Fatman iTube iPod Valve Amplifier
Fatman iTube iPod Amplifier
This looks like being a really cool product. It combines 2 things that I am fond of: the Apple iPod, and Valve (aka Tube) amplifiers.
Valves are magical things, don't get me wrong - I love digital, low voltage circuits. I don't think a valve powered iPod would be a great idea. Yet when used in amplifiers, they do something to the sound, that engineers have struggled to emulate with transistors and software. Logic Pro's Guitar Amp Pro and N.I's Guitar Rig, do a pretty good emulation. But if you heard a nice tube amp, like a Class A Vox AC30, Fender, Marshall or one of the boutique, hand-wired varieties being used in anger, you would soon realise that nothing quite gets that 'brown' sound, like a tube amp.
So, a remote-controlled, valve powered amplifier and iPod dock, is getting me very excited. It's made by Fatman, part of Pro Audio group TL Audio, so I would expect good things from them. I haven't had a chance to listen to them yet, but my bet is that the iTube and a decent pair of monitor speakers would be a very sweet sounding combo. Not quite as portable as an Apple iPod Hi-Fi, but probably a very sweet sound. We'll have to wait and see when the iTube starts shipping next month.
iTube Features
- iTube Vacuum Tube Amplifier
- iTube Docking Station
- Brush / Glove for cleaning
- Power cable
- Audio cable to connect Docking Station and Amplifier
- Banana Plug speaker cables
- Aux source audio cable for connecting CD player etc
- Video cable to connect from docking station to TV
- Power Output 13Wx2
- Frequency Response 20Hz - 20KHz (±1.5Db)
- Harmonic Distortion 0.5%
- Signal-To-Noise Ratio 86Db
- Input Impedance 100K
- Output Impedance 4ohm, 8ohm
- Valve Type 2x6N1(ECC85) 1x6E2(EM87)