In the land of Homer, where myths were born, a small Greek manufacturer still strives to keep them alive. Stratos Vichos introduces the “Mighty,” a compact 10W Class A valve amplifier that sparked my inspiration like a Greek muse.
Thus, I embarked on this Odyssey, charting a course toward Penelope’s musical embrace, guided by the goddess Athena.
Priced at €2,310, the “Mighty” is not a thunderbolt from Zeus meant to strike our finances. Let’s be honest: naming a 10W valve amplifier “Mighty” might seem ironic, if not paradoxical.
But you must listen before judging. Like diesel engines, vacuum tube technology delivers more “torque,” meaning these 10W can hold their own against far more powerful solid-state amplifiers.
I’ve encountered many 100W amplifiers whose stated power doesn’t translate to real output—you press the pedal, and they barely move! Sounds familiar? The “Mighty” always responds, even if it strains to please. Just don’t push it too far.
Note: Nevertheless, the Lab12 Mighty MK2 remains a low-power valve amplifier, employing dual 6N1P triodes in the gain stage and a pair of EL34 pentodes in the power stage. When you crank the preamp’s volume, your perception of power—and thus your satisfaction—rises, not necessarily the electrical output, which peaks at 150VA.
Tube Swapping
When I switched from triode to ultra-linear mode acting on two simple toggle switches, I added more muscle to the music but not necessarily more joy. It brought greater attack, clarity, rhythm, and focus but less envelopment, intimacy, and human warmth.
I could have swapped the EL34 valves for KT88 or 6550 to squeeze out 15 or 20W, but I didn’t bother. In triode mode, the EL34s already met my acoustic needs in a small room, paired with the new Sonus faber Concertino 4G speakers—the fourth generation of a legend.
Greek Craftsmanship
The “Mighty” is crafted with care: solid, artisanal construction with custom output transformers made in Athens by Stratos Vichos. His Fine Symmetry Design (FSD) ensures both channels work in perfect harmony. Two Nissei VU meters enhance the retro aesthetic while offsetting the spartan, cage-less design. In fact, the Mighty does not have a 'valve protection cage' that must be sold separately, as the coupling holes are already present in the chassis.
The “Mighty” honoured my home during the IMACShow25, where I heard Dan D’Agostino Relentless 800 monoblock amplifiers—1600W into 4 ohms—driving Wilson Audio XVX speakers. So, sitting down to a 10W amplifier wooing miniature speakers required a mental shift. These are two worlds apart, yet the brain quickly zeroes in on what matters: the music.
The Twelve Labours of Hercules
In an era of Herculean amplifiers and digital titans boasting hundreds of watts, this Greek creation feels almost anachronistic. Yet the “Mighty” debunks modern myths that valves are obsolete (remember when LPs were also obsolete?) or that high wattage is essential for quality music.
“Mighty” is for those who seek revelation in music, not just sound.
As valve amplifiers grow ever more neutral and linear, the LAB12 “Mighty”MK2 embraces its roots, sounding like honey drizzling over musical notes without altering their essence too much. “Mighty” is for those who seek revelation in music, not just sound.
Brief Audition Report
Fischer-Dieskau’s baritone voice emerged, rich and resonant, like a warm breath emanating from the darkness of the stage, leaving me unsettled yet comfortable.
Then I tried a peculiar musical experiment: pitting Bob Dylan’s defiance against Amália Rodrigues’s melancholy, as two sides of the same coin.
Amalia and Dylan
On the SACD version of Blonde on Blonde, the warm, liquid midrange captures Dylan’s drawling nasality with such intimacy and realism that you can almost hear the cigarette smoke curling in his voice. “Visions of Johanna” unfolded like a fevered dream, the harmonica slicing the air with a crystalline precision softened by the valves’ velvety embrace.
Every plucked guitar string, every sardonic syllable from Dylan’s lips, glows with a halo of light, free from solid-state sterility and shaped by the alchemy occurring in the glowing filaments within the glass tubes. The driving drumbeat remains steady, despite the anticipated less tight grip of the bass, providing a dancing, almost defiant rhythm to the sound.
Amália’s voice is like a sacred relic in a cradle of saudade that soothes your heart.
In Com Que Voz, Amália’s voice is like a sacred relic in a cradle of saudade that soothes your heart. The Portuguese guitar’s weeping tremolo blooms in holographic splendour, illuminating her divine anguish with the dim glow of valves, wrapping her laments with a pain she feigns artistically but truly feels, like the poet.
Forget Streaming and Bluetooth
No streaming, no Bluetooth, not even volume control. The “Mighty” simply amplifies analogue signals. That’s it. Just enough to let its voice be heard. And to hear it sing is a delight for the ears?...
When Alberto Silva insists I should listen to a new product, I already know it must be something exceptional. Who would have thought that a century-old technology still has the power to surprise me?
Last words
I recommend the LAB12 ‘Mighty’ MK2 to complement a good DAC with volume control and analogue (RCA) outputs, or to be fed by an Eversolo streamer with no other intention than to listen to music with personal pleasure and civic spirit, i.e. without spending too much or disturbing the neighbours. Opt for high-sensitivity speakers if you don't have neighbours and like to listen to music loudly.
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