The Stax Thread III

[AManAnd88Keys]

Mal Valve electrostatic amp and planar amp (all tube)

Has anyone here heard the Mal valve amp? I heard it at Munich Hi-End at the Hifi Deluxe add on show. It drove the 009s so well I was shocked. It also sounded superb on the LCD4s.

It was this one. It was a bit ugly, but wow, it sounded marvellous.

I heard it last year (this year I didn't visit the Malvalve room) and yes, it is a very authorative amplifier. Very clean, fast, tight. It's even capable of driving speakers, but Dieter Mallach told me that maybe 10% of the buyers at most will also use it for that purpose. He gave it that option for completeness sake, being the perfectionist he is.
What I really like about it is the crossfeed, as the users can choose between different levels of intensity, 9 if I remember correctly. I wrote a bit more about this amp last year in a 2017 Hifi Deluxe impressions thread. This year, hardly anyone on Head-Fi seems to have any interest in the High-End Munich or the Hifi Deluxe Munich - or not use Head-fi to talk about those shows - so I won't write longer posts this time, unless someone here is honestly asking for it.

 

[Hi-Fi-Apricity]

Interesting observation... could you comment more on which aspects of the sound improve with warm up?

When you say "after a while it's a real headbanger", do you mean that the bass/LF performance in particular, improves?

It seems the biggest difference is in the bass, yes. It develops more impact and physicallity. Over the spectrum it seems to get more clear over say a 30 minute period or so

 

[FLguy]

Interesting, thanks for the info.

 

[astrostar59]

I heard it last year (this year I didn't visit the Malvalve room) and yes, it is a very authorative amplifier. Very clean, fast, tight. It's even capable of driving speakers, but Dieter Mallach told me that maybe 10% of the buyers at most will also use it for that purpose. He gave it that option for completeness sake, being the perfectionist he is.
What I really like about it is the crossfeed, as the users can choose between different levels of intensity, 9 if I remember correctly. I wrote a bit more about this amp last year in a 2017 Hifi Deluxe impressions thread. This year, hardly anyone on Head-Fi seems to have any interest in the High-End Munich or the Hifi Deluxe Munich - or not use Head-fi to talk about those shows - so I won't write longer posts this time, unless someone here is honestly asking for it.

So my ears weren't playing trick on me? It is a paradox this amp, little is known outside of Germany it seems, and the designer is eccentric for sure, but obviously knows his subject. If only it had a cheaper variant for either planars or stats only, not both. And forget the amp function. If it was 8k for example, and with that sound, it would be a game changer for the finished product market and high end headphone amps. At 14k it is over priced. Yes the Woo Audio WA33 is about the same price, but at least that looks the part, and in that case has less tubes. I am not so comfortable with 22 tubes TBH.

It would be interesting indeed to pitch it against a DIY T2. I am super curious how much the T2 is different to the BHSE or Carbon. This Mal Valve was so different in it's presentation, it wasn't subtle. Not saying one is correct or even accurate, only the Mal Valve impressed me a lot, as it did to the 3 hifi dealers with me and 2 audio designers as well.

Just goes to show, there are gems around still in this hobby.

 

[Whitigir]

If BHSE is the same level as Grounded Grid (assuming). Then the DIY T2 are

1/ non-audiophile impressions: Better than GG or Carbon (obviously)

2/ Audiophile impressions (nit-picking and little things here, there, everywhere): is the performances of GG + Carbon + somemore

Go audit it in person and see

 

[SeaWo|f]

Lol..what could go wrong in an amp full of wrong valves

Maybe they will sell it with socket adapters so that you can roll your favorite types..

 

[oneguy]

My GG and Carbon finally came. Thanks @soren_brix for making this happen.

 

[tumpux]

Some more pictures of GG please..

 

[oneguy]

Mine:

Another one:

 

[Whitigir]

Beautiful! Now you need XF2 Quad

 

[JimL11]

Maybe they will sell it with socket adapters so that you can roll your favorite types..

God forbid! Good tube circuit designers choose their tube types to meet certain parameters in gain, output impedance, etc. In order to guarantee that the circuit is working as designed, the safest tube swap is to put in the same tube type from a different manufacturer. Next safest is to put in a tube type that published tables report as equivalent. Next safest is to put in a tube type that has equivalent specifications, and doesn't have any extra or missing connections that could blow things up. Hate to sound prejudiced, but commonly people who use socket adapters couldn't interpret a tube spec sheet to save their lives, if they even know that such a thing exists, and will plug in anything that will physically fit and doesn't immediately blow the amp or fuse (naturally, the amp will blow up to protect the fuse - Murphy's Law). Socket adapters just encourage this kind of mischief, and the result, while judged to be subjectively wonderful, will commonly measure poorly due to a malfunctioning circuit from using tubes with significantly different electrical characteristics.

 

[Pahani]

naturally, the amp will blow up to protect the fuse - Murphy's Law

Thanks for that chuckle Jim, made my day!

 

[Whitigir]

Thanks for that chuckle Jim, made my day!

I spit my coffee all over the desk because of this LOL! Thanks Jim

 

[oneguy]

Beautiful! Now you need XF2 Quad

There is always a rabbit to chase, the hard part is determining which one and how fast

 

[SeaWo|f]

@JimL11 Of course everything you said was right, perhaps the sarcasm did not come though in my post.