Menu
Cart 0
Audiovalve Baldur 300 Mono Power Amp Standard Edition (Ships in 4-6 Weeks) - C-Plan Audio

Audiovalve Baldur 300 Mono Power Amp Standard Edition (Ships in 4-6 Weeks)

AudioValve

  • R 499,000.00
  • Save R 100,000.00


AUDIO FILE  translation à La Revue du Son, France , issue dec. 06

JEAN PAUL HIRAGA

The test of the Baldur 70 monophonic blocks done almost one year ago has pleased us, their price not being over 4000 € the pair, putting them in the leading group of best deals in amplifiers with tubes linking generous available power (80 W RMS) and musical qualities due to the optimal use of the double triodes 6AS7G. On this limited series, the beauty, the sounds refinement, as well as the natural of the stereophonic scene reaches even higher while referring to the same sonorous politic. The few 240 W RMS available bring on the voices, the piano as well as on the most various sounds a sonorous field, an even more valuable support, such as the Baldur 70 but better everywhere. The spectral balance appears very slightly decreasing towards the shrill is not a default. We get used to it so well that going back to common electrical seem to go towards an excessive luminosity. A complete success at a studied price which will charm the melanomists.

 

ROBERT LACRAMPE

At first look these mono blocks impress quite by their sizes, their weight, the calories that they release. But the divine surprise is revealed in the sonorous performance which top the work! It is – on my opinion – the best hearing of the year. I know that there is still the December edition but I am ready to put my hand in the fire of their tubes: these power units will not soon be dethroned. Which surprised me the most, was to find under the same cover the fruity of the tubes and the unlimited energy feeling usually provided by more powerful transistorized amplifiers. It is extremely rare to combine both! But it is not all: The AudioValve know how to restore the pianissimis with grace, fluidity, lightness that the stronger one of 1000 W do not have! Listening to a piano is delightful: the instrument is released in all its width and without the message being strike. An unforgettable listening…

 

AUDIO FILE  translation à La Revue du Son, France , issue dec. 06


Recommended

SOUND MAGAZINE

FROM HOME CINEMA

 

AudioValve Baldur 300

This German brand famous for its “High Tech” creations surprises with this monophonic set of 240 W RMS. A high standing product, 100% “made in Germany”, produced in a limited number at a very competitive price.

 

SPECIFICATIONS

Ø       Type: Monaural Amplifier with tubes

Ø       Power output: 240 W/8Ώ

Ø       Distortion harm: ≤0.2%/100W

Ø       Frequency feedback: 10-60 kHz

Ø       Ratio signal/noise: 95 dB

Ø       Entries: RCA, sensitivity 1 V/47 kΏ and XLR (asymmetric from the entry).

Ø       Output: On double sockets for banana shape jacks, wires open or twisted in U shape.

Ø       Size: 490 x 430 x 530 mm.

Ø       Weight: 35 kg.

Ø       Origin: Germany

 

The German electronic AudioValves can be recognized by their esthetic signature out of the ordinary. They emphasize the tubes and components as in a rechnologic window. On most of the AudioValve models, the top of the chassis in transparent or smoked glass emphasizes the care brought to the wiring as well as the components quality. The Baldur series adopt on their side the principle of tubes mounting on top of the chassis from an important height, this architecture assures the tubes optimal ventilation, by avoiding the useless heating of components such as electrochemical condensers, those which the longevity depends more or less strongly from the service temperature. Only one glance allow you to have an overview of the components, allowing at the same time to notice that Helmut Becker, the founder of AudioValve Company, often puts to profit a patent invention, the ABR circuit with assisted polarization made to extract the best of a tube during its life spread out into grinding, cruising performances, and beginning of wear. Note on this purpose that this polarization automatic adjustment optimizes the value of the quiescent current with an important temporal inertia, so as to never interfere on the restitution of a musical signal in transient state. With its policy of progress in the continuity, AudioValve has been able to surprise us with its first class musical qualities as well as with its amazing measurement results, one of the examples has been the RKV MKII, undoubtedly the only one in the world delivering under 1 W a T.H.D rate of 0,002%.

 

The Baldur 300: The big thing, with 240 W RMW.

Commercialized in a limited number, the Baldur 300 monophonic blocks are listed among the very rare amplifiers with tubes delivering more than 200 W with exceptional musical qualities, without reaching inaccessible prices. The two Baldur 300 monophonic blocks are made 100% in Germany. Their weight reaches 110kg, the 240 W RMS on 8 Ώ being obtained from 10 tubes 6AS7G, double triodes famous for being extremely more efficient on the criteria of linearity and harmonic distortion than the very traditional tetrodes 6550. Each block has a style similar to this Baldur 70 tested in December 2005, in the number 302 of our review but under more imposing sizes, the unit weight going from 16 kg to 55 kg. The imposing chassis of 49 cm width and 53 cm depth has a 43 cm height. We can find the columns mounting principle, of painted metal plates, of the thick plate in cut metacrylate, the 14 seeable tubes on the top of the appliance being protected by a grey painted protective grille. As on the Baldur 70, the few 24 cm available under the chassis allow to place without heating risks, the output transformer, power transformer and the related circuits. The frontal startup orders are done in two steps (filaments heating, then high tension), back face including 2 sets of output speakers, one RCA entry and one XLR entry (de-symmetrize).
 

The best of 6AS7G, without usual limits

The circuit is made of an entry floor with double triode ECC83, a Schmitt phase-converter floor charged by 2 x 33 kΏ, a symmetric follower floor charged by 2 x 39 kΏ, a low impedance attack floor with double Russian triode 6N6P (or similar American 6CG7). We find in output, such as on the Baldur 70, the double triodes 6 AS7G, appreciated for their linearity and their musical qualities. Set in quintuple push-pull, they allow to obtain a 240 W nominal power in A class with less than 1% of distortion at 1 kHz and almost 300 W at the chopping. Each triode section is coupled to the ABR circuit with patent automatic assisted polarization (meaning 20 ABR circuits by mono block), each circuit using an operational amplifier of 741 type, a PNP bipolar radio with BF 423 high tension, a thermistor and optional passive components. The double triode 6AS7G being favored by a 280 Ώ only internal impedance, the push-pull quintuple mounting make possible the use of an output transformer with low impedance, resulting into really weak insertion lost and to an optimal adaptation on 8Ώ charge. Considering its imposing size, it has been put in the chassis, such as the power transformer. The power circuits invest a large part of their printed circuit, in terms of one per push-pull plug, plus two extra stabilized for the entry floors.

Jean Hiraga

 

RECOMMENDATION OF USE

Can be associated to different high range speakers of the same class thanks to the large power stock.

 

ZOOMING…

The unique advantages of the very high nominal power (240 W RMS and 300 W peak) and the A class. A circuit not adopting the tetrodes but the double triodes 6AS7G combining the assets of the linearity and the low impedance.
 

The back face: from simple to extreme

The entries on the big sockets are doubled to facilitate the double wiring. The entries are available in asymmetric RCA and XLR, this last being in fact de-symmetric.

 

Doubles triodes 6AS7G

This double triodes with low impedance (280 Ώ of internal resistance) are famous for their musical qualities. AudioValve benefit here from the best part thanks to a quintuple push-pull floor polarized in A class followed by a transformer of low impedance output.

 

Power

Each floor branch of the push-pull output has its own circuit of rectification and filtering, meaning two rectifier bridges with high and low symmetric tension, filtering by condensers of 4 x 279 µF/400 V and 2 x 2200 µF/25V.

 

High tension filtering

The high tension rectifier is followed by a first cellule of filtering made of four electrolytic condensers of 270 µF/400 V, visible in the centre, on the photo below.


Entry floors and phase-converter

The entry floor entrusted to the double triode ECC83 is followed by the double triode ECC82 mounted in Schmitt phase-converter floor, with distributed charges of 33 kΏ.



Floors follower and driver

The follower floor uses the double triode ECC82. It is followed by the attack floor with low impedance 6N6P, near the 6CG7 American version. In the background, the stabilized power dedicated to these floors.



JEAN HIRAGA

The test of the Baldur 70 monophonic blocks done almost one year ago has pleased us, their price not being over 4000 € the pair, putting them in the leading group of best deals in amplifiers with tubes linking generous available power (80 W RMS) and musical qualities due to the optimal use of the double triodes 6AS7G. On this limited series, the beauty, the sounds refinement, as well as the natural of the stereophonic scene reaches even higher while referring to the same sonorous politic. The few 240 W RMS available bring on the voices, the piano as well as on the most various sounds a sonorous field, an even more valuable support, such as the Baldur 70 but better everywhere. The spectral balance appears very slightly decreasing towards the shrill is not a default. We get used to it so well that going back to common electrical seem to go towards an excessive luminosity. A complete success at a studied price which will charm the melanomists.


ROBERT LACRAMPE

At first look these mono blocks impress quite by their sizes, their weight, the calories that they release. But the divine surprise is revealed in the sonorous performance which top the work! It is – on my opinion – the best hearing of the year. I know that there is still the December edition but I am ready to put my hand in the fire of their tubes: these power units will not soon be dethroned. Which surprised me the most, was to find under the same cover the fruity of the tubes and the unlimited energy feeling usually provided by more powerful transistorized amplifiers. It is extremely rare to combine both! But it is not all: The AudioValve know how to restore the pianissimis with grace, fluidity, lightness that the stronger one of 1000 W do not have! Listening to a piano is delightful: the instrument is released in all its width and without the message being strike. An unforgettable listening… with one of some 300B.

 

WE HAVE LIKED

- The conception originality of the assisted polarization circuit and its efficiency.

- The ratio performances/competitive price considering the power obtained in A class under the formula dual mono.

 

MEASURES

 

Amplifier AudioValve Baldur 300

nº09012006

Nominal power, 8Ώ:                            240W

Input sensitivity for 60W in output:      1V

Distortion rate per harmonic at:

40 Hz/30W                                        0,22%

1 kHz/30W                                        0,18%

20 kHz/30W                                      3,8%

Ratio Signal/Noise, not balanced           94 dB

Raising time, square signal, 10 kHz         4,6 µs

 

Results:

The measured nominal power is conform to the manufacturer specifications, the distortion rate at high frequencies increasing more severely above a hundred watts.

 

Shape of the sinusoidal signal at 1 kHz:

Below 30 W, the distortion rate is located towards 0,18%. The middle trace shows an harmonic residue made of harmonics 2 and 3.

 

Shape of the square signal at 40 kHz/10W:

The stages almost flat attest of a response in large frequency until about ten hertz, in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.

 
Shape of the square signal at 20 kHz:

Stages. The rising time on a square signal at 10 kHz is of 4,6 μs, the manufacturer has limited the high response to perfect the stability on complex load.


LISTENING CRITICAL
 

- NEUTRALITY, GENERAL BALANCE

Ella Fitzgerald “Reach for Tomorrow”, Verve Classic Compact, VSCD 4043.

J.H. This first test shows us a real musical treasure, bringing to the voice a superficial sensitivity of the vibratos and placing it at the same time right in the center, in an ambiance of real classical jazz that we like. Very beautiful loosened of the piano, full of poetry and elegance.

R.L. Remarkable. It is put between the speakers with a confusing realism. It is almost a 300B but with – also – a feeling of natural plenitude, of controlled strength, which offer an authentic auditive comfort.

 

- STEREOPHONIC EFFECT

Juan del Encina, “Battery Solo”, BNL 112 848.

J.H. The Baldur 300 are now showing us this time a sound capture more modern, full of details and micro-information, given to each battery a life, a specific follow-up, without ever going on to the over-detailed conter-musical.

Acoustics feedbacks are of a fabulous realism.

R.L. The three-dimensional stereophonic perspective is of an impressive stability. The backgrounds are full of acoustic feedbacks. Our speakers are such as transcended.
 

- DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR, POWERFUL HOLD

Mark Curry, It’s only time, track 1, “All over Me”, Virgin CDUS

The unusual support of the voice, gives to Mark Curry an unusual presence, without this aggressive beginning often felt. Beautiful guitar.


R.L. We feel like the available strength is unlimited, at least on our voices of a sensitive theater. No signs of pinching on the forte which remain exceptionally loosened.

 

- RESPONSE IN FREQUENCY

Applause, percussion test. Test-disc NRDS nº10, track 14, 17 and 21.

J.H. Applauses like in a concert, spatialized and individualized to perfection. Natural wonderful hit and beats on the small bells test. Impacts virility and sonorous matter of sublime hit skin on the large drum.

R.L. The copied reel is very large without loss in ultimate base. The strength of the impacts and the solemn tension are a pleasure. Even the small bells are very active.

 
- FUSION OF THE TRANSPARENT RECORDS

Johann Strauss, “Egyptian March” Op. 335, Das Mikroton, track 2, lign 17.

J.H. We recognize here the unique qualities of the triodes. Desk of amazing cords, each well differentiated, easy to localize in a room full of people, translated such as, wide, high and deep, without wrong heat.

R.L. The plenitude stays “in the air”. No softness in the desks distribution even on the parts the most strongly modulated.


We Also Recommend

Recently Viewed Items

Sale

Unavailable

Sold Out