Review: MFE Tube One SE Preamplifier & MFE TA 120 SE Tube amplifier Push-Pull 120W (Stereo)

Both amplifiers come as standard with a comparatively flexible power cable called MFE GAL 1.5, which is wrapped in a transparent PVC cover with a film shield underneath. Speaking of power cords: The MFE devices have a feature that should be standard with all high-quality hi-fi components: a phase control light directly next to the power socket glows gently red when the power cord is upside down in the socket. The tester says thank you very much, very practical!

Red light district

The phase control lamp is not the only thing that lights up red on the MFE Tube One SE and TA 120 SE. Not only the LED on the front of the preamplifier, but – clearly visible through the glass front – eight other diodes in the tube sockets of the output stage light up immediately after switching on. They are solely due to the optics and have no influence whatsoever on the circuits or even the sound, says Franken.

An interesting design feature of the MFE TA 120 SE is certainly the arrangement of said tubes. Instead of standing or lying down as usual, Michael Franken decided to install the mounting plate at a (approx.) 45-degree angle so that the tubes point upwards at an angle. That gives the power amplifier an unusual and dynamic note – an omen …? No, there are purely practical reasons, says Franken: “The angled arrangement was created to avoid building the device too high.”

The Balanced Audio Technology VK-76SE power amplifier (14,000 euros) with twice 75 watts has already proven that tube amplifiers don’t have to be divas when choosing speakers . The MFE TA 120 SE goes one better and delivers a whopping 120 watts per channel at 4 and 8 ohms. Responsible for this are the 550 VA transformer – a low-stray journeyman of the core cut type , which is mounted on vibration dampers – and four output stage tubes of the type EL509 (also known as 6P45, EL519; technically identical tubes such as the PL509 and PL519 can also be used) in push-pull circuit and with constant screen grid voltage. Because work is being carried out properly here, Franken uses a very slowly and quietly rotating axial fan below the power amplifier tubes, which is only noticeable acoustically after switching on with a faster rotating function test.

In the input of the fully symmetrically switched MFE TA 120 SE power amplifier there is an ECC83 for the purpose of phase reversal with a subsequent PCC88 driver stage. The pre-amplified signal comes in either via a pair of RCA or XLR sockets. At the other end there is equipment that is not often found: In addition to the high-quality, classic speaker cable terminal for bananas and fork shoes, there is also a duo of Speakon sockets.

foreman

To ensure that the signal arrives at the MFE TA 120 SE in as high a quality as possible, the processing in this case is the responsibility of the appropriate MFE Tube One SE pre-stage. The preamp has an asymmetrical structure, which is “harmoniously better for the small-signal behavior,” says Franken. It offers five line inputs, three of which are RCA and two are galvanically decoupled XLR sockets are executed. There is also an RCA phono input that accepts signals from MM and MC cartridges and can also be equipped with XLR sockets upon customer request. When it comes to standard termination, MFE is pragmatically covered, Franken says: “All MC cartridges with an internal resistance of up to 200 ohms can be connected without any problems, with each terminating resistor and higher gain for very quiet MCs or other capacitance values ​​being implemented via a plug-in board at the customer’s request can be – even if this is usually not necessary. “

Of course, the phono branch also works with tubes, using a PCC88 in the input stage followed by a high-gain pentode stage with the PCF80 composite tube, which controls the frequency response via a counter-coupled equalizer network . The triode system is “connected as a cathode follower to ensure a low output resistance “.

That rocks!

I find the switchover between MM and MC amplification very convenient: Instead of fiddly mouse pianos, the MFE Tube One SE has a small toggle switch on the back left in the base plate – and you don’t even have to crawl on your knees and twist your head to get around the To ensure attitude. This is because the operating instructions show that MC amplification is switched on when “the rocker switch is pushed down towards the rear wall”. This also applies to another small rocker that is located below the volume control in the base plate. With that, the output voltage of the Tube One SE can be reduced by 13  decibels shut down when it points to the left – I find this setting very practical, by the way, because it allows you to use significantly more than the first quarter of the control travel and you can set the volume much more sensitively using the standard infrared remote control (only for volume control and mute) .

A third and final rocker switch in the base plate is located below the connection panel with the RCA and XLR output sockets, each of which has a pair. Here, too, the XLR connections are galvanically isolated and wired symmetrically. The switch turns the phase of the XLR output by 180 °, which could be necessary if both outputs are used – for example to connect a power amplifier and an active subwoofer, says Franken. Someone thinks pragmatically.

Some other goodies from MFE Tube One SE are also designed for high practicality. For example, the 6.3-millimeter jack socket for connecting headphones, which does not require a dedicated headphone amplifier , but should also do its job very well due to the low internal resistance of the preamp. And then there is the tape monitor and record-out connection (RCA) on the one hand and a whole range of sound influencing and comfort functions that can be activated via toggle and rotary switches on the front: a switch between stereo and Mono, a rumble filter (high pass filter) that works at 25 Hertz with a slope of 6 dB is used, a noise filter (lowpass filter), which is supposed to take the horror out of treble-heavy recordings and loudspeakers with 6 dB filtering at 12,000 Hertz, a balance and a sophisticated tone control, which of course also completely take off the signal path leaves.

Sound taste tuning

If the tone control is activated, it works purely passively with a loudness characteristic. What does that mean? Well, in order to achieve “aurally accurate” reproduction at low volumes, low and high frequencies have to be increased. Our hearing becomes less and less sensitive in these areas as the volume decreases. Instead of simply making the bass louder, which demands more power from the downstream power amplifier, turning the “Bass” knob to the right regulates the volume of the middle and high frequencies relative to the bass. The tweeter knob then works to compensate for the treble. Clever!

But the MFE Tube One SE can also be adjusted on the “time level”. The rise time of the output stages can be changed with two internal DIP switches – as far as I know, a unique feature, but I am happy to be taught better. In the factory setting “on”, the rise time is shorter and the sound more dynamic, while in the “off” setting it is somewhat lengthened in favor of a rounder sound, according to MFE.

Incidentally, a pleasant trait is Michael Franken’s personal assurance towards the end of the operating instructions that all devices were allowed to work in for around 100 hours and that he himself heard, measured and found to be good. Manufacturing quality can hardly be more authentic. And now let’s listen carefully.

MFE Tube One SE & MFE TA 120 SE: hearing test and comparisons

As already indicated, the two amps from North Rhine-Westphalia represent the antithesis of the highly computerized integrated amplifier Technics SU-R1000. This is a purely factual statement without evaluating the respective character. This is already noticeable when switching on the preamp: the user can enjoy his anticipation for a full 60 seconds before the tube pre adjusts the voltages and can start; the output stage, on the other hand, is ready after about ten seconds. The second clue for the technology built into the MFE duo is a subtle noise that can only be heard with the ear on the tweeter. That doesn’t matter at the listening position.

Because the two devices fit together so well, I’ll describe the sound of the combination below and then briefly explain which properties both bring into the mix.

Generous

Big, impressive, free: the MFE-Kombi conjures up a wide panorama from the loudspeakers, which, with the right music material, reaches almost unbelievably well beyond the limits of the loudspeaker base width and – towards the top – beyond the imaginary tweeter line. In addition, it builds the center of the virtual stage very variably in front of or behind the loudspeaker base, depending on what the recording requires. Individual sound events such as the full bass drum projected very deep back into the room in “This Boy” by Brendan Perry (album: Ark) makes the German tube combination larger and more impressive than most of the other amps that I have ever used was allowed to hear my chain.

The sharpness of the outline of the image of individual sound bodies is achieved on a good, if not on the outstanding level of the combination of Norma Audio SC-2 and Norma Audio PA 160 MR (from 19,400 euros). This also leads to the impression that the MFE-Vor-End-Kombi represents the space between the actors, despite the width of the stage, a little “less empty”, that is, it feels more densely and intensively filled with information. Mind you, the outlines of the individual actors are by no means blurred. The MFE amplifiers preserve the integrity of instruments and voices, but let them come a little closer to each other than other representatives of the genre.

Weighty

The MFE amplifier team designed the bass range no less impressive than its opulent space. Powerful, lively, powerful, springy and with a good amount of oomph factor, the MFE TA 120 SE shakes deep and deepest frequencies out of the speakers, which suddenly seem to play a whole octave deeper in the bass cellar than before with my Norma combination ( instead of the mono PA 160 MR, the stereo power amplifier PA 150 (5,300 euros) is currently playing for me). The piano in “Room 29” by Chilly Gonzalez has a thrust and physical force with the MFE, especially in the lower bass, which brings a little more substance with it than would be strictly speaking neutral.

The MFE TA 120 SE still maintains control up to high volume levels, which – as well as its good definition of bass structures – it proves in the 1990 Pink Floyd live recording from Knebworth of “Wish You Were Here”. At high volumes, however, a gradual, slight softening of the bass contours can be heard. “No biggie”, the American would say, for whom this bass tuning usually fits well into the 900 square foot salon living room. For the sake of form, however, it should be noted that compared to established transistor power amplifiers such as the aforementioned Norma Audio PA 160 MR (14,000 euros) or the Bryston 7B3 (12,000 euros) the Sforzatos in Tchaikovsky “Danse Russe” thunder into the pit of the stomach with a similar vigor, but the stop-and-go behavior of the TA 120 SE does not quite reach the high level of the chaste transistor competitors.

But with cream, please

It may be a cliché, but clichés must come from somewhere: The combination of MFE Tube One SE and MFE TA 120 SE breathes a slight warmth into voices with strong timbres , melting and timbre – which does not prevent them from making them open and transparent to be placed in the room and to allow the necessary sharpness of the articulation to shine through with all the sounding solidity. Jarvis Cockers intones on the Chilly Gonzalez album Room 29 expressively, directly and dynamically unrestrained, and Jacintha’s organ in “Moon River” is both highly detailed and intimate. Also the strings of the piano in “Moonriver” with all their overtones The violin by Saténik Khourdoïan in the “Allegro moderato” from Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D minor, op. 35 shines with lively, shimmering energy and with a warm, enamelled sheen at the same time. The MFE-Kombi traces even the smallest color shades of the intonation.