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This has completely separate power supplies per channel. However, I don't know whether it's better to have multiple small transformers (0.25 kVA in the Bryston, for a total of 1.25kVA) or one HUGE transformer (3.6kVA in the case of the 5-channel Cinenova) with individual windings for each channel.QuoteHaving separate transformers for each channel is almost certanly less efficient, but that's rarely important to anyone. With everything on one transformer... I suppose someone could make an argument that if one channel hits a really loud and sustained peak, that it will suck power that much harder from its transformer secondary. That would presumably make the whole transformer field lopsided (briefly) and affect available power, however slightly, to the other channels. Whether you could ever possibly hear such a power variation is a question I can't answer. Probably not, though. Amps of that size tend to have deep reserves.Bryston tends to take a "if it could possibly make a difference, we'll do something about it" approach to design, AFAICT. That might have driven the design decision to use separate coils But there's another angle as well: it has to be possible to easily take Bryston stuff apart and fix it, quickly and easily, no matter which part broke. If the one huge transformer in the 'nova cooks, your whole amp is dead and the whole amp will probably need service. If part of a Bryston dies, you slide out that one part and get it fixed, and in the meantime the other parts still work. When you supply to music studios and muscians on the road, that sort of "drop me, pour beer on me, mis-wire me, kill me if you can - I will survive" reliability becomes important.Having once killed a channel on a Bryston amp, and having had them fix it, free, in under 72 hours (I paid $6 in one-way shipping on the broken subunit - total), I really, really like the way they think. And sound.
Having separate transformers for each channel is almost certanly less efficient, but that's rarely important to anyone. With everything on one transformer... I suppose someone could make an argument that if one channel hits a really loud and sustained peak, that it will suck power that much harder from its transformer secondary. That would presumably make the whole transformer field lopsided (briefly) and affect available power, however slightly, to the other channels. Whether you could ever possibly hear such a power variation is a question I can't answer. Probably not, though. Amps of that size tend to have deep reserves.Bryston tends to take a "if it could possibly make a difference, we'll do something about it" approach to design, AFAICT. That might have driven the design decision to use separate coils But there's another angle as well: it has to be possible to easily take Bryston stuff apart and fix it, quickly and easily, no matter which part broke. If the one huge transformer in the 'nova cooks, your whole amp is dead and the whole amp will probably need service. If part of a Bryston dies, you slide out that one part and get it fixed, and in the meantime the other parts still work. When you supply to music studios and muscians on the road, that sort of "drop me, pour beer on me, mis-wire me, kill me if you can - I will survive" reliability becomes important.Having once killed a channel on a Bryston amp, and having had them fix it, free, in under 72 hours (I paid $6 in one-way shipping on the broken subunit - total), I really, really like the way they think. And sound.
This is turning into a good debate. I was going to write out a check this Friday for two of the Cinenova 3's. Let's get to the bottom of this!!Whats John Casler's opinion on this?-Ed
Ed,have you seen that MC206 in person? First time I've ever heard of it, but it looks weird. The photo of the back panel only shows 3 inputs, but 6 outputs. I tried to decipher the PDF on their website, but it only really talks about using the MC206 in some proprietary way w/ a McIntosh pre/amp and some other McIntosh component.Is it really a 6 channel amp, or is it a 3 channel amp w/ 6 outputs?
Bob-The amp I am comparing it to is a Cinenova3 = 3 channels. I'm not sure how large the torodial transformer is....3.6 you say? I thought it was bigger....-Ed
