Transcendent Sound Message Board

GG Preamp Muting Circuit

Tommy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:35:17 GMT

Will the GG Preamp Muting Circuit work with any standard tube preamp like eg. Foreplay, or is it a GG specific solution?

T16 distortion

ken1967 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:35:46 GMT

Hi,

Last week I have purchased a 2nd hand T16 just know that is a rather old one ( before 2003) as it don't have the T16 Fix upgrade. Anyway when I hook it on a ESL57 and find there is a distortion particular when play piano music. The distortion will be gone if I turn on the amp for > 1 hour. Can some one tell what is the likely issue? My friend think it could be the dry up of the capacitor.

Thanks

Ken

Beast kit replacing the T8 monos

Jerry — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:08:19 GMT

Hey Guys.... I had to post this message in tribute to Bruce's Beast mono's..... I bought a pair of T8 monoblocks for a Doctor's system about two months based on the reviews and the efficiency of Bruces designs... An audition with the T8's proved a love for otl's, only we needed more power... so the kit was ordered and assmbly started. I did the kit in a week... both the Doc and I were anxious.... and then the test and listening... I built then completely stock as per instructions for a reference listening and breakin... the assmbly was tedious and took about one hundred hours total... the amps powered up without a hitch and off to the Doc's house I went..... the first impressions were okay even if slightly underwhelming.... we were aware of the burn-in time needed per Bruce, fifty hours, so we left them on over night... next day was different... a "haze/glare" was gone and the amps sounded more powerful.... this improvement was twenty four hours into burn-in.... since then, they have become even more musical and smooth... and transparant... Bruce was dead-on when said they need fifty hours breakin.... and for the sound, you ask? I have been in this field professionally since the late seventies, and a few pieces of gear have impressed me over the years.... first was the Electrocompaniet Ampliwire AW100 for its beautiful highs.... then the Quads for the seductive and musical detail and resolution... (along with the impressive rogers LS3/5A) Then there was the exhausting search for a great dac... the Wadia X32 ended the search and took me out of the "market".... reason for the lenghty descript is that to say the Beast have joined the list and ended my search as well as the Doc's too..... Doc has the Beast monos and I have the T8 monos ( T8s being a good match for the Quads 63).... in a nutshell... these amps are the most musical and transparant I have heard to date (remember the phrase straight wire with gain) they run cool, have excellent bottom end(otl?), beautiful highs, very stable, and noise free.... BTW, I dont juse grounds on the power cords.... Lastly a few notes here.... testing the amps was fun.... sinewave, squarewave..... ten cycles, ten thousand, one hundred thousand.... doesnt matter... five watts, one hundred sixty watts... no problems... no tube failure.... amazing this from a otl tube amp..... he he... and a few mods now such as changing the input load resistor to 100k and silver input wiring.... which revealed a deeper and smoother soundstage... with a little more resolution... cap change was barely noticed... These ampe are keepers and most likey will be the last amps bought... reserving that right to replace them as Bruce may have another brainstorm.... Thank you Bruce for a great product..... Guys, email me if you would like to have some pix.... I have about two hundred.... Jerry

Ground Loop Question

Steve — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:43:58 GMT

Recently I had replaced the front panel and on/off rocker switch on my T-16 as the previous owner had installed a green neon type bulb above the switch that stuck out and interfered somewhat with the switch. I had posted question about how to properly wire the rocker switch but seemed to have figured it out or at least I thought I had.

I now have what I assume is a ground loop that interferes with my FM tuner causing a hum/buzzing that is pretty loud in the speakers. This happens as soon as I instal the coax into the tuner. I have 2 tuners and it's happening with both. Could someone please detail how the rocker switch is wired. I have 2 wires coming from the AC socket in the back of the amp and what appears to be a wire from a circuit board located below the AC socket (this is with the amp upside down).

I concerned that I have the switch wired incorrectly causing a possible ground loop. The rocker switch is lit when in the on position currently and has 3 lugs. Suggestions?

Thank you

Steve

Amp power based on my voltage reading.

Herman — Thur, 12 Nov 2009 02:10:44 GMT

Hi,

I have been interested in the Transcendent and other OTL amps for 9 years and have only been able to come closer to owning one now.

To determine how much power I need I acquired a Fluke 87 (with peak reading function) and I made some voltage readings across speakers terminals during the "loudest levels" I would listen to. Here are the voltage readings:
Highest recorded: 22 v
98 % of the time highest: 14.5 v
90 % of the time: 8 v

These are PEAK readings. I went by the formula PEAK power = (v^2)/12 for 12ohm speakers. My speakers are rated 12ohm. (8.3ohm reading across terminals).
RMS = PEAK/2

22v = 20.16 watts RMS
14.5v = 8.2 watts RMS
8v=2.6 watts RMS

Is this calculation correct? Does this mean I can get by with an 8.2 watt/ch OTL amp 98% of the time?
Thanks.
Herman

T16 gain and balanced input

The Doogster — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:39:47 GMT

Hi chaps

I'm thinking of buying the T16 stereo kit to drive my Quad ESL57s.

What is the gain of the T16? Can it be run without a preamp or just a passive preamp?

Has anyone installed balanced inputs on the T16? My ultimate goal would be to run my balanced out CD player (my only source) into a balanced passive pre into a balanced input power amp.

Cheers. Doug

GG upgrades

Brett — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:08:29 GMT

I have read many many posts here about different upgrades. Since I have completed my GG kit I have found it to sound a little bright on my Klipschorns and I am thinking Film/foil Caps may help the sound to be more to my liking. I have made these same mods on other tube gear I had with pleasing results and was wondering if anyone has a recommendation on this?

If you feel this would be worth while what brand would you suggest?

Thanks

Rocker switch connections

Steven Freeman — Thur, 05 Nov 2009 00:15:36 GMT

I had purchased a used T-16 three or more years ago and it was supplied with a 120vac bulb located just above the on/off rocker switch. Although it was small it stuck out and interfered with the rocker switch. Recently I bough a new front panel from Bruce and plan to put a lit rocker switch in to replace the old setup.

When I opened up the amp and tried to figure out how the previous owner had wired the bulb I must admit I became confused. From the power cord outlet located on the back 3 white wires run from the two terminals (the ground is clear and easy to see where it goes). However 3 wires run to the rocker switch on the front where there are only two terminals. I'm sure this should be obvious but can someone tell me where each of the three wires connect.

If also notice a slight hum in the right channel and wonder if the wiring of the rocker switch (previously) may have been the cause. If tries swapping tubes but the hum remains.

Thanks in advance for any help.

available tubes

kevner — Thur, 22 Oct 2009 10:25:36 GMT

Mr. Rosenblit If I were to buy one of your OTL amps ,what will be the availability of the Russian tubes over the years? As you know Good tubes are depleting rapidly

Crossover

bigfishe — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 04:17:09 GMT

I want my damn Crossover!!

Seriously considering the Beast kit

tropicalcb — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:05:48 GMT

I've had a good look on the net for reviews & detailed user comments/impressions of this OTL but there's not a lot, apart from a few scattered impressions & comments here. Can anyone who has built the kit give me an idea of their impressions relative to some known high end amps, particularly valve/tube power amps of similar output power.
I'm seriously considering buying the kit mainly because I just don't have the time any more to source everything .... and as someone commented on the forum, layout & chassis building take up a lot of time & there's always something that either isn't quite how you wanted it or was not designed in & requires major surgery to include. So if its been done its worth the money.
My main concern is the weight & bulkiness ie: freight cost to Australia. I could save weight on Tx's but custom torroids woud end up more expensive than the supplied I reckon.
if there's anyone from this part of the world who has been through the exercise I'd appreciate some input.

cheers ... cb

Step Up Transformers

Brenton — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:06:00 GMT

Greetings one and all.

I know this topic has been discussed quite a few times, but having read everything I can find on the topic, I'm a little baffled.

I have the Transcendent Phono and GG Pre amp. I want to add a Moving Coil cartridge, so, will need a Step Up Transformer.

I understand Bruce recommends placing the SUT after the Phono output, and before the Pre amp.

My understanding (correct if wrong) is that it's usually placed before the Phono input stage.

This article appears to confirm that explicitly.

http://www.vinylengine.com/step-ups-and-mc-cartridges.shtml

I wonder how placing the SUT after the Phono stage affects the components in the SUT. That is, wouldn't impedance, or something, be different depending on whether the SUT goes before the Phono in put, or after the Phono stage out put?

Thanks for any guidance on this confusing matter.

What's with the silence?

gw — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:00:55 GMT

Chinese got your keyboards too?

Biamp with Beast

jwcullison — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:51:32 GMT

I was waiting to hear if there was going to be an active XO by Bruce but there doesn't seem to be anymore chatter with this.

I have some power hungry McIntosh speakers in which I have a big solid state amp pushing them. However, I would like to have the Beasts pushing the HF....which for this speaker is 250Hz and up. I can use the SS amp to push 250Hz and down.

The manufacturer states biamping using the internal passive XO is fine....but afraid to do this with a tube amp w/o an active XO in front of the Beast. They recommend with a tube amp, to put an active high pass in front of the tube amp set to one octave lower than the XO point. Then connect to the HF speaker terminals using the internal XO.

Now I use an active Ashly XO with my custom horn system and using a T16 to run the HF section with good success. But really wasn't wanting to use standard "pro equipment" to use with my McIntosh Speakers (XRT1K's).

If there is any possibility to use the Beast for the HF of my Mcintosh speakers w/o an active.......please someone tell me how to do this safely.

jc

Want to biamp with Beast

jc — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:50:40 GMT