Finale Audio F308 Special Tube Amplifier
Archived listing from the original vintage-amplifier.com. Prices, seller details and purchase links have been removed; this page is a reference record, and nothing here is for sale. About this archive.
New assembled one-off special build tube amp, with the use of a pair of old Sansui/Hashimoto output transformers off from a Sansui 500A Tube Receiver.
Brand: Finale Audio, model F308 Special EL84/6BQ5 Type Tube Integrated Amplifier.
15 Watts Push Pull / Channel = 30 watts total into 8 ohms
Class AB Mode
Autobias
8 and 16 ohms output
Driven by our newly invented SEA Driver design
Tube Rectified by 5AR4/GZ34, preferable 5V4G / GZ32 for a cooler operations
What you are looking is a true high end tube amplifier that is built with quality parts and transformers and of course our world class design, and from scratch to complete done right here in Toronto, Canada. This is perfect for those who want to hear the best side of Sansui / Hashimoto Transformers, although the outputs are old, but they work like charm and still sound better than most output transformers out there, period! The rest of the parts on the amplifier are all brand new for upcoming decades of service.
Need to hear to appreciate the famous legendary output transformers made by Sansui/Hashimoto of Japan. There are further upgrades you can do in the future or we could help, such as upgrade IEC inlet, upgrade caps, upgrade wires, upgrade output transformers … etc. Please note, there is only one set of RCA inputs, for the purest signal transfer, directly to the volume control. (Total of 2 sets inputs, with a small flipper switch in the back just like how it shown in the photo). We love the sound so much at the current state, very full (unlike what most thought the Nichicon caps might sound), musical, good bass and weight and mind you – high definition!
About this model
A modern one-off built in Toronto by a small maker called Finale Audio, around a pair of output transformers salvaged from a Sansui 500A tube receiver, which the builder credits to Hashimoto. The specification is clear: EL84/6BQ5 output tubes in push-pull, class AB with automatic bias, 15 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 8- and 16-ohm taps, and a 5AR4/GZ34 rectifier.
Sansui began as a transformer maker, which is why its old output transformers are reused by builders. Fifteen watts per channel is what two EL84s typically deliver in push-pull; Wikipedia gives about 17 watts for a pair in class AB.
| Builder | Finale Audio, Toronto (listing) |
|---|---|
| Type | Stereo integrated amplifier, one-off |
| Output tubes | EL84 / 6BQ5, push-pull, class AB (listing) |
| Rated output | 15 W per channel (listing) |
| Rectifier | 5AR4 / GZ34 (listing) |
| Output transformers | From a Sansui 500A receiver (listing) |
Questions collectors ask
How much power do two EL84s give in push-pull?
About 15 to 17 watts. Wikipedia lists 17 watts for a pair in class AB.
Why reuse Sansui output transformers?
Sansui grew out of a transformer workshop Kosaku Kikuchi opened in 1944 (the company itself dates from 1947), and builders value its old output transformers.
Sources: Wikipedia: EL84; Wikipedia: Sansui Electric.
