Vpi 299d Limited Edition Tube Integrated Amplifier Review
This is special -- VPI may be best known as New Jersey's leading turntable manufacturer, only information technology at present has an integrated tube amplifier, the 299D. Inspired by the legendary H. H. Scott 299 amplifier that was made from 1958 to 1966, the VPI 299D is a rethink of the original blueprint.
The story really began when VPI acquaintance Stephen Leung purchased an original H.H. Scott 299D a few years ago and loved the sound so much he simply had to bring the design back to life. Leung uses "signal-to-point wiring" instead of printed excursion boards because he thinks the amp sounds ameliorate when made that way. I hope and then -- point-to-bespeak wiring is all washed by hand, and Leung builds the 299D amps in the aforementioned VPI factory where the turntables are made, in Cliffwood, New Jersey (the chassis' metallic parts are made in China). The VPI 299D is offered just as a express edition of 100 amplifiers. Warranty coverage is 3 years, not including the tubes, simply Leung estimates the tubes should last two,000 or more than hours before they need to be replaced. He put his business telephone number on the encompass of the possessor's manual, and so customers can reach him straight.
The VPI 299D tube integrated amp
VPII think the sixteen-by-15-past-7-inch amplifier is only gorgeous. The "champagne" hued faceplate and the silky feel of the controls harken back to the glory days of Japanese sound from the 1970s and 1980s. Power output is specified at 38 watts per channel when the amp is fitted with EL-34 power tubes, and xl watts per with the optional KT-88 power tubes. The amp'south rear panel hosts four sets of RCA input jacks, including a moving-magnet phono input, and in that location's ane fix of Record output jacks. Up front there's a 6.3mm headphone jack. The heavy-duty speaker cablevision connectors are designated for iv- and 8-ohm speakers. The all-metallic remote control handles all functions, except the front end panel'due south bass and treble controls.
Some tube amps accept thick, overly ripe bass, but the 299D's secure grip with bassist Charlie Haden and guitarist Carlos Paredes' "Dialogues" anthology quickly dispelled any concerns about flabby bottom cease or midrange softness. I've played this music on endless systems, and a lot of them blur and muddy the sound of Haden's stand-up bass. Not this time -- the 299D, paired with my KEF LS50 speakers, let me hear every pluck and strum with utmost fidelity
I moved the LS50s aside to play my Magnepan .7 speakers, but I had depression expectations for this pairing considering the .seven can exist a rather ability hungry beast. Carter Burwell's lush orchestral score for "Fargo" (the movie) left no doubt virtually the amp's ability to calorie-free upwards the .7s. In fact, all that's great about the .7s was amend; at that place was more "body" and more dimensionality to the audio of instruments and voices with the 299D/.7 combination. Still, with but 38 watts per channel on tap, the White Stripes "Under Blackpool Lights" concert DVD didn't rock out to my satisfaction. Switching over to my much easier-to-drive Zu Druid V speakers, that combination kicked butt!
Withal, I was curious how the 299D would compare with my fully solid-state Schiit Ragnarok amp. With Kraftwerk's "Tour de France" anthology, the low bass synth lines were more distinct and deeper over the Ragnarok. The 299D presented a juicier, richer balance with the "Fargo" movie soundtrack, merely the Ragnarok was still impressive, but a tad leaner and spatially flatter.
The VPI 299D tube integrated amp, with tubes exposed!
Steve Guttenberg/CNET
The 299D really shined with headphones and handled even the hardest to drive headphones, including my Hifiman HE-six. I watched a bunch of movies with headphones, including "Time Out Of Mind" with Richard Gere equally a homeless human being living in New York Urban center. The scenes on the streets, buses, subway and homeless shelters were all eerily realistic. Then I popped on the White Stripes' DVD again and donned my Audeze LCD-iii headphones, and this time I focused on Meg White'due south pulsate kit, which had tremendous ability and visceral bear upon; the LCD-3 sounded awfully good with the 299D.
Granted, if you want to rock out with hard-to-drive speakers, the 38-watt-per-channel 299D won't be the best way to go -- go yourself a powerful solid land amp. But if y'all listen at merely reasonably loud volume and want to exist seduced past the audio of your music, the 299D gets my highest recommendation.
The VPI 299D amplifier retails for $4,000 through VPI dealers in the U.s.a. and Canada; quantities are limited. No other tube amp in my feel can compete on the ground of features, build and sound quality for the price.
Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/even-at-4000-this-tube-amplifier-is-a-remarkable-value/
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