Hey guys,
So, earlier this week I took delivery of the Nautilus. It is quite the amp to behold, with the shipping container wieghing in at 98 pounds, my wife had to help me carry it up to our condo.
First things first, the pictures do no do the amp justice. I love the look and build quality of the classic ampsandsound amps, but the new rolled steel chassis is really quite something. The amp itself is a bit quieter in my opinion then the Bigger Ben and my previous Mogwai SE. Even with a 12AX7 and KT88s it was silent with a pair of ZMF Verite closed on the 8 ohm tap, and nearly silent on the 32 ohm tap (this is with the volume wide open).
So how does the amp sound? In a word, perfect. It brings the power of the Mogwai SE and the Bigger Ben with the tone and texture of the Kenzie Ovation, which is why both my Bigger Ben and Kenzie Ovation have found new homes. For those who do not know, I have always loved the sound of the Kenzie/Suolo amps. There is something they do in the midrange that is just right. While the Bigger Ben and the Mogwai SE get close, they cannot reproduce that tone and texture. Now of course the Kenzie/Suolo designs cannot get anywhere near the power of the Bigger Ben and the Mogwai SE, which for my Susvara is a problem. What the Nautilus does, is it is able to reproduce the magic of the Kenzie/Suolo at the power output and linearity of the Bigger Ben/Mogwai SE, this in and of itself justified the amps price.
To be clear this amp sounds bigger then the Bigger Ben/Mogwai SE, and it is as it runs the tubes harder. It is a similar to the step up from a Mogwai SE to a Bigger Ben. You end up with more detail, smooth top end, and a bit more bass.
A much more detailed review will come as me and this amp spend more time together but I continue to enjoy this amp more and more with every passing hour. It is also fun to re-explore my NOS tube collection and see what matches well with this bad boy.
Are there cons so far? It is huge, and it draws more power, and because it runs the tubes hotter, it is sadly not compatible with my collection of 6384s (still have a NIB pair and two used tests well pair if anyone wants them), and I find myself spending more time listening which at time frustrates my wife
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I think Justin has really outdone himself on this amp. Its price is high, but its performance matches based on what I have heard. I think I may have finally found my end game amplifier, and that is as big of a compliment as I can give. More to come soon.