a specific track you use as demo for testing your designs?
A: We of course have many but one I use very often would be Jo Williams and Count Basie – Key To The Highway.
Q: I take a keen interest in specific valves, this new KT150 sounds great but do you have a favourite valve?
A: I do yes, For the preamp section the 6NS7, absolute favorite! And for power amp output it would have to be the 845, nothing else sounds like these!
Q: Any new products on the horizon?
A: Yes! Yes of course, we have our award winning 845 mono’s but coming very soon will be an 845 integrated:
At this point David kindly emailed me over a picture
An audio Affair exclusive the new 845 Integrated from Icon Audio
A: We believe this to be the first push/pull 845 integrated available, this is significant step up in design, normal 845 amplifiers offer single ended output – great if you have a highly sensitive speakers but if you have a more “normal” sensitivity loudspeaker then the 40w this produces is more than adequate – I can’t say to much at the minute but watch this space!
Conclusion
Valve amplifiers, as afore mentioned where the staple of the audiophile world for many years and although it is now the transistor it’s nice to see companies such as Icon upholding the tradition. Not just upholding a tradition however, under the cutting edge control of David Shaw they continue to innovation and improve the technology to new levels of performance. If you are in the market for a valve amplifier, Icon Audio is a given – as always happy listening and do not hesitate to contact a member of the team for more information, we are here to help!