THRAX SPARTACUS 300, pure 300B mono amplifier, £71,000

Spartacus 300 is another statement masterpiece from Thrax. Modern thinking applied to Directly Heated Triodes with advanced magnetic materials and a classic concept. Engineering overkill in all aspects. Spartacus is a pure 300B mono amplifier employing x6 based on the legendary Western Electric 300B tube. It used six 300B tubes in 2 stages to deliver 50W of pure class A triode sound with not a single capacitor in sight.

  • Custom current production tubes for long life

  • 50W for ample power reserves

  • Low noise for subtle dynamics

  • Auto bias for compensation of tube ageing and correct operation of any 300B

  • Current sourced 300B Shunt regulator for stable power allowing explosive dynamics and transparency even on the hardest loads

  • Transformer input and output for galvanic isolation

  • Microprocessor controlled operation for safety

  • Special filament heating circuit for harmonic richness and tube protection

  • Highest quality torque binding posts protecting your cables

Weight: 55kg
Dimensions 430x650x300mm
Power 380W 115/230V 50/60Hz
Max. input level 4Vrms
Output Power 50W
Gain +16db
Input impedance 1.5k Ohm
Output impedance 0.5 Ohm
Signal to Noise 112db
Frequency responce 20-20,000Hz +/- 1db
THD @1W .05%
The input is a 300B tube driving 4x300B tubes in the output stage and a shunt regulator based on yet another 300B tube makes sure all signal currents go trough 300B tubes with no capacitor in sight. Now for the first time you can actually hear what a 300B really sounds like and prepare to be amazed. Complimented by the finest nano-cystaline core output transformer, nano-crystalline choke power supply it really redefines tube amplification.

Spartacus features one of the simplest possible signal paths with absolute zero feedback (wire-vacuum-wire-vacuum-wire). To achieve simplicity while delivering exemplary performance, each device in the signal path had to be the best possible. The legendary 300B tube was chosen. They are the most linear amplifying devices and some of the very best audio tubes ever made. It is a fact that the distortion of triode vacuum tubes compared to solid-state devices is orders of magnitude lower. Apart from the low distortion level, the type of distortion they produce is a consonant 2nd harmonic only. To go further we employ a technique to cancel the negligible distortion they would generate by running two of them out of phase effectively canceling each other’s distortion.

For this to work we designed a driver stage that would supply the two output tubes with exactly the same signal in phase for one and out of phase for the other by using another 300B. It is loaded with a perfectly symmetrical phase split transformer with independent windings and screening providing separate bias to the output tubes preventing any interaction. Our proprietary ultra low noise current sourced shunt regulator makes sure noting moves unless it is supposed to. Not a popular approach at the voltages and currents involved as is extremely difficult to make. But infinitely rewarding when done. The most 300B tubes have considerably low voltage gain, so a step-up input transformer takes care of that. Look no further as there is no commercially available product coming close to Spartacus 300.