Re: Apples and oranges

OTL Asylum

OTL, Output Transformerless Amplifier User Group.

In Reply to: Re: Apples and oranges posted by djn on January 13, 2005 at 12:49:55:

I have a very similar setup.
I can only share my experience and opinion.
I drive my 1505/288k16 horns with Wright WPA 3.5 SET monoblocks. These SETs put out 3.5 watts per monoblock, believe me, more than enough to drive the 288's -- at 109db/watt efficiency, and crossed at 500hz-- to very loud, but very clean and musical levels.
Until recently, I was driving my 515b's (825 cabinets) with Carver M-500t monoblocks (700 watts per monoblock).
Then, I bought a pair of Atma-Sphere M-60 II.2's to replace the Carvers. I simply lack the ability to communicate to you in words the extraordinary transformation that those monoblocks brought to an already very musical system!
As a lover of percussion, one of my greatest frustrations with "hi-fi" systems was the inability to faithfully reproduce the sound of "skin on skin" or "wood on skin" or "wood on metal rim". There is no masking it. Once you hear a drum played live, be it rock, jazz or classical, be it a drum set, or congas, timbales or timpani, the feeling, the passion communicated by the direct strike of the instrument stays with you. Then you go home...and ...well, it is not the same, by, in my personal estimation, too far a margin.
Well, with all due allowances, in a word, the Atmas/Altec 515/288 comes awfully close! As close as I have ever heard a home system come to FAITHFULLY reproduce the real percussive sound, and actually all music. You get to FEEL IT, BROTHER!
That output transformerless technology works. It is fast and accurate, and above all, musical. I listen to all sorts of music, and they work exceedingly well with all. Female voices, for instance sound uncanningly real. Piano and acoustic guitars sound absolutely live. It is simply impossible for me to "multi-task" when I fire up my system. The music simply draws me in and forces me to listen to it, feel it.
I have not heard all OTL's. But I tell you, my personal experience has made me a believer, and I suspect that I will stay with this basic system for a very long time.
I agree with you. With very efficient horns, like the Altecs, garbage in, and a lot of garbage out. There are some very respectable solid state amps out there, such as Krell. But I think nothing comes even close to OTL's and/or other SET's when combined with Altec, IMHO.
Don't worry about the Atma-Sphere OTLs. You'll be grinning. Get yourself a pair, and get ready to rediscover your music collection.
For your information, I use Fane ST-5022 tweeters, crossed at 4k and driven by Antique Sound Labs Wave SET monoblocks.
I use a Conrad-Johnson PV-11 tube pre, and Rane AC-23 electronic crossover.
Happy listening!

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - What is the difference between OTL and other amps - djn 21:18:20 01/12/05 (8)

Re: What is the difference between OTL and other amps - vaifan 09:10:11 01/13/05 (0)

Re: What is the difference between OTL and other amps - djn 07:44:57 01/13/05 (6)

Apples and oranges - Lew 08:24:24 01/13/05 (5)

Re: Apples and oranges - djn 12:49:55 01/13/05 (4)

Re: Apples and oranges - Quico17 23:40:42 01/14/05 (0)

Re: Apples and oranges - Lew 07:37:34 01/14/05 (2)

Re: Apples and oranges - djn 07:49:39 01/14/05 (1)

transistors vs tubes - Lew 09:15:52 01/14/05 (0)

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Re: Apples and oranges - Quico17 23:40:42 01/14/05 (0)

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