KT150

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:55 am

This looks rather interesting.
I noticed it in the back of the latest HFNRR.
Very little info at the moment of course but that David Shaw is certainly a canny bugger to spring this on the world. He's been working on it for several months apparently. No doubt Audio Research and a few others will get on message soon.
http://www.whathifi.com/news/icon-audio ... amplifiers

IslandPink · Post by **IslandPink** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 12:33 pm

Where's it all going to end ?!
Time for a commercial GK-71 amp, I say

JamesD · Post by **JamesD** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:24 pm

Has anyone a spec for the beastie yet?

Looks nice

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 1:38 pm

IslandPink wrote:Where's it all going to end ?!
Time for a commercial GK-71 amp, I say

Strange shape for the bottle. They look like giant candle bulbs.

But....as soon as I can get hold of a pair. I'm having some

Unless they price them too stupid.
The KT120 is excellent value and sounds utterly fabulous.
I hope this new valve isn't intended to be an "audiophile tube" with a price tag to match.

davebms · Post by **davebms** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 2:59 pm

stolen from the web.

Beam power tube

The plate dissipation is 70 watts
G2 is 9.0 watts,
Cathode current is 275 ma
Filament current is 1.75 -2 amps
Max plate voltage is 850
Screen is 650 volts
Distortion in class A

400v plate
225 v screen
Overall Harmonic Distortion is similar to 6550 at 14%.

Don't know the final price.

__________________

JamesD · Post by **JamesD** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 3:10 pm

Interesting KT120 is:

Beam power tube
The plate dissipation is 60 watts
G2 is 8.0 watts,
Cathode current is 250 ma
Filament current is 1.75 -1.95 amps
Max plate voltage is 850
Screen is 650 volts

Distortion in class A
400v plate
225 v screen
Overall Harmonic Distortion is similar to 6550 at 14%.

Looks like same structure as KT120 with a bigger bottle and probably some fins on the anode to increase dissapation... It should sound just as good!!!

J.

Paul Barker · Post by **Paul Barker** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 3:33 pm

Probably cost a lot against the GM70 GK71 GU50 Russian valves which have proved themselves.

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 4:17 pm

I think that the KT120 for example has more than proved itself as a superb sounding valve in its own right; neutral to a fault and more than capable of showing the quality of whatever is driving it.

Looking at the photo of the Icon Audio amp with KT150s fitted, the plate structure looks about a half an inch longer than that of the KT120s I have.

I for one am all for these new, real world beam power pentodes that allow fairly high single ended power, without the need for four figure voltages.

OK we have the 6C33C as a NOS contender, if you don't fancy high voltages, but these were never intended to be audio valves. At last it seems, your average Joe has, in the KT120 and the new KT150, a pair of new audio valves, that are easy to implement, don't cost the Earth in HT supplies and can compete on a level playing field, with what little remains of the conventional NOS power pentode scene.

I think these new tube developments should be welcomed and can only wonder what else the New Sensor Corporation has up its collective sleeve.

All this providing of course, they don't get silly with the prices.
David Shaw's advert mentions that the new valve is affordable.
I hope that means what I hope it means.

EDIT
The KT120 has increased in price to £34 a piece on Hotrox
You can bet your bottom dollar then that the KT150 will be around £45.
Not unreasonable for what you are getting if I'm right.
Easy to heat, easy to design around and bone-crunching power and finesse even in SE. But for the inveterate boundary busting experimenters on here, that counts for nought of course and that's exactly the way it should be

Paul Barker · Post by **Paul Barker** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 4:36 pm

Can't argue with that. Might sound even better than yours.

JamesD · Post by **JamesD** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 5:23 pm

Completely agree Steve!

Your KT120 was right up there with the other SE amps at Owston with the exception of Marks - and that is high praise!

It was nicer sounding than any of the KT88, KT66, 6l6, 5881, EL34 Se amps I have heard and the power and bass was exceptional for SE but it stayed open through the treble too.

Value for money is great and so is reliability. Looking forward to seeing what the KT150 will cost but it may be that the KT120 ends up as the hero valve of the range...

Playing with the GK-71 is fun too but I wouldn't like to say which will sound better and it should be cheaper to do a KT120 amp...

J

IslandPink · Post by **IslandPink** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 8:21 pm

A big advantage of the KT120/150 valves is the sensible heater requirements of course , not like the 60W which is a headache on the GM70/GK71 projects .

pre65 · Post by **pre65** » Sat Jul 27, 2013 8:29 pm

IslandPink wrote:A big advantage of the KT120/150 valves is the sensible heater requirements of course , not like the 60W which is a headache on the GM70/GK71 projects .

Only 60W ?

833a is 100W

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:06 pm

BAH!

NK in this month's HFW reckons £100 each for the KT150.
Not bad value compared to a 300B I suppose, but still a bit disappointing.

It is a brave pricing move by New Sensor, I'll give them that.

Paul Barker · Post by **Paul Barker** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:11 am

Shame.

Maybe GK71 a better bet then?

Cressy Snr · Post by **Cressy Snr** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 7:47 am

Aye, looks like the old Russian transmitters have retained their eager audience
for now.

Data sheet here for the KT150

I'd still like to try the new valve, but at £400 for a quad for pp use, you may as well pay half that, for a matched octet of JJ EL509 and build a Rozenblit OTL.

audio-talk

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