[ GM 70 Monos are now officially announced; ]

GM 70 Monos are now officially announced.
Please read our reprint from LampizatOr web.

LampizatOr Amplifier

The no-compromise monoblock power amplifiers.

After years with the DAC it is time for LampizatOr  to introduce an amp. I think that this introduction will re-define the price point for owning the real deal SET mono amps that sound as good as 5 figure amps on the market at less than half price. I am aiming at people who would normally buy a stereo 300B amp but from me they get not only monos instead of  stereo integrated, not only 30 WPC instead of 8, and the super cool super mean looks of GM 70 triode.

All our know how, experience, passion and resources went into this creation. Not to mention all our reputation at stakes.

I am extremely proud of the amplifier – I managed to realize 101% of my plan and I managed to stay in my budget without making any compromise at all. Everything I though was important – is there.

Specification of STANDARD version:

dimensions WHD : 450 x 140 (250) x 600 mm

weight: net 30 kg per each mono

Gross shipping weight of a pair: 75 kg (170 lbs)

Power: 30 WPC single ended class A

Power consumption: 195 WPC on idle,

100 W on pre-heating (per each block)

Power Tube: GM70 triode graphite version

Driver: doubled 6N6P

Input tube 6N1P

Input impedance: 47 K

Output impedance (speakers recommended) 8 Ohm

Biasing: manual (with exposed pot and meter)

Volume: Stepped input potentiometer ALPS

Power transformers total capacity: 700 VA

Rectification: two separate tube rectifiers for HV

Anode supply: 900 V DC

Available front colors: black or silver (top always silver)

Input topology: one RCA SE

Biasing range: -60 to -140 V DC (covers both copper and graphite GM70s

PRICE 5000 Euro (shipped –  UK VAT inclusive) [ from G Point Audio ] 240V UK model

£££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££

Special Edition version :

All mentioned in standard plus:

Small signal capacitors: V-Cap CUTF

Driver capacitors: V-Cap CUTF

Power Tube: Copper Version GM70

Driver: doubled ECC182

Input tube PCC88

Volume: Stepped DACT attenuator

Choke: special audiophile grade thin steel laminated core

PRICE 6600 Euro (shipped – UK VAT inclusive) [ from G Point Audio ] 240V UK model

REMOTE CONTROLLED VOLUME adds 800 Euro to the pair price.

The amplifier is the muscle of the music system, if the DAC is the brain and heart.  During the years with Lampizator DAC we realized, that customers need an amplifier, and they are very concerned that a decent tube amp cost in 5 figures Euro.   I believe that this amplifier offers terrific value: surely it is not cheap, 4000 Euro is hardly pocket change but it is the lowest price for which a decent amplifier can be built from parts that were not stolen, but actually purchased with an invoice. There are no miracles – if someone offers cheaper power amps of this class – he is either selling them under cost to get rid of them or using children slave labor in far away camps. Or simply the technology has too many compromises like underpowered transformers, underrated voltage specs, undersized caps.

I offer good price because the amps share half of their parts with the Lampizator DAC – the front panel, the caps, sockets, small tubes, all input and driver circuits and supplies.

The amplifier employs only the most radically “kosher” circuit features like:

Single ended operation from input to output

Pure Class A

Zero feedback

Zero solid state parts in audio circuits

Unregulated and over-specified supplies

Separate transformers for each task (three in total)

Short signal path – from RCA to pot 2 inches of silver wire, 2 inches of silver wire from pot to first tube, one inch to second tube and a hop across one capacitor to main tube without additional wiring.

Tube bis current is monitored on analog needle meter

No need for triode matching as the bias is set manually.

There is a possibility to compensate aging drift on power tubes

Pre-heating operation mode for tube and electricity saving

All tubes will be available forever in plentiful supply

The signal stages – input and driver are DC coupled (hard wired) without caps, inter-stage transformers or anything like that

Pots can be bypassed completely by toggle switch for the “power amp” operation mode.

The amp is built around simple concept: to make it as well made as sanely possible. Without Gucci crazy stuff but otherwise – without compromise.

So the power tube is the best I know of (except the insanely unavailable original WE211)

The power supply has over-sized transformer, one separate transformer for every task – one for GM70, one for small tubes and one for all heaters.

The small tubes have choke supply, and separate PSU for every half of the two triodes. The schematics is the best I know of – based on tens of 845 amps I rebuilt for others recently.

The big tube has tube rectified PSU – no silicon here, all is kosher. The same for small tubes – again tube rectifier.

GM70 has its own huge choke as well.

Signal “path” is super short – 2 inches in total.

All parts are very good, over-specified, used well under their limits and so on.

Bias is adjustable by user.

And whats most important – the output transformer is of first class – in Tango – Tamura level  but without the Ongaku silver wiring.

I decided to use very well tried schematics – 80 % is my Lampizator DAC scheme plus the power tube circuit .

The amp sounds VERY powerful, with strong bass, pure trebles, scary close mids, deep 3-d soundstage – all I wish for and more.

I hope there is nothing that can fail even after 30 years of service.

About GM70

GM70 on the right, 845 on the left.

The GM70 is one of the biggest triodes ever used in Audio applications. It is a Soviet response to 845 tube which it resembles visually but in fact the GM70 is much larger. Its plate is 42 % larger in area and the whole guts of GM70 are much more substantial.

It has directly heated wolfram thoriated cathode (whatever that means)

It has a hair rising specification of 125 W continuous power and 150 W peak. All that at 1500 Volts on the anode. It is like HEMI engine or Audi W10 diesel.

I run the GM70 at 90 Watts continuous.