History of the ENCORE SEVEN Company
handcrafted vacuum tube amplifiers for home use
V-TUBE CONCEPT
THE BEGINNING
The name: Encore Seven was introduced at the market in 2010 and from the very beginning it has been associated with premium quality products. From the beginning, we have worked with skilled and experienced professionals to ensure our products will deliver uncompromised quality and satisfy the most demanding musical ear.
We created the EGG-SHELL brand and over the course of 10 years, we have introduced several dozen models of tube amplifiers and tube phono preamplifiers to our offer. Our experience in engineering and production of the vacuum tube-based musical equipment has its beginnings in the mid-90s of the 20th century.
V-TUBE CONCEPT
With the design of the first amplifier with tilted power tubes, the V-TUBE concept was born. The Prestige series was the most distinctive family of our amplifiers, which we developed from the very beginning.
SERIES AND MODELS
In 2019, the ENCORE SEVEN offer included ten amplifier models organized into three series. The most numerous was the Prestige series. The Classic series represented the cheapest line of amplifiers based on solutions from the Prestige series. And then the flagship model TanQ appeared, based on 4 KT88 tubes with quiet active cooling.
THE TANQ - ENCORE SEVEN'S FLAGSHIP AMP
This is what we wrote about our top integrated amplifier on the website at that time:
We are proud to launch our top quality amplifier to date: The TanQ. First seen and presented to the public in 2015 during the Warsaw Audio Video Show, it did steal the limelight and remained memorable, due to both: A revolutionary look and unmissable playback quality. Since that we haven’t rushed it and we put as much time as was needed to make it a mature, well balanced machine capable of delivering sound which is involving and possessing, the sound which makes you sit and listen to the music with an undivided joy. In one word: The perfect amp for the honest and demanding music lover. We do believe that it all paid back and we moved forward very well in this department. More of that , in the meantime the final silhouette of the TanQ went through many makeovers to finally achieve the shape which is visually weightless and almost levitating, whilst at the same time remaining bomb proof and… built like a TanQ.
AWARDS, DISTINCTIONS AND USER RECOGNITION
For more than 10 years, EGG-SHELL amplifiers have won the appreciation of users and the favour of trade journalists and have made a lasting mark in the history of the audio industry. Our greatest successes include the title of BEST PRODUCT 2016 awarded by High Fidelity magazine for the EGG-SHELL Prestige 9 amplifier and the award for one of the best-sounding systems at the Audio Video Show ‘2016 in Warsaw (Europe’s second largest industry show). EGG-SHELL amplifiers have found customers throughout Europe and Asia.
HISTORICAL BANNERS AND PROMO PHOTOS
More photos
PRESENT DAY
In 2021 we have made an uncompromising decision to completely redesign our offer, change the brand name from EGG-SHELL → ENCORE SEVEN, change the logo and start collaborating with the best experts in their fields.
ENCORE SEVEN vacuum tube amplifiers take all the best ideas and features from the achievements of EGG-SHELL amps, in particular from the main and most developed EGG-SHELL Prestige series. At the same time, the now revised approach to amplifier design and construction elevates the new models to an even higher level in every respect – advanced design, better sound, appearance and quality of workmanship. The visual facelift has been entrusted to Krakow’s Szostak Atelier (Witold Szostak), whereas Rolof Audio (Robert Rolof) is responsible for the electronics design.
Features of the new Encore Seven amplifiers
Electronic system
The electronic circuit is built on PCBs. The well-proven push-pull system on KT88 tubes was developed many years ago. For the ENCORE SEVEN project, it was redesigned to fit optimally into the required amplifier space. The vast experience of the Rolof Audio has resulted in an excellent final effect – the amplifier that is stable, quiet (no hum) and with a highly sophisticated sound. And at the same time, it is featured by a stable operation and an expected long lifetime of tubes, capacitors, resistors and other components.
Visual design
The Encore Seven amplifiers are a continuation, or better said, a significant development of the distinctive V-TUBE design developed in 2010 for the EGG-SHELL Prestige models. Features such as the V-tube system, the horizontal volume wheel, the glass on the front and the gyroscopic remote control remain, whereas the extensive lift transforms the existing amplifiers into something even more intriguing and compelling. The casing consists of more than 100 aluminium sheets that form a layered irregular block and also a cooling radiator. Such a concept has probably never been seen before in the audio world.
Mechanical and manual production
Encore Seven amplifiers are manufactured in Poland from durable materials such as glass and CNC-machined aluminium, which then undergoes glass bead blasting and lacquering process. The casing contains a robust chassis and improved technical solutions, such as a volume wheel with two-point mounting supported by a bearing. The amplifier has also an improved passive cooling and electronic components from the best suppliers, such as Kiwame, Vishay, Nichicon, Miflex, Hammond, CMC, etc. The entire unit is assembled manually, then burnt-in and tested. And before transport it is packed securely in a rigid case. This product is designed for people who demand the highest quality.