Welcome to Gold Sound's VINCENT page...
Hybrid Tube Amps
Absolute Sound's "Integrated Amp of the Year..."
Award Winning
Vincent Hybrid Tube Integrated Amp
Vincent on display includes:
SV236mkII Integrated Amp
PHO8 Phono Preamp
VINCENT
ABSOLUTE SOUND recently described a Vincent amp as "combining the best of two worlds by using a vacuum-tube preamp to drive a solid-state power amp. Listeners will appreciate the combination of deep, powerful, authoritative solid-state bass & tube-fueled delicacy, shimmering detail & almost surround-like imaging."
ABSOLUTE SOUND's 2011 HIGH END BUYER's GUIDE reviews today's best equipment. Only Vincent has four amps selected, the most of any manufacturer. This is especially notable, since Vincent makes many affordable amps. The $2500 Vincent SA-T8 preamp was chosen, along with $59,500 competitors. The $1199 Vincent SP331 power amp was chosen, along with $115,000 competitors. The $1995 Vincent SV236MKII & $4995 V60 integrated amps were chosen, along with $9100 competitors.
Here's tube warmth, grace, agility & three dimensionality plus solid state power, detail, dynamics & authority. While a $2000 all tube integrated amp has only 50-60 watts, the Vincent 236MKII has tube sonic virtues, plus 150-250W. This amp has 150 square inches of extruded aluminum heat sinks. The front panel is 1/4" thick aluminum.
The power transformer is an amplifier's most expensive & most important electronic part. The transformer determines the power output & bass of any amp. The fact that Vincent amps have oversize torroidal transformers makes them unique. The finest amps, for many thousands of dollars, use torroidal transfomers, since they sound best & are quieter. Most amps & receivers for thousands of dollars have noisier standard transformers that can be heard humming across a room, even without the speakers being connected. Standard transformers have metal plates that vibrate 60 times a second. Torroidal transformers are inherently shielded, more efficient & don't have the many buzzing metal plates that are in most transformers.
The $649 SA31 preamp & other Vincent preamps, power amps & integrated amps have a torroidal transfomer. Every reviewer praises Vincent's excellent parts quality & construction. Most companies only guaranty tubes for a few months. Only Vincent guaranties all of their tubes for two years. We've sold Vincent for three years & have never had to replace a tube or fix an amplifier.
"The German company Vincent began in 1995 with the goal of placing high end sound within reach of the common man. Uwe Bartel, its founder, made high end affordable by using an innovative business model, which is common today: Design products in the West & build them in China. This marriage of German engineering & Chinese manufacturing proved quite successful.
Mr. Bartel, an electronics engineer, had no problem designing interesting audio gear. Vincent's attractive mix of good sound & value gained momentum & global market share. Even though their fit, finish & elegant aluminum chassis high end, the price is quite affordable. Vincent's quality is more than skin deep; Russian rather than Chinese tubes are used exclusively." [Many quality European parts are used. Some well-known amps use Chinese tubes, notorious for a short life & unit-to-unit variability.] ABSOLUTE SOUND's GUIDE TO PREAMPS & POWER AMPS
VINCENT REVIEWS
VINCENT INTEGRATED AMPS GERMAN DESIGNED & PARTS
All integrated amps include an aluminum remote control, gold-plated RCA & banana speaker output jacks & toroidal transformer.
SV236 mk II, list $2400, now $1995, RATED in the SAME CLASS as $6000 AMPS. 150W/ch/8 ohm; 250W/ch/4 ohm; remote control; tube / solid state hybrid "Outstanding build quality & parts. It has 3 12AX7 tubes & 6 line level inputs, treble & bass controls & loudness button. It produced a full-bodied, self-assured sound with good bass & a nimble rhythmic presentation. It's the kind of component that gives me hope for this great hobby." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 4/12
"This well-built amp combines the best of two worlds by using a vacuum-tube preamp to drive a solid-state power amp. Listener's will appreciate the combination of deep, powerful, authoritative solid-state bass & tube-fueled delicacy, shimmering detail & almost surround-like imaging." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/11
VINCENT PHONO PREAMPS
Pho8, list $400; your cost $359; moving magnet & moving coil; black or silver finish. "Well finished & appointed; sturdy construction, high quality parts, hefty 3 pound external power supply. A level of build quality unusual in this price range. Quiet; sound is liquid, soundstage vivid & dimensional; you'll need a much bigger wallet to beat it." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/13
VINCENT PREAMPS GERMAN PARTS & DESIGN
SA31, list $750, now $649, "A well-made entry-level vacuum-tube preamp with tone controls & a loudness contour switch. The preamp's sound is characterized by a rich, seductive midrange & hearty & solidly weighted bass. Terrific bang for the buck." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/11
SA31mk, $1399, "Staging & focus are strengths. Its nice to find ones like these that deliver so much pleasure for such a relatively modest price." ABSOLUTE SOUND 12/10; EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/11
T8, $2500, "This tube preamp is about bass precision, spacious soundstaging, speedy transients, pure midrange textures & rhythmic drive. Microdynamic nuances are reproduced with commendable conviction. A rare musical blossom at this price & an absolute steal considering its twin virtues of crystalline clarity & ample boogie factor." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/11
"An absolute steal at its price; nothing else at this
price point comes close. It made a very positive first impression." ABSOLUTE SOUND 1/09
VINCENT TUBE HEADPHONE AMP GERMAN DESIGNED & PARTS
KHV1, list $1,000, now $899, "Adept at conveying power, heft, nuance & grace. Impressed by its testicular fortitude; drove both sets of reference headphones with plenty of headroom. Excellent measured performance." STEREOPHILE RECOMMENDED 10/11
VINCENT POWER AMPS GERMAN DESIGNED & PARTS
SP331, list $1300, now $1199, 150W/ch/8 ohm; 250W/ch/4 ohm; POWER AMP of the YEAR, 2007 "One of the best-sounding sub-$2k amps. A hybrid tube / solid-state amp combines the richness & subtlety of fine tube designs - especially through the midrange - with the sheer low frequency grunt, control & agility of a good solid-state amp. In the treble it sounds slightly softer but also more delicate than solid-state amps in its price range." ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
"One of the sweetest deals in high end audio today. Midrange subtlety & richness in spades; a delightful holographic 3D presentation that reveals the finely contoured edges of notes." ABSOLUTE SOUND 1/08
SP331mkII, $2199, 150W/ch/8 ohm; 300W/ch/4 ohm, ""One of the best-sounding affordable power amps. It combines the harmonic richness & subtlety of fine tube designs - especially through the midrange - with the low frequency power, control & agility of a good solid state amp. The SP331 matches synergisticly with today's best budget solid-state preamps, adding welcome touches of midrange finesse & richness while preserving a taut & well controlled presentation." ABSOLUTE SOUND 11/12
SPT800, $4799/pair, 200W/ch/8 ohm; 320W
/ch/4 ohm; POWER AMP of the YEAR, 2008 "A remarkable performer. Its tube signature shines through clearly in the midrange. Soundstage dimensionality is superior to conventional solid-state. It closely fullfills the promise of a hybrid design: Tube magic with plenty of bass crunch & drive in one nicely gift-wrapped chassis."
ABSOLUTE SOUND EDITOR'S CHOICE 3/10
"Delivers tube magic at an eminently reasonable price. The hybrid design results in a rock-solid bottom end that tube amps simply can't approach. Kudos to Vincent for shifting the economics of high-end audio within reach of the working man."
ABSOLUTE SOUND 1/09
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