for confirmation that the valves are used only as pre-amps. Two ECC85s cannot be used to produce 13W per channel! This device must have a solid state (likely an IC or two) power amplifier stage.
This is a little bit of a con, even if there are some audiophile merits to using valves for the pre-amp stage - they could be a little more "honest"!
Still, I gotta say, I loooove the iPod dock they've produced! As the reviewer says, true geek retro.....
Register
Manufacturer's site confirms this is a hybrid amp!
Look at:
<http://www.fat-man.co.uk/docs/product/itube_spec.htm>
for confirmation that the valves are used only as pre-amps. Two ECC85s cannot be used to produce 13W per channel! This device must have a solid state (likely an IC or two) power amplifier stage.
This is a little bit of a con, even if there are some audiophile merits to using valves for the pre-amp stage - they could be a little more "honest"!
Still, I gotta say, I loooove the iPod dock they've produced! As the reviewer says, true geek retro.....
Nigel