Great review, good to see you still get excited with something good that comes from left of field or Poland.

Gear reviews with music reviews subtly mixed in...just awesome!

Your love for sound is heatwarming. The way you describe the experience is beautiful. Great video

Nice amp Steve and I agree Upscale Audio is a awesome ole Brick N mortar Audio store - bought many mant tubes from upscale 😆 Thanks Steve

That Feliks amp really does look like a truly special piece of gear. I’m a sucker for 300B and SET amps anyway, and the build quality of it looks absolutely stunning. I love the P to P wiring and quality parts. Great review, Steve. I’m very curious to hear one of these.

Thank you for your Music suggestions. I love finding new music that I have not heard before. I have really been enjoying "Dark Dark Dark" you introduced a few days ago.

Steve, you almost brought me to tears! I used to listen to FIP when I was a student in Paris 40 years ago: well chosen music, broadcast in high quality without interruption. I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it in your video. I told my son about it as he lives there now. 40 years on, the formula is the same. Just perfect !

@pinechild

3 жыл бұрын

Totally forgot about that- I used to listen to OuiFM too when I lived in Paris, uh... 30 yrs ago! FIP is back in rotation!

@Nenikikamen13

3 жыл бұрын

@@pinechild I hope it brings back happy memories! Can you get OuiFM where you are now (does it even exist today)?

@pinechild

3 жыл бұрын

@@Nenikikamen13 Totally. Yes, I see OuiFM is still around. Both were wonderful, quiet, eclectic. Thanks for pointing the way to a fond memory lane! I lived in the 1st in 1989-1991; one of the most wonderful times of my life ;-)

Have the Espressivo for headphones and absolutely love it. Highly recommend Feliks Audio

Thanks for your great music suggestions, Steve. I dug out my CD of Holly Cole's "Temptation" and Amber Rubarth's "Sessions From The 17th Ward", and was totally wowed again by them. Your reviews and passion for good music and sound are inspiring.

I would love to hear this. It is right up my alley!

Another excelent brand from Poland producing tube amps is Fezz Audio. All made in house, in Europe. They sound very good.

Cheers from Poland Steve :)

I’ve been using the Feliks Elise and it’s fantastic.

It reminds me of the Audion Silver Night i have,its a power amp with volume control,no soft sound here,it has indeed speed and deep bass and dynamics.love this amp!

Love the horn sounds. No apologies. One of the many reasons I watch. Acoustics are great in your place.

The video looks pleasant and sounds good. You put your heart into it, so do I, ha ha.

You're awesome Steve, thanks!

I have the Feliks Audio Euforia Headphone amp. Lusted after it for a couple of years, finally got it! I can only imagine how this sounds in a fully fledged system.

Sounds like a special product for audiophiles. Couple the FELIKS 300B integrated amplifier and the single driver CUBE Nenuphar 8" Mini or the 10" Driver (90+ efficiency) and you have a very musical and phase coherent system. Products made in Poland. Very positive reviews on You Tube. 😊

Thanks for great review and especially the tip of music. Holly Coles album Temptation is awsome! With my new Ohm Walsh 2000 (and Denafrips Ares2 and Accuphase E405) the album is life like! Great music!

Gotta love the 300B!

Thanks for recommending the Holly Cole album. Great stuff!

A big Holy Cole fan ...and yes , I also use her works for system set up.🙂

300B is IMO some of the best tubes. Thanks Steve.

@MrRourk

Жыл бұрын

GM70 is very sweet as well and with more wattage allows more speaker choice

Very first Stones gig I ever went to see was the Still life tour in Rotterdam '81. I was 16 and word at the time was that 'this will probably be the very very last chance to ever see the Stones live, you gotta go for it'. Yeah right, so here we are 40 years and many gigs later and they're still at it. Kept that first ticket though, must be in some box in the attic.

Darn, I’m starting to miss my Euforia. Can’t wait to see Feliks’ fully balanced project.

I have the Feliks Echo tube headphone amp for my HD660S cans. Really excellent products!

The polish make some of the best electronics. I'd love to hear it. Paul Klipsch always said all his speakers need was a good quality 5 watt amp. So I guess you beat it by 60%. LOL. Since Klipsch have usually have low impedance woofers even though they are rated at 8 ohms. So the 4 ohm taps, make sense. Review more stuff from Poland.

really good review Steve..👍👍 i think i have more money in tubes then what my system cost CRAZY...

Love the line about the Stones, they were old 40 years ago.LOL!

Got to love Polish Audio design!

@jareknowak8712

3 жыл бұрын

Design? Google: Ancient Audio Wing Speakers

Totally agree with you about Bill Wyman. He is a hugely underrated bass player.

"Lighter on their feet." That's what I like and what I hear when encountering a great system.

I built a point to point 300b amp. 300b amps have a neat sound that really can reveal details.

Steve you are legend.

Now that's a funky shirt!

Get yer ya ya’s out is the great live Stones record . The entire band smokes, Mick Taylor’s leads with Keith’s rhythm playing are outstanding. Check out the love disc on the recent Goats Head Soup reissue. A great band at their height

Good on the Poles!

Hey Steve. I'm in line for my second dose also. I was told that it takes a month after the second injection before one can assume immunity. Take care .

13:37 That's just his name in Cyrillic letters, in Latin letters it would be like "Pol Makkartni"

Glad you finally paired the Cornwall's with a decent tube amp. I have mine paired with a heavily modified GTA-SE40 and PL Prologue Premium Pre. Going from $500 AQ spk. cables to $750 WireWorld made a HUGE difference. The CW's are more high-rez than most reviewers say. What speaker cables are you using?

There is nothing like the glow of a tube at night. I ran quite a bit of tube gear when I had my HAM radio station up. Spent many a late night chasing static and basking in the glow of the tubes...

@SubTroppo

3 жыл бұрын

Tubes that glow: Play Dwight Yokums' "Carmelita" (with Flaco Jiminez).

Looks like a perfect amp for La Scala or O/93!

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

3 жыл бұрын

I agree

Steve, I would love you to do a video on your thoughts as to why desired sound style has changed over the years, when you got to the part about the sound style of this amp and compared it to the old MacIntosh Amp you described in the Mac the qualities most people think of as tube and its a quality you either love or don´t. Why then have a tube amp that sounds similar to solid state but more importantly what do you think has changed over the years as to the desires of sound a listener prefers? Why did people back then love the warmer richer sound and now people seem far more focused on detail over warmth and richness. I used to be in the latter camp but as I have gotten older I find myself much preferring the warmer cosier sound over the last every ounce of detail which my ears initially love but soon tire of. I would trade that detail for a warmer more relaxed delivery any day of the week now. I listen to my semi portable system ( the head unit is an old AK120/Glove audio portable with a HiFiman with a HiFiman EF5 tube amp and Grado SR325e´s which is lovely but oddly, I seem to prefer the sound now of the head unit with my BOSE in ear NC earphones as its richer and warmer and when listening I seem to be more involved with the music even though there is no where near the amount of detail with the other set up. As an audiophile it makes no sense to me but as a music lover my ears and senses love the Bose´s! I would love to hear your thoughts why over the years how music is delivered has changed from the old days to now, why do people now love detail above a more warmer richer relaxed less detailed sound, is it down to solid state and digital listening changing the consumers perceptions of what good sound delivery is or is it something else? Thanks Steve, you and Herb I love and basically are the only people I like to hear about audio from, it was three when dear Art was here, rest his soul, hard to believe its been a year!

Here was a perspective I got from working with Shunyata Research in the late 90’s. The Power cord isn’t the last 6 feet you hear, it’s the first 6 feet you hear in your system. The reason there is a focus of putting the power cord at the source or up front, is simply because if you get a better sound at the source, it improves every component after that. However, equipment has changed a lot since the late 90’s, and what worked in power cords at that time, and this is also true of interconnects and speaker cables, may not be as versatile today. So it is not uncommon to find that certain power cords work better on one component than another. Not all cable changes address every aspect of your sound, so we need to be careful of getting 8 upgrades and 2 downgrades that end up making the music less musically satisfying, while if appears to being some much on a higher level. Reminds me of a lyric, smoking more, enjoying it less.

You should try FEZZ AUDIO from Poland also. They have something special that nobody have. Custom made toroidal transformers to output for the speakers ;-)

Interesting transformer angle. 90 degrees is the standard for a reason - it negates electromagnetic coupling between them

Your passion when you talk about your favorite artists and albums is contagious! ❤️ It might be detrimental to your channel as sometimes I Pause the video, search and stream the album and get lost for a hour. 😂

@JohnJohn-lk4lq

3 жыл бұрын

#buttbutt

@gurdyman1

3 жыл бұрын

Me, too.

@prabinpaudel5572

3 жыл бұрын

@@JohnJohn-lk4lq look at the mirror and kiss it! ✌️

@prabinpaudel5572

3 жыл бұрын

@@gurdyman1 high five! ❤️

Would be worth trying a solid-state rectifier replacement Tube would be even snappier you should get some Steve

Feliks Arioso vs Decware Zen Triode? Since this one is being reviewed after the Decware, which was your overwhelming choice, it would be good to know your comparison/opinion.

A bunch of those Paul McCartney CCCP LPs showed up in Minneapolis/St. Paul record stores when Gorbachev came to Minnesota in 1990. I've got two of the Russian pressings. Apparently the KGB also hit all the garage sales they had time for. They filled up a cargo plane with stuff to take back to Russia.

nice review for the future I would love to hear your opinon about the

Steve I enjoy your reviews. Funny thing we used to be competitors in the 90’s.. I owned a place in NJ. We knew some of the same people. John Chen from B&W, Bob Rulow, Doug Federation and so on. You and I met once many moons ago. Keep up the good work.

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

@donvito8652

3 жыл бұрын

We never met Steve! ... lol😜💣💥👍

@ronaldmitro3182

3 жыл бұрын

@@donvito8652 Who are you?

@donvito8652

3 жыл бұрын

@@ronaldmitro3182 Philly boy in exile in Jasper GA. ... Nobody special, just a guy who's been listening to audio equipment as a little kid since the early 60's. Steve has recommended the Zu Omen MKII's ... DW, Cambridge Audio CXS CD transport and Schiit Modi3 DAC ... all have worked out great in my Decware/CJ based system.

@donvito8652

3 жыл бұрын

@@ronaldmitro3182 ... and, who are you?

The Brand "horns" is also from Poland. Check it out everybody. Great speakers

@jareknowak8712

3 жыл бұрын

Google: Ancient Audio - Wing Speakers

I just flashed on why I like Steve’s reviews! He’s a sane Woody Allen (whose movies I love) with a music obsession! Oddly I enjoy those Brooklyn street sounds. Steve remains my goto reviewer. Although I know listening to Steve is bound to cost me money.

@alm5693

3 жыл бұрын

A midwestern friend of mine moved to Manhattan. In 1988, he told me that he'd lie in bed at night and start counting when he heard a car horn. He said he never got past 10 before he'd have to start over.

@orwhat24

3 жыл бұрын

@GeneralCurtis3LeMay bombs away!

@HareDeLune

3 жыл бұрын

@GeneralCurtis3LeMay E R E H P S

@smellyoldsock1553

3 жыл бұрын

Where as Zeos is Jack Black... 😜

@mrfrosty3

3 жыл бұрын

That remote is reason enough to buy, what a fun thing.

Hello Steve. You would say that this amp is very different to that Unison Research you reviewed last year?

Love my 300b monoblocks (chifi)

Steve, how do you think this Feliks 300B amp compares to the Boyuurange A50 Mk3 300B integrated amp you recently reviewed? They both have similar output wattage and both are point to point wired 300B amps. Thanks!

Vicarious kicks? huh? still a thumbs up.

Just ordered one, demo unit. Replacing my willsenton R8

Hi im new to all this, but wondering if you need a preamp for this setup? Can you shed some light on the hardware setup - from the source (record player) to the amp to the speakers? What record player do you have/recommend? Do you recommend any digital streaming source?

Hi Steve- here is a quick question for you as you are uniquely placed as someone who has spent time with both the Decware Zen Triode (25th anniv) as well as the Feliks Arioso 300B. If you had to pick one of these two amps to live with as your daily driver with your Cornwalls, which would it be? Thanks very much!!

The drawback I find in any ( unless someone is able to show the contrary ) tube-amp is lack of a REC-out . Besides digital , I still use a reVox for recording . And with such an amp it is impossible to hook up the revox for recording - just only for playback. Even modern transistor amps such as the Kinki don't have REC-out . You'll have to go to f.i. a Denon 2500ne or equivalent Marantz to find Rec-out on the back. So the other option is having a separate pre-amp which has rec-out . But then your amp needs to have a pre-out . And so , like with this amp , you are stuck with 3 inputs . And a phono amp will also be needed for vinyl playback. Also something the Denon will have , even for MM and MC and A&B speaker set-up. So in short , bying this amp will result in bying a lot of other units if you want only 1 system.

@gurdyman1

3 жыл бұрын

Radio Shack made a nice little switch box that included tape out connectors. You just hookup between source and amp and you had tape capabilities. I have a couple. Can be fond on ePay for around $10.

@Spock105

3 жыл бұрын

@@gurdyman1 thanks - that sounds great - i'll check it out

@Spock105

3 жыл бұрын

besides that - I presume that there is a reason that tube-amps don't have an rec-out ? something to do with the transformers ?

I know just enough to be confused at times .... looks like there are a pair of diode rectifiers and transistors in this unit. Must be some sort of hybrid I guess. Maybe its .... "The output tubes use a stabilized DC current heater supply and a special system that separates the tube heating circuit from the stabilizer system."

Hi Steve I really enjoy your stuff have you ever heard Paul Kelly and the coloured girls album gossip on of my all time favourites Sooo good ,look forward to seeing you tomorrow all the best from downunder.

Comparison with the XA25 that I've owned for a few years, is a telling comparison. Need more watts on hand, as well as the tube transparency to gain depth. Decware has a number of higher watt options...

Hallo Steve it od possibile to have test one od chinese tube amplifire for example Muzishear X9 300 B or one of more expensive Muzishear ampifires like 845 od 805 ?

I also hear good things about polish APS Klasik studio monitors.

Great call on Wyman. You are right. One of the best rock bassists ever. And, Charlie, as you said, is also one of the best rock drummers ever because he swings, like jazz. Great rhythm section. But, then you asked if the Stones have ever topped "this" as a live recorded performance, referring to the "Still Life" record, and you said..."I think not". Really? Have you forgotten "Ya Ya's"? "Still Life" is embarrassingly bad in relative terms.

How would you compare the Arioso 300B to the Decware SE84UFO, which, by the way, I bought based on your review and absolutely love.

@TheRacingSlick

3 жыл бұрын

Also interested, especially compared to SE84UFO25 anniversary edition!

Who would have thought that a synergy exists between large horns and set amplification?

"Ya gotta listen"? Aw, mmmaaaaaaannnn..... :D

wish you would have tried on on the B&W 607

I would love to hear your opinion on the goldplanar gl2000 headphones

Hi Steve . Love your reviews!!!! I have some questions for you how can i contact you?

@6:14 ..."stereotypical" ...nice to see that term used in the proper genre.

Ever review any Dan D’Agastino amps? Spelling may be off. He says they are the best

Congrats on the second shot!! I get my second shot on 3/18. Looking forward to hitting the record stores (still wearing a mask) starting in April.

In the 1950s and 60s the McIntosh amplifiers were so overly warm and round that it did not sound like the real thing to me. Seemed to be targeted to older wealthy people in the financial district who had beautiful apartments in New York City and the music was always playing while they were having their evening cocktail before dinner. When I was 15 years old, my uncle bought me Fisher integrated amp and tuner kits with Goodman speakers and a Garad turntable with a Pickering cartridge that sounded right to me. Even then I knew.

Tuber for Life

@HareDeLune

3 жыл бұрын

🥔 😏

Have you reviewed the JJ 300b tubes?

I screamed out loud when I saw the remote...my first question would be is how does this compare to the Decware headphone amp?

Three hundred bees. I need this amp.

see if you can get in a Blackhawk MK3 from Raven Audio for review.

I agree class A are the best for my Casta B horn Speakers

Have you forgotten Charles Whitener with his fantastic Western Electric 300 B Wonders?

Thanks Steve. Can you please review Coda 8 amplifier? It’s getting a lot of buzz, but no reviews yet.

@michaelmityok1001

3 жыл бұрын

I have the CODA No 8 and man O man is it a great amp. Got Bill Frisell on right now listening to it through a pair of B&W 804 D3s and liquid silk presentation, one of the best under 10K SS amp out there that almost no one knows anything about. Thank god actually as I'd pay double what I did for this amp lol!

@DSupremeLounge

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaelmityok1001 Glad to hear that. I just bought the Coda 8 V2 and can't wait to listen to it next week

@michaelmityok1001

3 жыл бұрын

@@DSupremeLounge dude that amp is just crazy overkill unless you have inefficient hard-to-drive speakers like mine, what speakers are you using?

@DSupremeLounge

3 жыл бұрын

@@michaelmityok1001 LOL - I have Dynaudio Focus 160's, but will invest in full-range towers that will likely also be 4 ohm

@michaelmityok1001

3 жыл бұрын

@@DSupremeLounge are you sticking with Dynaudio?

Steve--What was the tube type for the rectifier?

The magic of 300Bs and good high-efficiency speakers is hard to beat.

@geodog6854

3 жыл бұрын

@bcdhifi Are you talking about the 300B? It was designed by Western Electric as a power amp tube for theater sound systems. It was more powerful than the 2A3 so, when married with the Altec VOTT is could generate enough sound to fill a movie theater.

Hi Steve, I’m a new subscriber. I have $5k for a stereo, I need an amp (no radio needed) turn table and speakers. My taste in music ranges from Stones, Cream, Albert King (blues) to classical. I realize that’s a wide range but that’s what I’m into. What would you ( or any other informed person) recommend. Thanks in advance Mike

Very intriguing. I think I'd like that amp. By the way, I understand your position on tube rolling, but...if the amp is going be around for a while, get Sophia Electric tubes. I own EH and Psvane tubes and in my opinion the Sophias are more than worthy replacements.

Are you saying that if I have an 8 Ohm speaker, I can connect it to either, 4 and 8 Ohm?

@melanieensink8611

Жыл бұрын

yes

Shoulder shrug for Kevin Deal!

Steve, Not sure if anybody asked that before: How does it compare to Decware Sarah 300B?

my heart rate is noticeably lower than usually while watching this video.

’My only criticism of the Feliks Arioso was: It never took acid and rolled naked in the Woodstock mud. It played even the raunchiest 1920s blues wearing a crisply pressed Sunday-go-to-meeting shirt‘ = sounds like a dose of MSG？

I have 4 ohm and 8 ohm taps on my icon audio valve amp but have only ever used the 8 ohm. Will it do any harm to the amp or speakers if I try the 4ohm? Will it make any sound difference?

@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac

3 жыл бұрын

Sure! Definitely try it, it will likely sound different. Maybe better, maybe not, try it and see what happens.

@jimbobbank

3 жыл бұрын

@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks Steve. Have a good day👍

Do you mind trying out the headphone through the speaker outs? Because I have a sense it may serve as one heck of headphone amp as well.

Great review. I’ve been interested in this amp and brand. Been doing some tube amp merry-go-rounds. Primaluna Dialogue -> Line Magnetic LM508 -> LTA Ultralinear -> Canary M90 (300b pp). Primarily used Salk Song3’s and now Cube Audio Nenuphar Mini’s (please review!!). Had a few other speakers and amps sprinkled in between. The Canary I’m using now is a 300b push pull. There’s something about 300b and vocals that is just amazing. So much tone and texture without being heavy or plodding. I think you nailed it when you said “light on its feet”. Only thing missing is some more punch on the base. I just put in a Mastersound El34 SET because I need some work done on my preamp and it has more punch and weight but you lose some of that fine texture and air in the vocals and upper midrange. I’ve been thinking of trying a Primaluna Evo 300 amp when I get my preamp back because I loved my PL Dialogue, but now I’m thinking about trying one of these. Too many choices!! Thanks again for reviewing this, and congrats on getting vaccinated. I think there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

@joshuaschneck

3 жыл бұрын

Hi. How did you like the Line Magnetic amp?? And what speakers were you matching them with?

@TombstoneTube

3 жыл бұрын

Hi - how do you compare the Nenuphar’s to the Boenicke’s?

@dailyfrenchie9047

3 жыл бұрын

@@joshuaschneck I used it most with my Salks. Probably the best overall sound of any of my tube amps but it’s a beast. Super heavy and runs hot. Also had some hum/buzz couldn’t totally get rid of. But once the music started you couldn’t really hear that and it had balls and air. It was like Muhammad Ali - floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee. You can see some videos of it on my channel.

@dailyfrenchie9047

3 жыл бұрын

@@TombstoneTube totally different. The Nenuphars are much more detailed and natural sounding IMO. The Boenickes really need some power and I’m in a lower power tube amp phase and may never leave. They produce a much bigger sound than you’d expect and the WAF on them is off the charts. But the highs seem rolled off. Had good body but not the extension and air I like. The Nenuphars surprise me in that area. Other single drivers I’ve heard also weren’t great on the highs. Good for male vocals though. The Nenuphars are doing everything well. Have about as much air as the RAAL ribbons I love in the Salks. Maybe a touch less but more body and fullness. I’ll post a video soon.

@TombstoneTube

3 жыл бұрын

@@dailyfrenchie9047 Thanks for the response. I have the Boenickes W5 (SE) and I run it with a Vinnie Rossi DHT LIO. I'm very much intrigued by the Nenuphars as they fascinated both Srajan (from 6moons) and Peter Breuninger. Did you ever consider a Devore Fidelity? Looking forward to the new video!

Hi Steve. Thanks for this review. Definitely curious though at $6500, this is a very expensive amp. One obvious comparison that you didn't provide would be to the Reisong A50 300b amp that you reviewed just a few months ago. That amp is under $1000. How do they compare? I had the A50 and while I liked some parts of the sound, particularly the warm and engaging midrange, I did find it lacked some clarity and finesse, was a bit grainy (noisy), and the bass was pretty weak through my Tekton Electron SEs (rated at 98 db sensitivity). So, still looking for a better fit. So how does the A50 compare to the Feliks Arioso? And, how does the Feliks compare to the Gato amp that you just reviewed very favorably?? Thanks.

@peterbooth6753

3 жыл бұрын

I have the Reisong Boyuu A10 EL34 tube amp with a pair of Klipsch Forte 3s. It sounds great, engaging and certainly it lacks some clarity and finesse. In a similar vein to you, I'm curious about this much more expensive amp might sound compared to the A10. And how both would compare to the $2895 Zen Triode Anniversary edition? And a Mackintosh How does sound change as you go up the price range with tube amps?