The charming in fresh and direct sound-- MUSIC-88.3WE INTEGRATED TUBE AMPLIFIER OF 09’S EDITION

Audiophiles always have desire and like turning from side to side. It looks like I’m such a person.

In my house, a system built by transistor amplifier has been done for over half a year. I’m really satisfactory with them. Somehow, when I saw a pair of unusing bookshelf loudspeakers, Compact M-700 MKⅡ, I had a desire to accompany a tube amplifier with them. So I could enjoy two kinds of tastes of charming sound in the same time. After a turn of preparing work, I began to pay close attention to the Music Space Time MUSIC-88.3WE integrated tube amplifier finally.

In the range of products of Jiaxing Music Space Time Tube Amplifier Manufacturing Company, two models of products are caught eyes now. one is the MUSIC-300B.3WE, the sixth year’s anniversary limited edition of single-ended class A integrated tube amplifier, the other is the MUSIC-88.3WE, the 09’s edition of pull-push integrated tube amplifier. It’s undoubted that the 300B could speak out the most charmful sound, but its output power is only 8.5w in each CH. I really cannot make the decision to buy. Compare to it, the MUSIC-88.3WE works on the class AB, the output power is 50w in each CH. It looks more stronger. So I decided to test it. The dealler agreed I could take it home to test after I expressed a turn of strong feeling of owning.

Different with the MUSIC-300B.3WE, the MUSIC-88.3WE kept the series of generous style in the shape. Except the bottom and the upboard, the all boards were made of 10mm aluminium board with drawbench finish. The joints used the same thick material handling. The upboard was 2mm thick. Volume knob and input selector were symmetrical on the face board. They were frosted finished. The power switch and the indication light were in the vertical line of the face board to add some kinds of steady of feeling. The transformers covers’ craft was great. They were high gloss piano finished. It looked more smooth and precise.

In the part of preamplifier, it used a pentode tube EF80 as the first class amplifying in each CH. Then used a twin triode tube 6H1л as push class. The power tubes used two KT88 in pull-push class in each CH. It was a mature circuis. It didn’t use the trellis but a PWB to connect the components. Though the signal line would be longer, the more precise and steady was got. It would dismiss the mistakes by handy craft too. The quality was ensure. The input capacitance’s voltage degree of the KT88 was 630v. The power tube could work in steady enough conditions. Turn on the power, it would through a low voltage heating process to activate the filament, then use relay connect the high voltage. It would prelong the life of the power tube.

The components of the MUSIC-88.3WE were very high class in the same price products. They adopt imported specialized audio selenium steel sheel Z10 made by Nippon steel corporation. Multi layer and OFC insulated wires wheeling made the frequency response reached 20Hz-100kHz. The power transformer used high quality, high efficiancy, low EMI, low impedance O model. All the tubes of the MUSIC-88.3WE used antique new tubes made in 1960’s. Power tubes used Svetlana KT88EH, which was made in Russia by proved in US. The company used precise instruments to select and match strictly before installation. Using power NKNP resistances and multi-layer silver foil capacities gave assurance of hi-fi.

Of course I was not disapointed by the test. Reperforming the big scale of music, the line was vivid. The music was actively and speed. The tone colour was accurate and fresh. The character was direct but with a kind of handsome. I was sure the same price grade transistor amplifier could not give me this kind of feeling. It became a lure and hard to resistance.

I want to keep the amplifier for the charming sound and the feeling.

Digested from《SUPER AV》2009.10Writer: Chen Xing Heng