If there is only one magician in this hobby, that is definitely Israel Blume. Very few manufacturers produces such a wide range of products with this success. Although he started business with speakers, now he is producing pre-amplifiers, power amplifiers, step-up transformers and cables.
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Many people chooses speakers first, and then choose the best amplifier who can drive the speaker. In that approach choosing the speaker is priority. I was a believer in this philosophy too. But since 2003 I’m searching and searching different webpages and trying to listen every system I can find. One of the most helpful site for me was the Arthur Salvatore’s High End Audio webpage. I learned the logic of SET amplifiers, efficient speakers in that page. In years I see that Salvatore is mentioning not only speakers but also about Coincident amplifiers. In years my point of view about the “speaker first rule” has changed with Salvatore’s articles. I learned that there is another approach: Choosing the most musical and finest amplifier for your taste first, and then narrow the speaker options according to that amplifier.
Although Salvatore and others was recommending fine tube pre and power amplifiers, my very first hi-fi system was a Rega system, from cartridge to speaker. I needed a decent system to listen and by the time help me to go deeper in hi-fi. I always appreciate that nice Rega’s, they did their duty well. I learned a lot by listening them and searching while listening it. When I’m ready both financially and experience I began to search for new components for my hi-fi system. I was considering a low powered SET system and aiming for Class C and occasionally for Class B of Salvatore’s Recommendation List. I didn’t have a specific order of components to purchase. Any component which fits my criteria should be purchased.
So my first component was a Coincident Super Eclipse Mk 3. Coincidents are hard to find equipments in Turkey, and in fact they were on top of my list for speaker, but since I felt hopeless to find one, I was trying to find other alternatives. So I graciously add it to my system. Since my dream amplifier was a Frankenstein, I was feeling secure about its sensitivity issue. Later I called a dealer to ask about an Aesthetix pre-amplifier. We make the phone call and at the end of conversation he mentioned about a Michell Gyrodec with a SME V tonearm on it. I was planning to change the turntable as the last component, since I was quiet happy with the Rega P3-24. But since I wasn’t sure about Aesthetix I changed my plans and add the Michell, another hard to find equipment to system. A few months later I was lucky to find a Counterpoint SA-5.1 pre-amplifier, a few miles away from me. With that purchase I was almost done, except the amplifier.
Since it is almost impossible to find a Frankenstein here in Turkey I was searching Audiogon ads since the Super Eclipse purchase. One day I contacted with a seller who is in New Zealand and talk about conditions. We couldn’t agree and a few days later the unit is sold to a guy in US. Then my other purchases began so I was just passively following the ads. Anyway, one day a friend of mine called me and told that his friend bought a Frankenstein and invited me to a listening. This was just a dream comes true. I take my Counterpoint SA-5.1 and Coincident Super Eclipse Mk. 3 speaker with me and went to friend’s home. After that listening day all my suspicion was gone, and I know I can’t go some amplifier other than Frankenstein. After another 4 months the owner wanted to let it go for some reason, so it is mine. And I learned that this is the very same amplifier which was once in New Zealand. Well, it came to me again after a travel around the world. This is a small world.
Coincident Frankenstein has a 3 tube configuration (6EM7 input driver, 300B output, 5U4 rectifier) per channel for pure sonics. It has 8W output and two output impedances: 8 ohm and 16 ohm. So if your speaker’s impedance is close to 16 ohm, you can use that terminal. When I pick up the amplifier noticed that it is back-heavy. This is the result of big transformers. I don’t know exactly but this big transformers has a fundamental role in Coincident’s excellent performance.
Frankenstein, and SET amplifiers in general, passes more information to speakers. This ensures the best musicality even at low volume levels. You don’t hear the bass sound anymore, but the Doublebass players’ finger movements and the sound produced in wooden instrument. This is the closest thing to live music. One of the strengths of this amplifier is, the neutral character in this musical information. There is a universal saying in nature photographers community, “Leave nothing but footprints” this amplifier doesn’t leave behind including footprints.
Relatively low power of the Coincident Frankenstein is a long debate in hi-fi community. People wonders the limits of this amplifier. In my situation, in a 4200 cubic feet room with a Counterpoint SA-5.1 pre-amplifier and Coincident Super Eclipse Mk. 3 speakers, I get PLENTY of volume. When listening to phono, I never turn the volume pod past 10 o’clock; with CD player much lower. I can easily turn the volume up to un-listeneable levels even with orchestral works. But you must understand this, power is not this amplifier’s best feature.
So, I introduced the driving component of my hi-fi system. I can not think any reason or component to better it in the future. Nothing! Only why to get better amplification is to add a Coincident Dragon or equivalent for woofers and drive the speakers by bi-amping. And this will not happen for me for a decade.
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