IndyKlipschFan Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 nOrh Some from below is from the nOrh site, and is edited by me below. I have heard this amp and turned a lot of TUBE guys onto it with a lot of success. They all say things like clean, and very warm, & makes things like jazz and vocals just sound incredible. I learned from and about nOrh at the Midwest Audiofest last year in Lima Ohio. Think 2 full days of Tubes and Horn speakers and other neat esoteric geeky guy audio stuff to argue over. LOL 2000 men, maybe 10 women. OK, on to the amp. SE 9 is a Class A Single Ended (SE) integrated stereo tube amplifier by nOrh. Featuring a clean, simple design, this unit looks and performs better than any product available at this price level. The front plate is black while the top is a mirror finish. The mirror finish will reflect the subdued lights from the tubes. Did we mention that It sounds wonderful? Specifications Clean 9 watts per channel output (continuous RMS @ 8 Ohms) 2 Inputs 2 Electro Harmonix EL34EH Power Tubes 2 Electro Harmonix 12AX7EH Drive Tubes 5AR4 rectifier tube (not a 10-cent diode) Alps Volume Control Platinum coated switches Ceramic tube sockets Class A, consumes 35 watts H 6.5 x W 12.0 x D 10.5 inches Thoughtfully engineered - weighs 14 KG SE 9.0 Applications Excellent as an amplifier for individuals with discerning tastes but small budget Ideal for putting a high-end system in secondary listening areas Great for applications where music is not played loud (e.g. office) The ideal amplifier for a woman - elegant, beautiful, takes very little space Matches your decor... adds a touch of class A romantic electronic product - think of them as "apartment fireplaces" A great gift for your daughter or son - especially when you are sending them to a college dorm. With Efficient Klipsch products, they will sound incredible! (OK, I put that there...LOL.) Introducing the nOrh SE 9 Integrated Tube Amp One of the arguments that has raged in the audiophile community is whether or not tubes sound better. There are many people who claim that no solid state amplifier can match a single ended tube amplifier for purity and clarity. I believe that I have heard very good and bad examples of both tube and solid state amplifiers. Even audiophiles will sometimes buy mini components for an extra room because they don't have the space or budget to put a high-end system in each room. nOrh believes we have a better alternative. Instead of buying a cheap mini component system, boom box or multi-media system, why not buy a single ended integrated amplifier instead. Crazy right? Don't Single Ended (SE) tube amplifiers cost thousands of dollars each? The answer is generally yes until recently. Recently, a wave of cheap tube amplifiers have come in from China. Most of these have no name tubes, low cost components, and plastic sockets. However, nOrh now introduces a true high-end product worthy of the nOrh brand. As our nOrh customer's know, for nOrh, being good value isn't enough. We are not satisfied until we have set the world's standard of value for every product we sold. All nOrh products shall be the best products that can be purchased for their price period. Our first concern is building a product that establishes itself as world class in its price range. Our second concern is embarrassing audio companies that would charge a high premium for the same or less quality. We strongly encourage you to do some web shopping. Compare our quality and compare our prices. Once again, we have introduced a product that will leave other audio companies making excuses. The SE 9 has two inputs. The volume control is manufactured by Alps. The switches are platinum counted. The sockets are ceramic. We use Electro Harmonix tubes instead of no-name Chinese tubes found in many lower priced tube amplifiers. According to the technical journal, Vacuum Tube Valley, the "...new EL34EH comes very close to the sonics of a Mullard EL34..." They go on to say, "The Electro-Harmonix tube is balanced throughout the entire music spectrum. Bass goes deep and is tight, mids are sweet and well defined and highs are detailed and extended." We selected the Electro Harmonix 12AX7EH for our drive tubes. The website www.thetubestore.com, reviewed the Electro Harmonix 12AX7EH as follows: "These are not relabeled Sovtek 12AX7LPS tubes. There is a marked difference in construction and performance. The 12AX7EH has a nice balanced sound, a very low noise floor and excellent performance in terms of microphonics. The lack of microphonics may be due in part to the return of a shorter plate structure or better materials. I've had some samples that were tried in various amp stages. Pre-amps, tone stacks and phase inverters, a winner in every location, although I would continue to use a 12AT7 for reverb circuit drivers due to their lower gain rating. I have used the EH to successfully tame amps that defied all other attempts to kill microphonics and unwanted feedback. This tube is a winner, buy 'em and try 'em, they may be just the piece you've been looking for." If you look at other Single Ended (SE) amplifiers, you will notice that the SE 9 appears to have an extra tube. That is because many tube amplifiers will use a 10 cent diode instead of a $12.95 rectifier tube. We use the 5AR4 rectifier tube. The SE 9 is already in demand. Many nOrh products have sold out very quickly. Sometimes the deals are simply too good to offer forever. We strongly urge you to order the SE 9 before we come to our senses and price the SE 9 where it at a more profitable price. This is a much better amplifier than anyone has a right to expect at this price. It sounds wonderful. It looks beautiful. It will last for years and years. I have often been told that one way to judge an amplifier is to throw it. The farther it goes, the worse it is. The SE 9 is 14 kilograms. It is probably the heaviest amplifier in its price range. One of the reasons I like tube amplifiers is I think they look great. We have designed the nOrh SE 9 to look absolutely fantastic. The front plate is black while the top is a mirror finish. The mirror finish will reflect the subdued lights from the tubes. I believe tube amplifiers are the most romantic electronic products you can buy. I think of them as apartment fireplaces. The nOrh SE 9 consumes only 35 watts of power. This is comparable to the power consumption of a low-end receiver or integrated amplifier. One of my hopes is that parents will send their kids off the college with a SE 9. The idea of someone growing up with my speakers and amplifiers really excites me. Most importantly, this is not a throw away product. The nOrh SE 9 will last for years. This is not a system you will outgrow. It will always have a home in a bedroom, office or driving a computer multimedia system. I also believe that many women will enjoy this amplifier. Most women aren't interested in how loud their stereo plays. They do want something that is small, beautiful and durable. The nOrh SE 9.0 is being introduced at $399.95. This price includes shipping. Sometimes I feel like Rodney Dangerfield, I just can't get no respect. I am certainly not the first person to try to produce reasonably priced audio equipment. Others have tried and they also had a hard time getting respect. Bob Carver, David Hafler, Richard Shahinian and others have tried to build companies that offered excellent value. The audio industry (which I call the country club), has spent years trying to convince people that they have to spend outrageous sums of money to buy high-end sound. For four years, I have been working to try to make high-end audio more affordable and audio systems look and sound great. Our customers call themselves nOrhphiles and have organized themselves into a user community that is only rivaled by Apple computer users. Their devotion to our effort has helped make nOrh one of the most read audio sites on the Internet. If you don't believe it, do a search for loudspeakers on Yahoo and see what comes up. I don't like putting my picture on the webpage. It reminds me how much hair I have lost over the years. However, for the SE 9, I want everyone to know that I am quite proud of this product and I know you will treasure the SE 9 for many years. I am excited for those of you who will buy the SE 9. You will receive one of the best values that has been offered in audio for many years. You will receive a product you will cherish for many years to come. You will receive a product that will sound better than you believe possible. The SE 9 is available now. If you want to read about the performance, the first users will start posting on HarmonicDiscord by next week. Don't wait too long once you decide that you or someone you know could use the SE 9. Our first production was sold out but we are going back and making more next week. The debate regarding the sound of tubes vs. the sound of solid state raging in audio for many years. For nOrh, it isn't a matter of which is better. It is a matter of what is most appropriate for a given application. I use tubes in my office. I don't play the sound loud. I find that I can listen for eight to ten hours and not feel fatigued. I know that if I used the typical inexpensive receiver or inexpensive integrated, I would be fatigued after a very short period. Most of the employees at nOrh are women. Actually, I shoulds say, nOrh is run by women. Namphung, pictured above, is the director of marketing. Pan runs our manufacturing. Much of the style in nOrh products is a result of their opinions. What women want is something that is small, easy to use, reliable, reasonably priced and stylish. The SE 9 is certainly reasonable. At $399.95, there simply are not better looking or sounding integrated amplifiers anywhere. The SE 9 is small and can fit just about any free space. I don't believe watts per channel is a priority with women. Tube amps are very reliable as tubes last for a very long time and are easy to replace when they do go bad. Pan sold her solid state integrated to buy a SE 9. She didn't do it because the SE 9 sounds better. She did it because she thought the integrated amplifier didn't look good in her bedroom. She prefers the look of the SE 9. My wife thinks that the tubes are sort of like a fireplace and that tube amplifiers are romantic. I don't know if I can go that far. The SE 9 is affordable, stylish, small, relaible and simple to use. If she doesn't get buy one for herself, maybe you should buy it for her. Pricing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Item Price nOrh SE 9 399.95 Warranty The SE 9 carries a one year warranty, parts and labor. The life of the tubes vary on usage, hence, they are not covered under warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubinhard Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Well, I was going to bow out. You may have to exhibit some patience -- after all, you are just now getting your feet wet with the tubes thing. The information you lifted and posted here has some truth in it -- but it does not account for all situations. For example, your room is 20 feet long, and the RF-3's, though fairly sensitive, have some swings in impedance that aren't necessarily favorable to SET operation. It's hit or miss here, since room acoustics can help balance things out. Also, depending on how far away you sit from your setup, the RF-3's may have some trouble filling the room with such low power. This doesn't mean it couldn't work, but it might be a challenge. Why not try a nice vintage integrated for now just to see what you think? You would get to try tubes, and keep the Rotel as well. Later, when finances permit -- you could make your jump to SET, and buy something you won't out-grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubinhard Posted December 19, 2003 Share Posted December 19, 2003 Options I completely forgot about -- good job guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschfoot Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 ---------------- GODISNOWHERE ---------------- You found that out on your own? I suggest you look ELSEWHERE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubinhard Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 LOL Klipschfoot -- look closer God is now here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Indy, Thank You, you have resurected my belief in a GOOD person who has the proper knowledge and has taken his time to give an excellent example of what I was looking to learn from this thread. Thank You agin and all the best for the holidays and a very Happy New Year to you and your Family Smilin BTW can I have the # to order one to check out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschfoot Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Sorry. Glass half empty predisposition. My bad. Clever. or See Lever? It IS late, isn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted December 20, 2003 Author Share Posted December 20, 2003 I think i may have found the SET Amp of my dreams! The nOrh SE-18. It retails for $800! The major differences between the SE 9 and the SE 18 are: The SE 18 has an integrated phono preamplifier The SE 18 has twice the power of the SE 9 The SE 18 has an active preamp rather than a passive preamp Specifications 18 watts per channel output (continuous RMS @ 8 Ohms) 2 Inputs Alps Volume Control Balance knob for stereo effect adjustment Features a built in phono preamplifier Platinum coated switches Ceramic tube sockets Class A, consumes 180 watts All tubes are by Electro Harmonix 2 x 12AX7 for Phono Section 2 x 12AX7 for Line Stage 4 x 12AX7 for Driver Tubes 4 x EL34 for Output Tubes Input Impedance - Line Stage 100K Phono Stage 47K (Moving Magnet or High Output Moving Coil) Output Voltage 4 ohm - 8.5V, 8 ohm - 12V Frequency Response at 1 watt - 10 - 50,000 Hz Sensitivity at Maximum Output - Phono 20 mV, Line 150 mV Power consumption: 180 watts Dimensions and weight: H 7 x W 20 x D 14 inches / 22 KG http://www.norh.com/products/se18/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brnt99 Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 When I first got it, it sounded a little light and unfocused.I replaced the 5z3 rectifier with a rca 5u4g. I replaced the 2 6k7g with 2 nos rca 6j7g. This seemed to make a big differance.(I was lucky in that I had an assortment of tubes lying around) Focused the sound.I was happy but am never satisfied so I just received 2 TJ meshplate 2a3 tubes.(Warning---they cost 239.00US)They produce a very rich warm and clean sound.I have never tried any other set amps so I have nothing to compare it with. All I can say is for the past 3 weeks I have been walking around with a big satisfied grin.A fellow audio nut came over the other day and he said the sound is very addicting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 I was wondering when some one would misread your Sig !! Pretty funny I bet you were just waiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Klipschfoot, foot in mouth Read Indy's suggestion, his makes alot of COMMON sence, not THE BS cuming from U I'm tired too Smilin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 That's a Push-Pull amplifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted December 20, 2003 Author Share Posted December 20, 2003 IndyKlipschFan, Thanks so much man!!!! So this is a good amp you take it? Im thinking of placing an order for a nOhr SE-18! Man, it sure is a beauty isnt it, and for the price of $795 you cant beat it for a tube amp with that much power. Man I am so excited now, what do you guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 HELLO!!!! It's a Push-Pull amp! Sheesh!I give up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Mike I think its parallel Pentode SE Georg Friedrich Handel, Do not mistake SE with SET there are 2 different animals all together. I hate to say it but you are suffering from OOS Opinion Overload Syndrome Do not base Opinion as fact! Do what will make you happy not what will make others happy.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> I can almost absolutely gaurantee the amp you first looked at will walk all over any of the options offered here so far. But hey this is my Opinion. Quality SET is not cheap . Cheap SET is just that cheap. Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike stehr Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Yeah, My bad! I just looked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 This thread became ridiculous somewhere along the way. I own a scott 299b (restored by Craig), a fisher X-100 (restored by someone other than Craig) and a McIntosh MC240 tube amp/Marantz 7C tube preamp (neither restored). All are great sounding combinations with cornwalls. For $500 or so (maybe up to $700) you can get a nice integrated. The reason scott was suggested is that they are fairly plentiful and easy to get restored here (and one or more is available without searching ebay). Smilin was kind enough to try and make your quest a little easier. Any decent older integrated amp with proper restoration will do the trick for you IMO. There's no reason for anyone to jump on anyone else here for their recommendation. Folks are just trying to help. I would have suggested the same (and have in the past). These amps sound wonderful. Ask anyone who has one. If you don't like it, you can easily recoup your investment right here on the board and try something else. I doubt you will need to do that however. They are all THAT good. Peace and Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSValves Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 Did you ever get those caps I sent you ? I have .1uF again if you need them. It was you I sent them to wasn't it ? Did you like them ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschfoot Posted December 20, 2003 Share Posted December 20, 2003 I merely suggested that Scott is not the end-all solution to one who wishes to wade into tube waters. Get the best for your budget and be loyal to nobody. That is not BS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipsch RF7 Posted December 20, 2003 Author Share Posted December 20, 2003 ---------------- On 12/20/2003 12:18:54 AM NOSValves wrote: Mike I think its parallel Pentode SE Georg Friedrich Handel, Do not mistake SE with SET there are 2 different animals all together. I hate to say it but you are suffering from OOS Opinion Overload Syndrome Do not base Opinion as fact! Do what will make you happy not what will make others happy.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> I can almost absolutely gaurantee the amp you first looked at will walk all over any of the options offered here so far. But hey this is my Opinion. Quality SET is not cheap ……. Cheap SET is just that cheap. Craig ---------------- Craig, What is the diffrence in Parallel SE Pentode vs. the Scott 299-C? Whats going to be a better option in your expertise, the Scott 299-C or this nOrh SE-18 amp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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