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Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Antique Sound Laboratory Limited MG Head DT Amplifier (Tube) by Tom Schuman

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REVIEW: Antique Sound Laboratory Limited MG Head DT Amplifier (Tube)

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Model: MG Head DT
Category: Amplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price: $290
Description: Tube Headphone Amplifier
Manufacturer URL: Antique Sound Laboratory Limited
Model Picture: View

Review by Tom Schuman ( A ) on October 19, 2004 at 05:14:39
IP Address: 212.151.52.223
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for the MG Head DT


I own the ASL MG Head OTL MkII
Features:
Separate, hefty power supply
Two inputs out back: one for a miniplug and one pair of RCA plugs. No switching between the inputs.
Two headphone jacks on the front, can be used at once; the gain is less for each in this case
Switch to choose between OTL and transformer coupled output
Polarity switch on the power supply (a bit of a mystery, no sonic differences detected here)
Tubes: 2 EL84 type, 1 12AX7 type
This unit is hard for me to criticize on sonic grounds because what I am hearing is very dependent on the quite modest front end I have, the headphones, which are very transparent, and of course the recordings.
As far as I can tell, this amplifier has plenty of gain for these 'phones (96dB and 200 ohms) and is plenty transparent. Listening pleasure depends on the recording and the music...that is, if the recording is poor with my system, you will know it. If the recording is a good one, you will hear that too.
The difference between the OTL and transformer-coupled is very obvious: bass loses fullness and the treble gets slightly harsher with the transformer in play, and the music takes on a more aggressive quality which fits the pace of rock or pop better. Switch it back to OTL and the sound instantly becomes warmer and more natural, with less gain.
My complaints with this amplifier have to do with build quality and quality control. For one thing, the input jacks are mislabeled (R is L and L is R, and left channel's jack is colored red!). It took me a while to figure this out, not having a test disc. Also, there is some scratchiness in the volume control that I'm told has to do with the bias of the input tube, not the volume control itself...one tube I substituted is scratchier than another. This is a minor irritant and only seems to affect the sound when the knob is turned.
Another small issue, that may be related to the power line (I have the ps plugged into the wall with the supplied stock belden type cord, and no power conditioning), occasionally there is a slight 'blip' or 'phhhhhht' coming through the headphones. It happened using two different phono amps so I am reasonably sure it is the amplifier, on the other hand, as I said, it may be a power line thing.
Finally, I bought a pair of Ei EL84s and an Ei 12AXLP (total around 35 bucks) for some tube rolling, and didn't notice any significant difference in the sound. Perhaps some of the more expensive NOS tubes would make a difference.
All in all, a cool product that sounds good. The price is reasonable too, though my unit had a QC problem (my unit was a demo and I got a discount off of retail, though I had to find the problem on my own). There is now a MkIII, and the dealer tells me QC is better than it used to be.
Finally, I only briefly tested a Pro-ject headphone amplifier in a different system and with different phones. This was more compact and had ergonomic advantages, but the sound was relatively uninspiring. Being a tube fan and liking the OTL option, I chose the ASL.


Product Weakness: Small QC issue
Product Strengths: Good sound; ability to switch between OTL and transformer coupling, altering the sound characteristics; tube swapping on option; price


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: ASL MG Head OTL MkII
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): BTech 926 mm phono amp
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Rega P3
Speakers: Ergo model 1
Cables/Interconnects: BTech
Music Used (Genre/Selections): All
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Antique Sound Laboratory Limited MG Head DT Amplifier (Tube) - Tom Schuman 05:14:39 10/19/04 ( 6)