[miklorsmith]

Nice story.  Those are high-end bikes.  A good shop will service them to the end.  A really good shop will service your other bikes too.  Why?  Well, bike shops are by nature benificent (usually) but maybe more importantly it makes the customer happy.  Satisfied folks leave the shop, tell others about their experiences, and return to shop again.  Your bike shop has taken a different path, as has S&B.

[Richard]

To cut off supplies in this way without warning is inexcusable. I got my TX102's via John, even though I'm in the UK, because S&B were obviously not interested in supplying them, and it seems that this was straw in the wind. It occurred to me while wiring them up that making, testing and labelling the output wires on these transformers must be difficult to justify to the accountants when the production facility could be used for easier to produce and more profitable items. I suspect that S&B have decided that there is more profit in finished products than in supplying the raw component to others.

I wish John well in the quest for a replacement, and one obvious improvement would be to bring the taps out via tags, rather than wires!

[John Chapman]

Richard,

I hope the TX102's are working out fine! It did take a while to get'em to you...... Thanks for the idea of bringing out wires via tags - I will keep that in mind.

There seems to be a few posts that hint about S&B and maximizing profits, acountants, etc.... Just wanted to point out that like most audio bussinesses S&B is a small outfit just trying to get by in this crazy bussiness! No acountants, etc on staff at all. Everyone there winds transformers including Jonathan. I think that the logistics and communications around getting the TAP out together were proving difficult at a busy time so that was the root cause of the change - not any evil intention to scoop wild profits! At best this bussiness can generate a living - there are no big $ involved here!

Thanks

John

[JJF]

Hi John,

It took me a while to convince myself that it was worth to upgrade my NOH to the new TAP for 2400 U$. When I was about to place my order you hiked the price. It took me another while to convince myself it was still worth to upgrade and when I was about to place  order there is no TAP anymore (at least for now). Really sorry to hear that. S&B will be sorry, too.  I hope you will be able to get new transformers soon  and TAP will be on its feet again. I will be very quick with the order then.
Greetings,

JJ

[denjo]

Hi John

I am sure there are interested audiophiles out there who might be interested to know if you have any updates about transformer alternatives (copper and silver) for your excellent TAP.

How do you like my Avatar? The photo was taken using a handphone 2 megapixel camera (Nokia 6280). I thought the picture quality was pretty6 good, but there again its a small photo!

I am enjoying the TAP tremendously which seems to like the extra power from my new amplifier, the Sanders ESL (600 w into 4 ohms).

Best Regards
Dennis

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

Hi John,

One of my customers pointed me to this thread.  Surfing time is limited these days.  I just wanted to say hi and lend my emotional support to you ... knowing you as one of the all-time good guys in this crazy business, but also knowing your creativity and forward thinking approach.

Of course, none of us need the distraction of having to re-invent a good product, but even this has a way of working out for the best ... especially in the hands of a creative individual who balances his technical prowess with an artistic sensibility 

O.K.  enough platitudes.  Dave Slagle winds amazing iron, and I'm sure you're aware of that, but whether he's in a position to supply the global empire that is becoming Bent Audio  is another question.

Cheers,
Thom Mackris
Galibier Design

[ddriveman]

John,

Verys sorry to hear of your predictament. I found out from a friend and just log on to this thread to confirm. Being an early supporter of the TVC (I have an 1st version of DIYHFS's Django with S&B TX102 Mk II Copper) and having watched the gowth and maturity of TVC's worldwide, I just have to say that TVC's would not be where it is today if it hadn't being for Bent Audio and DIYHFS primarily. Have no fear, there is better stuff (TVC) out there. I vote for the Silk Audio TVC's. What I have heard about them says they are better than the S&B TX102 already.

Best of Luck.

DIY Rules.

[John Chapman]

Hello!

Thanks for the support guys! I hope you have been well Thom. I am still enjoying the table here!

I have been spending most of my time getting caught up using what parts I had here in stock and a few that I had in stock at diycable. Brian at diyhifisupply.com even came up with a pair of tx103's. As of now I can take care of most folks I had waiting for parts and build products. I struck out on RIAA's and had to give up on those.

Both Brian's Silk units and Dave Slagles stuff look very well done. There are also a few other very decent units out now. I hope to meet with Brian very soon to get up to date on his stuff. None of the existing products I have found out there are a drop in replacement for the tx102 functionally (for phase invert and bal to rca / rca to bal, etc) and the TAP in particular needs a custom unit to fit that system. I was very involved when we did the MK III rev of the tx102 so I have a good handle on what we need to do. In a few weeks when I really get close to having looked after everyones orders I am going to dive right in and get rolling on both a new TVC and a new step-up unit. I will only bring them to market if I know that we have produced unit's that are at least as good as the S&B units. If that proves elusive then it'll be time to focus on some other products I have in mind.

Meanwhile the TAP series of boards and resistor pre-amps is really being finished off nicely and I am working with a few OEM's developing remote systems. 


Thanks Again!

John

[anubisgrau]

I think this is a great moment for John to dedicate some time to R&D and come up with a completely new design of transformers for TVC use.

I don't want to sound pretentious but S&B trannies have never been the end of the TVC design - they were just a good (and frankly - in last years - rudely overpriced) compromise between price and quality, hence their popularity.

John knows better than anyone else here on this forum what amount of sonic compromise was hidden in some really important construction decisions S&B made.  I would first and foremost address a core geometry as well as a transformer's size.

I've heard sonically superior TVC made out of a simple experiment, but with a radically different core geometry. The total value of materials didn't exceed $50 (yes, fifty), plus a couple of days of handwork. The materials were nothing exotic, just a plain iron and a good quality copper wire. That's all you need, plus a good bit of knowledge that's anyway between 50 and 100 years old.

All the secrets of successful transformer wounding are known for a long, long time. The only issue is how to convert it into a feasable, commercial venture.