Closer Acoustics launches 300B Provocateur tube integrated amplifier
Polish firm Closer Acoustics has released the 300B Provocateur tube amplifier. This integral was recommended to work with the company’s speakers – for example, the efficient Vigo broadband speakers, which we have already talked about. The design of the amplifier was carried out by the Polish Rolof Audio and its chief designer Robert Rolof.
The 300B Provocateur is designed with an unbalanced triode circuit and operates in Class A, delivering up to 8 watts per channel into 8 ohm speakers. The output stage uses the classic powerful low-frequency vacuum triodes of direct heating 300B, which have been known for more than 80 years.
They are supplemented with 5U4GB kenotrons and 6 SN7 indirect low-frequency triode. Only polypropylene capacitors are used in the signal path, power circuits and lamp cathodes, electrolytes are only in the heating circuits. A 48-position motorized step attenuator is installed in the amplifier as a volume control – this allowed equipping the 300B Provocateur with a remote control. The amplifier features four switchable, gold-plated pure copper RCA inputs. Speaker cable terminals – copper WBT Nextgen.
The 300B Provocateur weighs 28 kg, and in the original design, the amplifier received a multi-layer wood cabinet using a technology similar to that used in the same Vigo speakers. Closer Acoustics recently offered an updated matte finish, and the price of the 300B Provocateur can be obtained from the manufacturer’s website in person.
