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SET Asylum Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream. |
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SET Asylum Single Ended Triodes (SETs), the ultimate tube lovers dream. |
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I purchased the Bent Audio TAP-X pre-amp in October of 2008 and it has been in my main system since that time.
My components are the following:
- Reference 3A Royal Virtuoso speakers
- Welborne Terraplane 300B amps
- MSB Power DAC
- Denon DVD player
- MJ Acoustics Reference 200 subwoofer
- miscellaneous cabling that needs to be upgraded.
The system is very much a work in progress. I try to keep the signal path as simple as possible.
I am reviewing not only the component but would also like to say something about my experience with the company. Bent Audio is located in the Metro Vancouver area, where I also live, so I have the benefit of dealing with the company owner face-to-face, a Mr. John Chapman. I can say that my experience was very positive. Service and communication are excellent and Mr. Chapman is forthright and honest. After having dealt with Welborne Labs in the past, I am very sensitive to issues of customer service.
The Bent Audio unit replaces a potentiometer-in-a-box used in a shunt-to-ground configuration. Instead of using resistors or potentiometers Bent uses autoformers to attenuate the signal. Very simple signal path with no excess parts. The autoformers are said to have advantages in impedance matching to the amplifiers and is said to present a cleaner signal path as the autoformers are really just loops of copper wire. The autoformers are custom units made in the United States and are individually tested by Bent before being installed. The Bent pre-amp is passive and has remote controlled volume and input switching.
Compared to the potentiometer, the Bent pre-amp gives much more detail, a smoother sound. Unlike the pot, the Bent does not roll of the highs and the lows. I have realized that even in passive attenuation there are large differences in the performance of different technologies.
Volume steps are accomplished through British made discrete relays. When you look at what these things cost you understand why other manufacturers don’t use then. This is really the Rolls Royce solution to volume switching. The relays are quiet, fast and transparent. I can just barely hear the relays switching and in some situations you probably would not be able to hear them at all. Left and right channel volume is indicated by large easy to read numerals on the face of the pre-amp. The operation of the unit is as smooth as the sound.
The Tap-X is capable of a high degree of customization and has lots of room in the full-sized chassis. The multi-input board is optional and includes a buffer circuit for a subwoofer. This is my favorite feature. It gives the user the advantage of having a passive signal path going to the tube amps while have a buffer circuit (op-amp) separating and driving the longer interconnects going to the subwoofer. This arrangement is the only one that really makes sense in my system.
There is also balance control, mute, and the esoteric feature of being able to send the main signal through the subwoofer buffer circuit. I don't use any of this. The manufacturer has basically implemented all the features that are possible without cluttering up the signal path with more parts.
According to the manufacturer, there is no sonic difference between the single input model where the inputs are wired directly to the autoformer module and the multi-input version which has the inputs going to a switching board prior to the autoformer mudules. I have not yet tested this myself.
I originally intended to have a passive volume control made which is all hard-wired on the theory that hard wiring is better than circuit boards. Bent Audio uses small circuit boards with relays which are affixed to the autoformers to make up the modules. Mr. Chapman convinced me that this is a better system than having a rats nest of hard wiring. If one were to stick to the single input version, I suspect, however, that a hard wired customization would be possible.
The chassis is a sturdy utilitarian looking metal enclosure.
Bent audio also sells volume control modules to be installed in third party enclosures, for example to add volume control to your power amps. I don’t have any experience with these but these may be the most interesting item in the product line.
While not cheap, the Bent Audio pre-amp gives me the impression that I have gotten very good value for my money. The cost of parts is a relatively high percentage of the total cost of the unit.
Son House
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Topic - Review: Bent Audio Tap-X - SonHouse3 13:56:31 01/21/09 (2)
- I Second John Chapman and Bent Audio - TonyB 05:08:10 01/22/09 (0)
- John Chapman - Mr. Lowther 15:41:23 01/21/09 (0)
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