Amplifiers
Silver Signature 300B Amps
Reference 300 and JI300 Mk. III
Silver Signature 300B Amps
The Reference 300 is our flagship amplifier and, as the name implies, it is our in-house reference for excellent musical reproduction. Even though we have developed a number of amplifiers with higher price tags and even rarer tubes than vintage 300Bs, we cannot find any design that surpasses a WE 300B in this excellent implementation.
This amplifier was design from the ground up to showcase the 300B. The driver stages uses an excellent super-low distortion, directly coupled current feedback circuit so that you can really hear the pure sound of the Western Electric 300B, which is operated without any feedback. The R300 amplifier uses a remote controlled silver autoformer volume control and select European and American voltage amplifier tubes, ECC188 and Bendix 6900 in the premium package. The output transformer is an optimized version of our silver foil design, wound on a huge permalloy core.
The power supply for this amplifier contributes a great part of its' wonderful performance, a super low noise and very low impedance regulated design which you will find nowhere else, overbuilt with a massive power transformer for reliability and reasonably cool operation.
The construction and visual design of the Reference 300 are world-class to match its performance, built on a massive milled Swiss aluminum chassis that draws on a combination of precision CNC capabilities and skilled hand finishing that is difficult to find these days. An ingenious cooling system is integral to the design of the chassis. In sonic perfection, technical achievement, and visual beauty, the Reference 300 stands alone in the specialist marketplace.
JI300 MkIII 300B Integrated Amplifier
Silver Signature 300B Amps
The remarkable success of the JI300 amplifier in the picky Korean high-end market has been very gratifying, with hundreds of units sold. Our amps are displayed next to and used with the most expensive and highly rated gear in the world. While far less expensive than many imported US and European products, our build quality is unsurpassed and musical performance is superior to the competition. Very few Silbatone units appear on the used market, a marker of long-term customer satisfaction.
An important departure from the previous JI300 line is our adoption of a Teflon circuit board in the Mk.III , which yields a considerable improvement in low level detail and enhances the smooth and lively sonic character of the design. The superior electrical characteristics of Teflon and the self-damping mechanical qualities of this material deserve more exposure, although at 10x the price of highest-grade epoxy boards they are cost-prohibitive for most manufacturers. The sonic difference is substantial and worth the high cost.
We understand that the power supply is the heart of the amplifier and this aspect was substantially upgraded in the Mk.III version, including an enhanced passive cooling system initially developed for the Reference 300 Amplifier. The JI series output transformer is the latest enhancement of our exclusive "Semi-Silver" foil design on a high-mu nickel core. Volume control is a broadcast grade Tokyo Ko-on stepped attenuator
With the JI300 Mk.III, we have made great progress in closing the performance gap between our standard line and our flagship Reference 300 Amplifier. We are even more confident that the JI series provides the highest level of performance and value on the market today.
As with other Silbatone amplifiers, the Mk.III is CNC milled from aluminum billet, designed to address both visual aesthetics and functional considerations, such as shielding, cooling, and vibration control. The benefits of our solid, non-resonant chassis are immediately audible compared with the cheap sheet metal structures employed by most manufacturers. No screws or fasteners are visible on the outside of any Silbatone chassis. Fit and finish are impeccable, the result of careful hand detailing and flawless precision machining.
Our 300B amplifiers are often demonstrated with and sold with modern loudspeakers that are not usually considered candidates for low-powered tube amplification, including Wilson Watt/Puppy and Kharma models. High-tech power supply topologies and low-loss, high bandwidth output transformers contribute to the otherworldly drive capability of our amplifiers, an aspect of Silbatone performance that must be experienced to be believed!
With the JI300 Mk.III amplifier, we feel that the Silbatone advantage has been greatly enhanced. Previous versions were regarded as the finest integrated amplifiers ever manufactured and our newest model takes that tradition of performance to a new level.
Limited Edition Amps
RP300 300B Amplifier
Limited Edition Amps
While not the most fancy or exotic amplifiers Silbatone has produced, the JI-300 and R-300 series have always been among our favorites due to the unexcelled musical performance of a single Western Electric 300B in a well-optimized circuit. It is tremendous fun to explore the world of tubes, but it is always nice to come home to the 300B.
The RP-100 Amplifier takes our house recipe one step further, with results that surprised and delighted us. A new current feedback driver topology using a silver-wired interstage transformer, a select NOS 12AY7/6021, and a Bendix 6900 is directly-coupled all the way through to the 300B grid. Low distortion with big drive! There are no caps, only silver litz wire and tubes in the signal path. The output transformer is a monster version of our semi-silver foil output, built on an insanely large EI-114 75% nickel core. The power supply was also enhanced with an even bigger, low resistance transformer for maximum current delivery on demand.
When we first auditioned this recent chapter in Silbatone 300B amplifier development, we were shocked by the sense of massive power the 300B power stage developed! Bass is fast, detailed, and very deep. The amp presented all of the harmonic rightness and quality of timbre that we expect from a 300b, with even more dynamic control and resolution. From the first few notes, we knew that we had entered a revolutionary new phase of our long love affair with this classic Western Electric tube.
The Silbatone RP-300 Amplifier will be a revelation for newcomers to the 300B and old hands alike. If you want to experience the highest level of performance available anywhere in a medium-power single triode amp, you must audition the RP-300!
RI25 DA100 Amplifier
Limited Edition Amps
At Silbatone, we understand that the first step in designing for superior audio is to select the best tubes for our products. Our new RI-25 Integrated amp is an extreme case, using insanely rare and expensive Siemens Ed and DA100 power triodes that are legendary for their performance. Most audiophiles and vintage collectors never get to see these items, let alone listen to them. We had to dig very deeply into our treasured vintage tube collection to produce this extraordinary limited edition amplifier.
The all-triode RI-25 uses Western Electric 437A voltage amplifiers, the legendary German Ed low mu triode as a driver, and the British DA100 for output tubes. The Siemens Ed is similar to a 2A3 but considered far superior by many listeners. The DA100 is roughly equivalent to the common 845 but it has a flavor all its own. Today these historical triodes are collectors’ items, the rarest of the rare, but they deserve to be heard and enjoyed
When listening to the RI-25 amplifier, one is immediately impressed by the special musical character this instrument offers. It is a high powered single-ended implementation but it exhibits delicacy and detail on par with the most sophisticated low-power triode amps--a very colorful and emotional presentation, yet precise and well-controlled. We never heard anything else like the tasty sound of the RI-25 and we consider it to be a highly successful advanced experiment in the possibilities of tube amplification. Production of the RI-25 will be limited to 10 pieces.
A242 and A845
Mono Power Amplifiers
Limited Edition Amps
We are very vocal about our enjoyment of the 300B tube, but often more power is required to make the best of certain rooms and speaker preferences. Our new Silbatone A845 amplifier provides an optimized solution to these challenges, using transmitting triodes to reach the 20 watt range without compromising the technical and performance aesthetics of single ended triode amplification.
The A845 is a single ended triode power amplifier that can accept various 4 pin RCA 845 and 211 type power tubes, including Western Electric 211, 284D, 264, and 242C. The direct coupled, choke-loaded driver stages use an exotic WE 437A voltage amplifier and your choice of 10Y, VT-25, 252A or 275A triodes to excite the grids of the power triodes. Our innovative configuration of stacked positive ground power supplies allows for easy flexibility in tube choice. With no coupling capacitors, it is as close as you can get to hearing tubes alone! A WE 422A rectifier is used as a PSU filter tuning device and a controlled turn-on element for the HV supply.
The limited-edition Silbatone A242C is a specialized version of the A845 amplifier optimized for Western Electric 242-C tubes, using a 437A input tube and a ceramic base WE VT-25A driver. The rare WE242-C is probably the finest 211 family tube ever produced and one of the best sounding large triodes in our experience.
It is nice to have an amp that will allow us to showcase rare and expensive vintage tubes from our collection. We made a sincere effort to employ the best materials and most thoughtful electronic designs in the industry, to create a once in a lifetime high-power SE triode amplifier.
The sonic character of the A845 amplifier depends very much on tube selections but the basic flavor of the unit is a colorful, natural, dynamic, and huge presentation that is a joy to experience. We are sure that tube lovers will appreciate what our big amplifier can do and we invite you to explore the world of large triodes with us!
New NeoHyb Amplifiers
The NeoHyb Project
At Silbatone Labs, we engage in a lot of experimentation and exploration to discover new things that work. Our patented NeoHyb current multiplier circuit is one of our best innovations yet.
Although we use mosfets in this topology for their awesome current delivery capabilies, this is completely unlike previous “hybrid” attempts, which usually involved a tube driver slapped onto a transistor output stage, the worst of both worlds, and never a high performance solution. This is why we call it NeoHyb. It has nothing to do with 1980s style hybrid amplifiers. NeoHyb is a whole new direction.
Our NeoHyb circuit uses parallel mosfets to enhance the current delivery of vintage triodes, yielding greater power and allowing for more conservative tube operating points at the same time. The mosfet is completely locked to the plate of the tube and adds no measurable influence, except greater current swing. The musical performance and distortion spectra are pure triode. All signal current passes through a Silbatone foil output transformer. It acts and sounds like a pure tube stage, only boosted in output power.
One use for this technology is that we can adapt very low power tubes, some ancient antique tubes, even preamp tubes, to play loudspeakers so we can learn and understand what they can do, often with very impressive results. We can take medium output tubes like our standby 300B and shake the walls with power. And we are able to dial down the dissipation in tubes for both great longevity and the often higher quality presentation they can provide when operating at more moderate levels.
One lesson in our NeoHyb project is that what makes these tubes so great has nothing to do with low power output, per se. The struggle with low power output of so many of the best sounding tubes does not have to be obstacle to enjoyment. NeoHyb will satisfy with a wide range of popular speaker types, not only 110dB+ theater horns! And even with the most sensitive horn speakers, the headroom and drive created by our current multiplier technology opens new doors for old favorites,45, 71A, 275A, 2A3,, and many other great tubes not given the respect and wide use they deserve.
RP-310 MkII shown
with globe mesh WE252A tubes
Silbatone P106 NeoHyb 45 Amplifier
New NeoHyb Amplifiers
The classic 45 triode is legendary for its rich and natural musical flavor but at 2W, rather limited in application. Now imagine an 8 W single 45 amplifier.,.
This is what we have accomplished in the new P106 NeoHyb amplifier. A single 45 amp that can really drive a practical speaker, finally!
The NeoHyb P106 plays with all of the grace, dynamics, and musicality we know from the legendary 45 triode, but with a magnified power output that is far more useful in the world of practical speakers. Thanks to the high current output stage and low ratio foil transformer, the P106 will demonstrate more drive and punch than expected from an 8 watt amplifier.
Although it works great with super-high efficiency horns, the P106 can play many dynamic speakers with satisfying weight and authority.
We love to fit this amplifer with beautiful antique globe shaped 45s from the 1930s, not only because they are very great sounding tubes but they also symbolize the marriage of old and new that is at the core of the Silbatone NeoHyb project. This is no vintage style amplifer, being very low noise, wide bandwidth, and dynamic, yet it evokes the dream of the golden days when musical electronics were new and the triode amplifer ruled the empire. Those days are back with Silbatone NeoHyb!
The NeoHyb Project
"This is one of the very few preamps about which you no longer need to debate whether it is really good. The
C-100 is a revelation."
Holger Barske, Editor in Chief, LP Magazin für analoges Hi-Fi und Vinyl-Kultur, 4/2011
P-105 WE275A NeoHyb Power Amplifier
Silbatone RP30W Mono
and
RP 310 Stereo 300B NeoHyb Amplifiers
The remarkable success of the JI300 amplifier in the picky Korean high-end market has been very gratifying, with hundreds of units sold. Our amps are displayed next to and used with the most expensive and highly rated gear in the world. While far less expensive than many imported US and European products, our build quality is unsurpassed and musical performance is superior to the competition. Very few Silbatone units appear on the used market, a marker of long-term customer satisfaction.
An important departure from the previous JI300 line is our adoption of a Teflon circuit board in the Mk.III , which yields a considerable improvement in low level detail and enhances the smooth and lively sonic character of the design. The superior electrical characteristics of Teflon and the self-damping mechanical qualities of this material deserve more exposure, although at 10x the price of highest-grade epoxy boards they are cost-prohibitive for most manufacturers. The sonic difference is substantial and worth the high cost.
We understand that the power supply is the heart of the amplifier and this aspect was substantially upgraded in the Mk.III version, including an enhanced passive cooling system initially developed for the Reference 300 Amplifier. The JI series output transformer is the latest enhancement of our exclusive "Semi-Silver" foil design on a high-mu nickel core. Volume control is a broadcast grade Tokyo Ko-on stepped attenuator
With the JI300 Mk.III, we have made great progress in closing the performance gap between our standard line and our flagship Reference 300 Amplifier. We are even more confident that the JI series provides the highest level of performance and value on the market today.
As with other Silbatone amplifiers, the Mk.III is CNC milled from aluminum billet, designed to address both visual aesthetics and functional considerations, such as shielding, cooling, and vibration control. The benefits of our solid, non-resonant chassis are immediately audible compared with the cheap sheet metal structures employed by most manufacturers. No screws or fasteners are visible on the outside of any Silbatone chassis. Fit and finish are impeccable, the result of careful hand detailing and flawless precision machining.
Our 300B amplifiers are often demonstrated with and sold with modern loudspeakers that are not usually considered candidates for low-powered tube amplification, including Wilson Watt/Puppy and Kharma models. High-tech power supply topologies and low-loss, high bandwidth output transformers contribute to the otherworldly drive capability of our amplifiers, an aspect of Silbatone performance that must be experienced to be believed!
With the JI300 Mk.III amplifier, we feel that the Silbatone advantage has been greatly enhanced. Previous versions were regarded as the finest integrated amplifiers ever manufactured and our newest model takes that tradition of performance to a new level.
Preamplifiers
Reference Preamplifiers
Silbatone C-100 Reference Preamplifier
Preamplifiers
The C-100 is our highest achievement in a full featured MC phono and line preamplifier. Since we are still great analog enthusiasts, we tried to achieve something very special in MC phono design in the C-100 project because it is hard to find really great phono preamplifiers and we took it as a duty to expand the art.
Our phono stage uses a German telecom-grade D3a tube in a radical new transconductance amplifier circuit that achieves a remarkable 10000x gain after the first tube, with very low distortion and super low noise. Equalization is implemented using passive LCR filters with nickel core inductors and precision matched capacitors.
Our MC step up trans are silver litz wound on huge amorphous cores and we are confident that they are among the top few units available at any price anywhere, because we compared everything out there, vintage and new, and we know the real story on transformer quality. We think this is the best you can get at any price.
The C-100 line stage offers balanced or unbalanced inputs and outputs, featuring silver wired stepped-impedance volume controls with an integral input transformer, a pair of rare NOS Bendix 6900 triode tubes in a self-balancing Blumlein arrangement, and a silver wired line output transformer on an amorphous core. This topology was inspired by classic studio program amplifiers but realized with a discriminating modern ear for components and materials.
All in all, the C-100 design is as close as we could get to using only tubes and wire. Low audio parts count and simple signal path although we took a technically sophisticated and expensive path to get there. No capacitors are used in the line stage and only one coupling cap at the output of the phono stage. Silver litz cabling is used throughout the unit.
All of this adds up to a rather substantial and capable feat of engineering worthy of the King of Preamps, housed in a machined aluminum enclosure finished to Silbatone’s customary high standard of visual appeal and mechanical solidity.
L101 Line Amplifier with WE262B Triode
Preamplifiers
Back in the 1980s, the ideal audio component was considered to be equivalent to a “straight wire with gain.” At Silbatone, we know this is not enough. In the case of our L-101 Line amplifier, comparing it with a direct connection from a digital source shows that it is the direct connection that is missing something crucial to musical understanding and appreciation that our preamplifier provides. Our goal is to produce preamplifiers that make musical experience better in every way—both more vivid and more realistic, making an important contribution to listening pleasure rather than adding noise and electronic colorations to the signal as so many current designs.
The L-101 is a marvel in circuit simplicity. Asilver wire input transformer allows for balanced or unbalanced inputs. A 64 step relay-switched silver wire nickel core autoformer provides adjustable gain trim to establish proper system sensitivity. A Western Electric 262B small signal triode is the primary active device in the signal path, configured in a novel “zero volt in, zero volt out” structure which is directly coupled, requiring no signal capacitors at input or output. The 262B is directly coupled to a buffer using select 8416 triodes driving silver wire output transformers, providing balanced and unbalanced connections. Bandwidth is 10hz-200khz with a remarkable musical presentation.
The L-101 power supply is double-regulated, with a remarkably low noise floor and featuring an extremely fast buffer optimized for audio performance sidestepping the sonic footprint that lesser regulator designs impose on musical sound. Noiseless, smooth, and natural music is our goal and sophisticated power supply approaches are essential resources for getting there.
As dedicated preamplifier specialists, Silbatone has been leading the way in low level amplification for some years but we feel that a new level of performance has been discovered with our L-101 Line Preamplifier. Those seeking the best possible line amplification need look no further!
Advanced design for low level amplification
A quaility preamplifier is the key to a satisfying system, yet it is the least-developed segment of the market. Don't be seduced by a pretty face, behind those fancy faceplates, most high-end preamps are nothing to write home about, technically speaking. Many are rehashed 1950s designs with rather rustic voltage regulators tacked on. These units can offer decent average performance, often at high prices, but who wants average performance?
Best Tubes
Sure, Chinese 12AX7s will "do the job" but the best performance requires the best tubes. For phono input, we like wideband amplifier tubes such as the German Post D3A and 6688 which were designed for hi-reliability telephone and communications applications, offering low noise and super-low distortion and intermod. Bendix 6900 or selected special-duty industial tubes are used for output buffers. Most manufacturers insist on tubes that are currely available new. Actually, Silbatone doesn't use any new import tubes at all, ever...we only use the best premium NOS specimens on the planet.
Lowest Noise
Silbatone employs multiple levels of voltage regulation, including a master regulator for lowest possible noise on the AC line then specially-optimized decoupling regulators that present a super low impedance at audio frequency mounted close to the active circuitry. A bad regulator is worse than none at all but our sophisticated implementation puts our designs over the top.
Since we use ultra high efficience speakers, absolute lowest noise is a priority. No tube preamplifiers are quieter than Silbatone.
Best Magnetics
We tried everything and use the best silver MC and output transformers we can find. Silver wired transformer or autoformer attenuators in our upscale models. We even dedicate a lot of expense to use the finest inductors in our LCR EQ models, silver wired in some designs, custom wound by Intact Audio for Silbatone.
Groundbreaking Circuitry
Our preamps use unique transconductance amplifiers, current-feedback, and a variety of techniques that other makers don't seem to know about. We can achieve 1000x gain at low distortion and microscopic noise levels with a premium tube like a D3a, and that is simply a game changer for phono Additionally, a variety of sophisticated servo techniques allow us to forego the use of coupling caps in many situations-- and we all know that the best cap is no cap at all.
All told, we are very proud of our accomplishments in the field of preamplification and we suggest that you give us a try if you are looking for leading-edge performance in front end design.
DAC
D/A Converter
Silbatone DAC105 Converter
and
L105 Line Amplifier
Our first digital offering, the DAC105 Converter combines state of the art digital design with highest-performance analog stages we could invent for the task. Our designers are artists when it comes to integrating tubes with modern devices and the circuitry of the DAC105 and L105 are quite unlike any previously-known designs.
The analog section of the DAC105 had an AD797-based IV converter into a fully-balanced, ultra-wide bandwidth (10-500khz) using a Telefunken 6211 and JFET buffer which does not require an output capacitor. All audio wiring is silver litz. We feel the DAC 105 is a technical tour de force and we invite musical comparison with any D/A converter at any price!
Although we have access to superb phono systems and top of the line DC players, we learned that often high-quality FLAC or DSD files are the best available versions of many recordings, certainly superior to CD in most cases. The DAC105 will bring this quality home to your listening room.
Native DSD (2.82mhz/64fs, 5.64mhz/128fs), 32bit/384khz sampling rate with automatic switching, based on 2x ES9018 Reference DAC chips from ESS Technologies. Asynchronous USB eliminates jitter. Two S/PDIF outputs (ABS/EBU and coaxial) with super shielded digital transformers reduce jitter. Optical SS/PDIF is also furnished.
The matching L105 Line Amplifier is a innovative adaptation of the symmetrical, fully balanced circuits used in classic tube studio gear. A balanced FET input buffer stage drives a differential 8416 triode stage which is buffered by balanced parallel JFETs again at the output. Gain is all tube. The output is servo-controlled to avoid the need for output capacitors. Remote control is provided for source selection and volume control, provided by a Tokyo Ko-on broadcast grade attenuator. All audio cabling is our proprietary silver litz. The 8416 triode is a super tube and it sets the character of the L105 in a region that is certain to please music lovers from both sides of the tube/transistor discourse.
Although less expensive than our reference series models, the DAC105 and L105 are built to the high standards of construction and performance that Silbatone is famous for maintaining. We fully understand how earlier hybrid gear earned its lesser reputation as a halfway measure, but the Silbatone DAC105 and L105 require no excuses. Silbatone marries vacuum tubes and JFETs and anlog and digital without any hybrid identity crises. The sound is pure Silbatone!
Silbatone DAC100 Silver Edition
DAC
Although we are great fans of analog and we have access to superb phono systems, as well as top of the line CD players, we learned that often high-quality FLAC or DSD files are the best available versions of many recordings,easily superior to CD in most cases. And let's face it, the convenience factor of hard drive storage is difficult to ignore for casual listening.
In pursuit of better digital experiences, Silbatone developed out first in-house digital product last year, the very successful DAC105 USB processor. For 2016, we are proud to debut the DAC100, an upmarket model incorporating refinements on our original digital approach and the finest analog stage we could think up to create a USB DAC that truly satisfies.
The DA100, is like the DAC105, a 2X ESS9018 USB processor that relies on our own control software, non-oversampling on 16/44 and native DSD up to 32bit/384khz sampling rate with automatic switching.
Most ESS9018 designs are minor variations on the published reference circuit, leading to a routine similarity in sound, often considered very detailed but somewhat mechanical. This chip is highly configurable but most run it in the easy but inferior default configuration. Getting rid of the digital volume control was one major improvement as was a thoughtful optimization of the filter algorithms. We tried all options.and ended up very far from the mundane standard, transforming the performance of this popular platform into an instrument of great nuance and musicality.
The tube analog section of the DAC100 is inspired by studio line amplifiers of the classic era, using balanced differential 12AY7 input stage from the I/V converter and a buffer stage of parallel SE Bendix 6900s driving a pure silver output transformer. We tried many configurations and we believe we got it totally right with this design!
We feel the DAC 105 is a technical tour de force and we invite musical comparison with any D/A converter at any price!
Contact Us
If you have some Questions or need Help. Please Contact Us.
Silbatone Acoustics Inc.
#205, Woo lim E-Biz, 35, Gwangnaru-ro 6-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04799, Republic of Korea