![]() ![]() In reality, the class struggle of pricing - burger flipper vs. In principle and practice, speakers like my Rethms and Zus with their active bass systems taking their inputs off the main amp are just perfect for the Glow. This type of bloodiness creates problems only for foo reviewers: $30,000 source + $8,000 speakers + $488 amp. ![]() The only thing relevant is that it's - um, bloody good for a low-power tube amp that costs less than some speaker stands. While one could sweat blood to detail out differences down to the molecules, the cheerful pricing of the Amp One prompts against it. On large-scale symphonic fare, the pentodes separated better in principle even though the offset in power supply moxy tended to even things out and give the Woo amp an advantage on dynamic peaks and slammage. Flip the page to female Jazz however and the direct-heated triode Eros did its predictable aural sexy thing. The Glow amp cut through the air with a somewhat more honed blade then, followed by the Chinese 300Bs, then the famous Yanks. That on-the-string brilliance belongs there as it does on Vishwas Mohan Bhatt's Indian slide guitar. If you dig Jazz Manouche as I do - fire off names like Tchavolo Schmitt, Romane, Stochelo Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre, Bireli Lagrene and Joscho Stephan to prove you're not stuck in Django's times - you're familiar with the twang and metal of the Selmer guitar sound as it is pursued by most French gypsy guitarists. There's no judgment in that, just a different flavor. It's spicier, less buffered by harmonic cream. It has more bite on plucked strings, more bluster on brass, more screech when a ruchenitsa soprano sax goes into Roma overdrive. In cuppa Java terms, the 300Bs were more latté with cream, the EL84s blacker coffee with just a hint of peppery spice. But the Glowster kept up with the designer bottles by about 85% and was arguably superior in high-frequency extension if not polish. The triodes ultimately do more layering and depth of field and the beastlier power supply makes for more crunch under serious attacks and firmer edging. That speedier impression is shared somewhat with the Shuguang triodes and also a common byproduct of lesser overtone saturation. The pentode shortie, on the other hand, has more fire on top and its reflexes are faster. The latter - justified in my opinion - have a rep for harmonic density that's not part of an EL84's project brief. ![]() The 6BQ5s in the Glow were more similar to the Shuguangs than WEs. Those are leaner and lither than my stash of current production Western Electrics. The surprising bit was simply how little overall was sacrificed. well, let's avoid the obvious locker room gab and just say that an amp with a bigger stiffer supply will nearly always edge out a competitor otherwise equal. above where the active bass system takes over). While the Glow had no issues, period - it played ungodly loud and distortion free - it didn't quite have the same sense of control and grip in the upper bass where the Presence is still covered passively (i.e. Woo's power supply alone is thrice the Glow's allness. For seconds, the anticipated setback when switching from my $4000 tricked-out Woo Audio Model 5 to the Glow driving the 101dB-rated Zu Presence were far milder than reasonable if one approached these amps with the usual propaganda skews. Especially not on an AC line I've measured as high as 258V (240 being the nominal Cyprus value). Such quietude and cheapness do not traditionally hand in hand go as Yoda would preach. The only thing quieter than the Glow in my stable are the First Watt F4 monos. It's so quiet in fact as to outmute my Woo Audio 300B and Yamamoto 45 SETs which are very quiet for the no-feedback breed but create just the slightest of steady-state noise right up against an 98 or 101dB speaker. As it turned out, no brains were needed either to recognize that it's mindlessly, bite-you-in-the-arse clear good!įor starters, it's very quiet. To know whether it's competitive, you must listen to it. Still, cheap cheer won't make the Amp One competitive just cheap. As a concept, the Glow thus competes against US or EU-made amps selling through retailers anywhere between $1,200 and $2,000. Being sold direct subtracts a similar percentage again. Being made in China knocks build cost down by at least half. It takes no listening or brains to know that the Glow amp competes with amps up to $2K. ![]() This review page is supported in part by the sponsors whose ad banners are displayed below ![]()
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