Customer Review -McAlister Audio - Vacuum tube power amplifiers, High End Audio, Tube Amps

Stereophile at the 2010 Montreal audio show

SSI 2010 Show Report King Sound Prince II Posted Sun Mar 28, 2010, 11:04 AM ET By Robert Deutsch
	As a fan of electrostatics—I used to own KLH Nines and original Quad 57s—I was intrigued by the favorable reports of the King Sound Prince II full-range electrostatics in both the 2010 CES and the Axpona show reportss, and was pleased to find out King Sound listed on the list of exhibitors at SSI 2010. It was one of the few exhibits that I actually sought out rather than just allowing myself to find it in the course of walking the show floor. And I was most impressed. The sound—with electronics from McAlister, a company that I'll be writing about in a separate blog entry—had the clarity and lack of "speaker" coloration that reminded me of the KLH Nines and Quads, but the speaker seemed to be able to play louder than than these classic 'static designs. The retail price of $6500/pair seems very reasonable. I think I've found my next speaker to review. Or maybe the King II, which is just being introduced—but it may be too big for my room.

SSI 2010 Show Report McAlister Audio Posted Sun Mar 28, 2010, 11:06 AM ET By Robert Deutsch
	Barrie, Ontario, about an hour's drive from Toronto, with a population of about 130, 000, is not a city that I associate with the design and manufacture of high performance audio equipment. It doesn't have even a single "real" audio store, just Best Buy, etc. But, as I found out at SSI 2010, Barrie is the home of McAlister Audio, maker of the OTL-195 monoblock amplifier and a prototype preamp. The designer is Peter McAlister, who produced his first prototype output-transformerless power amp ten years ago. The OTL-195 puts out 150W, and appears to be a very sophisticated design: fully balanced, able to drive 4 ohm loads, a circuit that tracks the signal level in the driver stage and modulates the control grids of output tubes, and various other circuit refinements. The OTL-195 is hand-built by Peter McAlister himself, and utilizes high-quality parts. The price is $8500/pair. As I mentioned in the blog posting below, the King Sound Prince IIs sounded great driven the McAlister OTL-195s.
	Posted Mon Mar29, 2010, 11:06 AM — By jac zylstra McAlister's amps are becoming a bit of a legend all over Canada and although I know of at least one local (Edmonton) owner of Peter's OTL design I'm still waiting for an invite to hear it. But from what I'm given to understand this amp is driving a pair of old Accustats - and any amp that can drive these venerable old warhorses is an amp to be taken seriously. Word through the grapevine is that the owner is extremely happy with the OTL - and he's been into high-end audio for over 40 years!

Stereo Mojo


Stereo Power Amplifier Base price is $1500 The PP150S stereo power amplifier utilizes horizontal output tubes to produce 75 watts per channel. 6EM7 dual triodes are used for the input, phase slitter and driver stages and EL504 / 40KG6 horizontal tubes for the output stage. Just so you know, this piece is not on manufacturer loan. I purchased this amp from a friend after a short audition. After a call to Peter McAlister and a note to our publisher, the review was planned.

The Basics The PP150 is a big amp, though the main chassis weighs only 30lbs. That’s because the power transformer, about 20 lbs by itself, is housed in a separate box. The two pieces are connected by a 6 foot umbilical cord covered in flex tubing.
	At first look, you notice the very large 40KG6 power tubes with their high voltage caps and wires- now that’s a power tube. Next you see the 20oz beer can power capacitors (15,000uF each) that stand like two black towers where you would normally see a power transformer. The 40KG6 tubes are TV sweep tubes from the 60s, and according to Peter, they are much better for high power audio amplification than power pentodes like EL34s, 6550s or KT88s. Coupled with the huge power supply, the McAlister provides a very powerful sounding 75 push-pull watts per channel. The amp features point to point wiring and custom output transformers hand wound by Peter McAlister himself (see sidebar). McAlister Audio exudes some of the best diy cachet that can accompany products from workshop-based companies. The casework looks handmade because it probably is. There are visible welds on top and bottom of the chassis. The casings for the transformers are made from thin steel, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable laying the amp on its side or on its top. The power transformer hums a bit, but sits in an out of the way corner where I can’t hear it. Anyway, Peter says he’s fixed the hum since my amp was built. The flex tubing on the umbilical cord doesn’t mate perfectly with the transformer case or the connectors. The black paint on the main chassis is nicely applied and good looking, but collects dust. And I don’t like the name PP150.

That’s all the bad. I love the looks - it’s retro, rich looking and outrageous all at once. And it is handmade. Mostly by Peter in Ontario, Canada. Not in China.

Mr. McAlister, please.. As is our tradition here at the Mojo, I asked Peter to share his philosophy and design principles behind his product: "My company philosophy is to produce high end audio products at reasonable costs with the emphasis on performance. I feel there is a huge demographic of people that would love to get into 2 channel tube audio but are intimidated by the high costs. Alot of manufactures spend their efforts on cosmetics and esoteric parts ( marketing ) and very little on design. In fact a large number of tube products actually use existing design schematics from the 50's with better power supplies and much better capacitors- the result is a better performing unit that was available in the 50's/ 60's but the bar can be raised much higher. Since my costs are nowhere near the bigger companies I do not have to sell hundreds of units just to meet my fixed budget so therefore do not have to produce product based on marketing and agreement reality. In a tube amplifier 70% of the performance is the circuit design and the single most important component is the output transformer. It’s interesting to look at the very first high fidelity amplifier design in 1947 (Williamson). This amplifier used all triodes for the input, a proper driver stage and a well designed output transformer. The power supply was anemic and the amplifier used cathode biasing which slowed the speed and produced a weak bass response but still this amplifier would hold its own against many products currently in production. Almost all vintage amplifiers and some currently manufactured tube amplifiers have pentodes in the input stage (higher gain but very noisy), no driver stage (this is all too common and severely limits the transient response) and cathode /automatic biasing - no biasing of the output tubes required (Cathode bias output stages limit the bass response and slow the amplifier speed). That said this is my design criteria on the PP-150 and MB-130; - All triode input and a phase slitter circuit design that does not go out of balance at high signal levels and characteristics do not change as the tubes age. - All triode driver stage that properly drives the output section. - Horizontal sweep tubes that have huge cathodes and can pass lots of current with lower overall distortion than any audio tube. I went on to ask about specific features; "The output transformers are custom wound M6 core that have 4 primary and 3 secondary sections with each layer dipped in varnish prior to insulation. Plate voltage is delayed 30 seconds to prevent cathode stripping. This high voltage delay is accomplished with a damper diode rectifying the relay coil voltage through a controlled warm up. The separate power supply uses a massive power transformer system. High speed diodes, regulation and 2x 15,000uf of capacitance paralleled with film capacitors are used in the power supply. Electrolytic capacitors are only used in the power supply and power distribution networks. Distortion and speed are greatly improved with the addition of a drive stage between the front end 1st gain / phase splitter and output stage. The end result is an extremely stable high wattage power amplifier that has a flat frequency response; low distortion and output stage/transformer overshoot of less than 1%". Peter, why did you choose the sweep tubes for power? The only other amp I know of like this one is the EAR PL509, which has a great rep, but hardly anyone's heard it. Comments? "Sweep tubes are far superior to audio tubes with lower distortion and can pass lots of current due to large cathodes. An example would be the EL34 which has the highest plate voltage rating of 800 volts- sweep tubes can handle 7,000 volt peaks. The EAR PL509 is a good amplifier that puts the signal into the screen grid with the signal grid grounded. This triode connection reduces the plate impedance and can work quite well producing a much lower output. My single ended designs ( SE-32/44 ) also use this type of circuit but are driven directly from the driver stage without any coupling capacitors. The PP-150 and MB130 are connected differently; the EAR PL509 with the signal into grid #1." Are all of your tubes provided NOS? "NOS" stands for "new old stock", meaning the tubes are old, perhaps even from the 40's, that test as good, or almost as good, as new. Most tube people are certain these most often sound better (and are generally more costly) than those being made today in China or the former Soviet Bloc. No tubes are currently made in the US - publisher. "Yes - tube manufacture is not critical to performance due to the circuit design. My only comment would be that some Sylvania sweep tubes have been unstable". Startup - You told me that the big glow from the bottom of the power tubes at start up was normal. The front tubes also glow brightly then dim a bit, as the center tube (function?) gains in brightness. I'm guessing there is no soft start on this amp. "The initial brightness is the filament design - when cold, the resistance is very low so the initial current requirement causes the extra brightness. I do not use a slow filament start as I have no issues with filament life being shortened. I do use a high voltage delay as this does make a difference on tube life expectancy." Also Peter, I'd like to put the amp sideways to look at the guts, but am leery of leaning the amp on the transformer covers. Is there a safe way to look at the underside? "You would have to be very careful. I only use point to point wiring as in my view this is superior. The down side to point to point wiring especially in my designs is that you have 100's of connections and tie points so with lots of wires it can look messy. I use the shortest path on connections and do not use the underside for marketing with extra lengths of wire at right angles". THE SOUND “Stimela” by Hugh Masekela, on the 1994 CD “Hope” centers on the coal train bringing miners to Johannesberg. It is ten minutes of moving poetry, terrific vocalizing, singing and playing - one of the best and most exciting recordings I’ve ever heard. Through the best stereo systems, turned up high, you jump out of your skin with the first screamed train whistle. You hear the train coming from a mile away… I’ve heard this track done properly through MBL electronics and the big MBL 101Es. About a quarter mil all in. With the McAlister amp driving big electrostat panels in my house, I’m not there yet, but am getting satisfyingly close. I was listening to Emily Lou Harris “The Maker” from Spyboy when I started typing up my notes. Had it on medium level when the drum solo came on, then stopped writing and restarted the track at near concert volume. Holy crap. This is what drums sound like in concert. Not unamplified, but what I expect when the mics and the board are right, from the kick drum through the cymbals.
	To give the amp a proper workout, I disconnected my bass amp and turned off the sub, running my large (6ft tall, 12 inch woofers) Martin Logan ReQuests full range from the McAlister. Starting with Patricia Barber’s Fortnight in France the bass was well defined. At first listen, better than the bi-amp setup. Percussion details are eerily present in the room, it’s as if you can see the drums being hit. The stand up bass is, dare I say, perfect. Better in fact, than with the bass amp and sub connected, telling me that the recording (and probably the live performance) had more low bass than was needed. Anna Moffo in 1959 on RCA Living Stereo SACD produced a sound I judged better than I’d heard from the Magico Minis during a demo at the last HE show. String tone is delicious, with a strong orchestral foundation. The singing is spectacular, and the recording does it justice.
Chris McBride’s Gettin to it CD is a tougher test. This is a superb big band recording, and I gave the volume control a twist to the right. The band hits hard, especially on the brass attacks in “In a Hurry.” These sounded just right to me- as an ex-trumpeter who used to sit in the middle of the band, the trumpets and trombones had the right combination of attack, brass and blatt. The sound was somewhat cleaner than the bi-amp setup, my feet were tapping and the Mcalister had not run out of steam. Waay cool. All right, the amp can do opera and a live jazz band in my largish room, tethered to 89db rated hybrid electrostats that provide a real tricky load. Can the amp reproduce a rock concert? In went Tori Amos’ “A Sorta Fairy Tale.” You might guess this is a quiet ballad, but you’d be wrong. The track carries a stomping kick drum bass combo that goes way down deep. Twisted the volume another notch to the right and let 'er rip. For the first 30 seconds or so, the McAlister gamely kept up. Fairy Tale exploded into the room. I’m thinking this is maybe the greatest amp ever. No way is this 75wpc. Then the laws of physics kicked in and sounds of distress from the right channel prompted a return to a more sane SPL. At a lower level, the bass and drums lacked ultimate slam. All right, physics rules. Lets see what happens with the Bryston and sub back in the mix. Hooked everything back up and cranked the excitement factor to 11. The only reproduced sound that has come close to this in my experience has been at shows with big, $100,000+ systems. Handling the panels only, the McAlister sails through the toughest dynamics with ease. More Tori, at slightly lower levels - “Sweet Dreams” from the Winter EP. The percussion goes far to the side of the speakers - I had not heard this before. The piano is nicely centered, and I would like to say I could identify the sound of the Bosendorfer as such, and not say, a Steinway D, but that would be cheating cause I know what’s being played. The piano is very realistic on the simply produced “Upside Down.” On the Hey Jupiter EP, the title song is glorious, with a church organ and backing vocals soaring over the melody. The live version of “Sugar” captures Tori’s mic technique- that is, the mic is at her lips or down her throat. You hear every nuance of her breathing, way too much info for non-Tori fans. Classical: Dvorak’s “New World.” Gorgeous. Space, air, detail, body all in proper proportion. From the Brandenburg Concerti, the best reproduction of violin I have ever heard, bar none. The combination of PP150 and electrostatic speakers is perfect (Peter voiced this amp with e-stat speakers, but I don’t know which ones).
Special added features My amplifier has two controls on the front face that are not standard on the PP150. One is called “Focus”, which adjusts the level of local feedback (there is no global feedback) and the other is a high frequency attenuation selector with four positions. I run the amplifier with near minimum feedback and in the #2 HF position. Switching to #1 gives just a bit more highs, but is more than I find optimal. Fitting these extras to the amp is highly recommended. I believe that almost anything can be improved by fine tuning. They add $250 to the base $1,500. With my amp, there is hum emitted from the separate transformer. It is not loud enough to hear from my chair, but it could be from yours. However when I asked Peter about this, he told me that his latest models have changes that now make them "very quiet". CONCLUSIONS From the start, the McAlister PP150 impressed me as having the best attributes of tube amplification. It’s big, powerful and full bodied. Not tubey in the classic, Mac 240 way. You get bags of air and all the detail that’s present on your recordings. There’s fierce attack and wondrous decay. In other words, the McAlister has MOJO! The amp is near dead silent. By itself, powering full range speakers in the 88-90db sensitivity range, expect terrific but not unlimited dynamics, excellent control and slam in the bass, a delicate treble and full fleshed mids. Within its considerable limits, this amp ranks among the best, regardless of cost. The best stereo systems can make almost any recording exciting as they recreate the musical event - the notes and the emotion. There’s a magic factor that I normally associate only with tubes, and the McAlister has it in spades, with no downside. At the price Peter asks, it’s a stone bargain. Competition? The VTL ST85 puts out similar power levels, has a warmer, less detailed sound for about $2200. The new Cayin 100wpc integrated, from China, is north of 3k. So are the current versions of the Rogue M120s, amps from Cary and Manley. The closest amp in sound quality that I can think of is the 100wpc Kora Cosmos at $5k. There are many others, but you’re not going to get better performance unless you spend, spend and spend. Andrew, another example is the AES Super Amp I have in for review. By comparison, it is made in the US by Cary, but the price is $1800 and it only outputs 40 watts per channel and uses new Chinese tubes - publisher. This unit comes with a one year warranty parts and labor, except the tubes that are covered for 90 days Build Features: Point to Point wiring No electrolytic capacitors in the signal path High quality film capacitors used in the signal path Regulated fixed bias Separate regulated screen supply Horizontal out put tubes EL509/PL519 Amplifier dimensions: 8”H x 20”W x 12”D Power supply 7”H x 13”W X 8”D Build Options: Customer options of front or rear panel input and speaker binding posts. Front panel choice of silver or gold LED color choice for power on and operation status Umbilical cord length between the power supply and amplifier to suit your needs. If you're looking for a tube power amplifier and your speakers and room are such that 75 watts per channel is sufficient, you would do well to check out this amp. This is a terrific sounding amp at a very attractive price. Okay, $1,500 for 75 wpc is more than attractive. A price that comes out of Ontario, Canada, so there's no concern about black or gray market products with shakey parts and service availability from sellers that may or may not be there tomorrow. That price includes Peter who is happy to work with you to build the amp that best fits your needs. We think it is always a value added when the designer is so accessible. Come to think of it, even if you are only "tube curious", this could be a great place to start. At the price, there is not much downside and the upside just might make you be glad you tried the tube route. Peter also makes a plethora of other amps and accessories, so check out the website: http://www.mcalisteraudio.com/ Tell him Stereomojo sent you and ask Peter to add the Focus and HF controls. Fire it up when it arrives and impress your friends and s.o. Sit back and enjoy the music. POSTSCRIPT: Peter informs me that he now has more help with production, and that wait times for a new amp are becoming more manageable. In the past, people had to wait up to six months. In addiiton, he has contracted with a case constructor to give the amplifier better cosmetics - this will add to the price of the amp when the new cases come on line.

2008 - SE-32 Boead Review

Peter McAlisters SET is superb and mighty seems like an under statement. I have a model SE32S built in the summer of 2007. It was a first off with a new PSU Peter is very excited about, so this SE32S is certainly deluxe. Paul Candy from 6Moons got to hear my particular amp prior to it shipping and was extremely impressed with the performance, so much so he apparently ordered one. At 16 WPC it dwarfs amps three to five times its wattage.

Something I didn’t expect when buying the amp. I replaced a modified Decware Select amp at 2 WPC, EL84 based. I drove a pair of Parker Audio high efficiency speakers rated at 95db, no crossover just a cap on a ribbon tweeter (MTM design). Head-in is an Arcam FMJ-23T (Ring DAC’s) at 2.4v output into a McAlister PL-10 preamp (12SN7, tube rectified) which replaced a VanAlstine T7 preamp. I also use a Scott Nixon USB-TD from a laptop computer and a Denon 2900 SACD player. New additions also include two pairs of Alon Speakers which are semi open baffle, 3-way design with complex crossovers. Both speakers are VERY inefficient, rated at 86db. These speakers really are masters of soundstage / imaging. I have the Model I’s and the Model II’s.

Some time ago I tried to power the Model I’s with the Select amp and it could hardly push any sound through them, totally choked!! I’ve heard these speakers with a variety of amps, all fairly high powered. When I tried the McAlister SE32S with them I didn’t expect much. 16wpc was just NOT going to be enough for these power hungry speakers. OMG was I wrong! These messily 16 watts can EASILY power these speakers to respectable levels. Using my trusty RatShack sound level meter I monitored average levels at 88db with peaks as high as 98db’s with the amp near its top. Way louder then I listen to 98% of the time. I can not begin to tell you how I’ve seen these speakers take a 30wps Conrad Johnson amp in trilinear to its knees and play nicely with a Rogue Stereo90 at 45 watts (KT88’s), how can a 16 watt amp power these speakers?! I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Peter McAlister how it does it, especially with an SET design!

The McALister SE32S has deep, tight bass. Beautiful, present vocals and horns that are tightly placed withign the soundstage. Highend is strong and extended but NOT bright or harsh. The soundstage and texture is what you can expect from an SET, but with this level of power/drive, it’s a special treat with speakers usually off limits to an SET amp. My model SE32S uses two 6JM6 sweep tubes per channel. I’m using a matched quad of NOS RCA’s from the late 50’s. Input tubes are 12SN7’s (one per channel) which are TungSol’s from the 50’s. The constant current supply uses a pair of 6CL6’s, 6DJ8’s and is rectified with a 6AX4. I’m using a Kimber Model 10 Gold power chord, MIT S3 IC’s, custom Litz speaker cables (compare closely to MIT S3 cables as well). My McAlister PL-10 preamp uses a pair of 12SN7’s (rare late 40’s TungSols) input, 6BQ6 sweep, 12SN7’s in constant current supply and is 5AR4 rectified (all TungSol’s)/ I’m using a Harmonic Tech Fantasy 10 power chord and mostly MIT S3 IC’s between sources. No power conditioning, amp into the wall, components into a PS Audio Juice Bar using another Fantasy 10 power chord. Clean run to box, clean power in this house and area. As what can be expected, the system is source revealing but not distracting. The amp and Alon II’s are very musical from both the high quality Arcam FMJ through a simple 3G

Audio Circle

Re: I'M SORRY ED!!!!!!!!! « Reply #79 on: February 13, 2007, 02:46:59 am »

I just sent my McAlister PL-10 into Peter for a retro-fit. He has a design change that will favor low impedance headphones. Prior to shipping it, I lent it to a friend with some serious gear.
He has a nice new pair of Alon Model 5 speakers, a Rogue Stereo 90 (KT88) amp, Meridian CDP and a Balanced Audio V3i preamp with what one would say is a stupid amount of money spent on cables, wires and cords but that’s a story for another day or post.
A day or two after I dropped of the McAlister preamp he called. He was absolutely floored! He has also borrowed a new Conrad Johnson preamp fro a local HiFi shop and had it on hand. He said the McAlister was so darn good he was actually considering buying one and then went on to consider buying one of his amps too. He just couldn’t believe how good it sounded. It absolutely floored the Conrad Johnson, making it sound muddled and lifeless. His BAT held its own in terms of soundstage and transparency but the McAlister best it in bass response and tone.

He felt at two or three times its price it was an Audio bargain, but at its sub $1000 price tag, he just couldn’t figure out why Peter would sell it for so little. Sure the build is rough and its way larger then it should be which makes it somewhat cumbersome but all take back seat to its wonderful sound.

I ordered one of his SET’s, it’s the SE32 (15wpc). He has such a back order that it’ll take a few weeks to get (that’s at least three months in McAlister time) but I’m in no rush, good things are worth waiting for.

Ed, I promise your horns come next! I really needed to have more power at my disposal to be satisfied. My Parkers are hardly loud enough at times and they are 95+db’s sensitive. Once I have more power then the Select, I’ll be hunting down a pair of your horns. Like I said, good things are worth the wait.

Hey Boead,

Congrats on taking the plunge on Peter's SE amp. I am the proud owner of one of his SE44 amps - 22w/ch(that's a picture of my amp on his webpage). I also had him install his preamp circuitry in a custom pre I had built.

Yeah his stuff isn't as fancy as alot of the gear out there; it uses funny "sweep tubes (last 10X longer than in vogue tubes with less distortion); run hot and are BIG, but...they have it where it counts!!! It's a perfect match for Ed's creations...not the prettiest girl at the party, but boy she can dance!!!

I wish I was in an area where there was more gear to compare my stuff to. I read where Peter's amps were the talk of the show at a gathering in toronto, holding their own against some of the biggest names in the business.

I like it that almost all my stuff has been built by guys I have spent hours communicating with and have gotten to know well. Most of what they say goes right over my head but I appreciate them taking the time to talk about their passions. It is also special to have this high of a qulaity of gear made just for you. I'm even using Ed's speaker cables, his Hornline and will soon take possession of one of his new sub cables!!!

Peter and Ed are both great guys that never turn their backs on their friends/customers. It takes longer to get their product but it's worth waiting for.

ENJOY!!!

SE 44 Reviews

Rocket Ronny McAlister SE 44 Killer Set Amp Review « on: November 26, 2006, 10:28:48 pm »

I just absolutely love this Set amp.
It removes a layer most amps leave behind.
It is what digital amps can only dream of being.
Fantastic speed is evident in how bells and chimes are revealed.

There is a total absence of grit, grime, or artificial edge. This leads to a bit of a laid back presentation. Not boring at all. It just does not wack you over the head unless called for. So industrial rockers may not like this amp. It is too clean.

The tonal balance leans to the clean and clear, yet with some wonderful warmth. This is not a golden glow boy like perhaps Conrad Johnson. Just beautiful music.

Very wide and deep soundstage, with excellent localization of instruments. I was worried about this since it has 4 output tubes per channel. Well, it images good enough for me, and imaging is a top priority in my books. I want a real, life sized, performance before me. Otherwise, why bother?

The top end just shimmers with life.
Bass is excellent as well. Is this a Set I am listening to, I ask myself?

This amp made my Hornshoppe Wannabes sound like some sort of electrostat, Avant Guard, monsters.

I am drawn into the music and amazed by the amount of music previously missing. I am talking the little things like subtle details, spacial cues, etc.

Oh, and it sports a powerhouse 22 watts. Got to like that if you are a set guy.

In 25 years of high end audio there are a few events that stand out as milestones. One was my Oracle/Alphason 1000S arm, with Electro Research EK1 strain guage cartridge, and Electron Kinetics Eagle 7A amp, driving Acoustat Model 3's. There were others as well.

This McAlister SE 44 is another one of those milestones. That coupled with the GR Research OB 5 speakers takes my breath away. http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/index.php?topic=31630.30

You can see the SE 44 in action in the picture below. It's on top of the audio rack. On the bottom shelf is it's massive power supply. The speaker is the GR Research OB 5 that were just given birth.

I have not been this excited about listening to music for a long time.

Here is the McAlister web site: http://www.mcalisteraudio.com/
Here is GR's site: http://www.gr-research.com If this is not one of the very best amps I have experienced, then I don't know what is. It gets my highest praise. Thank you for making such high end affordable.

Rocket_Ronny

Hello Peter,

Following is my review of the SE44 posted on Audiocircle.

Well...it's been a couple of months since I got my McAlister SE44. I thought it was about time to share my thoughts with those of you who have been participating on this thread.

I am not a professional reviewer and do not consider myself an audiophile though I consider myself to have a good ear for music and tone having played lead trombone in an 18 piece jazz ensemble.

My equipment for this review...
Jolida Jd 100 CDP (not modified)
McAlister preamp
McAlister SE44 amplifier
Magnet wire ICs and speaker cables ( I know some will laugh but I have listened to others with the horns including DH Labs Q-10 and these have a smoothness and sparkle that sounds "right" to me). I'm soon to try Ed's speaker cable creations.

My room is 11.5 X 18. The Horns are on the short wall (11.5) about 20" from the corners and 10" from the back wall. They are toed in to cross over about mid room. My listening position is 11' back from the speakers.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Out of the box, the amp sounded more open, with deeper and "firmer" bass. I use the term "firmer" as it better describes the sound than "tight" (never really understood that term). There wasn't more bass than my Consonance Ella tube amp, just deeper and firmer.

Long Term Impressions
The presentation on this amp is more laid back and less 'in-your-face" than I heard with the Ella. At first I thought detail was lacking because of this but after much listening there is actually more detail. I never knew what guys meant by a "relaxed" presentation but now do. This amp is so smooth the music just flows out gently and easily. Don't get me wrong...this thing can really rock and I have heard no indication of a lack of headroom even when playing Stevie Ray Vaughn at live levels!! I am amazed that at those levels in a small, untreated room there is absolutely no audible distortion and every word is perfectly articulated!!

Peter describes this amp as "transparent "...he is right!! I like to describe it as "layered". I can see deep into the music and pick out details I never knew were there yet...this is not an analytical sounding amp!! It is smooth and totally non-fatiguing!! The Horns absolutely SING with his amp!! My previous amp was no slouch in detail and imaging. It was heavily modified with upgraded caps, resistors diodes etc. This amp simply goes to a different level.

One of the biggest plusses I have found is its ability to separate vocals and instruments. I guess this is imaging but it comes out in hearing 3 harmonies where before I used to only be able to discern 2. I am hearing harmonies on tracks where I didn't even realize there was a second vocal!! Each voice is distinct too and has its own tone and identity rather than the combined sound background vocals often have.

Instrument placement is tight and stable. For some reason, the guitars of Strunz and Farrah have always seemed to be unstable images. Not with this amp!! Three dimensionality is also great...drums and percussion come from left and right but also from in back of the other instruments. Even when there is a lot going on in the background, the lead vocals and guitars float out in front of the music/band with no muddying of the rest of the presentation.

Tone and pitch are accurate! This amp reveals the various tones of instruments - not some monotone sound like I so often hear. Cymbals sound absolutely "RIGHT" with clean attacks and decays and the right amount of shimmer...they sound like real cymbals not electric "tizz".

The combo of McAlister pre and amp provided for a more full and punchier mid range and this has made it possible to listen to a wider variety of my music selection. Poor recordings still are exposed for what they are but aren't quite as displeasing to listen to. The amp allows the detail to come through without the harshness and edginess apparent with so many analytical amps.

Summary...

This amp delivers the goods for me. It just makes everything sound "right". The detail is there but not sharp or edgy. The amp exposes the different layers of music in a way that allows me to see inside the recording and get involved with the music. Lots of bass and amazing tonal accuracy.

The more I listen, the more I love this amp. I still haven't got through my entire collection (probably take years) but every album I put on for the first time with this amp amazes me with the improvements in overall presentation, detail, tone etc.

I don't know how to upload pics but there are some posted by someone else somewhere back in this thread. If someone wants to give me the quick and dirty on pic uploading, I'll post some here.

This amp is built like a tank!!! It weighs 45 pounds without the power transformer (another 20 pounds) which is in a separate chassis connected by an umbilical to the amp.

Boed...if you really like the preamp ( I have one too) you will love his SE amp!!

BTW...I got an entire replacement set of output tubes (sweep tubes) tested and matched for $40US. That's a matched octet for those that are counting!!!

EA-1,4 Reviews

Originally Posted by tennisetsDid
anyone listen to the McAlister EA-1 electrostatic amp?

The Mcalister EA-1 was daisy chained to the Meitner gear on both days. All I can say is this amp is a steal at its asking price for sound Quality,cosmetics aside.Mikeg did compare it to the bigboys at the meet.

Originally Posted by bozebuttons

The Mcalister EA-1 was daisy chained to the Meitner gear on both days.All I can say is this amp is a steal at its asking price for sound Quality,cosmetics aside.Mikeg did compare it to the bigboys at the meet. Awesome, I'm thinking about picking one up this summer for my SR-404s. And I actually think it looks really nice, in the pictures I've seen it definitely looks better than the Headamp KGSS at least, in my opinion. Edward

Greetings to All! I'm busy at work and I'll just post some basics now:

What a rocking good meet! Saturday was a blast of energy! Loved the Pros' Panel after dinner. Besides Tyll's ever-personable intros, Wes was the greatest moderator I could imagine. Fast and friendly wit, great command of the language and razor sharp throw-away lines. What a great opportunity to meet and hear all these guys together. It would be fun to run thru it again on DVD, now that I'm awake. Like everyone else, I'll give my thanks to the vendors, press, family and friends who made the effort to contribute and to be with us, adding great energy to a whopping great event.

Sunday was the perfectly personal, relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable meet to follow Saturday's incredibly successful, high-energy National Convention #1.

I was blessed that for a change I got to stay put and meet lots of great folks, instead of burying myself in setup after setup, as I usually do. I got a kick out of presenting Beyer's 3 top cans to many of you, and hopefully I enabled 770-880 & 990 to speak for themselves with a little gentle assistance and no hype. Once my aching back and parched throat stopped whining, I realized (while I was chatting with Tyll at the end of the day) that it really was a pleasure to have been able to help Beyer, and offer my little bit of expertise to those who may have been able to benefit from it.

Tho' I didn't get to hear any gear Saturday -- except for a brief and thrilling-as-usual pre-meet listen to Tom's (bozebuttons') Orpheus system and the sleek, beautifully encased-in-glossy-piano-black-sophistication PPX Slam that Mikhail very graciously offered for use with Tom's Theta CD transport and apparently transparent Ack Dack at the Beyer table, I did get to meet and offer a hearty handshake to our most gracious and talented visiting vendors.

I heard lots of wonderful stuff on Sunday, and got to have the relaxed chats with fellow headfiers I was looking forward to.

Off the top of my head, a few real standout surprises for me were:

Ray's rock-solid B52 amp & beefy P.S. that pumped wonderfully controlled sound with great snap and impact through the PS1 that I often feel is too overbearingly bass-heavy for my tastes, but which were smooth, balanced and beautifully controlled with Ray's new "Da Bomb"-er.

The McAllister amp was a real shocker/stunner! This was the greatest standout surprise for me. I could not believe that this budget amp could produce such a glorious sound with the HE90s!!!! I also liked the Omega2 out of this amp -- more than with any other amp I've tried them with to date. I shouldn't say this too loud, tho' -- shhh -- I hope it stays around this price until I can afford to buy one. But then, how will I get the HE90???

I love the look of the Original 2008 CD transport, but did not get to hear it. Wayne seemed to have bonded with it! The Leonardo was a looker, too, but I was too distracted by the B52 and didn't get to play with Leo.

Jahn's Tower of Power was great. As always, I love his Lamda Pros, and the Melos was sounding pretty good too. His system has matured greatly and he's got to have some happy, grinning hours with it at home.

TJKurita's copper "Blackie" 300B was a great, sculptural piece. I didn't like the K1000 thru it, but my brand new 880s sounded great, in the brief listen I had at the end of the day.

I was really surprised that quite a few members spent some attentive time with my little portables. I thought I'd just set them up and stroll around, but I had some interesting chats with new friends. I'll write more if I think of more to say. Cheers!

Originally Posted by The_Duke_Of_EliHow did they sound? Sorry couldn't resist.

i posted this elsewhere, but on saturday, my fave was the HE90 hooked into the McAllister. Don't change a thing, including the looks!

Originally Posted by Jahni posted this elsewhere, but on saturday, my fave was the HE90 hooked into the McAllister. Don't change a thing, including the looks!

I think McAllister is changing the case. At least that was what he said the last time I emailed him. There is no question imo that it is an electrostat best buy.

EA-4 Reviews

What can I say, great people, great equipment, great meet. I think Mikeg's Mcalister was the talk of the show. It sounded better to me than at the Miami meet and it was neck and neck with the Egmont, which is saying a lot. I think we had all four outputs going at the same time for a while. It is very versatile, has a nice sound and is a complete steal for the money. Thanks to all who attended, last night and today, and especially Oz for the use of the store. I'll post more later.
Gary.

I would like to thank Mike as without his attention to detail this meet would not have gone so well. Thanks Mike for just kicking butt with pulling this thing together. There were so many great set ups and sound coming from every rig but the most important part of our meets are the people, the Florida crew rocks (honary members included). The one rig I have not heard so much about but was a major highlight for me was the McCalister and Egmont rigs. The HE90s, 60s and Stax 007s pulled off everything we threw at them from Tool to classical. THe McCalister amp is a steal and offers wonderfull sound and amazing versatility at one time we had 4 different headphones running from this amp. It was being fed by Gary's SACD1 that always rocks. Gene, I can't thank you enough for the pleasure of checking out the HP2s these are a real treat. The accuphase is one really sharp source, if I did not already plunk down on my cd player I would have to consider this one. The Naim CD players sounded great as always I love there punchy and rythmic sounds. This is what listening to music is about for me forgeting about the gear and getting wrapped up in the music. I really did not hear any major difference in the 5i and 5x but we were at a meet. I need to hear these in a listening room to hear if there is a gap between these players that justifies the cost. Frank I love the Dynahi and K1000 combo, I think I will be dissapointed the day you finish the amp as I think it is just so freakin cool seeing and hearing such a great amp in various stages of build. Vicki you a nice addition to our Florida crew and your enthusiasim for music is contagious. Sorry to hear about the home owners things. You are a good reminder that at the end if the day it's about loving music. Thanks for turning us on to some good tunes. Steveio great to see you again, when are you hosting the Maryland meet. You can do a combo meet and audio garage sale to finance your families newest addition and your daughters education. Glad you made it to the show.Wanye sorry you missed the show but it was great seeing you again. Next time you have to go to the show.

PP150 Review

My brother and I were invited to Rich’s (SCompRacer) home to demo his new McAlister tube amp last Sunday. First let me say he was an extremely gracious and accommodating host. I was killing a couple of birds with one stone during this visit. I got to hear tube gear, SDA’s, and an SVS sub all for the first time.

Equipment used:
SDA SRS 2 with silk tweeters, crossovers rebuilt with Solen Caps/Mills resistors.
McAlister PP150 Tube Amp
Ah! Njoe Super Tjoeb CDP with UpSampler board and Amperex 7308 tubes
Dodd Audio MLP tube pre-amp
AudioTruth Lapis & Nordost Red Dawn IC’s.
PS Audio XStream Bi Wire Speaker Cables

Material:
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (Welcome to The Machine)
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (Don’t Know Why)
Dire Straits – Brother In Arms (Money for Nothing)
Sheryl Crow – If it Makes You Happy (No One Said It Would Be Easy – Live)
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon (Time)
Pearl Jam – Jeremy (Yellow Ledbetter)
Toni Braxton – Secrets (You’re Makin Me High)
Creed – My Own Prison (One)

Setup and room configuration are discussed here: link

I didn’t have any expectations or preconceived notions before the first track played. I don’t consider myself an expert by any means either. I’m just going to tell you what I think. Rich stuck me in the “sweet spot”. My brother sat down next to me and then the demo began.

Welcome to the machine started and I could not believe how much bass there was. As the song (and the rest of the songs that day) progressed one word kept repeating in my head – BALANCED. Nothing was out of place with the music. Everything was exactly where it was supposed to be. The highs, mids, and lows were blending perfectly. In my rig the highs and mids stand out whereas the bass is subdued. The only time I felt like saying “turn down the bass” was during Toni’s “You’re makin me high”. Alas there was no bass knob to be turned; it was all straight from the source. I think the tube amp has deeper, stronger, tighter, and more sustained bass. Vocals are soft and smooth with the tube gear, they are harsh/bright with my solid-state amps (first Rotel and now – to a lesser degree – Parasound). No listening fatigue here. I also think that the tube amp is very appealing aesthetically.

This is what I thought a separate component system should sound like. This is how I wanted my rig to sound. THIS is audio nirvana!

The only thing that concerned me was the massive power supply. When I first saw it I thought it was another amplifier! It was also putting out a slight hum that probably came from being dropped during shipping. I could not hear it from a foot away let alone the sweet spot.

After the 2 Channel demo was over we went into his home theater. He’s got LCi In-walls and an SVS sub. It all sounds fantastic. If you don’t think you can get great sound from in wall speakers I would say you're mistaken. As far as the SVS subwoofer....I get it! It isn't about the sound that it puts out; it is the vibrations! Master and Commander was the material for the HT demo.

Before we left I’d made up my mind that McAlister Audio is definitely in my future. I’m going to put in my order soon. Rich has generously offered to allow me to demo some gear in my environment on my speakers. I’m telling you right now that Rich is a class act and I cannot thank him enough for all his advice, assistance, and most of all his overwhelming generosity.I hope this was a good review. I don't know all the proper audio terminology

Mcalister Audio PP150S Tube amp

I like to listen to Jazz & female vocalists and here is a list of the CD's I base this review on.

Dianna Krall- The Girl in the other room
Cassandra Wilson - Belly of the sun
Van Morrison - What's wrong with this picture
Van Morrison with Georgie Fame and friends
Eva Cassidy - Songbird
Terence Blanchard - Let's get lost
Fourplay - Journey
John Previti Quartet - Swinging Lullabyes
Kendra Shank - Afterglow
Steve Bell - The feast of seasons
The Fred Hersh Trio - plays Coltrane,Davis.Ellington ...
Christy Baron - Steppin'
Patrica Barber - Cafe' Blue
Steve Bell - Simple songs
Dick Hyman - plays Duke Ellington
Tuck & Patti - various
Rickie Lee Jones - various
Alison Krauss - Lonely runs both ways
Alison Krauss - Live and other various CD's

For all the technical information and more about the builder (Pete) please go to the website below.

http://www.mcalisteraudio.com/

This amp is hand built one at a time by Pete of Mcalister Audio with all point to point wiring. His design is fresh and new. His web page gives all of the details for you tech geeks. Bottom line is this design is not like most tube amps. The amp uses horozontal sweep TV tubes for output tubes.

It has a very DIY look so for those of you who desire top notch fit and finish on the exteior, this amp may not be for you. On the other hand, for those of you you don't mind that hand built DIY look, your in for a real treat.

Special note here. My amp has the bias pots and bias meter probe inputs located on the top of the amp next to the output tubes. I think the stock model forces you to remove the botton plate while the amp in on its side. That is not a good or safe way to bias in my book. Go for the upgrade. This may be stock now, but I am not sure. I also understand Pete is now making this amp with a more traditional glossy finish. I have seen a picture of the new amp and it looks very good indeed.

I have owned many fine tube and SS amps over the past 7 years. Let me start off this review by saying this amp takes a back seat to none of them in the way it delivers beautiful music. Remember, this amp sells for $995 new direct from Mcalister Audio. Shipping and the upgrades mentioned above will add some $250. With this in mind, I can confidently state this amp is the best value in high end amps on the planet. At least from what I have heard :-) Yes, I like the amp very much.

The amp reminds me of the Wright Sound 2a3 SET monoblocks I owned about a year ago. They have that same inner detail sparkle to the highs. This amp really has an immediate and intimate sound personality. The instruments are presented to you in a clean, raw manner - like live music. No glossing over the detail or "fuzzing" up the works here.
With each CD I played I became more and more aware of each instrument and the emotion of the words sung. This amp somehow releases more of the music's energy. I forgot to mention I also owned the Berning ZH270 amp and this amp has that same speed and PRAT. This is a fast sounding tube amp folks.

The bass is deep and not thick sounding like some tube amps I have heard. Played at loud volumes the bass is not quite as controlled as some of the SS monsters I have owned like the JC 1's and Mac 402. The bass has good definition and rolls along fast with a minimum of overhang. Again, at high volume levels it was bested by good SS amps.

This amp really sounds like a more powerful 2a3 SET amp. Amazing "see through glass" presentation of the highs with smooth and full mids. Botton end is more robust then a 2A3 SET amp to be sure. Stock power cord sounds as good in my system as my other more costly upgraded cords.

The stage size is not overblown, but realistic with more of an imtimate feel and experience. Imaging is first class and a joy to experience.Individual instuments are easily picked out and followed. Here are some single words that come to mind when listing to music with this amp.

- quiet (paired with my Pre6 - no noise out of my speakers - none - dead quiet)

- sparkle
- energy
- emotion
- clean
- clear
- smooth
- quiet - let me say that again

The amp comes with a nice separate power supply. Mine makes a little mechanical buzzing noise that can be heard a couple of feet away from it. I dont hear it from my listening position. My experience is some transformers are more quiet than others and what you experience with a particular unit is based on your home electricity and luck. I have found this with all transformers in gear.

Summary. Is it the very best amp I have owned. Well, no I can't say that. I am learning no amp can be defined as the best. Once an amp breaks into the realm of world class sound the differences become ones of tradeoffs. It is close however. Overall it gives me as much joy as any amp I have owned. It will outperform most tube amps costing many, many times more. I know of no amp that sounds this good for $1000 - $1200. For many it will be a total revelation or first real look into your music library. It can stand toe to toe with the mega $$ amps. While some will do "this or that" better, this $1000 amp will in turn do "this or that" other thing better. If you desire that intimate music setting with wonderful inner detail exposed before your ears, then this amp is world class.

Enjoy

Associated gear
Dali Grand Speakers

Bel canto Pre6 preamp

Muse Thalia CD/DVD player (most recent updates from Muse

Accoutic Zen Hologram II speaker cables

Component Plus Transparancy IC's

Blue Marble Audio power cords

BPT 2 Line conditioner

Powervar ABC1200 line conditioner

2 direct 15 amp lines to listening room

Echo Buster sound treatment throughout the room

Mapleshade heavy brass footers under all gear and speakers

Similar products
Amps I have owned
_________________

Thor TPA 30 monoblocks
CJ MV 60
Wright Sound 2A3 monoblocks
Bruce Moore Dual 70
Various hyrid Blue Circle amp
Parasound JC1 monoblocks
Mcintosh MC402
Belles 350A monoblocks
Monarchy SE160 monoblocks
Marsh a400s
Joule VAMP
Wavac SET amp (dont recall the model number)

by Grannyring

Pre Amp

Hi Peter

Just wanted to let you know the amp sounds terrific!One problem however ,I tried it as a preamp and it sounds better than my audible illusions.How difficult would it be to convert this to a line level pre amp with a 4 input selector switch,tape monitor if practical and a second preamp out.I would like to retain the two headphone sockets.Please advise as to costs and turn around time.

Best Regards

Ed

Electrostatic Headphones

By the way, about listening to electrostatics. I bought my first set of electrostatic headphones back in 1992, a pair of Sennheiser Unipolar 2002. They sounded pretty nice. Then in 2002 I got a pair of Stax SRM-3 with the SR-303 Headphones, these sounded better. And then this year the tube driven set from you. They sounded the best - especially listening to low quality internet radio, as I have done the last few months.

Best regards,

Albert

CD Modifications

Hey Pete, what did you do with my player?
Did we do a $750 modification here? sounds like so =)
This is much better than my expectation. I am not kidding... i have good ears because i've been playing music since i was 7. And i was just finished an advance piano course at university.
Both the treble and lo end is full bloody now, unlike before, it starts to roll off when getting there.
The treble and the voice are just much 3D now, much refined, or should i just say higher resolution? it was portrayed like an actually thing there, extremely pinpointed there.
Also, the soundstage. Its not just improved on the horizontal spectrum. The soundstage is much focused and clear in the depth. Now i can hear the choir right behind the shoulder of the main singer. They are like just standing right behind the singer! and exactly how they lined up on stage. This is just incredible... i'm not sucking up or making things up... You are the best person so far i've met in the audiophile society, not only you got your professional experience but you are always willing to teach!
I can't believe such crap dvd player can have such quality of sound... just completly beat off my Classe and Shanling a block away... Like what you told my gf... we'll meet again for sure, but i hope i won't bother you too much...
Thank You very much... even i'm stable in the further, don't think i'll get another source.
Good Day
Carl

Single Ended

Peter

I`am VERY happy with my new amplifier. I thought when I first saw it on audiogon that it is an odd looking thing, in a beautiful way of course, with the wires on top of the power tubes (what ARE they for anyway). I plugged it in for the first time this a.m., and it is still on 12 hours later. I am very impressed with the sound, rich, full, powerful. It shares a preamp with my Cary 300SE ($5k new, I paid $2500 used) George Wright p-p 2A3 10W/ch monoblocs ($2k new, I paid $1100 used) and a 2W/ch Korneff 45. Your amp is easily as good, I wasn't expecting that. The Korneff is a little soft at 2 watts, but hey, its cool. So thankyou.

Randy

PP 150

This review is a overall opinion of tube amplifiers and preamps made by Peter McAlister

of Ontario. I am a professional broadcaster in South Carolina and a long time audiophile.

My knowledge of equipment includes my custom design work of broadcast studios used at our talk studio facility. My home equipment used for this review includes Polk audio Lsi15s, California Audio Labs system 1 d/a, Sonic Frontiers Ultra Jitterbug,Audioquest Lapis interconnect,JVC 1050 Cd player as transport, Symphonies tube Preamp, a nonoversampling D/a converter, Dcm Time window Speakers with custom designed Hales Bass compartments ,and a Samson servo 500 amplifier for the Hales Bass cabinets.

I have owned many amplifiers and preamps in my over 30 years of enjoying audio and have recently had a Cary Slp70 mk111 tube amp to compare,as well as a Tube Dynaco preamp ,and vintage Eico tube preamp..as well as a Musical Designs moded Hafler preamp. I have owned some great Scott tube amplifiers too.

My tastes move me to Jazz,and I want as musical a system as I can get. I want the Band in my living room and I don’t want that digital harshness…..in others words …Get as close to a warm analog sound that still has bass control and fills the room with that holographic effect and im thrilled!

Peter McAlister knows how to build tube amps and preamps. I sold my Cary Slp70mk111 to buy his SE 15 watt per channel amp and it was a great move. I lost some headroom and volume but gained a smooth warm special sound that even the Cary could not deliver.Wonderful! Vocals that sound real….and reasonable control of bass with efficient speakers . I added two separate bass cabinets to my Time windows since they were only 90db efficiency…..and a separate amp for the bass units…..and now I have pure heaven. His SE tube amp is great for Jazz…and wonderful for efficient speakers or a medium size room for listening….Great looking……Works perfectly every time. Competes with my Cary which sold new for about 1800 dollars and costs way less than a thousand. Smoother…..Warmer…..No edge!

That’s just one of Peter’s great amplifiers. I actually own two and one of his preamps too….How’s that for loyalty. Ive never owned better.

Posted Reviews from Web Sites

10-24-2005, 07:30 PM

# 39

Polkster

Join Date: Sep 2005

Location: Hillside, Illinois

Posts: 64

Quote:

Originally Posted by W WALDECKER

Hey madmax,this guy is building these amps one at a time and is obviously not a novice to circuit design or tube selection, some of the best sounding audio gear comes from small mom and pop outfits like his. he is obviously a great tweeker and i have a good feeling about his products. tube rolling may be a thing of the past as far as his gear is concerned. thanks....WCW III

I guess the proof is in the pudding (or listening) as it were.

Compared to my old McIntosh MC240 in combo with EPI / Vandersteen/ Klipsch / Energy speakers, this McAlister amp surpasses in every way. Sure, it's not all glitzy like a Dodd or some of the off shore imports but I turn my lights out when I'm listening, and it's the sound that matters.
I'm still astounded how much deeper and tighter the bass is over Rich's Rotel 1090B and his SRS 2's. Someone please explain how a measly 75wpc tuber can outgun that mighty high-output SS amp? Guess it breaks the old wive's tale that tubers can't produce outstanding bass.

Once I remove the Carver preamp from the mix, I'm sure it'll be better yet.

__________________
_________________
Polk LSi 15's
McAlister PP150s Tube Amp
Carver CT28V
Marantz DV6500
Parasound 2000 Ultra DAC
AudioTruth Lapis X3
Nordost SPM
Nordost Red Dawns
PS Audio Xtreme Statement BiWire

Tube Preamp due November

Posted Reviews from Web Sites

Headphone Hi Fi and Portable Audio