My speakers are Yamahas NS-1000. Initially received it as a broken unit, I managed to get it back on its feet again via a total rebuilt (sans power supply caps). This baby weighs over 40 Kilos, yet its sound is smooth and sweet as a baby's butt. The sound is full with tones and overtones present in spades. No skimping on the frequency extremes either, as bass is prodigious (with the right speaker), and highs are also top notch. With CDs of higher resolution and transparency, results can be truly eye opening, opening the proverbial walls and moving one into the recording venue. Someone mentioned coherence and cohesion, and I agree. With its enormous power, the Beard manages to pull the music strings together, and make music sound like music! No small feat, if you take the rounds of any music shop nowadays. A great music lover amplifier!

Runs hot, weight and sheer size.

Review of the Beard-Audio P100 Signature-Reference valve-amplifier with Partridge outputtrannies:

For a very short period Beard-Audio made the P100 with Partridge outputtransformers which are double c-core and should be on the level of Tamura- or Tango output-transformers. I had the chance to compare it to the stock P100. The difference was stunning. I still believe it is one of the worlds finest KT88 poweramps. Particular if used with original Genalex KT88's or MO-Valve Gold-Lions (not to be mixed up with the modern fake Gold-Lions made in China).

Even compared to a top-of-the line Jadis KT88 valve-poweramps the Beard not only stood its ground but imho sounded superior.

As far as I know only very few were made on special demand, hardly anybody knows about them.

They just sound musical and very open with such a detailed airy top-end. Bass is deep but at the same time airy-palpable. There is this rare homogeneous continuity from bass to midrange and treble.

You need a top notch preamp and phonostage. My turntable is the legendary Garrard 501 with SME 3012A tonearm, pick-up is the Ortofon SPU-Gold, inputtransformers Neumann Bv27 or Bv33 (low ratio version which I prefer) directly built into my Jadis preamp. Speakers are Vitavox cornerhorns. I know, some of you might prefer DHT SE amps but I need the reserve in power. There are very few DHT SE amps which can perform orchestra at a sensible volume (my living-room is large) or at times some good rock-music as well and they cost a fortune, you can buy a small house or a fantastic car.

This version of the P-100 can easely be identified by the chromeplated front.

I had to change powercapacitors and a few other parts because they were aging.

Use only perfectly matched pairs of output-valves. Make sure you use high quality driver- and input-valves: Mullard or Brimar 12AX7, 12AU7 and 12AT7 are great, Telefunken's as well. I have those modern chinese valves, they damage soundquality. Russian valves are better but beware of fakes with famous (imo faked) brands such as modern Mullard's or Gold-Lion's. You might quickly find out why the Chinese invented fireworks!

I have one of these, stunning amp.

Bought from ebay as a non worker.

I replaced: -
Cheep Chinese driver valves with NOS Mullards
All electrolytic caps apart from the main smoothers
KT88s
Bias adjustment pots.
It worked very well driving my Mirage OM7 speakers, but as a tinkerer I have since: -
Rewired the O/P valve heaters with twisted pairs, so the current is not going through the PCB
Fitted KT120 output valves

This has improved an already stunning amp, it is totally in control, and will shake the windows lol.

I have this chance to own one of those very rare chromeplated P100 reference amps. KT88's pushpull and 100W. Beard knew then what they were doing, the output xmers were of the finest ever. Compared to many tubepoweramps, vintage or modern, they still stand out. Effortless, natural midrange, deep strong powerful black bass, sweet but extended treble, lots of air and space, amazing.
Never would part with them. I did not like the matching preamp called P505. It was nice but not on the same level as this reference amp.

I would guess, today one would have to pay more than US$ 10,000 to built such a beast. Well, it is beauty and beast at the same time.

I use this poweramp since 2004. After replacing some condensors in the powersupply and signal path, rewiring it with high quality solid-core wire it became the best KT88 push-pull amp I ever had in my system. And I had many, McIntosh, Conrad Johnson, Audio-Research, Luxmann and BAL. Unmodified the P100 sounds lush, warm, euphonic and powerfull and has amazing imaging, but details seem to be not so subtle. After the mods the amp turned out to be spectacular. Non of the forementioned qualities got lost, but the added fine detail presentation was just breathtaking. Suddenly there was air between the instruments. As far as I know the output transformers were made by Partridge, UK. It seems to could be the secret of this amp. This amp can drive very hard loads and most difficult speakers. But I also had it connected to sensitive speakers which normally run best with single ended tubeamps, but this Beard was an exception, allthough just running in the milliwatt range, it soundes just fantastic on Vitavox hornspeakers as well as Westrex.

I have this amplifier since the mid 90's. I have had many different amplifiers along the years amongst them some the best amplifiers out there from Conrad Johnson, Bel Canto, Lyngdorf and Sonic Frontiers to name a few. Somehow I am always happy returning to the Beard P100. I have used the Beard regularly as my main amplifier until 2006 replacing tube every 3 years or so. The beard may not be the most detailed amplifier out there but presents music in a very lush and seductive way. The soundstage is very wide and deep and this amplifier can drive most speakers. I have used it with Martin Logan’s, and Sonus Faber Amati’s without a problem in my medium sized room.
Two year ago I decided to re-build the Beard and replace some of the aged components inside. I replace the power supply caps and all the coupling caps. I also replaced some of the resistors that were out of spec. After this the Beard became a new animal, matching the best gear I had at hand. It is a great amplifier if you can find one and a heaven for DIY enthusiasts.
Highly recommended!

use ordinary tubes 4 kt88/6550 (i use 4 svetlana 6550c) and 3 pairs of ecc 81,82,83. the sound is very detaild & warm yet no muddy as old tube amps
very powerfull can drive almost any speaker, mine avance epsilon 930 200W

weight almost 50kg ! need to be opened to re-bias.

very good amp, as asecond hand it is a winner.
beautiful mid & highs.
only for tube amps lovers.

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