Tektron TK2A3/45S-I-REF - The Very Best in Artisan Audio



Tektron TK2A3/45S-I-REF

By Mikkel Gige [01.04.2012]

Italian Tektron takes as back on track to show if there is still any future for little valve amplifiers. This time however it’s going to be hardly 2 x 3 Watts of ...POWER !? Is that enough to drive modern speakers right ? The answer is ..YES ! It is amazing how well are this Italian amps set up on hi-fi property ladder ; )

If you like cool looking modern sculpture like precisely machinated stuff ,then Tektron won’t be your choice and you need to look elsewhere. They are just everything opposite exactly. Last time we got here TK211S- I, big triode integrated ,which gave us a first clue about how company constructors are carrying on with their design.

Now with its TK2A3/45S-I-REF little brother all the same principles remain present and still take effect. Its appearance is more modest, without such a carnival of glass on the top , but most of the parts and choices to complete enclosure had been used here as well. Plinth made of beautiful exotic wood, solid aluminium top, bakelite knobs, and standby switch . No visual madness and nothing is screaming for attention here. ( top plate is actually either brass or copper – interpreter’s correction )

Top is occupied as usually by set of transformers ( power , choke and output ones). Also a pair of small high quality milliammeters we remember from 211 is there . Huge, precise adjusting pots from the bigger amp top had been replaced with little ones , hidden inside with an access holes left for operating screwdriver – not enough room here to keep them. Output valves supplied are 2A3 kind , with a pair of 6SN7 drivers and 83 type rectifier. All those had been specially selected NOS valves ( new old stock ) , other words “ Old ,but Goodie ;0

Amplifier back is occupied by 3 pairs of input terminals and speaker posts. All these came from German WBT, industrial leader , and are highest available on the market quality. Standard OPT impedance is 8 Ohm , but any other customer choice can be supplied on demand .

As earlier mentioned TK2A3/45S-I-REF is equipped with "Standby" mode. It is not however common plain function holding minimum power in the circuit as it is in you telly, but properly designed circuit keeping amplifier’s valves pre heated and ready to operate up to the highest request straight on from the start. Proper soft start is also employed to reduce valves stress at starting point. It saves listener about a half an hour of waiting till circuit reach back optimum working characteristics. As a SET design circuit drowns significant power off the wall if compared to the output , but in real life it is just a 70 Watt here.

Looking inside ,shows immediately 1st sort components choice, like for example Teflon coupling capacitors used with output triodes. Remaining bunch of parts sported here clearly explain where the listening quality described bellow came from.

Listening Impressions:

First of all. This is really impressive little amp. Even if it’s not a perfect match for traditional boxed speakers , it is still possible to drive and control them up to satisfactory levels. Bare in mind that it is 3 watts only , so do not force him to do for you more than he is capable to. But saying that , it is a really good start.

Bass first then. Do not expect thunder here ,like from its older brother. Amount of bass on little power triode cannot match big ones quantity, but when it comes to the quality –that is completely different matter. Here we got an excellent tone control present all the time, as well as timing and articulation.

Where TK211S-I seemed to miss something in an overall weight of lowest registers on selected recordings , with the little one it is always there !

It’s not so tight maybe with our Xavians, but in the control department it posses the quality which many big and powerful solid state amplifiers could not match at all. I believe that main responsibility for that lays in careful factory build and matching transformers giving designer a chance to squeeze out of the little one absolutely maximum of its capabilities, when oem inductors usually sourced by big ones for their builds do not posses such a quality or are not so exactly optimised.

In the same time they lacks all those little nuances in lower octave , hence in this price range , when it comes to articulation , the Little One has really no competition. Very well done Tektron.

When it comes to midrange and trebles we meet again the same excellent level of tonal richness with micro and macro dynamic hardly possible to hear from similarly or even much higher priced rivals.

Everything sounds great with all details present and the silence between the notes , so we can really keep our attention on the music ,without coming into divagation about reproduction itself. The sound is relaxed, natural, unforced and very organic and one feels no need for analysing anything at all.

When it comes to technical aspect of the sound one might claim that the delay there is a bit on a short side , but from my experience it is rather result of matching speakers which do not have enough efficiency as amplifier manner per se. For same reason the soundstage is not so precise, but depth and width of an event set up, like ex. “ Magic Flute “ here is perfectly precise as are artist’s locations .

But it all becomes obvious once you switch it on and it starts to play music. It might have some restrictions – you can not jump over the physics, but certainly it posses a quality than many other amps in this and higher price range simply do not have. Doesn’t matter how many watts they have got , they can’t get rid off some mechanical signature over the sound and reach this playback level which we got here.

Presumably one can get better results with much careful speaker match, but personally I had a pleasure to listen to it on full range set up and I wouldn’t say that it was in any meaning better. All that pleasant things heard before they still had been there.

The biggest thing about this little Tektron was that ,doesn’t matter if I was listening to vinyl or CD playback either ,the sound remained the same relaxed , liquid and dynamically present. And there was no need for a high acoustic pressure levels. On small volume the message was same complete and didn’t course any earache or any other kind of fatigue.

I have to admit that I rather fall in love with this amp ,as I previously did with its bigger brother.

They both spend rather longer period of time with us, being constantly played ,all day long in the background and we never wanted to turn them out. We just wanted them to keep ......playing, playing and playing ...instead .

Final Conclusion :

If you choose little Tektron to keep , then that means that the speakers

of your choice become rather something efficient, let me say 90 dB or

more , floor-stander rather than bookshelf , as they usually are. Such

a set up won’t be a problem for this amplifier and will guarantee you

perfect audible synergy ,including lower register itself.

Tektron TK2A3/45S-I-REF is a bit like a DAVID ,if compared to all

that muscle, Goliath amps like coming out of the same market segment.

For this reason it can do with the music all that things like other amps

can’t and can only envy him . It is completely opposite creature to, for

example: Bladelius Thor MKIII, we recommended as a “ Best Buy”

earlier.

It makes me a bit confused , as in the case of the money wise factor

and bringing you close to the music is “a winner “ ten times more

than the others, but regarding to the small power and the lack of

versatility it might not be the best investment, even it deserves to be

given exactly the same prize....eh, tricky one.

So that one will never become the Jack of All for sure , but when it

comes to the listening to the music and to having as big pleasure as

possible when doing it – then it would become the one to put on the

Top of my personal list !

Technical data:

Type: Single-ended Valve Amplifier

Max Power: 2 x 3,3 W.

Fq : 28 do 36000 Hz.

Impedance : 8 Ohm (other on demand).

Valves used : 2 x 2A3, 2 x 6SN7, 1 x 83

Dimensions : 31 x 22 x 16 (W. x H. x D)

Weight : 8 kg.

Finish : wooden plinth / different exotic

Price: : DKK 19.500, -.

dealer:

Nordic Natural Sound

Web: nordic-kind-

Mail: hans@nordic-natural-

Tel: 21 48 55 96

Our Reference :

CD : Lyngdorf CD-1, Holfi Stabilizer.

Vinyl : Michell GyroDec SE, Rega RB300/Incognito, London Decca Jubilee.

Amps: : Audio Analogue Bellini & Vincent SP-995-se

Speakers : Xavian XN360.

Cables : Vincent XLR, Silver Sonic AirMatrix RCA & Silver Sonic Q10.

Accessories : Brinck Br 507 Power filter.

Room:

The listening room is rectangular, just under 20 m2. The loudspeakers across the room with a half meters to the back wall and 1 meter to the side walls. Speakers and listening position form an isosceles triangle, with 2 meters on each side. The wall behind the speakers and the listening position is subdued with THX-approved panels.

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