Icon audio stereo 60 mk3

[the caretaker]

Just bought this a few days ago and it sounds great..it has ultra linear mode and triode mode plus three feedback settings.
Each setting makes amp sound a little different - so it's like having 6 amps!
It uses KT-150 tubes and produces about 88 watts in linear mode..so it runs my AE1 mk3s very well..I'm going to try my leema Xeros on the amp too..am very happy with the amplifier - not sure what my electric bill is going to look like?. Lol

 

[SONDEKNZ]

Nice purchase!

Is it like this one?

Does your new amp have tubed rectification? If so, rolling these tubes can offer different operating points too - so there's a ton of variables to play with.

After (manually) experimenting with UL versus TRIODE with our own 6550 amp - presently running KT88 - with various operating points and with varying levels Global Negative Feedback (GNFB), we settled on TRIODE with half the GNFB originally offered by the design.

I still play with various rectifier tubes, as they all deliver a slightly different sound.

It will be interesting to discover which operating mode YOU prefer in the long term... Please report!

 

[the caretaker]

Nice purchase!

Is it like this one?

Does your new amp have tubed rectification? If so, rolling these tubes can offer different operating points too - so there's a ton of variables to play with.

After (manually) experimenting with UL versus TRIODE with our own 6550 amp - presently running KT88 - with various operating points and with varying levels Global Negative Feedback (GNFB), we settled on TRIODE with half the GNFB originally offered by the design.

I still play with various rectifier tubes, as they all deliver a slightly different sound.

It will be interesting to discover which operating mode YOU prefer in the long term... Please report!

Yes exactly like that one...just running valves in at the moment, will report back soon!

 

[the caretaker]

One of the reasons I bought the stereo 60 with the KT - 150s is because I thought it would work well with my AE1 mk3s..the amp works better than I thought it would with the AEs ( I happen to think the AE MK3 is one of the best speakers available) so at the moment I'm really liking the ultra linear mode, it sounds like a muscle amp but with the finesse of a valve but the grunt of a transistor! The three feedback settings bring their own individual traits to the music and I can't really say one feedback setting is superior..just different in a really good way - my friend asked whether I had chosen one setting I liked the best? Can't do it..just really enjoying this wonderful amp and this morning I hooked up my turntable into the system using my icon audio phono stage and the vinyl sounds magic..I have used other speakers with the stereo 60 and they have been ok but no where near the AEs in terms of sound and sheer exhuberance! I'll listen to the triode mode soon..not sure when though lol..magic amp and those KT - 150s are quite something...

 

[Rexton]

Never heard and Icon Audio gear altough lusted after some for quite a while. The debate about going bigger valve size in an interesting one. Some people claim the bigger KT valves offer nothing to the sonic landscape whilst others swear by them. Hmmmmm another quandry.

 

[the caretaker]

Never heard and Icon Audio gear altough lusted after some for quite a while. The debate about going bigger valve size in an interesting one. Some people claim the bigger KT valves offer nothing to the sonic landscape whilst others swear by them. Hmmmmm another quandry.

 

[the caretaker]

It's by far the best amp I have listened to..I have a few amps and my mate has a pair of quad valve power amps.
After reading the reviews I was expecting to keep it in triode mode with feedback off? However this isn't the case at the moment..I'm really liking ultra linear mode..and it isn't that expensive to run..amp in ultra linear mode with jolida valve dac about 7/8 pence an hour ( according to my energy meter ) valves aren't even run in yet...and the stereo 60 sounds really good! Happy days.