Looky what I found!

Jstas
Jstas Posts: 14,818
edited April 2011 in Car Audio & Electronics
If somebody already knows about this company, shame on you for not telling me!

http://www.butleraudio.com/car.php

The one that caught my attention was this one:

tdb575_335.jpg
TDB 575
T H E R M I O N I C
Vacuum Tube Driven Mobile Power Amplifier

DESIGN
With authentic Vacuum Tube response and an open-ended design, (ZERO global negative feedback), Tube Driver BLUE overcomes one of the most universally agreed upon sonic problems plaguing virtually all current amplifier designs; harsh degenerative feedback causes a plethora of undesirable sonic products. Tube Driver BLUE eliminates global negative feedback entirely! Coupled with a totally unique output load mirroring circuit, the hand selected 6SL7GT twin triode tubes operate in a safe, near plate-saturated mode continuously. The design creates the ideal electrical environment for classic vacuum tube thermionic characteristics.

PERFORMANCE
Tube Driver BLUE amplifiers utilize natural vacuum tube thermionic emissions to automatically enhance biasing of the audiophile-quality Sanken bi-polar devices used in every model. This unique USA patented design reduces both Crossover and Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) figures to LESS than 0.15%. This achievement is almost unheard of in an open-ended, ZERO negative feedback high fidelity amplifier. Conventional open-ended/low feedback vacuum tube amplifiers often exhibit real world THD of 2% or greater and are generally limited to quite low output power. Tube Driver BLUE succeeds in operating at 10 times less THD while maintaining real power vacuum tube tonality! Now you can hear the original pure essence of vacuum tube audio with Tube Driver BLUE.

PROTECTION
All this performance must be effectively controlled. The exceptional electrical design of the Tube Driver BLUE, coupled with a MASSIVE aluminum heat exchanger and heat sink, provides protection and cooling capacity far in excess of any contemplated needs. A long life, temperature-controlled cooling fan is activated if the surface temperature exceeds 50? C, keeping heat stress well within safety levels. Additionally, DC fault protection with soft start (10-15 sec) and a fully regulated DC tube-heater supply circuit protect your Tube Driver BLUE amplifiers in every conceivable way.

General features:
? ZERO negative feedback. No global negative
degenerative feedback loop
? Open Ended Audiophile Circuitry
? Musical, warm and dynamic, rivalling "all-tube" single-ended home audiophile amplifiers
? Hand selected/matched 6SL7GT Twin Triode tubes
(One per channel)
? Fully regulated Tube Heaters with Delayed Soft Start
(10-15 second turn-on delay)
? Load Adaptive Vacuum Tube Driven output circuitry
? Massive (400% oversize) internal/external Heat Exchanger with Temperature-controlled Fan Cooling
? Tightly regulated MosFET Power Supply
? DC fault / Short Circuit Protection Circuitry
? Dual Color Diagnostic LED: Green=Normal / Red=Fault
? Gold Plated RCA, Power and Speaker Connectors
? Frosted Platinum finish
? Tube Illumination: Internal BLUE LEDs
? Patented Design
? Concept & Design: BK Butler / USA

Specifications:
? Rated Power (all channels driven):
5 x 75 Watts RMS per channel @ 4 ohms
? 5 Discrete channels (LF, RF, LR, RR, CTR)
Specially designed for mobile A/V applications
? 2-Ohm Stereo Stable
? Freq response: 5Hz to 100kHz (+/- 1dB)
? THD: <0.19% (30kHz bandwidth)
? S/N Ratio: >105dB (A-Weighted)
? Idling Current: 3.9 Amps
? Input Sensitivity: .450v - 12v RMS
? Fuses: 2x40A ATC
? Dimensions: 10.2"W x 21.2"L x 2.4"T
? Weight: 14.5 Lbs.

That looks like it's right up my alley for this 5.1 channel THX system in the MKX.
Expert Moron Extraordinaire

You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
Post edited by Jstas on
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Comments

  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited April 2011
    Very interesting. My big question would be durability in a mobile environment. I'm amazed someone hasn't done this already, or maybe they have and I just never noticed.
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,818
    edited April 2011
    Fongolio wrote: »
    Very interesting. My big question would be durability in a mobile environment. I'm amazed someone hasn't done this already, or maybe they have and I just never noticed.

    There have been several companies including big names like Panasonic that have done stuff like this before. You just never noticed.
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited April 2011
    Very cool amp but I bet its pricey. Would be nice to have just for the "coolness" factor.

    Tru Technology has or had a tube amp but nobody would touch it cause it was well over $1000.
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited April 2011
    I've had a handfull of tube front end, car amps. Cool stuff, vintage tech.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,818
    edited April 2011
    MacLeod wrote: »
    Very cool amp but I bet its pricey. Would be nice to have just for the "coolness" factor.

    Tru Technology has or had a tube amp but nobody would touch it cause it was well over $1000.

    Callin' it in today or what? Click the link, dude.

    Go to the site, buy direct $899. Find a decent 5 channel that's just 4 full range and a sub amp and you're gonna put out close to that anyway. Just lookin' at Crotchfeel and they run the gamut from $249.99 for Jensen garbage to $999 for a JL Audio unit. Most of the decent ones that can match or exceed that power are in the $500-$700 range.

    It'd be nice because if I want to keep the in-dash unit I have with all the integrated features for MKX then I'll need an amp that can handle a center channel speaker as well. That amp right there is prefect. 75Wx5 at 4 ohms is perfect. Even if I bought an extra set of components for the center in the dash, I'd still have 5 sets of 4 ohm components all around. Then I can put the sub on it's own power. A 300 watt amp on a 10" sub in a small sealed enclose that fits in the stock location and it's be more than capable.

    Hell, I'd grab those amps for the SR system going in the other truck!
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • pearsall001
    pearsall001 Posts: 5,068
    edited April 2011
    Butler's been around for years producing some really great gear. Killer amps for home systems & car audio. A couple of nice threads have popped up on Audio Circle in regards to his gear. The guys that own it are really impressed. Also fantastic reviews from the rags.
    "2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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  • Jstas
    Jstas Posts: 14,818
    edited April 2011
    pearsall001 wrote: »
    Butler's been around for years producing some really great gear. Killer amps for home systems & car audio. A couple of nice threads have popped up on Audio Circle in regards to his gear. The guys that own it are really impressed. Also fantastic reviews from the rags.

    See Mac, Phil knows all about them! :eek: :tongue:

    Phil, why have you been holding out on me? That's not very nice. :frown:
    Expert Moron Extraordinaire

    You're just jealous 'cause the voices don't talk to you!
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  • arun1963
    arun1963 Posts: 1,797
    edited April 2011
    Both Butler and Tru Tech make great amps. Just not convinced about the utility / benefit of a tube amp in a car.

    Also worth noting that, you don't need to run tube amps to win sq competitions :wink:.
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  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited April 2011
    I've heard of them, never much paid attention and didn't know they had tube amps. I thought USAmps had tube amps? 99% sure of it. I don't know what they make or if they're even around anymore after RE bought them out though. I never heard a good thing about them again since the buy out.
    -Cody
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