Specifications: (may change without notice)

Customer Comments: "Right from the start, I was knocked out by the sound of the Ella. I felt like I was hearing my favourite cds for the first time. It was as if the musicians were in the room with me: such transparency and detail. I also played some of my own recordings (I’m a musician) and it was like being in the control room listening to myself on the studio reproduction system (excellent of course). Vocals are extraordinarily clear and present, and acoustic instruments like double bass and alto sax sound so alive. The first evening, I took the Ella round to a friend’s house where we compared it with what he had previously thought of as hi-fi sound from his solid state system. He too was astounded by the sound quality. Since then, I have listened to many of my favourite cds as well as a few that I had neglected. I listen mostly to acoustic jazz, but I also gave Prince (Sign of the Times), Lou Reed (New York), Tom Waits (Mule Variations) and the Beatles (Revolver) a chance. This amp rocks! I have a Ron Carter (acoustic bass player) cd that I never listened to, as it was just one low rumble on my old amp - now I can hear every note clearly. The lightest brush strokes from jazz drummers are perfectly clear and the spectacular pyrotechnics from Sylvain Luc and Birelli Lagrène (French guitar players) on their Duet album are astonishing. I now have many jealous friends, lots of them musicians. Some of them can’t believe I built the amp myself (even I have trouble sometimes!). Everyone agrees that the aesthetics are good too. All together, a remarkable piece of kit, well worth the time and effort that went into building it."

Graham's Ella pages: nice

The Ella Signature retains the solid acoustics of the original but adds: output transformers have 30% larger cores, imported made from Japanese grain oriented silicon steel. This gives at least another 10hz power bandwidth but retains the high frequencies as the windings are 'perfect lay', allowing tighter windings and less capacitance than scatter wound. Power transformer is also improved with H14 cores and EI, low output impedance. This massive beating heart is more than up to supplying a true dual-mono power supply, dual chokes standard, virtually eliminating voltage sag on transients. Filter caps are high quality Nichicons.

Signal path: dual mono layout for greater separation and quiet. Output noise is 1mv. Manual bias so EL34/6550/KT88 and KT100 can be used.

Inputs allow 3 prs volume controlled by the included stepped attenuator + one that can be used direct, bypassing the attenuation and switching circuitry (ie when an external transformer volume control is used). Selector module is placed close to the input section to shorten distance of circuit connections.

Hardware: premium connectors, binding posts, bias pots and passive parts are used throughout. The chassis is solid, heavy and non-magnetic for best sound.The Ella tube amp is highly reviewed Internationally and our best selling amp kit. Includes remote, detailed step-by-step instructions with many pictures and illustrations. It is easy to assemble with point-to-point wiring (PS on PCB) and a pre-assembled chassis. AC and remote controlled wiring is done at the factory to make this a breeze to assemble.

Note re 4/8/16ohm speaker taps: Why? It is needed. Really. Nominal impedance ratings are often misleading. An 8 ohm rated speaker may be 6 or 12 ohms and often sounds better on 4 or 16 ohm taps. Always try different taps to determine which gives best sound. When the right tap is selected, soundstage will be bigger and sounds more energetic. Also 16 ohm taps allow using vintage high efficiency speakers. Connecting them to 8 ohms is a compromise.