Presenting New Audio Classics for the 21st Century Lifestyle
Silver Foil Transformers
One of the things which sets Silbatone equipment apart from other high-end brands is their unique silver foil transformers, which are developed and wound in-house. The mode of operation is entirely different from standard wire coil designs, offering extended bandwidth without peaky resonances and significantly improved efficiency. Silbatone employs various exotic core materials including finemet, permalloy, pure silver, alloy, or copper wire depending on application. These transformers are a major reason that Silbatone amplifiers do not sound like typical vacuum tube amplifiers and even their low power single ended models have tremendous dynamics, detail, and drive capability.
Silver foil transformer manufacturing process
Stash of vintage WE 300B tubes
Vintage Tube Stash
It stands to reason that the best tube audio gear must be built using the best available tubes. Most high-end manufactuers today rely on current production tubes from Eastern Europe, Russia, and China. As Silbatone is not a mass manufacturer, they aim a bit higher. Silbatone production is based on selected NOS tubes from top American and European manufacturers, including rare Western Electric, Bendix, Telefunken, and RCA specimens.
Rooted in Bespoke Design
Silbatone takes great pleasure in creating limited-edition pieces that showcase tubes which are seldom seen and rarely enjoyed, such as Osram DA100, scarce Western Electric power triodes, and ancient Siemens triodes. Most collectors never use their rare tubes, but Silbatone believes that life is short and such treasures are meant to be enjoyed! Playing rare tubes for the public is part of Silbatone's educational outreach effort.
This video from Munich High End 2011 features very scarce, early "engraved" WE 300A triodes, and a WE16A from 1928!
Meet The Designers
Dr. Stephano BAE
Dr. Stephano BAE is a PhD physicist who decided to follow his heart and abandon academic materials research to use his insight to help develop the World's finest audio gear.
He is an expert on solid state applications and optimizing power supply and control circuitry.
Dr. Bae is also a master builder, responsible for hand crafting each Silbatone unit.
JC Morrison
JC Morrison is well known in extremist audio circles as an innovative designer and savant. A transplanted New Yorker living in Malmo, Sweden, JC worked for 12 years developing musical instrument and pro sound electronics before joining Silbatone. His R&D efforts are focused on pushing vacuum tube technology to the limit for gain, low noise, and low distortion. There are few new vacuum tube topologies coming to light these days, but JC is responsible for several recent breakthroughs in circuit design.
As a thoroughly modern analog hacker, JC used to take pride in hating "vintage gear" and "luxury collectibles" in general, but since joining Silbatone he has developed a much more balanced approach!
WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING
"One can feel a meticulous attentiveness to every detail, as if the sound has been carefully polished and scattered like brilliant stardust."
Osamu Takatsu, discussing a system featuring Silbatone componentry in Stereo Sound Magazine Vol. 103 (Quote translated from Japanese)
The NeoHyb Project
Silbatone Labs engages in experimentation and exploration to discover new things which work. Silbatone's patented NeoHyb current multiplier circuit is one of our best innovations to date.
Although Silbatone uses MOSFETs for their impressive current delivery capabilities, this is completely unlike previous "hybrid" attempts, which usually involved a tube driver slapped onto a transistor output stage - The worst of both worlds, and not a high-performance solution. The NeoHyb name draws on that difference, as it is a completely different hybrid approach as opposed to the 1980s style of hybrid amplifiers.
Silbatone's NeoHyb circuit uses parallel MOSFETs to enhance the power delivery of vintage triodes, yielding greater power and allowing for more conservative tube operating points at the same time. The MOSFET is completely locked to the plate of the tube and adds no measurable influence, except greater current swing. The musical performance and distortion spectra are pure triode. All signal current passes through a Silbatone foil output transformer. It acts and sounds like a pure tube stage, only boosted in output power.
One use for this technology is the ability to adapt very low power tubes, some ancient antique tubes, and even preamp tubes to play loudspeakers so that we can learn and understand their full capabilities, often with impressive results!
NeoHyb technology provides the ability to take medium output tubes, such as Silbatone's standby 300B tubes and shake the walls with power. Dissipation can be dialed down as well for both greater longevity and the often higher quality presentation they can provide when operating at more moderate levels.
The key takeaway from the NeoHyb Project is that what makes these tubes so great has nothing to do with low power output per se. Struggling with the low power output of some of the best sounding tubes does not have to be an obstacle limiting enjoyment. NeoHyb will satisfy with a wide range of popular speaker types, not only 110dB+ theater horns! Even with the most sensitive horn speakers, the headroom and drive created by Silbatone's NeoHyb current multiplier technology opens new doors for old favourites.
