Kondo Gakuoh 2

The Kondo Gakuoh II is one of the most special power amplifiers ever developed around the legendary 300B tube. Where many 300B amplifiers are loved for their beauty in the middle area, but sometimes lack scale, dynamics and low control, the Gakuoh II proves that a 300B can also sound great, powerful and authoritarian.

 

The original Gakuoh has enjoyed an almost mythical reputation among lovers of Kondo for decades. With the second generation, however, Kondo has revisited almost every aspect of the design. New silver-wrapped output transformers, a completely revised power supply design, improved signal components and insights from the development of the reference Kagura have led to an amplifier that combines the magic of the 300B with an unprecedented degree of control and dynamic freedom.

 

What is immediately striking while listening is the effortlessness with which music unfolds. Voices get an almost tangible presence, instruments are displayed with a wealth of colour and harmonic nuances, while the sound image opens far outside the speakers. There is a calm and self-evident nature that is characteristic of the very best Kondo components.

 

But maybe the biggest surprise is the low. Thanks to the completely newly developed output transformers and the enhanced power supply, the Gakuoh II provides a foundation and control that you rarely associate with a 300B design. The amplifier retains all the refinement, tonality and spatiality of the classic 300B, but adds an impressive physical presence.

 

Internally, the Gakuoh II is a textbook example of the uncompromising Kondo philosophy. A fully copper chassis, silver output transformers, silver foil capacitors, silver resistors and Kondo's own SSW silver cabling together form a construction in which every detail is in service of the music.

 

At Highender we consider the Gakuoh II one of the most beautiful interpretations of the 300B available today. An amplifier that combines the emotional involvement and natural beauty of a classic triode with a scale and authority that are normally beyond the reach of this type of design.

 

For many, the Gakuoh II is not just a power amplifier.

 

It's the ultimate 300B.

Technical specifications

Property	Specification
Type	300B Push-Pull monoblock power amplifier
Power output	20 W @ 1 kHz, 5% THD
Frequency range	10 Hz – 40 kHz (+0 dB / -3 dB @ 1 W)
Inputs	RCA and XLR (unbalanced)
Input impedance	70 kΩ
Loudspeaker exits	4 Ω, 8 Ω, 16 Ω (2 outputs selected ex-works)
Noise level	< 1 mV
Tube occupation	300B ×2, 6CG7 ×2, 6072 ×1, GZ34 ×2
Bias	Self-adjusting
Power consumption	120 W
Dimensions (B × H × D)	294 × 284 × 485 mm
Weight	32 kg per monoblock
Country of origin	Japan