Κώστας Φ.
Truth hurts. Here's a teddy bear.
- Μηνύματα
- 8.978
- Reaction score
- 895
Τους νέους μονομπλόκ τελικούς αναφοράς, σύμφωνα με πρόσφατο review του 6moons.
Ο λόγος για τους Tenor 350M των 60.000 ευρώ το ζευγάρι. Υβριδικός ενισχυτής με ιδιαίτερες σχεδιαστικές επιλογές (στην ουσία πρόκειται για OTL λαμπάτο με τα MOSFET αποκλειστικά σε ρόλο buffer) και απόδοση που θέτει νέα standards στην "cost-no-object" κατηγορία (αν πιστέψουμε το review φυσικά). Σύμφωνα με τον κατασκευαστή, έχουν δώσει ιδιαίτερη προσοχή ακόμη και στις βίδες που χρησιμοποιούν στους 350Μ.
Ας δούμε μερικά αποσπάσματα από το, ιδιαίτερα αναλυτικό είναι η αλήθεια, review..
"While the 350M builds on the concepts of the original 300M, virtually every important element of the 350M is new and unique, a process that took two years and $1,000,000 in R&D.
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The 350M design at its simplest is a two-stage tube OTL voltage amplifier with a six-tube output buffer. The tubes form a functional mini amplifier within an amplifier, producing 13 watts at 500 ohms, which could actually power an appropriately rated speaker. However, since there are not many 500-ohm speakers on the market, there were three design choices:
- A traditional pure tube OTL amp. Michel did the calculations. To scale up the original 75-watt OTL to 300 watts required drawing over 2,000 watts from the wall - not a practical solution.
- An output transformer - a fatally flawed solution from Tenor's perspective. Yes, tube lovers always have that love-hate relationship with transformers. Looking for that big tight bass, you will need a big heavy transformer. But you also get lots of wire, stray capacitance, interference, nonlinearities and phase shift. Everything in life is a compromise so while top-of-the-line output transformers are good, they're also expensive, large and require very careful engineering.
- Finally, while MOSFETs are not perfect, they do not suffer from frequency and phase-related problems. In the 350Ms they supply no voltage gain. Their sole purpose is to provide current and convert 500 ohms to a more reasonable 8 ohms. Apply the corresponding mathematics, convert the power from the tube stage and you have essentially the output power of the 350Ms. This amplifier really is in many ways an OTL amp driving two large buffers.
The first gain stage uses two Tung-Sol ECC803/12AX7, the second gain stage a single JJ ECC99 followed by six GE 7044 buffer tubes. Although the 7044 is not currently in production, Tenor has been stockpiling them for over three years and claims to have a very large supply. Michel uses these tubes for what they do well - linear voltage gain as a driver.
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The 350M is designed with no current limiting from the power supply to the output. The only limit is a small resistor calibrated for 1,200 watts at 2 ohms. The resistor has no effect dynamically but if you reach that current at 2 ohms, the protection circuitry will kick in before the fuse blows. The fuses do not limit current but open only if there is a malfunction. During two years of testing, Tenor reports no output MOSFET failures.
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In total, there are 11 fuses in the amplifier; six of them monitored by the logic system.
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Comparisons
On a dollar for dollar basis, the comparison between the Tenor, darTZeel 108 and VTL S-400 is certainly not fair. Yet each in their own way is the flagship model of their company and a definitive statement on what is possible in amplification. Actually, the VTL S-400 is not the top of the line but does share much with its big-brother Siegfrieds and has a very similar sonic fingerprint. All three amps have their own unique approach using three designs: pure tube, pure solid-state and OTL hybrid.
Staying with this comparison, the Tenors are like a darTZeel on steroids. (Good steroids, not those harmful illegal ones.) The qualities of purity, resolution and transparency that make darTZeel a world-class amp are raised up a notch or two with the Tenors. If you like the sonic presentation the 'darts brings to the table, you'll be ecstatic with the 350Ms. There's a lot in the basic foundation that is similar but Tenor takes it to another level and they should based on the price differential. The biggest differences are ultimate power, dynamics and bass. Don't forget that I am comparing a 100-watt darTZeel that is happiest at 8 ohms with a 350-watt monster that will effectively double power down to 2 ohms.
It's interesting; you get into a comfort zone with your reference amp. Unless the amp has glaring errors, which few do at this level, their performance eventually becomes normal to you. With the efficient Wilson X-2s, I never found the darTZeel wanting in the low end and for its power rating, it has an articulate and well-defined bottom. When you compare it to the Tenors with their seemingly infinite capacity and reserves, low-end bass definition takes on a whole new meaning. The low-end difference between the Tenors and the darTZeel is significant.
The VTL has power to spare but doesn't quite meet the highest levels of transparency and refinement of the Tenors. The Tenors' clarity and air around the individual instruments give them an edge in resolution and ability to see the instruments. Don't take these comparisons negatively for either competitor is among a handful of the best. Until a few months ago, I was the happiest listener on the planet with the ability to switch between the darTZeel and VTL. Tenor has simply raised the bar.
Summary
When you find a company that possibly redefines a genre, how do you write an objective review without sounding like their marketing department? What happens if in an effort to be fair and balanced, there is no major negative offset to report except for price? I do understand that nothing is perfect but this is a darn near perfect amp.
There will be few able to afford these amplifiers and that's a shame. However, for all who love music, go out of your way to listen to these. Track them down at a show, a dealer or even hop up to Montréal. Having personally reached the ecstasy of audio nirvana with darTZeel and VTL, in came the 350Ms and moved audio amplification to another level, albeit at a stratospheric price. Damn you, Tenor. The problem is that you can't un-ring a bell. Hearing the Tenors in a long-term reference configuration, there can be only one conclusion - a new standard has been set. Yet there is hope on the horizon. A 175-watt stereo version is in the works and will bring the Tenor sound to a more affordable stratum, if not the masses. Hopefully the technology will eventually trickle down farther into a more affordable mainstream product.
An extraordinary accomplishment!"
Full Review: 6moons.com
