About the Brand:
Who is [Analog Sound™] by Line Magnetic? (click on link to read more)
During my work of promoting western speaker brands in Chinese market in the past years (which are still ongoing), I came across [Analog Sound™] by Line Magnetic in our co-exhibiting shows and events there. Not only myself, but also the highly experienced designer /audiophile / ex music producer of a prestige western speaker brand, are more than astonished for what a magical sound the [Analog Sound™] line of tube amplifier can re-produce!
I decide that they must be known to the western world – it’s too good a treasure to be hidden in the east, and buried among the ‘Chi-Fi’ crowd!
[Analog Sound™] IS NOT A ‘ME-TOO’ TUBE AUDIO BRAND. It is based on ‘Western Electric’ transformer and circuit technology with modern features: end result? It produces ‘Heavenly Tube Sound’.
About VT-805A:
VT-805A (Vintage Classic) is the ‘ultimate timeless classic flagship‘, build-to-order amp from [Analog Sound™].
VT-805 amp is only produced to the highest quality audiophile standard, handcrafted one-by-one upon customers’ order. Parts are selected at top 1% rating and precisely matched between the two channels.
VT-805 integrated tube amp is a ‘timeless classic’ amp. Its look actually resembles part of the vintage Western Electric 43A theatre amp (see picture below, VT-805 resembles the bottom part of WE 43A) to fully utilize the expertise that Line Magnetic Foshan’s design studio had accumulated since its humble start in the 1990s by the late founder Mr. Cai Zheng, father of the current [Analog Sound™] chief designer – Dawei Zheng.
VT-805 uses a pair of 805 tube as output stage and a pair of 805 tube as rectifiers, producing pure Class A 20 watts output power per channel. You may wonder: why 805 output tubes, but not 845 or 211? This has to do with how 805 tube design was started in the Chinese audio history.
Chinese 805 tube design was originally supported by USSR experts back in the 1950s, and the Chinese 805 tube project was launched as a ‘trophy project’ to celebrate the post-1949 Chinese government, with tube experts from a few military tube factories involved. Chinese 805 tubes were designed and intended to be used for nation-wide vocal broadcasting from urban cities to remote rural villages at that time, so the tube design was required to have solid quality and stability in order to achieve national coverage regardless technical support capacities in where the tubes would be used.
From the very beginning, Chinese 805 tubes were designed for amplifying vocal audio frequency, unlike 845/211 was originally designed for transmitting purpose. According to the [Analog Sound™] chief designer Dawei Zheng, 845 output tube offers a powerful sound but it doesn’t have enough inner details for perfect audio amplification; while 211 output tubes sound exquisite but it lacks some of the grunt and bottom grip that ultimate audiophiles crave for. 805 output tube sonically is a perfect fit between 845 and 211 tube: 805 offers unmatched transparency for audio amplification and outstanding grip on the low frequency. These features make it a perfect match for using 805 tube in VT-805 amp to represent not only the amp’s market positioning of ‘reliving tube audio history’, but also offers outstanding sonic value.
Why 20 watts output, but not higher to 50 watts like in other Line Magnetic amps?
[Analog Sound™] designer said: They share the same philosophy that audio industry legend Nelson Pass believes: ‘First watt matters’. If the first few watts cannot re-produce perfect sound, there is no point to replicate it a hundred times. VT-805 amp has been designed to perform always at the sweet spots of 805 tube sonic curves – no matter playback volume, low to high, the VT-805 amp always sound pleasing to the ears when matched with the right efficiency speakers – not shouty, not sluggish, not sterile. Historically Western Electric 43A theatre amp (using 211 output tubes) was to be used with highly efficient theatre horn speakers – VT-805 amp is also best matched to a pair of efficient speakers with large diameter fast woofers such as these giants.
Other VT-805 features:
- 3 phases of transformers – high voltage, secondary high voltage and low voltage all by separate transformers to minimize any crossing interference
- Consistency between output and rectifying tubes – both by 805 tubes to achieve the best sonic coherent performance
- Primary and secondary high voltage transformers with Western Electric technology (RET179 and RET211G) to allow the abundancy of stabilized electric current supply to handle any music dynamics
- Western Electric technology backed transformers, wires and oil capacitors are used throughout to provide the best extension at ultra high and low frequencies. If VT-805 is paired to large diameter high efficiency drivers such as those seen in vintage JBL or Klipsch speakers, listeners can almost feel the endless waves of sound energy!
- Delayed safe start – turn on secondary high voltage first then primary high voltage kicks in after a few seconds
- (2) front VU meters – large top one for displaying output watts, the small bottom meter for biasing 805 output tubes
- 4x 805 hum adjustment pots on front panel
- Hidden infrared ‘flash light style’ remote control to be pulled out straight from the front panel
Connections:
- (1) pair of RCA Pre-amp input
- (1) pair of XLR balanced input
- (3) pairs of RCA inputs
- 4 ohm, 8 ohm and 16 ohm speaker terminals
Specifications:
- Input Impedance: 100kΩ
- Output Impedance: 4Ω, 8Ω, 16Ω
- Sensitivity: 500mV
- Gain control: 40/52dB
- Output Power: 20W+20W (RMS) Pure Class A
- Signal to Noise Ratio: 88dB
- Frequency Response: 10Hz to 45kHz +/-2dB
- THD: 1%
- Voltage: 230V or 115V +/-5% as per destination country
Tubes:
1x 12AX7, 2x300B, 2x6SN7, 4x805A, 1x5U4G,
Dimensions:
Size: 48.5cm x 45cm x 57cm
Weight: 75kg net weight / approx 110kgs crated
Factory Direct Made-to-Order ONLY:
Production lead time at the [Analog Sound™] factory is 4-6 months at the current supply chain capacity.
Freight Shipping:
The VT-805 amp is shipped in special crate on shipping pallet, only to addresses that can accept ground level freight delivery. If you live in a residence with stairs but no elevator, be sure to have some big muscle willing audio friends to help you to move it in!
