Posted by akhilesh [ 129.244.96.76 ] on February 06, 2004 at 20:29:19:
In Reply to: Akhilesh, you gotta tell 'em... posted by Wayne Parham on February 05, 2004 at 18:40:29:
HI Wayne,
Thanx for mentioning the amp. Well, I like it a lot! It compares to the Zen, thought the ZEN is a little bit mellower. ALso, the K502 amp is a bit more sensitive to loads, and is at its best at loads of 8 ohms or less. It is a push-pull.
In terms of clarity, resolution, it compares to the zen and that is saying something. Of course, right now I am using a mid fi source (Sony xa20ES) with highend cables (transparent plus) , so maybe I can;t really tell yet. I'll wait till I upgrade my source and then let you know. Some folks may prefer the softer SETs like the 45, but i tend to prefer a slightly more "analytical tube" (there's an oxymoron for you!).
For those who think low priced tube amps don't sound good, I would suggest you listen to them and compare for yourself. Often times the hum in low priced amps is just construction errors...in the K502 case i believe the filament is on DC so the hum is nonexistent, unless there is poor grounding.
I would say for $140 the K502 is an amazing bang for the buck deal, and I frankly don't dislike its sound one bit. ALso, it;s a great way to learn....it's my first amp, and has given me confidence.
Also, thanx to Wayne for his encouragement and advice along the way...he is a good friend and a great source of experience.
-akhilesh