WOOLCOT AMPS - Anybody heard these?

Albert, how could I know that a new rear-mounted speaker-variety selector switch and new wide-band transformer would be considered "options" and not evolutions? My apologies. I did not listen to the Wolcotts for 250 hours as you suggest and that could explain everything. It often does. Nevertheless, I found the Jadis JA200, JA100(especially), JA80 and Audio Valve Baldur mono blocs to sound significantly better than the Wolcotts on Wilson Watt/Puppy 6s or Vandersteen 5s. Their superior sound was completely comensurate with their superior cost. I found that the ARC VT200(used)and the Audio Valve Challenger 140 equaled the Wolcott in sound and cost. I can easily understand how you would prefer the Wolcott to the Atmasphere, VTL or Viva amps. I haven't heard the GT400 but I trust your judgement here implicitly. Please don't misunderstand - I LIKE the Wolcotts. However, I am wary of any product that bills itself as "breakthrough". And, I feel there are several "conventional" amps similarly priced that just might sound better even without any options, revisions, design changes or evolution.

My suggestion for listening for 250 hours simply implies that dealers often get a product line for listening, and give it a week or two and make a judgement. This would be wrong if placed in the company of demo units that have had sufficient time to reach full maturity. Even more the case if compared to used gear as you suggest. Often used gear sounds better than new for this very reason. My comment about evolution is a direct response to your comment that these were a "work in progress" this implies that they are an unfinished piece, undergoing some continuous changing of design or parts, as the term applies to music or other projects. My point is that the design is not revolutionary, it uses EL34 tubes as an output, and 6922's as an input, and those two tube types are about as common in high end audio as it gets. The only revolutionary item is the bias control circuit that sets the tubes at start up so there is less tendency for the user to run the tubes out of bias. I personally find this a terrific feature, as meddling with meters and a screwdriver cuts into my listening time. Finally, one of the guys in my group plans to put my pair of Wolcotts on his Vandy 5's this coming week. He will have them for 16 days, and we will be getting a report as to how they fair with his system. I cannot compare with Wilson's as there is no one in my circle of listeners who owns them. I will accept your comments that the Wolcott does not work well on them. By the way, the rear panel switch is not an option, it is simply an addition that provides a way for the user to have more control over a wider range of speakers. The wide band transformer IS an option, and no stranger offering than the toroidal transformers in the Soundlab speaker line. They are an option in that case as well. Both of these products remain available either way. The customer decides if it is important to spend the extra dollars. That option is not evolutionary or new either, simply an attempt to be more responsive to the needs of all the customers that are considering the purchase.

Can someone please provide the date of the previous post of these amps. Thanks

Wolcott amps The best tube amps? Is the original posting by Snook2, on 01-27-00. To get there you must click the "next 50" postings button three times. The last posting was on 09-03-00. Hope this helps.

Here's a direct link so you don't have to go through all those pages. http://audiogo1.iserver.net/cgi-bin/forum5.pl?asund&948998560&read&openall&4&& Also if you Search the Archives for Wolcott, I think you will find it too. Cheers, Dan