Promitheus TVC passive preamp anyone?

Gaara · « **Reply #1860 on:** 11 Jun 2007, 10:28 pm »

I just got it today so I assumed it was June, I forgot they come out a month early.

My b thanks B.

GHM · « **Reply #1861 on:** 11 Jun 2007, 10:41 pm »

Hell..I might have to renew my stereophile subscription because of this!! Great job Nick!

Early B. · « **Reply #1862 on:** 11 Jun 2007, 10:51 pm »

Quote from: GHM on 11 Jun 2007, 10:41 pm

Hell..I might have to renew my stereophile subscription because of this!! Great job Nick!

Oh, don't be too hasty, GHM. The Stereophile reviewer was using the TVC upside down!

I agree with the reviewer, Nic, you gotta label the TVC's inputs and outputs, and you should at least put some tiny rubber "feet" on the bottom of it. The cost is nominal.

One thing I like is that you don't paste your brand name on the front of it. Perhaps a tiny logo in the bottom right corner would be sufficient. Now that you've moved up to the big leagues, you gotta conform a bit.

GHM · « **Reply #1863 on:** 11 Jun 2007, 10:57 pm »

Quote from: Early B. link=topic=31621.msg#msg date=

Quote from: GHM link=topic=31621.msg#msg date=
Hell..I might have to renew my stereophile subscription because of this!! Great job Nick!

Oh, don't be too hasty, GHM. The Stereophile reviewer was using the TVC upside down!

I agree with the reviewer, Nic, you gotta label the TVC's inputs and outputs, and you should at least put some tiny rubber "feet" on the bottom of it. The cost is nominal.

One thing I like is that you don't paste your brand name on the front of it. Perhaps a tiny logo in the bottom right corner would be sufficient. Now that you've moved up to the big leagues, you gotta conform a bit.

Ah Damn!! I've heard of this before. Yeah..I think it's time for Nick to add some "this side up" stickers!!

Say · « **Reply #1864 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 01:01 pm »

I assume, all in the name of cost savings, that the tvc doesn't have a labelling system. Yet the device is so straight forward that it really doesn't need one. When the dials are rotated clockwise from the six o'clock position then the device is set up correctly. When the dials start from 12 o'clock, well, you get the picture. Anyway, my owners manual specifically shows how to set it up properly. aa

Gaara · « **Reply #1865 on:** 12 Jun 2007, 02:30 pm »

I thought it was easy to figure out orientation, the cleaner side goes up.

1000a · « **Reply #1866 on:** 13 Jun 2007, 05:57 am »

Way to Go Nick - very cool congratulations!!

PromitheusAudio · « **Reply #1867 on:** 13 Jun 2007, 08:34 am »

Thanks guys
I did not know whether it was out, like the 2 past reviews you guys kept me inform on it
ANyway for now Rollo would not be making any posting for a while. HE as landed safely here and is currently(starting) to talk me out parting with my gm70 amp

CHeers
Nicholas

Whitese · « **Reply #1868 on:** 13 Jun 2007, 10:43 am »

Quote from: PromitheusAudio on 13 Jun 2007, 08:34 am

Thanks guys
I did not know whether it was out, like the 2 past reviews you guys kept me inform on it
ANyway for now Rollo would not be making any posting for a while. HE as landed safely here and is currently(starting) to talk me out parting with my gm70 amp

CHeers
Nicholas

watchout, jet lag makes people fight for amps...

Say · « **Reply #1869 on:** 13 Jun 2007, 06:59 pm »

Congrats Nick!

Another magazine review to add to your trophy case.

While your at it, talk Stereophile Sam into upgrading to the dual mono unit. Oh, and keep Rollo busy. Give him some music, tons of Promi stuff to play with and some good Malaysian food. This way he'll be geeked and energized for some enthusiatic reviews to share with us.

Say · « **Reply #1870 on:** 13 Jun 2007, 09:03 pm »

Reference Dual Mono TVC: 400 hours+ observations

As alluded to sometime ago, now that I finally got around to the 'recommended' break-in, here's the latest of my listening observations. After being pleased with most every aspect of the TVC at a fledgling 40 hours of use I did have one rather important reservation. That being that the mid-bass was limited in scope. Well to cut straight to the chase, "the world has turned upside down" (or maybe just Sam's tvc

). After proper break-in the tvc exudes a dimentionality that is as fullsome in the mid bass as a very good active preamp. The amount of air and information retrieved in the 80-300 plus hz region is invigorating. That's not what I would have said earlier. No matter how mystifying and speculative this observation seems, patience really is a virtue.

OK! Mid bass is recovered above and beyond earlier expectations. Onto the midrange. As mentioned before, not only is this review about the tvc but the characteristics of burning in a new front end and re-energizing some excellent interconnects. Now, each item has had sufficient time to strut its stuff. Some stuff it is! Many, on these pages, have experienced the addition of the active promi pre with their tvc's. Not I. However, by utilizing my own preamp as a buffer stage I must say that the added bloom was notable. That was some 200 hours ago. Now things are not the same. Time has done it's thing with the internals of each component. I don't know if burning-in changes the resistance and capacitance of the wiring or if electrons eventually blazed out a properly paven path. However, I don't use the buffer any more. Without the buffer I now hear a mature system with purity intact. The non-promi buffer had taken away some of the clarity from my system. In addition, when young and bufferless, the mid-range used to have a clear yet two dimensional soundscape in some places. It got to the point of being tiresome. Not any more! Now with time well spent it seems that the virtues of mid-bass bloom have entered the domain of the mid-range too. A sumptuously expressive midrange.

Treble was never a point of contention at 40 hours. At 400, the treble remains as pure as can be.

I could go on and on with superlatives. I'll leave with just this tweek. Get a good and stable platform for the front end. Second, make good use of wiring. The TVC will tell you when you get it right!

Gaara · « **Reply #1871 on:** 17 Jun 2007, 12:32 pm »

From the site under the Apollo Pre-amp "Upgrade the output transformers to our M3 C-core for only USD200". Is Nic already implementing te C-core transformers, and if so how long until we see a standard TVC with one?

gooberdude · « **Reply #1872 on:** 17 Jun 2007, 05:53 pm »

My guess is that it won't be long.

Whitese · « **Reply #1873 on:** 18 Jun 2007, 01:38 am »

DANG, I got the V-caps but Rollo forgot to make me the drawing....should I just reaplce the magicaps one by one?

1000a · « **Reply #1874 on:** 18 Jun 2007, 02:40 am »

Quote from: Gaara on 17 Jun 2007, 12:32 pm

From the site under the Apollo Pre-amp "Upgrade the output transformers to our M3 C-core for only USD200". Is Nic already implementing te C-core transformers, and if so how long until we see a standard TVC with one?

could be now, some time ago I asked him about the tube DAC before the C Core thing and he said it was ready, so I don't think he can keep his web site up, and sense he is constantly improving things every week, just do one of these he usually goes thru this thread.

Hey Nick can we order the C Cores on the TVC and DAC now???????
Is that gonna be 100. extra per DAC per TVC (have a fiqure yet) are you there yet? just asking no rush.

Anybody here using the Altmann DAC w the TVC in their system?
feed back?

Anyone here have any interest in a group buy of TVCs, just a thought if we all standardized/comprimized a little

our choices maybe Nick would give us a discount, knock em all out fairly quickly ship em all at once to a central person (such as Rollo-well known) and that guy ships em out to the gang? We give some extra $$ for the trouble to that person an agreed upon sum, that way we can get some C Cores Rockin and Rockin Soon!!!

and maybe tube DACs once Rollo comes back and gives us the shakedown. i know it would be a little difficult but seriously if we could all order the very same things at the extact same time, Nick's production could be cut and dry on say 10 TVCs, 10 tube DAC and since Rollo knows him well maybe we could pull it off.

Just a list of who wants what, we could discuss it from there? takers? for a list anyway.

please no flames

my standard would be 2 volume single box, C Core, good copper no silver, copper RCAs 3 in, 2 out.
but I would change some things so I could have one in fairly short order. any one?

dgotlse · « **Reply #1875 on:** 18 Jun 2007, 04:11 pm »

I've just received mine from Nick.

It's a Dual box with xlr and rca in/outputs.

What's amazing is how fast the sound gets better after a few hours. I'm really looking forward to hearing it when the break in process is over.

It already brings more bass to my system. Very nice stuff, Nick, thumbs up.

1000a · « **Reply #1876 on:** 20 Jun 2007, 08:04 am »

excellent, glad another is delivered I am ready just waiting on this C Core thing and woundering if its worth it, the basic one would probably blow my mind and keep me happy for years.

, yep I gotta order Nick, you out there?

what kind of gear do you have with it? so its pretty good out of the box? cool. Tell us more

rollo · « **Reply #1877 on:** 21 Jun 2007, 04:57 am »

Hey guys,

Well I landed safely and all is well. The food is awesome. I have yet to eat the same cuisine twice. the people are warm and very friendly. Nicholas and his family are treating me like a King. If you like Seafood this place is heaven.
The Tiger Beer is wonderfull. OK so you want to know about the " C " core TVC. Well I'm sorry to say that it is just FREAKEN AMAZING. I could not imagine that we could achieve a better sound. Just more of everything. The double "C" core weighs 12 pounds each and is dubbed " Big Momma".
We listened to the prototype version with the DAC and GM70 Amp through a CEC transport. I brought my reference CDs to give it a serious audition with some familiar music. We started with the NY Rave sampler, which is one heck of a compilation.
From the opening note I knew I was in for a treat and a treat it was. Nick's homemade open baffle speakers [ 100db efficient] proved an excellent vehicle to show off the prototype TVC as well as the DAC and GM70 Amp.
The GM70 Amp will be offered in a Statement version only. It will not be inexpensive but will be priced well under its competition. The Dehavilland is 10,000US.
Back to the DAC. We compared the DAC to a Paradisea with the WE 396 NOS tube. Just no contest the Promitheus DAC was far and I mean far ahead of the Paradisea. The Paradisea was bright and hard sounding in comparison. The soild state Promitheus was clearly the better sound. I am taking one home to compare to my Lector. Maybe unfair but I truely believe it will be very close. This is the base model Guys and under $400US are you kidding me. The Statement version will be tubed with "C" cores and a few more features. However priced much higher.
The Buffer in Statement form will as well have "C" core trannies as well as V-caps, Neotech wiring, Teflon or Ceramic tube sockets, milled RCAs and Ebony enclosure. Speaking of Ebony. When Nicholas placed the double "C" core trannie on a 2" thick piece of Ebony during the demo it made such a difference it was like a component change. Just hard to believe.
So far I am very pleased with the performance of the Base line products, especially the DAC. The Statement line will be just that. The best Promitheus can offer. They will not be inexpensive but will surely be bargins compared to their competition. We are in for a treat weather which budget you have. This is fun.
Well time to eat again, what a shame that's all we do besides listening.

talk to you all soon

rollo

Early B. · « **Reply #1878 on:** 21 Jun 2007, 05:06 am »

Rollo --

Glad you're enjoying your visit.

When will the double "C" core Statement TVC be available and what will be the approximate cost?

Any pics yet?

rollo · « **Reply #1879 on:** 21 Jun 2007, 05:31 am »

EarlyB,

At this time it is to early to tell. For example the Statement TVC will be a dual box much larger, Ebony enclosed with double "C" core trannies mounted on Ebony and wood plinth. Nicholas is assembling the Prototypes for testing and evaluating the final part selection. Oh it will be remote controlled as an option as well. Music First watch out Big Momma is coming. Man this Guy tests everything to the Max. Be patient, I know its hard but man its gonna be a trip. I will have one soon when completed. The GM70 Amp is going through the same process. The prototype needs some refinement of the enclosure and looks.

rollo

Sorry no pictures yet on Statement series. However the GM70 prototype will be posted soon.