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Symphonic Designs Tube Amplifier
Included Accessories
- Owners Manual
- Stereo Audio Cable
- 3.5mm Plug to Stereo Audio Cable
- Power Cord
- Remote Control with Battery
Installation and Issues
While our test unit arrived devoid of any instruction manual hookup was quite simple and the accessories provided were few and easy to identify. The included remote curiously lacks any form of on/off button for the amplifier and is instead aimed at controlling an optional iPod. We feel that for the price premium that this product demands, integrating an on/off button for the actual unit is not asking too much. Additionally the rear of the unit while allowing for traditional bare speaker wire and left and right speaker outputs, it does not allow for the use of speakers with phono connectors. More and more shigh end speakers on the market come with phono inputs which allow the use of oxygen free RCA/phono cables with gold plated connectors. In the defense of Symphonic Designs the connectors on the rear do appear to be gold plated for better conductivity and audio quality.
The unit itself is quite heavy coming in at over 20lbs, more than likley due to the integrated tranformer located inside the unit. Its framework while very solidly built does lack a certain refinement as we found while cleaning the unit and cutting ourselves on the metal plates that cover the tubes. The chrome and plexiglass will appeal to many but we found them to be fingerprint magnets. This may be more of a nuance of the product rather than a problem. We would equate it to owning a Ferrari and complaining about fingerprints on the paino gloss black finish. We would have liked to see the inclusion of a phono jack output for those instances where the listener wants to attach a pair of high end headphones for some up close and personal listening.
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Conclusion
All in all we really liked the SD-VTA1B18X2 and would simply like to see a few of the issues worked out of the product. This product is perfect in any office, or professional atmosphere, sitting in the home of an audio enthusiast, or on your desk at work for some high quality no compromise audio. For the true audiophile the issues we mention do not come close to swaying the purchaser away from the fact that the Symphonic Designs SD-VTA1B18X2 simply looks dashing and integrates not only iPod but also bluetooth. The SD-VTA1B18X2 vacuum tube design produces very very clear audio which has to be heard to be appreciated. You can obtain one through your local home audio integrator or by contacting them at: 1-800-688-9282
