Chris Frankland feasts on this exquisite-sounding tube preamp and monoblock energy amplifier mixture…
Manley Labs
Jumbo Shrimp/ Mahi
Pre/ Energy Amplifier
£5,299/ £6,999, respectively
There’s one thing fishy about US-based tube specialists Manley Labs. The corporate’s naming coverage pays tribute to underwater creatures, together with the Stingray II built-in amplifier, Steelhead phono stage and Snapper II mono energy amps, amongst different delights. Its vary additionally consists of extra prosaically named merchandise too, however they’re no much less unique of their design or sound high quality. This should not come as a whole shock, given the corporate’s historical past…
Manley has been making valve amplifiers because the late nineteen eighties – when the breed was very a lot out of trend – whereas gleefully proclaiming, “Tubes rule!” It began out as a part of an organization known as Vacuum Tube Logic (VTL), and the present CEO, EveAnna Manley (then Dauray), started working for the manufacturing workforce in 1989. She then married David Manley and began to run the manufacturing facility. VTL and Manley Labs went their separate methods in 1993. David moved to France, and he and EveAnna subsequently divorced, and she or he took over the corporate in 1996
UP CLOSE
Manley is proud to boast that its merchandise are totally made in California. Certainly, on the web site, there is a photograph of a beaming EveAnna sporting a T-shirt with the slogan “Not Made in China”. The unique Shrimp dates again to round 2002. It’s a line-level-only, minimalist all-tube design utilizing two 12AT7 enter valves, a pair of 5670 driver valves and a brace of 7044 output valves. The producer says it delivers excessive bandwidth, low noise, low distortion and makes use of solely modest native damaging suggestions.
The present iteration makes use of a devoted White-Follower output stage that gives a low 50 ohm output impedance, which is claimed to be, “significantly better than a boring, plain-old cathode follower”. As a nod to trendy know-how, it has a motorised ALPS quantity potentiometer, permitting distant management operation. Inside, it sports activities MIT MultiCap polypropylene coupling capacitors. It’s housed in a sturdy aluminium case with a gorgeous strong brushed gunmetal gray entrance plate and has nice-to-use metallic rotary knobs to manage quantity, enter, stability and on/off. All inputs on the rear panel are through gold-plated RCAs. No balanced inputs are supplied.
The Mahi monoblock can also be fantastically made and housed in a sturdy hexagonal case sitting on 4 massive metallic toes. Just like the preamp, it has a big Manley illuminated badge on the entrance. After the introduction of the Snapper in 2002, Manley determined it was time to replace the Mahi, and so it now has a triode/ultralinear mode change as commonplace (extra about that later) and German WBT binding posts.
The Mahi mono energy amplifier delivers a claimed 24 watts into 8 ohms in triode mode (commonplace suggestions) from 4 EL84/6BQ5 tubes, pushed by a 12BH7 (or 6414) twin triode driver and a 12A7EH enter twin triode. There are two transformers on the again, mains on the left and Manley’s personal, in-house manufactured output transformer on the suitable. There are additionally toggle switches for various ranges of damaging suggestions – commonplace (6dB), minimal (3dB) and most (10dB). The corporate says that suggestions alters an amplifier’s slew fee, or velocity, and invitations customers to make use of their very own ears to resolve which they like finest. It will possibly make fairly a sizeable subjective distinction to the sound.
As talked about, you may change the output valves between triode and ultralinear modes. The previous is when the display screen grids are hooked as much as the plates of the EL84s and is usually considered giving a candy sound. Ultralinear provides partial triode operation, the place the display screen grids are related to particular faucets on the primaries of the output transformer; this supplies extra energy, with 40 watts quoted (commonplace suggestions). The bias present for the 4 EL84 output tubes may be adjusted to maintain the heater filament of the tube operating at an optimum setting. Manley supplies a digital multimeter for this objective, and there is a video tutorial on the web site displaying easy methods to set every valve to the optimum 250 millivolts. This must be checked each few months.
Earlier than getting began, I counsel you learn the guide for the Mahi. Not solely as a result of it’s jam-packed with extraordinarily helpful and vital data on easy methods to arrange, use and deal with this amplifier but in addition as a result of it is among the best-written, most informative and most amusing manuals I’ve come throughout. The Troubleshooting part had me laughing out loud when it urged that in case your amplifier is buzzing, then “it forgot the phrases”, and if there’s hiss, it should be “stray snakes within the room”, or if there’s a stability downside, then “mother informed you to not put something smaller than your elbow in your ear”. In fact, it additionally provides wise recommendation on easy methods to take care of these points ought to they come up, however you see what I imply.
I’m an enormous fan of valve amps and so was significantly eager to listen to what this legendary US model might carry to the desk, as this may be my first evaluate of one of many firm’s merchandise. I slotted the Jumbo Shrimp preamp and Mahi monoblocks between my Audio Be aware TT3/Arm Two/Io1/S9 vinyl (utilizing a Puresound phono stage as no Manley mannequin was provided for evaluate) and Audio Be aware CDT-5 and DAC 5 Particular CD entrance ends, enjoying by means of RussellK Pink 120Se loudspeakers. The 2 Mahis proved to have greater than sufficient grunt to drive these audio system, with their 86dB sensitivity. For these with massive rooms who wish to hear actually loud, higher-efficiency audio system from the likes of Klipsch, Heco, Tannoy and Audio Be aware can be price contemplating.
THE LISTENING
This high-end pre/energy amplifier mixture delivers a seductive and musical sound that makes your favorite recordings a pleasure to play. On this respect, it is typical of actually high-quality tube amplification – the place the music is unfettered and beguiles the listener. It carries nice emotion but by no means shouts at you. It has delicacy allied to drama – with tight and snappy rhythms and oodles of inside element. By separating out the strands of the music so nicely, it exhibits you the way vocalists and instrumentalists can form each observe of a track – in order that the contribution of each musician may be appreciated and loved.
With suggestions set to plain and in triode mode, all of this was clear from the primary few bars of A Place for Skipper from Larry Carlton‘s Discovery album. I used to be struck by this pre/energy amp combo’s sheer lusciousness of sound. There was very good definition, making clear the guitar work’s inside element whereas conveying the bass line’s weight and motion nicely. Cymbals and drums have been additionally tight and snappy but had delicacy and rhythm.
Likewise, the Manley combo’s dealing with of Sunny Facet of the Avenue from Ben Sidran‘s Intoxicated with Love album immediately happy me, with these amps capturing the artist’s distinctive delicate vocal model whereas not dropping the glint and element on the accompanying Yamaha DX7 synth. On the similar time, the bass line drove together with applicable impetus and verve. I then reached for Linda Ronstadt‘s very good Hasten Down the Wind album and performed the stunning ballad I am sorry, my love. The Manleys imparted the uncooked emotion in her voice and allowed her highly effective vocal to soar with out ever evident or shouting. The observe is full of emotion, as was the efficiency of this pre/energy amp mixture.
There isn’t a scarcity of energy from the Manley amplifiers; there’s by no means any sense that the electronics are struggling for breath or labouring underneath the load of the music. For instance, with I Can See Clearly Now from Peter White‘s Groovin’the track drove together with gusto, showcasing the nuances of enjoying within the highly effective reggae-style bass line. On the similar time, instrumental separation additional up the audio band was wonderful; it was good to have the ability to make out particulars, such because the accordion enjoying, which was properly separated. With The Brilliant Facet from Dave Koz‘s wonderful The Dance album, this pre/energy mixture imbued the saxophone with wonderful physique, element, articulation and fluidity. On the similar time, percussion work was conveyed with subtlety and finesse.
After in depth listening, I got here down on the aspect of leaving the suggestions set to plain – because it simply appeared higher balanced. ‘Minimal’ generally provides a bit extra forefront to notes however can sound thinner, so my vote is for traditional. I personally discovered the ultralinear mode to be much less convincing than triode mode; I assumed it misplaced definition on devices and vocals, and sounded extra ahead. It’s helpful to have, nevertheless, ought to the person ever want extra energy – it provides a claimed 40W versus 24W into 8 ohms. But for regular listening, triode labored higher for me.
THE VERDICT
Though not cheap, this Manley Labs Jumbo Shrimp/Mahi pre-power amplifier combo makes an incredible case for itself. By no means lower than dynamic, detailed and tuneful, it’s a compelling music maker. Anybody nonetheless hanging onto the previous cliche about valve amps having soggy bass and a heat however bland midband and treble will rethink issues after listening to this. So, in case you have this kind of price range to spend in your subsequent amplifiers, then don’t go away this fishy mixture off your shortlist.
