The sound of a single-ended, directly heated triode amplifier is a wonderful thing to experience. However, in our view, it is only the large format transmitting triode with thoriated tungsten filaments, such as the type 845, that has the potential to provide the best performance of which DHT vacuum tubes are capable.
As used in the Ultra Fi Monaco design, the 845 takes the sound quality of a single-ended, directly heated triode amplifier to the next level. The Monaco produces an expansive soundstage, sense of scale and truth of tone rarely matched by other triode amplifiers, regardless of their choice of output tube.
Building upon the 845 as its foundation, the topology of the Monaco employs three capacitor-coupled stages using Mundorf M-Cap Supreme Silver/Oil capacitors. All stages are plate loaded and operate in Class A without any feedback—global or local. Each stage is self-biased, so no adjustment of any kind is required. The next level should mean operational simplicity to go with superb sound.
