Skip to content

L-8000 DHT

USD$24,950.00

The L-8000 DHT was already an Audiophilia Star Component

And now it’s an Audiophilia

PRODUCT OF THE YEAR!

Read about it here:

Audiophilia Products of the Year

Anthony Kershaw says:

So, what was different than the already expensive and wonderful L-7000? Can you imagine living with repertoire for fifty plus years, playing it, conducting it, studying it, eating and sleeping the damn stuff, and still managing to be so moved by something new, something magical? The audio cynic in me was asking a lot of questions. As I choked up. But there it was, the slow movement of the Jupiter Symphony, with Mozart weaving magical spells in the violin opening melody and daring us not to cry at the utter genius of it. The L-8000 allows more magic in. Simple. You’ll get more sweetness, more event space, better imaging and the aforementioned timbral accuracy, which to my old musician ears is super accurate. …be warned, once heard, the L-8000 cannot be unheard. Very highly recommended.

AND NOW THIS! Read the part-time audiophile review of the L-8000 DHT – April 2021

THE L-8000 DHT NOW COMES STOCK EQUIPPED WITH FOUR AMAZING 3A/109 SIGNAL TUBES – MANUFACTURED IN-HOUSE BY ALLNIC!!

 

Description

In the early years of the last century, the directly heated triode (DHT) was invented independently, and almost simultaneously,  in  the USA and Austria. This simple device, an anode, a cathode and a grid in a vacuum contained in a glass bottle, transformed the world. Over one hundred years later, the very first triode remains  a favourite audio amplification device for devoted music lovers  worldwide.

Debate about the quality of the DHT’s sound reproduction potential continues even today. One of the interesting aspects of these debates is the degree to which they ignore analysis of common, fundamental assumptions about DHTs. Those assumptions are based on many decades of circuit and mechanical experimentation and compromise. Indeed, because of the difficulty of using DHTs for audio, many circuit design issues have evolved into assumptions about the audio characteristics of DHTs themselves.

Allnic’s Mr. Kang Su Park has spent a lifetime studying and designing circuits and transformers for use of DHTs in audio reproduction. Mr. Park has questioned basic assumptions about DHTs, re-examined variations of DHT circuit designs, and researched and experimented rigorously. His work has resulted in some remarkable audio power amplification devices. For example, Allnic’s 300B amplifiers produce significantly more power than normally expected. They do this without shortening tube life because the power increase is not achieved by increased bias. In conjunction with an increase in power, Mr. Park’s 300B amplifiers also have exceptionally low distortion and wide bandwidth.

Mr. Park successfully combined elements of what he learned and invented over decades to the development and production of a pure, direct heated triode (DHT) based amplifier and preamplifier: the A-5000 and L-5000, respectively. The main breakthrough was the design of a circuit, valve and transformer combination with astounding measured results. The purity of its square wave reproduction – as perfect as anything he had ever seen from a DHT valve amplification circuit – had him questioning what he was seeing! Of course, he replicated these tests many times and recorded them and their results before assuring himself that there was no mistake.

With such an unprecedented superior outcome for the circuit design, Mr. Park could not be satisfied placing a DHT stage after one or two stages using indirectly heated triodes. That approach is used in a number of commercially available preamplifiers using DHTs, but it is a compromise. It does not result in PURE DHT amplification. It introduces the characteristics of indirectly heated triode sound into the circuit. The output DHTs are only amplifying a signal already determined by the initial stage indirectly heated triodes. In contrast, Mr. Park created an amplifier and a preamplifier that use DHTs at each amplification stage. In his design, the output stage DHTs do not merely amplify the signal from indirectly heated triode stages. The L-8000 DHT preamplifier are pure DHT, from signal input to output.

Remote control included.

Key Features

Key Features of the L-8000 DHT Preamplifier:

Line output transformer coupling – The L-8000 DHT is “transformer coupled”. In tube amp circuitry, there are two coupling methods; one is capacitor coupling and the other is transformer coupling. Capacitor coupling is the traditional, low cost method. It is somewhat stable but transfers only voltage, not wattage (i.e., not real energy). With transformer coupling, about 90% of real wattage is transferred (there is still a transformer loss of about 10% of wattage–voltage is not affected). Transformer coupling is superior to capacitor coupling. However, all the advantages of transformer coupling depend on the quality of the transformer and on the choice of tubes. Allnic Audio manufactures its own transformers and uses what it views to be the best core material, Permalloy. Allnic Audio’s unprecedented, wide (16Hz ~ 75kHz, -3db), low distortional, and ultra-ultra-flexible (up to 50kHz square wave response) output transformer helps Allnic Audio to realize the ideal transformer coupled preamplifier. Of course, gain tubes are also carefully selected for three critical factors for function with the Permalloy output transformers: high gm, low internal resistance and high mu.

Constant and low output impedance – One of the benefits of transformer coupling is that it facilitates constant low output impedance. Low output impedance is critical to the design of a good preamplifier. The L-8000 DHT has a 120 ohm (120Ω) constant output impedance at all frequencies. In capacitor coupling (C-R coupling), a “cathode follower circuit” is usually used to lower output impedance. Unfortunately, this method of lowering output impedance is accompanied by high distortion and has an “L” shaped output impedance curve. Please compare the two graphs below, especially for low frequency response.

 

No negative feedback design

Advanced tube technology voltage regulation – For quieter and more dynamic operation, the L-8000 DHT has an ultra high speed automatic voltage regulation circuit, utilizing vacuum tubes. This also protects the amplifying tubes from change in the AC line supply and copes with any abrupt, internal current demand.

New vacuum tube damping technology – Allnic Audio’s patented “Absorb GEL tube damper” technology prevents harmful vibrations from reaching the signal / gain tubes and, therefore, prevents microphonic noise propagation in the tubes. The Allnic Audio Absorb Gel damper technology effectively solves a problem that plagues most tube, and especially DHT, amplification systems. Provided other tube components do not introduce microphonic noise into your system, with the Absorb Gel damping system, you will enjoy a degree of transparent sound that will surprise and please you.

Remote Controlled Precision attenuator volume control – The L-8000 has Allnic Audio’s, and the world’s first, constant impedance attenuator, built into a precision oil clutched, motorized volume control; the L-8000 has no (± 0db) channel imbalance at any volume level.

Pure Class A operation

Pure balanced output stage

As are all Allnic Audio products, the L-8000 is fully RoHS (EU Reduction of Hazardous Substances regulation) compliant in construction and materials

Technical Specifications

  • Inputs: Line level × 5 pairs (Balanced × 2, Unbalanced (RCA) × 3)
  • Outputs: Balanced × 2 pairs (1 record), Unbalanced × 1 pair
  • Input Impedance: 10kΩ Balanced/Unbalanced
  • Frequency Range: 20Hz ~ 20kHz (FLAT), 16Hz ~ 75kHz (-3dB)
  • Voltage Gain: +18dB
  • THD (1kHz): Output 0.3V, 0.06%. Output 1.0V, 0.16%
  • S/N Ratio: – 90dB (CCIR, 1kHz)
  • Tubes: 3A/110A or lower gain stage equivalents MR0 PT8 or MR0 TS8 x 2 (1st gain stage); 3A/109B equivalents CV1671 and 4021a x 2 (2nd output – gain stage); 7233 (no equivalent) x 2 (Voltage Regulator); 5654 x 2 (Voltage error detector; equivalents: 6AK5W, E95F, M8100, 6096, CK5654, 5654W, GL-5654, CV4010, CV850, 5654RT)
  • Fuse:• AC 3A, 250V 20mm slow-blow for 110/120V regions• AC 2A, 250V 20mm slow-blow for 230/240V regions
  • Tube chimney screws: 2mm Allen head
  • Dimensions: 430mm (16.9291 inches)(W), 351mm (13.811 inches)(D), 211mm (8.3inches)(H)
  • Weight: 19.1kg (42lbs) unpacked. Packed shipping weight in original shipping material is 21kg. (46.2lbs)
  • Maximum Output: 20V RMS (Non-clipping)
  • Output Impedance: 120Ω Constant
  • Power Consumption: 30W at 110/120V / 60 Hz

Product Support

L-8000 Manual 21-07-2022

Reviews

Audiophilia L-8000DHT Review Oct 2020

part-time audiophile L-8000 Review April 2021

Back To Top