Wolfman71

I just got a bad tube amp…it’s all in the past now…

The SIT-4 is a masterpiece

It says file to big when I try to add a pic, go to the Volti Audio web site… I am on day6 with the First Watt SIT-4, it’s glorious. The Pass Labs XA-25 amp I have been using is better then the Primaluna amp I had but this SIT-4 is way better…for 10 watts it has grit when needed, the bass is strong, it’s very smooth and still retains the details….very musical….the Forte IV is a new speaker with this amp and the Volti Razz is even better…tubes will never grace this house again…

The First Watt Sit-4 from Nelson Pass arrived today. I tried it with the Fortes IVs and there was a improvement to my ears playing the same songs I have played a 100 times..but the real amazing thing was with the Volti Razz…it’s crazy good the Razz loves this amp and the Fortes bloom with this amp…I cranked it as loud as my ears could handle, no distortion and the refinement of the Razz was crazy…the Fortes were annoying about halfway up…but not bad by any stretch…at normal listening both speakers love this amp…sorta reminds me of the Primaluna EVO 400 I had before the Primaluna went to hell on me but not lean sounding like the Primaluna sounded with the stock tubes..when I get a few hours on this amp that will be something… ‘This amp,is tearing up old recordings from Tool,Audioslave and many more…The bass is crazy good with the Razz and Forte..after a week this should be a game changer…middle finger to tubes…

Getting the First Watt Sit-4 today should be interesting to see how it sounds with the Forte IVs and Volti Razz…

This Pass Labs XA-25 brings the thunder definitely…

Have you listened to any of the First Watt gear? I just talked to a friend who has a little Decware amp and a Aric amp that he is going to bring over so we can compare..that should e fun…

@MJada I wish I could convince you not to go tube, my experience with tubes was awful…but that was Primaluna a China brand and it could have been I got a lemon like a car. The wife and I would get up in the morning and cross our fingers that there wouldn’t be any loud noises at turn on..I am surprised it didn’t blow out the Forte IVs tweeters or crossovers it would be loud. So after the EVO 400 would be on for a couple hours it would make this sound like metal bending and it was so loud it scared the hell out of me. I bought some very expensive EL34 Mullards from the 1960s and luckily I stole them and sold them at a huge profit which made me even when someone bought all the Primaluna stuff.. ‘Ok let’s go back a little at the end of the Primaluna, after a year I would turn it on and a Primaluna tube would go out and blow a fuse…this happen three times at the end..so I replaced those tubes and luckily everything seemed to be ok..but I had to sell it, just to stressful… ‘Now with this Pass Labs XA-25 Aamp and Pass Preamp..there is no tweeter hiss ZERO noise..when you turn it off and on and the sound is awesome…I really have super high hopes with the Sit-4 going back and forth with the Forte and Razz …just got a notice the Sit-4 will be here Wednesday…

I like trying different stuff and being I turned 71 today, you can’t take it with you…When I first sold the Primaluna I wanted the Sit-4 but production was set back a couple months…no amp so Nelson Pass suggested the XA-25…it’s great with the Fortes and Razz…but the Sit-4 was what I wanted all along…it’s going to sound more tube like and laid back compared to the XA-25….not going to sell either one…..Jon from Refine Audio my Pass Labs dealer knows the Volti Audio speakers seeing them at shows and how they are designed…The Volti is voiced on tube amplifiers and the Sit-4 is very similar in terms of damping factor it should be a good match..this Sit-4 at 10 or 12 watts whatever it is should really be perfect…and no damn tubes to worry about….life will be good..and if not there is a 28 day audition period…

I just ordered the First Watt Sit-4 should get it in three days. The Pass Labs XA-25 amp sounds great with the Forte IVs and the Volti Razz should be interesting how the Sit-4 sounds with both…After my Primaluna problems I will never go tubes again so this will about as close as I will ever get to tube sound..

Yes they are in a different league then the Forte…it’s hard to describe more everything without being harsh…at first I would switch out the speaker cables Forte then the Razz being they sit next to each other and was easy with bananas…quit doing that because after a couple songs I would go back to the Razz…Not ever selling my Forte IVs they sound good in my home theater and with YouTube videos hooked to my A/V receiver..

I used the Primaluna EVO 400 pre and amp for a year with the Forte IVs, that didn’t go well..seemed a little harsh and lean. I tried a lot of different tubes from 1960s Mullards and much more, didn’t help. Now I am using the Pass Labs XA-25 and Pass XP-12 preamp, that sounds the best with my Forte IVs and the Volti Razz I have. When my Pass Labs dealer gets back to me going to try the First Watt Sit-4, and see what’s happens..

The best thing is to upgrade your Dac..to do that you will have to go over 10 grand or more..the streamer doesn’t do it…the best Dac for the money out there is the Playback Designs..MPD-8 there’s something wrong with Dacs that keep getting updates..otherwise they wouldn’t do it..…everything else you are considering is squirrel food for your brain..they want you to keep buying to feed the squirrel..

I almost bought the Carver tube gear, now much happier with the Pass Labs amp and preamp…Nelson Pass and Bob Carver were good friends…we all are getting old…lots of tube companies out there… ‘I had Primaluna gear amp,preamp, and Primaluna Dac…all was well at first then came the problems…so glad all that tube gear sold..and didn’t loose much cash…never going tubes again….

That is a shame, I remember my father in law in the 70s taking to meet Bob at the factory near Seattle and my father in law bought me a Phase Linear amp and preamp that Bob personally picked out for us…it was a wedding present…a couple years later we got divorced, I took the amp and preamp …and never looked back..