I have 2 Butler 3150 amps which is the same as the 5150 but I needed 6 channels, not 5. The Butler amps are fantastic. I'm surprised that more isn't said about this amp as it's very detailed and dynamic. And at 150 wpc, these amps have all the dynamic power that's needed for both a serious home theater or a multichannel high end system. When I was researching Butler tube hybrid amps, I could only find 2 owners but both couldn't get over how detailed the sound from their Butlers were. I agree,,, couldn't be happier with mine! Regards, Robin |
I agree with Robin........got my 5150 after hearing it in the AIX room (who specialize in DVD-audio)at the HE show in San Francisco. Couldn't get over how articulate it sounded for the price. Hooked it up to my video system and on some good 5.1 soundtracks have to rush to the remote's volume control; very dynamic (in a good way) yet nicely subtle as well. Nice company too!! |
I too love this amp. It really makes my Martin Logan's come alive. Much more so than a Sunfire I had which was rated at twice the power. Detailed and Dynamic is how I would describe it. One side note, I bought a store demo and it has developed a buzzing sound after a short period of playing. Butler is trying to determine the cause as of this writing. |
Paltomare, how about an update on your buzzing Butler? Cause? Cure? Your first and ONLY post on the first day of joining A'gon? Lots of questons here. The only answer I have is your "detailed and dynamic" description of the 150wpc@8ohms Butler tube hybrid amps. You sure your not the one with the buzz? J/K ;D Regards, Robin |
Nothing to report just yet, haven't heard from BK yet, he's had the amp only a week though. He thought it may not have had the upgrade. By the way, been a member for about 9 months, oh and I'm having a Newcastle right now, yummy. |
Upgrade Paltomare?? Mind sharing,,, a Newcastle too? LOL Regards, Robin |
Update on the buzzing Butler. I got it back last week. They replaced the power transformer, installed the rectifier cooling upgrade and re-biased the amp. The amp has been running great ever since. Upon connecting it back into my system I still heard a slight buzz, so over the weekend I disconnected every component and discovered it was coming from my cable signal passing through my processor onto the amp. I now run the cable signal through a filter and all is silent. The oddest thing is that neither the Sunfire or Denon I had hooked up reproduced that buzz. So this story has a happy ending, Butler is a great company and makes a wonderful product. Not sure why it is not more popular. |
This rectifier cooling upgrade, is there a specific reason for needing this done? From what BK has told me, these hybrid tube amps are practically bulletproof. With my 3150's, I'm only running 3 channels off my transformer instead of 5, less stress on the tranny and more headroom dynamics for the channels. I wanta thank you Paltomare for these updates, MUCH appreciated! Regards, Robin |
BK told me my amp, serial #--10, is one of the earlier 5150's produced. I beleive the upgrade is for the earlier models just to allow them to run a bit cooler. I didn't think it ran excessively hot anyway. Replacing the power transformer cured the buzz. Mine was a store demo and even though it looks flawless who knows how it was treated. They are built like a tank though and sound great. Hope to have mine for many years. Nice chatting with you Robin, time for another Newcastle and some tunes....Paul |
i also have a 5150 and love it have upgraded to some snell speakers and hope to get a butler pre pro when they come out... is the upgrade a thing you should do if you havent had any problems ,,,and are they doing it for free ,shipping and everything? thanks keith |
I have a pair of Butler A-100's on the way. I should have them in the next few days. I auditioned them at Todd Anthony's Stereo in N.C. They are just one of the best amps that I have ever heard in any price range. These go for $ 12,000 but compare with amps twice their price. I will be using them with a pair of Kharma 1.0 speakers. THANKS TO TODD FOR ALL THE HELP AND A GREAT AMP. I will post an update after they burn in.
Are there any other owners out there? |
I have the Sunfire Theater Grand 3 which I love, but you know Audiophiles we always want to try new things. How would you rate this to my Sunfire. |
Yep, have a 5150 in my home theater rig - for now, just driving 3 Definitive Tech Mythos speaks - for me, a perfect marriage of tubes and solid state...more akin to a push-pull sound than my preferred SETs, but in the context of the video system it's just the ticket. Plenty of clean power, timbrally accurate, runs COOL and has that bitchin' blue glow thang happening. |
