Air Tight ATM-1E (2024 Edition) EL34 Power Amplifier
Air Tight have a unique approach which has seen the company thrive and evolve for almost 4 decades. When designing a tube amplifier, most designers create a circuit, then try to find a tube that best fits the application. Air Tight choose a tube which has wonderful musical attributes, then designs a circuit to best serve that tube. This is one of the reasons that Air Tight amplifiers sound so pure and alive – cohesive design, synergistic selection of components and heirloom quality execution.
38 years ago, Air Tight’s first amplifier was the ATM-1, which used the EL-34 tube in a push-pull configuration. This was followed years later by the legendary ATM-1S which was made right up until 2023. The ATM-1 2024 edition (also known as the ATM-1E) is a brand new design of the ATM-1 concept released in 2024 and draws on the culmination of almost 4 decades of experience.
Work on the ATM-1E started in 2022 with the view of modernising the ATM concept. The output transformer & choke coil was designed and supplied from Tamura, and internally, the new amplifier has a completely redesigned circuit. Another difference from the original ATM-1 is the bias adjustment. The ATM-1E is equipped with a new accurate bias meter and independent bias ampere volume controls on top of the chassis.
The Air Tight philosophy dictates that to build a great amplifier takes time. Time to really understand the nature of that valve, time to experiment, adjust, listen, hone, evolve and refine the design so that it is a pure expression of that valve’s best capabilities. This philosophy informs as to what to expect from the ATM-1S. This is not just a stereo amplifier of the highest quality. It is also the company’s statement of the ultimate evolution of this type of amplifier partnering with these valves.
Compare this design philosophy and hand-made ‘coachbuilding’ attention to detail to your typical mass-produced amplifier available at most hi-fi shops. It is so rare to have this traditional approach applied to anything today, let alone a power amplifier at this level of cost. The ATM-1E is a beautiful, bespoke amplifier that combines heritage, brand credibility, audiophile performance with a touch of nostalgia. It has an uncanny ability to produce music with a natural tone, an inner glow that infuses every note, every lyric and passage. When you’re no longer interested in the intellectual critique, when all you want to do is listen to music and simply enjoy… the ATM-1E is for you.
Features
- Orthodox circuitry composed of a Mullard phase inverter with NFb under UL connection reproduces the sublime treble with second-to-none musicality inherent in the acclaimed EL34 valve.
- Hefty headroom in output capability achieved by a newly developed transformer boasting of 60W handling capacity ensures stable operation for long term use.
- Bias adjustment facilities (meter, switch & pots) provided for easy service-accessibility.
- Retained unchanged are those outstanding features such as point-to-point wiring without PCB, OFC wiring, etc
- CD-direct input
- Copper-plated chassis
Reviews
Schematics
Product Specifications
Type
Stereo Power Amplifier
Design
Push Pull
Frequency Response
20Hz~30kHz (-1dB/30W)
Input Impedance
100kΩ
Input Sensitivity
700mV(35W)
Dumping Factor
6.7(1kHz/1W)
Power Consumption
250VA
Valves Employed
EL34 x 4, 12AT7 (ECC81) x 1, 6CG7 (6FQ7) x 2
Rated Output
35W + 35W (8 ohms)
Input Sensitivity
1V
Input Impedance
100 kOhms
Features
Input selector (2-ch), bias adjuster
Dimensions
365mm(W) x 305mm(D) x 225mm(H)
Weight
21.5kg
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