Description
About the Tsakiridis Devices Theseus KT88
The Theseus is the amplifier Tsakiridis Devices built for listeners who want to hear what single-ended Class A actually does. It runs one output tube per channel in pure Class A, with no crossover point to smear the fine detail and no negative feedback loop papering over the result. Supplied here in KT88 configuration, it is a low-power, high-resolution amplifier meant to be partnered with speakers of reasonable sensitivity, where it rewards you with the kind of midrange presence and spatial layering that push-pull designs work very hard to approximate.
It is also the most flexible amplifier in the Tsakiridis line. The output stage accepts any pentode from EL84 through KT170, so the character and the power output are yours to choose — roughly ten watts per channel with a small EL34, rising toward thirty with the largest modern tubes. Front-panel switching selects triode or pentode (ultralinear) operation, which changes the presentation again. Few amplifiers at any price let an owner tune the sound this directly, and none of it requires sending the unit back to the factory.
Connectivity is unusually complete for a purist design. Three line inputs sit alongside an MM phono stage with genuine tube RIAA equalization handled by a pair of 12AX7s, plus a USB DAC input for a computer or streamer and a tape output. There is a transformer-coupled headphone output rather than an afterthought resistor network, and the supplied aluminum remote covers volume, input selection, and mute. Construction follows the house standard: hand-soldered through-hole components, dual-mono power supply, a handmade 400VA power transformer, in-house eight-layer output transformers, and shielded signal wiring throughout.
Backed by a five-year factory parts and labor warranty.
Key Specifications
- Topology: Single-ended, pure Class A
- Output Power: 2x10W (EL34) up to 2x30W (KT170) depending on output tube; supplied in KT88 configuration
- Power Tubes: 1 per channel, accepts EL84 through KT170
- Driver Tubes: 2x 12AU7
- Phono Stage Tubes: 2x 12AX7 (tube RIAA)
- Operating Modes: Triode or pentode (ultralinear), front-panel selectable
- Inputs: 3x line level, 1x MM phono, 1x USB DAC
- Outputs: Tape output, transformer-coupled headphone output, Ultimax speaker binding posts
- Input Impedance: 50 kOhm
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 81dB
- Channel Separation: 67dB
- THD: 1.20% (10W @ 1kHz)
- Frequency Response: 10Hz – 47kHz (-3dB)
- Power Consumption: 300W
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 46 x 36 x 23 cm (18.1 x 14.2 x 9.1 in)
- Weight: 20 kg (44 lbs)
- Warranty: 5 years parts and labor; 90 days on original tube set
Shipping
Free shipping within the contiguous United States.
