Rocky Mountain Audio Fest: Amber Waves Audio Monoblock Power Amplifier
October 21st, 2006 — By Robert Harley
The most outrageous-looking amplifier I’ve ever seen had to be the Amber Waves Audio monoblocks (see photo). These massive, 200-pound units are built around a 304TL tube, a high-power device used in the 1940s as power transmitters. A pair of 304TLs is used in push-pull configuration to deliver 200W. Although the tubes have long since gone out of production, the manufacturer claims that there are plenty available on the open market. The price: $42k per pair.
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I wonder when these mfgs say, “there are plenty available on the open market” does that mean thousands, hundreds etc.
Comment by Donald October 25th, 2006 @ 11:23 pmI have no idea. It is a concern that the tube has not been made for more than 50 years. Perhaps the manufacturer can address this question here in the Comment section.
Robert Harley
Comment by Robert Harley October 27th, 2006 @ 8:11 pmA more relevant question is “How far is this triode audio craze going to go, and where EXACTLY is the ultimate limit for such foolishness”?
A 304TL has a plate dissipation rating of 350 watts, and even the required FILAMENT power is 125 watts, just to light the damned thing up! The makers of THIS amp obviously aren’t audio purists; most triode nuts use the tube to produce between 25 and 35 watts in Class A operation… push pull Class AB or B is anathema.
As far as availability is concerned… during WW2 and after these things were used as pulse modulators to dive magnetrons in high power ground based RADAR. Literally MILLIONS of the tubes were produced, and they ARE commonly encountered… but there’s a caveat.
I recently found a bunch of NOS wartime tubes(I use them in a homebrewed ham radio transmitter), and more than HALF of the damned things were GASSY, even after the careful conditioning I routinely give ALL older large tubes; hitting them at the rated plate voltage caused internal arcing. I’ve seen similar problems documented by the folks who use them as oscillators for Tesla coils.
Lotsa Luck, Oh Golden Eared Folks… you’re gonna NEED it.
Comment by GAVNO January 8th, 2007 @ 10:01 amI know these guys. If you are wanting top craftsmanship with long term customer support from 2 of the most stoked engineers around, amber waves is it. Thes amps are crazy beautiful. awesome.
Comment by Jonathan Hardy April 27th, 2007 @ 2:20 pm