I'm not an avid fan of tube-equipped gears until I auditioned the Consonance m99plus integrated tube amp. Tube amps are misconceived as expensive pieces of equipment and are available only to a privileged and moneyed audiophiles. Inasmuch as this amp had been mass-produced in China, they are reasonably priced to afford tube newbies like me to explore and experience the wonderfully magical sound of tubes. Thus, owning this competitively priced tube amp, sporting the Consonance brand, adds pride of ownership and brings tube quality sound within the budget of almost every music lover.
My sudden swing of preference and growing interest to tube amps was the result of my latest conclusion that CD sound can never approximate the analog sound of the resurrected vinyls. Be that as it may, a tube amp can nonetheless, give life to the clinical and harsh sound of most CD players, which can often sound smoother and more musical when played through a tube amplifier. This premise goes without saying that tube amps are the better amps if compared to solid state amps but since my musical preference is now leaning towards the quieter genre and more relaxing music, it necessarily follows that I have to follow the route that would put me closer to the music. Gone are the days when I crave for the slam-bang and kick-ass bass of a solid state amp. Now, my aural experience begins when I listen to the more soothing sound of tubes that occasionally brings shivers to the bone and spine-tingling sensation when playing some of my favorite CD tracks.
The m99plus features 4 Shuguang 6P3P output tubes (which can be replaced by 6L6s, KT-66s and 5881s), 2 Shuguang 6N8P driver tubes (which can be replaced by 6SN7s and VT-231s), 2 Electro-Harmonix 12AX7EH pre-amp tubes configured in a SRPP circuitry, 3 toroidal transformers, 3 gold plated line inputs, large high quality gold plated 5-way speaker binding posts in 8 ohms and 4 ohms tap, all housed in a massive metal chassis with wooded side panels, weighing almost 18 Kgs. The m99plus is a solid-state rectified amp and equipped with a solidly-built remote control allowing you to adjust the volume.
After almost 1 month of breaking-in, the transformers may have already settled down and are now bringing out the best sound they can get. The bass is fuller, the mids warmer and sweeter but the highs needs further extension and relatively rolled-off without much air. I went to the boondocks to test my amp with the new Wharfedales Diamond 9.2 and 9.4 which were loaned on home audition by Spectra Audio Video to hans adriene. Using a turn table as the source, the amp can easily cope up with fast beat music playing some tracks from the album of the Queen and The Cure without muddling the sound and faithfully bringing out each instrumentation with clarity and detail. Playing around with 6sn7s and 12ax7s spare tubes of some fellow members, we tried tube rolling different tubes to get a combination that would give a better sound. First, we tried changing the stock Shuguang 6N8P driver tubes to Sylvania 6SN7GTB. Remarkably, the amp began to breathe with so much atmosphere and seemingly unrestricted airiness. The soundstage simply became so expansive with dramatic improvement in the high frequency extension. Then we plugged RCA 6SN7GTBs and still obtained a similarly desirable sound than that offered by the stock Chinese tubes but the Sylvania 6SN7GTBs have smoother highs and better soundstage. We did try replacing the Electro-Harmonix 12ax7s with Telefunken 12ax7s and retained the RCA 6SN7GTBs as driver tubes - the result was, I guessed, the most optimal sound the m99+ can muster. Changing the RCA 6SN7GTBs with Sylvania 6SN7GTBs at the driver stage and retaining the Telefunkens on the linestage is a bit overkill and would somewhat give a hint of sibilance playing some Jeena Lodwick tracks. All these tubes were tried with the new Wharfedale Diamond 9.2 speakers bi-wired to the amp using XLO ER-14 and XLO PRO650F.
The amp became more imposing when hooked to kimpao's AMX tube pre-amp tweaked by no less than the emerging tweak master - JojoD. The m99+ with an active tube pre-amp is a tough act to follow as they jointly stirred up so much bloom and ambience. Even fingertip-friction sounds of the guitars can be heard with similar likeness. The sonic improvement conveyed by the pre-amp is like getting the singer closer to the audience, thus, bringing more life to the music.
With better tubes plugged to a good amp like m99+, the Wharfedale Diamond 9.2s suddenly became an instant hit among the listeners. In fact, the 9.2s are preferred over the 9.4s by many since the floorstander would sound boxy and sometimes boomy. One lesson learned is that - spending so much on speakers is not at all necessary as long as you have a good tube amp like the m99+.
Associated Equipment:
Yamaha CD Player
Technics Turn Table
AMX ConTodo MkII Pre-amp
XLO Pro650F
XLO ER14
DIY silver wire interconnects
Wharfedale Diamond 9.2s and 9.4s
