Vacuum
Tube Sound for the 21st Century
Mapletree Audio
Design offers
a unique range of products designed and hand crafted by Dr. Lloyd
Peppard,
a retired electronics engineering professor. The goal is to increase
your
enjoyment of recorded music through the use of vacuum tube
amplification
and signal processing. 
Click on tubes for more information!Customer Photos of the Month
Murray Smith (New Zealand): Mapletree forest! Vinyl: Project RPM 10 table and arm Cartridge, MC Dynavector 20X. CD: Arcam DV 139 FMJ.
Pre amp. MAD Ultra 4A SE with PS2 power supply. Thingy high-level crossover/ambience recovery.
May News and Specials
• Mapletree Audio Line 2A SE Preamp wins "Affordable$$Audio 2007 Big Bang, Little Bucks Award". See the January Issue of Affordable$$Audio (www.affordableaudio.org).
• New product - the "Thingy" crossover and multi-channel driver. Based on the concepts described in the Branches newsletter issue 4 , the MAD Thingy is in production. It features buffered high and low pass filters to implement a 500 Hz high-level crossover for driving multiple speaker systems or bi-amp aplications, plus outputs for ambience and subwoofer channels. For more details, you can download the user's manual.
User comments.
Introductory price is $850.
• First order placed--photos later this month! Based on the experience with the HD200 above, a new Ear+ HD Super is in the works. Like the HD200, it has tube rectification and a higher voltage power supply than the HD which will increase power output for hard to drive headphone types as well as allow multi-headphone connections. The Ear+ HD will continue as the flagship product recommended for most applications.
NOTE: All MAD components, with the exception of the Super Stealth power amplifiers, are available for 230-240 VAC 50 Hz at no extra cost. Super Stealth monoblocs for 230-240 VAC are available at a slightly higher price.
Chassis colors include RCA
Red, textured
black, Sylvania Yellow, British
Racing Green, and
eggshell white. Solid wood side panels are
finished in ebonized black or natural red oak.
Preamplifiers
Magic 5B SE Triplex Line Preamplifier (kit and assembled)
Three
line preamp circuits in one package! A selector switch lets you chose
from
a classic common-cathode + cathode-follower (CF), shunt-regulated
push-pull
(SRPP), or passive path. The passive connection is a zero-loss path
with
3-input selector switch, volume and individual channel level controls
as
for the active topologies. All signal wiring, including power supply
returns,
is silver-plated stranded copper with Teflon insulation. The use of
shielded
cable has been completely eliminated to reduce stray capacitance for
extended
high frequency response.Careful choice of high quality passive
components
yields a distinctive sonic flavor to each of the two active circuit
topologies.
Carbon film resistors and paper/oil capacitors in the CF circuit
emphasize
the mid-range warmth and dynamics of this classic configuration. Auricap
coupling
capacitors and precision metal film resistors contribute to the
transperency
and overall balance of the SRPP topology. Cathode bypass capacitors are
Black
Gate electrolytics. High-speed, low noise diodes are
used in the rectifier bridge and an Alps precision plastic-element volume
control
is standard. A unique audio component at a fair price.
• Three line inputs, two outputs (one
with optional
10 dB attenuation for high output sources).
• Five NOS octal tubes (3 x 12SN7GT, 2x
6R7G/GT).
• Available as a kit or factory assembled.
More
Information •
Customer Comments
Reviewof
the Octal 6 by Richard George (TNT-Audio)
Reviewof
the Octal 6 by Michael Schelb (AudioCircle)
Line 2A SE Line Preamplifier (kit and assmebled)
Review
of Line 2A SE by John
Hoffman in Affordable Audio
July/07 issue
Review
of Line 2 by Chris Thompson on Head-Fi
• Premium
passive
components include Auricap coupling capacitors.
• Optimized circuitry for lowest distortion
and
noise.
• 3 inputs, 2 outputs, volume and
individual
channel level controls.
• 2 x 12SN7GT with switch for 6SN7GT tubes.
• Separate PS 2 power supply (with
6X5GT
tube/HEXFRED hybrid rectification) included.
More
Information • Customer
Comments
Phono 4 SE Phono Preamplifier
Offered for those desiring a phono preamp without the line input and
control features of the Ultra 4A SE (see below). Front panel
gain
control with up to 50 dB gain. Can feed a power amp directly or
recorder/computer
input (for CD-R) or can be combined with a line preamp for additional
gain.
Two switchable inputs (rear panel) can have different load resistance
and
capacitance if desired. The circuit is identical to the Ultra 4A SE
with Auricap capacitors used throughout. Also includes two
outputs
and a heater voltage switch for use of 6SN7GT or 12SN7GT tubes in the
output
stages. Includes the separate PS 2 power supply.
Customer feedback
• More information
Ultra 4A SE Phono/Line Preamplifier
"MAD [Ultra 4] is my vote for best bang for the buck, heck maybe even best product contention at any reasonable price".
NEW! Customer
Review
of Ultra 4A and Ear+ Purist
Reviewof
Ultra
4A by Pat McDemott on Audio
Asylum
Review
of
Ultea 4A SE by JR Cody on audioweb.com
Reviewof
Ultra 4A by Scott Faller (TNT-Audio)
Reviewof
the Ultra 4 by Tom Mitchell on AudioCircle
• Premium passive components include Auricap 
coupling
capacitors and Black Gate bypass capacitors.
• 48 dB phono gain, two 18 dB line inputs,
two
line outputs.
• Individual channel level controls plus
volume
control for optimum gain adjustment.
• 2 x 12SN7GT (switchable for 6SN7GT) and 2
x
12SC7.
• Separate PS 2 power supply
included.
More
Information
•
Customer Comments
PS 2 Power Supply (included with Line 2A SE (assembled and as a kit), Phono 4 SE, and Ultra 4A SE)
• Provides 12 VDC@1A (regulated)
and +200
VDC@15 mA.
• Power cable and
detachable
IEC line cord included.
• Employs high-speed diodes with 6X5GT rectifier
tube in hybrid bridge.
• Soft startup relieves stress on
tubes
and filter capacitors.
More
information
Headphone Amplifiers
"Now I have to listen to all my CDs all over again. I have a decent stereo system but with the Ear+ it sounds like a $20,000 setup".
Review
of the Ear+ by Steve Albers on Audio
Asylum
Review
of the Ear+ by Nicholas Schell on Head-Fi
Comments
on Audiogon
Designing
the Ear+ by Lloyd Peppard
User
Comments
Ear+ HD High Definition Headphone Amplifier (kit and assembled)
• Outstanding headphone performance for a wide range of headphone impedances and drive requirements.
• 2 x 12B4A NOS and 1 x 5751/12AX7/ECC83 tubes.
• High and low impedance headhone jacks.
• Premium passive components include Tantalum film plate resistors and Black Gate capacitors in signal path.
• Ultra high-speed rectifier diodes and Alps volume control are standard.
• Passive line output for use as a passive preamp.
• Dual inputs for easy patching into system.
More Information • Customer Comments
Super Stealth monobloc
power amplifier
(kit and assembled). Using the new EH 6V6GT tubes in class AB
ultra-linear
push-pull, the Super Stealth delivers a clean 8 W, making it
suitable
for a wide range of speaker systems. Available as a kit or factory
assembled.
•
20-20
kHz -1 dB at 5W
• Mullard topology driver circuitry using 12SJ7 pentode and 12S
C7
cathode-coupled
phase inverter.
• Supplied with EH 6V6GT matched pair output tubes.
• Quiet, ultra high speed diode power supply and DC heater
supply for all tubes.
• Ultra-low output noise–less than 025 mV (90 dB below rated output)
makes it suitable for high-efficiency speaker systems.
• Input level control for optimum sensitivity adjustment; input
sensitivity 0.5 V.
• Compact chassis 7" x 12" x 6" overall.
More Information
Super Stealth kit manual
Special Red octal driver module for Dynaco Stereo 70 power amplifiers. A drop in, point-to-pointwired driver board using Mullard driver topology with 2-6SJ7 and 2-6SL7GT tubes.
More Information
Installation Manual
Other Products
Eyes for your Ears! The Viper Magic Eye Monitor. Left and right channel levels are displayed by two 6E5C cathode ray tubes. Includes response speed and sensitivity controls with built in 12SC7 voltage amplifier stage.
More information.
LR 1 Line Router
• Any combination of 6 or less I/O lines is possible. Design it yourself to suit your needs.
• Ideal for switching line sources between headphone amplifier or preamp or adding additional line inputs to preamp.
• LR 1 Pro model features 3–2 switching with balanced I/O and XLR connectors.
Dr.
P spins some 78s on his mini system. Photo by Christian Keresztes
For more information or to place an order, please telephone or email Lloyd Peppard at
(613) 387-3830
info@mapletreeaudio.com
Lloyd Peppard
Mapletree Audio Design
158 Seabrooke Rd
R.R. 1, Seeley's Bay, Ontario, Canada K0H
2N0
Credit
card payments through PayPal are highly recommended. Registered PayPal
email address is lloyd.peppard@sympatico.ca.