Amp/Preamp Asylum: REVIEW: Granite Audio 861 Amplifier (Tube) by mcw120 Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

For Sale Ads FAQ / News / Events

Model:	861
Category:	Amplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	$5000
Description:	monoblock tube amplifers
Manufacturer URL:	Granite Audio
Model Picture:	View

Review by mcw120 ( A ) on February 11, 2005 at 14:39:39 IP Address: 64.238.123.210

Add Your Review for the 861

---

NOTE: The last time I posted a review for a Granite Audio product, I was accused of working for the company simply because I thought it was an outstanding product. For the record, I do not work for Granite Audio, or any other company involved in the selling, distributing, or marketing of audio or video equipment.

If anyone cares, I am in the real estate title examination business, and I have been an audio enthusiast for over 20 years. I try to be honest with myself about what I hear, and I personally think that too many audiophiles “listen with their eyes” not their ears. Also, unless a company acted in bad faith in my dealing with them, I would not post a negative review online, I would just post nothing.

My first Granite Audio product was the 657 CD player. In my opinion, this is without question the best CD player I have ever heard. I now own one for my bedroom system, and one for my living room system. I think it is truly one of the finest pieces of audio equipment I have ever heard.

A little over a year ago, I bought a Granite Audio Aspen 834 integrated amplifier for my bedroom system. After changing out the stock EL34 tubes, I was thrilled with the sound of the 657 CD player and the 834 amp combination. It is still in my bedroom, and I have no plans on changing it (but I do think that I would like to add a turntable to that system, and that would mean getting a new amplifier).

I was so happy with Aspen 834, that after a couple of months, I couldn’t resist replacing my Odyssey Monoblocks with 3 Granite Audio 861 amps for the front three channels, and an Aspen 834 amp for the rear channels of my home theater. I have had the current set up for about a year, but I recently did some testing with different tubes, different settings, and different power cords, after hearing a Mark Levinson “reference” system with Revel speakers.

I dragged my girlfriend with me to listen to this Levinson system. I don’t know all the exact model numbers, but the system was new, and at a dealer. It included a stereo amplifier, a one piece pre-amp, and a 390S. CD player, connected to a pair of Revel F50a Speakers, and a Revel sub. I thought the system sounded very clean, neutral, and accurate, but also very sterile. It was just missing the realism, and palpability of my system. My girlfriend however, thought it sounded “great.”

Of course, when we got back to my house I had to listen to my system, and I wanted to show her that mine actually sounded “better.” Immediately, when I turned mine on, I heard a big difference over the Levinson system. Mine was just so much more “real” sounding. My girlfriend also agreed that in fact mine was better, but she unfortunately unleashed the “tweaker” in me, and then I had to start messing with things.

There are many different adjustments you can make on the 861 amps. You can swap out the KT88’s with EL34’s (I had been using Valve Art KT88 tubes), switch them from Triode to Pentode mode (I had been using the Pentode mode), adjust the contour settings, and adjust the volume.

After some extensive listening and adjusting , I realized that the amplifiers are simply the best amplifiers I have heard. They have an uncanny sense of realism that I have just not heard anywhere else. You can hear a closing their lips, fingers moving across strings, and cymbals decaying naturally. Everything sounds so natural and real. The highs really shimmer, and the imaging is perfect. Also, they have performed incredibly well for home theater.

After testing the different adjustments, I found that the best tubes for these amps were the JJ KT88’s, the best mode was triode, and the best contour setting was 0 (0 feedback).

Unfortunately, I couldn’t leave well enough alone, and I decided to try changing the power cords. I had been using PS Audio Statement Plus power cords with the amps, but I decided to try the Granite Audio 555 power cords. I really wasn’t expecting to hear much of a difference, as I have never really ever heard much of a difference between different “quality” power cords. I was very surprised to see that the Granite Audio 555 power cords really did make a difference. The soundstage was deeper, wider, and taller. It really just sounded like the amps were getting more of the power they needed. (All of the amps are plugged directly into the wall).

Now for some more details….

Construction: The amps are extremely well made, with a mirrored finish on the body, and an acrylic faceplate that glows blue with the Granite Audio logo when they are turned on. When I am watching a movie with the lights off, the glow from the tubes and the faceplate looks incredible.

Each amp has its own volume control, and you simply adjust them individually until the imaging is just right. There is a toggle switch for triode and pentode mode. The switch feels very solid, as does the power on/off switch.

Since I am not a professional reviewer, I pulled some of the categories below from enjoythemusic.com to try and numerically describe the amps.

Tonality: 98

Sub-bass: 93

Mid bass: 98

High frequencies: 99

Attack: 98

Decay: 100

Inner Resolution: 95

Imaging: 96

Fit and Finish: 97

Self Noise: 97

---

Product Weakness:	no built in bias meter
Product Strengths:	Smooth realistic sound, great details, perfect imaging.

---

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Granite 861
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	B&K Ref 50
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Granite 657
Speakers:	PSB Silver i
Cables/Interconnects:	Groenenberg
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Vocals, rock
Room Size (LxWxH):	20 x 16 x 20
Room Comments/Treatments:	none
Time Period/Length of Audition:	1 year
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster Cable
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

---

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

VH Audio

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---