Revealing The Best Audiophile Tube Amp: Which One Will Come Out On Top?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- #hifi #tubeamplifier #audiophile
The Ultimate Tube Amplifier Shootout!
Black Ice F35: bit.ly/3KFVBjK
Rogue Audio Cronus III: bit.ly/3iVagfj
Galion TS120E: bit.ly/3YXoz2V
LTA Z40i+: bit.ly/3Bpzngo
0:00 Intro
0:56 Black Ice F35 General Info
2:23 Rogue Audio Cronus III General Info
3:49 Galion Audio TS120SE General Info
5:13 LTA Z40+ General Info
6:56 Sound Clips and Recording Introduction
8:54 Track 1: Reference
10:30 Track 1: Black Ice F35
12:05 Track 1: Rogue Audio Cronus III
13:41 Track 1 Galion TS120SE
15:17 Track 1: LTA Z40i+
16:52 Track 2: Reference
17:52 Track 2: Black Ice F35
18:52 Track 2: Rogue Audio Cronus III
19:52 Track 2: Galion TS120SE
20:52 Track 2: LTA Z40i+
21:52 Track 3: Reference
24:02 Track 3: Black Ice F35
26:13 Track 3: Rogue Audio Cronus III
28:23 Track 3: Galion TS120SE
30:34 Track 3: LTA Z40i+
32:45 Track 4: Reference
34:08 Track 4: Black Ice F35
35:31 Track 4: Rogue Audio Cronus III
36:53 Track 4: Galion TS120SE
38:15 Track 4: LTA Z40i+
39:38 Track 5: Reference
41:16 Track 5: Black Ice F35
42:54 Track 5: Rogue Audio Cronus III
44:31 Track 5: Galion TS120SE
46:09 Track 5: LTA Z40i+
47:47 Track 6: Reference
48:48 Track 6: Black Ice F35
49:49 Track 6: Rogue Audio Cronus III
50:50 Track 6: Galion TS120E
51:51 Track 6: LTA Z40i+
52:51 Track 7: Reference
53:21 Track 7: Black Ice F35
53:52 Track 7: Rogue Audio Cronus III
54:23 Track 7: Galion TS120SE
54:54 Track 7: LTA Z40i+
55:23 Track 8: Reference
58:08 Track 8: Black Ice F35
01:00:53 Track 8: Rogue Audio Cronus III
01:03:39 Track 8: Galion TS120SE
01:06:25 Track 8: LTA Z40i+
01:09:09 Listening Impressions Introduction
01:10:13 Black Ice F35 Listening Impressions
01:14:59 Rogue Audio Cronus III Listening Impressions
01:17:05 Galion TS120SE Listening Impressions
01:19:46 Z40+ Listening Impressions
01:23:13 Final Thoughts
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Finally! The wait is over, thank you Ron for such a detailed comparison. Your observation of the TS120SE being the most versatile actually echoes much of the feedback I have heard and I am glad in the final thoughts, you found the TS120SE stood out the most for you.
THOMAS…I’m happy that RON gave you an objective review and exposure to a lot of “Old school “ audiophiles…let us see what effect this has in the future 🤗👍💚💚💚
Galion TS120SE FTW!!! It was clearly the most neutral, accurate amp, with the best bass control and the most spacious soundstage. The Rogue was close second. The Black Ice couldn't quite match the Cronus' sparkle. I wasn't impressed with the LTA given that it was double the price of the rest.
Subtle...
@@chrisf9011 THANKS CHRIS 🤗 for sharing 💚💚💚
Pizza with pineapple 🍍 on the way 🚗 lol
I bought the Rogue a week ago, no regrets and much satisfaction!
This was fun. Thanks Ron. Your hard work is appreciated.
Yes, great comparisons! Excellent choice of songs for this presentation.
Very nice sound comparison from 4 promising Tube Integrated Amplifiers. But I go for the Black Ice Audio Fusion F35, vibrant sound that flowing through my nerves. Great! Thank you for this Ron.
Appreciate all the work here, Ron. Keep it up!
You bet!
This was a big endeavor, good job! I will comeback to this video to get some more data in the future.
Thank you Ron for this review!, it was effort well spent and your viewers appreciate it..
Thank you Ron for all your hard work
You are very welcome and thank you for such an in-depth insight on these amps.
Epic video, the effort to demonstrate everything you are hearing is amazing. Hats off to you my friend, and 100% respect.
Hi Ron, this my first time on your site. I love your in-depth reviews and your comments. In the end of this video I realized I don't need a new amp. I'm still amazed with my Marantz 2238b bought 20+ years ago. But I will continue to visit your site for your awesome reviews.
Wonderful in-depth shootout. Thanks so much!
Great job Ron, I watched this just to see how you executed this experiment. I'll probably never buy any of these amps but it was fun listening. ✌🏻
Great job, Ron! A quality comparison video!
Thanks Ron for all the work you put into the video !!!
'For us crazy Audiophiles'
'Galion' does have a lot of cool features
Espically the Built in Preamp and Amp
Has its own powersupply Almost unheard of at pricepoint -
Hi Ron
Great job, lot of work, I am partial to TS 120 because of Thomas but also the class A
Also had a great experience with Black Ice at Tampa Audio Expo last year, gave more info and time to potential customers
Take Care
Fantastic video. Thank you for taking the time to do this for us.
Thank you Ron for a fantastic review and comparison. After many years trying tube amps and speakers, I really think SYNERGY is the key between a tube amp and a pair of speakers. Definitely learned my lesson but the hard way$$$ LOL.
Awesome video! Tks for all your hard work!
Brilliantly done!!
For me Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III is the winner followed by LTA Z40+, Galion TS120 and lastly the Black Ice 35. Track 3, female vocals was the key difference for me. I connected emotionally to this music through the Rouge Cronus Magnum III in a way I did not through the other amps. It just felt more alive, natural somehow. The Galion was too analytical to my ears. The Black Ice was putting the vocalist in a closet.
Great video and thanks for the hard work. I recently purchased the Rogue Audio Chronus Mag3 and am really enjoying it with my Magnepan LRS+'s - great sound, responds easily to tube rolling, built like a battleship, tons of power on reserve, designed & built in America, and the best customer support, and I got a great deal on it. Given that Rogue has just created the Chronus Magnum Dark, looking very forward to you comparing that (upgraded) amp with the others.
I think..no one elese done it before...great job indeed...Thank You!
Thank you for your work.
Thanks Ron. Excellent
Thank you for this wonderful video. I appreciate all of your work that went into making this form of research and knowledge available for us. You have saved me countless time and money after watching this video I realized that my current receiver amplifier setup is perfectly fine for my listening needs. I am at that point in my life where I’m just looking for a reason to buy new gear 😂.
Wow man. You outdid yourself. I hope you continue to offer such detailed content. Bravo mate
Well done Thomas ... Great amp mate ... Also thanks Ron for an excellent review and the time you have put in doing this video ... 😎
Thank you Ron for such a nice work
Great job Ron, thanks.
From the sound clips they sounded more alike than different. The one that stood out was the LTA. LTA sounded more well defined, etched, and I imagined that in person it would have the most immersive soundstage. Chronus was the overall winner for me when considering the combination of price, features, looks, and sound.
Wow... Ron your dedication to this review is jaw dropping... thank you x10. And your articulation is one of the best in this industry. 4 thumbs up (including my toes)!!
Ron, what an excellent comparison of several high-quality machines, and I always enjoy your detailed analysis and presentation style. Gotta say I've considered adding a Galion to my system but not ready to replace the Raven Audio Blackhawk I use everyday. Love to see a comparo that includes the Blackhawk or Osprey! Keep up the great work!
Nice review, glad you trimmed .
Magnificent piece of review. I’m a designer oriented kind of audiophile therefore I will go for Jim Fosgate’s Black Ice and David Berning’s LTA. I’ll buy them both. Let’s not forget the great late Jim De Paravicini’s EAR V12 and add it to the mix.
Audio Music
Fantastic video, looking forward to your reviews of the amps. For me, between Black ice and Z40
Very interested in the Black Ice and Galleon. Great review!
Excellent camparison. Thank you!
Nice one, well done.
For me, after the second track, I like most Cronus III first and Z40 second.
🔥🔥🔥. .. the Gallion and LTA are 😉 at me.
OmG man! That was a lot of work. Great job and thank you.
This was a lot of work, gratz for a great video
Thank you for such a wonderful effort. Loved it.
Although I'm not going to share exactly what I learned from this video, simply because I don't want to start a whole bunch of controversy and back and forth, I will say that I learned a lot and what I learned was extremely helpful... and so thank you, Thank You , THANK YOU!
Thanks John! That’s good enough for me!
Oh come now that’s way too much tease mate. Cough it up…
@@JingoLoBa57 😁 I'm thinking about it, however no guarantees.
New Record Day....What! --- a GREAT REVIEW !---- Thank You...
you're the BEST.
thanks....love the channel!!!
AMEN! - there you go, Ron.
Wow. This is such a collection. Listening skills development. Hearing differences this could be such a good tutorial. Then test your headphones or whatever you listen with. Yes there are obviously limitations. Yet learning what to listen for is half the battle. It takes practice. And issues like music, synergy with source and speakers etc are potential factors involved in such a test. So it’s not a perfect design here but so revealing. Especially with so many different samples. Your system and mileage and room and ears will definitely differ. Amazing work Ron.
Thanks!
I presently own the OS Audio Stellar again Cell DAC and 2 M700 monoblocks
Of these amplifiers the Rogue makes the most sense to me
Finally, a more comprehensive review! Cud's Ron. Also good to see the TS120 finally reviewed! D
Excellent video and sound samples. LTA sounds the best to me. Galion and Rogue Audio also pleased me. However, I am not a tube amplifier owner and the sound of the new class d amplifiers pleases me the most.
Fair enough!
Most impressively produced TH-cam video of my life. TY
You have put a lot of work into this review. Thanks. I use to sell Jolida and Black Ice Audio gear. And I sold a lot of vintage ss gear. I have been listening without following what amp is playing when. I really could not tell when the amps changed. In my years of experience I have found tube amps to have a warm sound that is pleasant, but a good SS amp can be crystal clear. The upper class Yamaha amps are very clear and natural. Out of curiosity I bought an Old Chen EL34 tube amp new for $350. I was quite surprised by the build quality and sound quality. Best sounding amp I ever heard. Judy Collins and Norah Jones would be good to demo an amp. Sade and Steely Dan would be great- pop jazz, and for jazz Matthew Halsall.
Love my Cary SLI-80HS
I'll have to listen to this again. However, I liked the Cronus and Galion (toss up between the two). I didn't fancy the others. The F35 goes deep, but it felt a little thinner in the mids to my ears and not as rich as the Galion or Cronus.
I'm going to write this before listening to your impressions. I only listened to 20 seconds or so of each because auditory memory is so fleeting so I wanted to make sure I could compare them. I consistently thought that the Black Ice had the flattest presentation. It gave some presence to the bass but not very much air in most of the pieces. The three tube amps, to me, were far better than the Black Ice and most of the time, each had their good points. Now, I own the LTA Z40+i so I was worried what I would think because I did think the Cronus and the Galion at times were pretty good. However, there are things I really love about the LTA which seemed to me the consistent winner for me in most categories (for the price differential it should be). But the differences were subtle. I thought that the Galion and the LTA most consistently put air and separation into the music. What was interesting is that the three tube amps seem to emphasize a different part of the music and maybe I am used to the LTA's presentation but I thought it was the best. I was a semi-amateur musician who did some home recording so I do listen critically most of the time. I also think where the LTA seems best to me is the speed of the amp and the definition of the bass. I was also pleasantly surprised to hear good percussive bass and drums with the LTA. Oddly, the high hat (on the songs that had it) really didn't sound that great on any of the recordings including the reference. I don't know if that is the recording or my headphones. So I'd go LTA, Galion, Rogue and Black Ice in that order. That said, the Galion, at least for this exercise, seems like a value buy. Thanks for making the effort on this Ron. I was actually (and stupidly) thinking of adding another tube amp and looking at the Cronus or the Galion. Oh, and I agree that the LTA seems the truest as some have put it and that is what I wanted and what I like as I know what instruments should sound like.
Very nice video presentation! Very evident you put tons of planning and organizing that monumental project. Interestingly that 3 of the 4 tube amps I have been considering , but have only heard the Rouge Audio- which I liked very much. Not sure if you mentioned if you listened in the Triode or Ultra Linear mode? Also thanks for the explanation of the recording and level matching of each amp, I'm sure that was quite time consuming, but critical to get as close as possible. Will be watching again in a more critical vs curious mode and interesting choice of tracks-meaning some newbies (at least to me)
Made it thru!!! 🤲🏻🙌🏾🤘🏻
Excellent video, honest and multiple genre comparisons.
Black Ice sharp edges, but seemed lean
Rogue fun, hit deeper but lacked detail
GALION my fav, imaging precise, clarity, detail, mids prominent, bass tight, most pleasing all rounder. Features, build, remote, looks …clear winner
4th amp for most of the audition was most precise, just did not have treble detail or imaging GALION had. Love auto bias, just not double the cost
Appreciate it!
I have the Rogue with upgraded small tubes and there's no lack of detail. You have to take these videos with a grain of salt, it's just for entertainment.
Whew! Just made it through the whole thing. Fantastic job, Ron. You’ve gone above and beyond this time. Bravo, sir! 👏 👏👏🔊🎶😊
Oh…and thanks a ton for the time stamps. Makes comparisons much easier.
Tracks were Awesome..!
Great video Ron. The audio is so clear you can really hear differences. When I go to the same track in Tidal it doesn’t have the same crispness. Any ideas as to why? I loved having the reference track and each of the amps playing the same track. Great job! Thankyou… Happy Father’s Day .
In 2008 I got myself the Rogue Cronus for 1800 Canadian!! It’s been been 15 years and it is still a great amplifier. Looks have t changed at all since 2008. The remote is solid aluminium and has just 2 buttons - volume up, volume down
Great video .
1. LTA, 2. Cronus Magnus III 3. Black Ice 4. Galion. Hey, just my opinions/tastes the LTA and the Cronus I thought were neck and neck but there’s just SOMETHING about the LTA that gives the music a smooth detailed organic flow of music.
What great effort, thank you so much! What amplification was used for the reference recordings?
IMO, the Galion stands out, giving the most realistic reproduction, least flavoring, most detailing, and most dynamics. I plugged in my Sony Z1R's for this. Excellent review 🙂
Ron, first things first. Huge thanks for being so detailed and specific with the content of this review, excellently done.
So, making a decision. Somewhat impossible unless one superimposes ones own preferences. These are all great amps at the price point. Which one is best? The one you (the individual) likes the reproduced sound of. For me without being in the mastering suite while these tracks where engineered and finalized it is impossible to say one is better than the other. How can anyone determine this when you have no experience of the original? Each of these amplifiers responds differently to each track, unfortunately we can’t have gear for each piece of music we love (well most of us anyway). The biggest understanding I learned from this review is just how good audio equipment has become, these are all fine machines and each has a place in someone’s home. I liked all, but the Galion had the edge, much more immersive and pulled me right in.
Ron, a very big thank you very much for this video. I can only imagine the amount of work that went into making this video, having to plug, unplug each amps, match the volumes, the edit the videos.
I am a headphone user and at some point, will be getting a pair of bookshelves for my small room (13’11” x 10’4” x 8’1”). There are a few top headphone tube amplifiers, each costing as much as the tube amps in this video and a few costing more. So, I am excited to hear that these tube amps can be used for headphones too and still possibly serve to power my future bookshelves but the headphone output seems quite low on power so headphones like the Susvara may not benefit from it. There are many Susvara users who use speaker amps to power the Susvara so this may be something for me to take a closer look at when I am ready for the bookshelves.
1) Reference. 2) Z40i. 3) TS120SE. 4) Cronus III. 5) F35. So having a budget and other hobbies, the TS120SE is still my choice and maybe future "upgrade"/change. (have a Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 600 now).
I agree completely. For $4,500 it’s quite a good value proposition. I’m curious to what a non-SE sounds like.
Thanks so much Ron for your dedication and hard work putting this together. A triumph. I was surprised how much these recordings differed from piece to piece. Also my preference changed depending on the music genre, even with in-ear pods. I guess the kind of music one prefers and the way we want it to sound (our taste) is paramount. Greetings to you and yours. Love the new trimmed look ;¬D}
Thanks! I can't imagine the amount of effort that went into this video (or many of your videos for that matter)... and so Yeah, this isn't nearly enough :(
You guys make all the work worth it!
Good review love valve amps
Amps 2 or 3. As you pointed 2 is more versatile, then chose 2 as a winner. Lovely creatures!
Thanks for this amazing and detailed review! Love all of the sound clips, surprisingly easy to get the character of each amp in this video. Agree with most of your impressions, and the TS120 and the Z40+ really stand out to me. Appreciate the beard mods too!
Great value video! Though all seem to make sound flatter compared to original, still I find LTA Z40i most musical followed by Galion. 👍
I agree exactly, and was a little insecure after hearing others' opinions. Why did the "originals" all sound best? What does original mean in this context? Aren't we still hearing these originals thru some kind of amplifier?
I too, am curious to know what original means whenever I watch/hear demos in TH-cam
Thank you Ron for this review. It gives a good overview about these 4 amplifiers. Someone can get a hint where the sound could lead to. However, TH-cam compresses the video and audio when uploaded to their portal. So I strongly recommend to listen to the amps before buying. And, furthermore not every amp works with every speaker.
Glad it was helpful!
I like the trimmed beard over the prospector look. Great and entertaining video.
Thank goodness things are returning back to ‘normal’ one more inch of beard and you would have lost me. Great look Ron. The best of the Galion is it’s ability to play either on Class A or AB and as a bonus you can tailor the sound and biasing is as simple as 123. Great job Thomas
Thank you very much for this comparison Ron. Different power tube types and makers deliver different sound signatures all the way around. All these amps should use the same power valves for this comparison to get a better idea of their different tonal cues. Great effort on your part though. Fusion F-35 all the way on its sound signature, but Thomas' amp is the best as far as features. TONE CONTROLS are important! We don't all have perfectly tuned rooms or speakers. Way to go Thomas!! At double the price the LTA is way overpriced in my opinion. This video should give that co. somewhat of a reality check on their prices. I also would not want a valve amp that I can't bias myself. That would mean that I wouldn't be able to dial-in my tubes just right to extract the absolute maximum performance of that particular amp. Some tubes like to run a little hotter than others to sound their best. In other words, when it comes to tubes, it really isn't one size fits all. Thanks again Ron.
I hear you. The Thomas amp, for me, would need a balance control. I just cannot 'adjust' my room and/or speakers to find the 'sweet' spot.
Thank you!! Very informative. Based on your video and other research, I am leaning towards the Cronus Magnum III. Rogue has just released a Dark edition... so I hope to see some reviews on this upgrade soon.
Great job video! LTA 1st, Black Audio 2, another 3. LTA is OTL tubes+class D?
First impressions are as follows. The TS120 and the M40 stood out the most for me, on all the tracks. The other two sounded veiled in comparison. Especially the end of track three, when the cymbal fades away. On the first two, it sounded like a weird synthesizer effect, not like a cymbal at all. I have yet to finish listening to all the tracks, but so far, my conclusions have held fast.
Your beard looks excellent.
Cool Southern Dad/Uncle
Love your channel Ron ! You do such a great job and put in a Herculean effort producing content. I have never felt the need to comment until now. Respectfully I don’t think your doing this review on a level playing field. I think you should change the title to “ Revealing the best Audiophile Tube Amp except for the Audio Research i50 “ That aside…great job as usual !
Haha, fair enough! Thanks!
@@Newrecordday2013 Sorry for the negative Ron… you do such a great job… just listened to the AR yesterday for a few hours and was looking forward to getting your opinion. Maybe someday you’ll consider it 🤞
From top to bottom of the audio spectrum from the tracks played back....the LTA Z40+ kills it. The one that comes the closest in second place is the reference playback. It was a no brainer for me which performed the best. I didn't have to listen but a few seconds from each track for each playback system. The sound was more even across the audio field, and full. Very lush. My opinion.
Ron, excellent, inspiring review. Pleasea clarify that the Gallion is the special edi. $4500 . It is a bit uncertain in spots.
Yes this is the Galion TS120SE. It’s $4500.
The TS 120 is on my list of future purchases. I’ve yet to hear anything that has made me second guess it.
your beard was great man!
Definitely found the black ice sounded the best to my ears .
Great review! What about 16-20 Ohm impedance speakers? Any recommendations? I am surprised that none of them have 16 Ohm output. Is Willsenton R300 somehow special?
Well thanks to you I got my buchardt s400 mk 2 se in fauna ....now which amp....🤔
Great re iew. The reference was best in every case but what was the reference?
Awesome detailed review!!! Thanks for helping everyone out with this. I'm a huge solid state fan boy thus far. I'm currently running 2 yamaha mx 1000 with a set of KLF 30 AND A PAIR OF Jbl S3100. I am doing more research into the tube sound and this is pure gold right here my friend. Can you tell us what mode was used on the tube amps? Ultra linear or triode? I'm asking in reference to the cronus magnum since on paper it was 1 of the top in power output. Thanks again for everything NRD does and keep on rocking it!!!! Cheers from So Cal.
Track 3, I gotta go LTA again. I can hear it in the first 5 seconds. The music jumps right out at you. It is much more dynamic than the other amps.
Credit to you ,you have obviously spent a lot of your time setting up the comparison. Regards antony Warrington Cheshire
Great work Ron....I guess I am really getting old....BUT for the life of me the reference you used at the beginning of each cut was done or played though what amp/speaker combo? Sorry to ask such a lame question. Blessings to you and the family.
Charlie
Your beard looks....great! I love your reviews.
Mr. Pete-------->
aging hippie
Beard looks a hundred times better, one of your best videos yet. One question, subjectively, which will sound best in a small well treated listening room? Thanks for your video, looking forward to the individual reviews.
What speakers?
Hi Stephen, I didn't listened to the other amp on this review, but I'm a happy owner of the TS120SE. I listen a lot in a nearfield situation, and it excells at close range, low to moderate volume. Just my 2 cents in your reflexion ;) BR02 Triangle at the moment in that setup.