Introducing the First Watt SIT-4 Power Amplifier
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- Tom Martin stops by the Refined Audio room to get a glimpse of First Watt's improved power amplifier, the SIT 4. It's a two-channel Class A, with a Triode tube-like character, it's equipped with Tokin SlTs rated at 400 watts and 30 amps and a bandwidth extending to 50 MegaHertz. Listen in to learn more!
About Tom Martin:
Tom is a long-time audiophile. He began his reviewing career after acquiring the The Absolute Sound magazine in 1997 and then hi-fi+ magazine in 2002. He has worked closely with Harry Pearson and Robert Harley at TAS and with Roy Gregory and Alan Sircom at hi-fi+. Since Tom and his teams expanded the TAS and Plus platforms in the digital domain, he has served as Chief Content Officer.
What Is The Absolute Sound?
The Absolute Sound magazine has been a leading publication in high-end audio since 1972. Since the early 2000s, The Absolute Sound has expanded to include web, newsletter, digital magazine, social media, TH-cam and Substack platforms. The Absolute Sound platforms have a global audience of over 500,000 audiophiles.
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One day, I will own a First Watt! I feel it would be a great match to my Cornwalls.
And my Belles !!
I’ve used a First Watt F3 on mine. Mids and highs are beautiful. Lacked a little in the bass department but I could definitely live with the compromise
I also have CW IVs and looking at new amplification. I have a Cary SLI-100 KT-150 tube integrated now, but looking at Class-A... Pass, First Watt, Luxman to name a few. Anyone hit on perfect synergy yet?
SIT-3 is great with Cornwall IVs. If you want more bass and volume XA-25 is very nice.
Anything designed by Nelson Pass is more than likely going to sound Fantastico!
The 6C19pi is a triode and in my TS, T-16, monobloc, OTL delivers 40 Watts into 8 Ohms, 60 Watts in 16 Ohm. Tube cost from Tubes-store in Russia, before the current conflict was $2.05/tube, with a minimum 5000 hour lifespan. Cathode connects directly to the loudspeaker and sounds amazing.
The 212 tube is the elephant in the room.
Want. Have J2 with Cornwalls. I love it.
A Japanese company, digital-do-main makes a SIT based power amp, the B-1a.
Have not been made for years
Tom Martin: How about showing us the 400 watt amp. You know, the one that's "equipped with Tokin SITs rated at 400 watts and 30 amps and a bandwidth extending to 50 MegaHertz." This one ain't it!
I thought the same, but I believe the transistor is rated at 400 watts, not the amp. It sounds like the transistor is limited by the size of the heatsink, and I imagine being biased to class A.
I’ve built the SissySIT with those Tokin SITs. It’s basically an “upgraded” SIT-3.
Best amp I’ve ever heard. I’m happy. 😁
@@JasonBrown527 I believe biasing it heavily into SE class A is what gives it it's triode-like distortion profile. If you raise the DC rails to accomodate the high wattage you are looking for, the class A current will go down drastically as for a given amp, the heat produced will be much higher. So then you lose the magic so to speak. Also, the circuit would become more complicated.
Sony did the class AB thing in the past with the VFETs and weren't successful. I believe Pass stated that sony did not exploit the special characteristics of this device.
Nice !
Since the output device (the SIT) is capable of outputting a lot of power and has a large surface area, I wonder if it could put out enough heat to heat both of the heatsinks to 45C-50C? Assuming the case temperature would stay below say 65C-70C... Hear me out, since firstwatt uses the L channel off of the heatsink you could mount an aluminum bar strapping across to both L channels. Something chunky like 3/4" thick by 3" material. Then mount the SIT to that strap. That way you can stick with the single output device while getting your 20 watts out of the amp.
Maybe even cooler would be if there was an eyepiece on the top where you could see the VFET. Maybe a couple of blue LEDs illuminating it. I know that part goes against firstwatt's philosophy.
Your front left shelf cone is crooked. 😂
This is nice. Any other amps that do it this way on the output?
No
Will there be a video for those cube audio drivers too?
Does he have any Denton scratch models available love the look of it
I believe the speaker in the background is a Nenuphar, by Cube Audio
Love the reviews. Absolutely hate the Ricky Ticky music.
4:17 .. wonky spike on your isolation plate mate!
I don't think this naming convention will go over very well in Asian markets. Isn't the number 4 associated with death in Asian cultures or something?
I know Nelson Pass is a good designer and all. But for $5000, I think I would rather get myself an Accuphase or a tube amp
Just depends on what you want
Have you heard firstwatt products? I do agree that it does seem expensive compared to their past firstwatt products. The discontinued VFETs are generally pulls from old equipment which are bought at a premium so supplies are very limited. I would assume the profit from the limited number of amps that can be produced has to pick up the slack for the R&D that went into them.
you should probably listen to a V-fet /SIT amp before you make these statements.
@@mikerodriguez5868 These aren't pulls from old equipment. Nelson found a source of NOS parts that he acquired for his commercial endeavors.
i tested Accuphase E-550 ant that little guy beats it...🎉
Is this better than Hypex or Purify?
Nobody can tell you that, depends on what you want. If you need power or have hungry speakers, and like a super clean modern sound go for hypex. The SIT is probably smoother, and far better at natural acoustic timbre reproduction. Hypex etc. is like a Tesla, Pass amps would be more like um, a Lotus?
100% not better then Purifi lol, purifi has 0.000001 distortion hahaha
Is an orange better than an apple or are they just different? I would think with the appropriate setup, the SIT-4 would be the more pleasing amp where the purify would be the amp that gives you a nice kick in the balls when you want it.
@@peterlarkin762 the Merrill Elements is Class D GaN and sounds like a triode because it was designed to sound like one. The bench tests show a big arse triode, H2 dominant harmonic profile. The Element(s) will give you the triode engagement all the way into stupid power levels and does not care of the speaker load. That said, not all GaN class D amps are crated equally. Do not expect that from every other modern Class D amp.
@@sparkplug5392because as we all know, having the lowest possible distortion is what makes a great sounding amplifier 🙄
The Sit 3 is the one you missed out on. Whether this one compares is a new question. Too bad you did not address that comparison. Why do you state 400 watts on you lead in??? Sounds like you are BSing folks!!
I’ve built the SissySIT monoblocks with those Tokin SITs. It’s basically an “upgraded” SIT-3.
Best amp I’ve ever heard. I’m happy. 😁
The 400W statement is just about these beefy Tokin transistors being rated at that spec. They’re very nice pieces of silicon.
Not a challenge to GaN FETs.
it depends from what perspective. There is no silicon device that switches as fast as GaN, but not too many GaN implementations sound as good as a SIT amp. The Marrill Element series is an exception...for now. Those things sound like a single ended triode amp.
@@atelier_HiFiHave you tried the Orchard Starkrimson Stereo Ultra DMC 2.0?
@@bilguana11 No, I am too busy listening to my vfet amps 😁
BUT, if it was on the same level or near the Merrill Element(s), I would have heard it already. I have a group of friends that are big into Class D.
What surprised me about the Merrill (and why I ended up getting the small 114) was its ability to deliver triode - like sound. I took it on the bench and I was shocked to see a big arse triode harmonics profile, just as that of a triode amp, or as that of the SIT-3 from Nelson or that of a Yamaha B-1.
I will ask my friends where does the Orchard Starkrimson falls in comparison to a Merrill Element.
Cheers,
Pete
That’s $250 a watt 😂
No, $4991 for the first watt and $1/watt for the rest. LIKE if you get it :)
joke
My Wavac SET DHT is more than double that cost/watt but I have no regrets and never, ever consider that when choosing amp.
If you’re actually concerned about cost/watt get a Crown amp. Cost around $1/watt but terrible 🤣🤣
10 watts is worthless for dynaudio…
That's why they mention high efficiency speakers when talking about this amp. System matching matters.
Maggies!
@@EricBurbeck Nothing like boxing oneself into a corner.
5K for 10 watts of distortion 🤣
You can tell when people don't understand what they speak of. You should watch an interview or two with Nelson Pass. He is an amazing man.
@@scottyo64 okay boomer
It's ugly, expensive, and has only 10 watts. Review over.
Function over fashion.
If you want an amp for the looks, this will not win.
If you want an amp for listening to music, then it might be perfect.
10 watts!
I live in a hot climate with a big air conditioner bill so this design is not for me.
in 2023 with the state of the planet and energy crisis anyone who uses class A is a moron
@@sparkplug5392 A created crisis but crisis none the less.
@@davewin1792You think your uneducated opinion will matter 100 years from now lol?! 😂