Promitheus TVC passive preamp anyone?

rollo · « **Reply #860 on:** 26 Jan 2007, 04:56 pm »

Whitese,
It is the reference.Received mine about a week before Christmas.At this time I'm having a Dual Mono unit built with 2 enclosures,Copper internal wiring,ground post,ebony knobs,single input,dual output,S/S top and bottom.Just waiting to see which copper wire will be used.Its between Neotech and the trannie wire,a listening test is being conducted by Nicholas;copper vs. silver.Let you know outcome if Nicholas dosn't post it first.
rollo

Whitese · « **Reply #861 on:** 26 Jan 2007, 06:47 pm »

Cool....I should have gotten a xlr out..which my amps have....

Good luck with your new one!

Whitese · « **Reply #862 on:** 27 Jan 2007, 03:09 am »

Jaspai...the top and bottom plates seem to be thick aluminum...

rollo · « **Reply #863 on:** 27 Jan 2007, 04:33 pm »

Hey Jaspal,
The plates are stainless steel brushed finish.
rollo

Whitese · « **Reply #864 on:** 27 Jan 2007, 05:03 pm »

Stainless steel,,that didnt occur to me... they are quite heavy.

jaspal kallar · « **Reply #865 on:** 28 Jan 2007, 12:50 am »

Quote from: rollo on 27 Jan 2007, 04:33 pm

Hey Jaspal,
The plates are stainless steel brushed finish.
rollo

Quote from: Whitese on 27 Jan 2007, 05:03 pm

Stainless steel,,that didnt occur to me... they are quite heavy.

Thanks for the answers. I'm sure I have the same on mine, top and bottom stainless steel. I remember reading something about a brass top and/or bottom, I suppose the stainless steel top and bottom are chosen because of what it adds to the sound.

I listened briefly (1hr) at the 100 hrs burn in and thought it was worse than when I first received it. At the 180 hrs mark I listened again and noticed more detail and transparency but the base seemed not as taught compared to when I first received although still very really good. The midrange had opened up a bit also. No apparent increase in detail.

Today at the 360 hrs I really noticed a considerable difference almost straight away. You have to consider that my SS amps had been off for more than a week! I anyway left the cd on repeat for 2 hrs and then listened afterwards another 4 hrs non stop. Now things are really really good. The best I can put it that everything is so much better; lots of detail in all areas. I notice so much more channel separation, the midrange - the voices seem to project with effortless ease. The base is much more taught but it's presented in a different way - it seem to complement the music whereas before I was always aware of it. For the first time I know what it means to have a "musical" system. In short the music is presented in a well proportioned, detailed and with an effortless ease (assuming the recording is good - although even not so good recordings have benefited - easier to listen to).

On top of this all this, the improvement is now really audible at low volumes (I hardly need to go beyond 9 or 10). I've listened to tracks on cd's that I wouldn't before. I can't wait to continue listening and I suppose after a few days my SS amps would be up to optimal working temps. So the myth (well in my eyes anyway) of burn-in after 350 hrs is true. My apologies if I sounded doubtful about this

I intend to listen to the TVC for a week or so and will then decide if continue burn-in to around 450 hrs.

- jaspal.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #866 on:** 28 Jan 2007, 05:24 am »

I had a look and listen to rollo's Promitheus TVC passive preamp at todays N.Y. Rave meeting...nice piece of equipment. Very open sound.....it was matched with a modded Dynaco and Levi's BAT amp....it performed very well. I liked it !!!

anubisgrau · « **Reply #867 on:** 28 Jan 2007, 10:46 am »

i know that this TVC has killed many preamp giants out there....

has anyone tried it or heard it against E.A.R. Yoshino 864?

xsb7244 · « **Reply #868 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 12:28 am »

can somebody explain this. how do you classify the power energizer?
is the power energizer A. isolation transformer?
B. power conditioner?
C. power supply?

aod · « **Reply #869 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 06:56 am »

I just got the Promitheus TVC from Nick
I must say, it is very good and my JBL's do punch.
Just hoping for that little but more of slam but otherwise,
it is incredibly good.

Nick gave me some tweak advise. Anything else to try besides taking the cover off?
Like maybe type of cones, or damping of the metal plates etc?

Any advise appreciated

Cheers

GHM · « **Reply #870 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 02:14 pm »

Quote from: aod on 29 Jan 2007, 06:56 am

I just got the Promitheus TVC from Nick
I must say, it is very good and my JBL's do punch.
Just hoping for that little but more of slam but otherwise,
it is incredibly good.

Nick gave me some tweak advise. Anything else to try besides taking the cover off?
Like maybe type of cones, or damping of the metal plates etc?

Any advise appreciated

Cheers

Where's Gooberdude when you need him?

As for the more slam...you must remember this is a passive device not active. If you want more slam you need to change the source to something capable of giving you that slam. I see this comment a lot...people still have a hard time understanding what passive means.

Enjoy the new toy!

aod · « **Reply #871 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 02:40 pm »

OK
I'm going to be bad but i have to ask the question
(donning kevlar vest)

Anyone here liked the placete over the Prommi?

robert1325 · « **Reply #872 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 02:54 pm »

WOW, I haven't followed this thread because I thought this was another expensive High-end pre-amp, but it's actually quite cheap!

Would this pre-amp pair ok between my Bolder modded squeezebox and the trends ta-10 t-amp (can be used as power-amp) + Hawthorne audio Silver iris.

I know it's all very subjective and a matter of taste, but I'm still considering the DIY route and am not sure if this one is better than a simple PEC pot or stepped volume attenuator.

This thread is to long to read now

Thanks anyway...

Brad · « **Reply #873 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 02:57 pm »

Robert - I think it would work really well in the setup with the Trends.
Just change the jumper in the Trends to bypass its volume control.

robert1325 · « **Reply #874 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 03:57 pm »

Thank you, I might save up for this one...

There''s to much stuff I "need" to get ( new cartbridge- power conditioner- power cords) but a pre-amp might be a good thing to have , I hate constantly switching my IC's.... and if this actually improves the sound, that shitty pot in the trends ta-10 is not very good, on low volumes you can actually hear it's out of balance (LEFT-RIGHT)

EDIT; is this thing sensitive for impedance mismatches ? My squeezebox has a rather low output, when using an active pre I gain some body and dynamics but lose resolution and seperation...

robert1325 · « **Reply #875 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 05:34 pm »

Is there a big difference between the standard and the reference model? It's only a hundred extra... the insides do look very fragile

GHM · « **Reply #876 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 06:03 pm »

Hi Robert yes it does look fragile inside, but it is much tougher than it looks. I have one that's floating around the country now. So far it has held up quite well.

There will be no comparison between a TVC and the volume pots. It's a totally different ball game in sound. The TVC is very good for impedance matching. Better than any passive volume control I have tried.

My friend had a Placette in his system for eval purposes. He liked the remote control and the A/B switching. He bought the Promitheus after hearing it with in 30 minutes.

robert1325 · « **Reply #877 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 07:02 pm »

Quote from: GHM on 29 Jan 2007, 06:03 pm

There will be no comparison between a TVC and the volume pots. It's a totally different ball game in sound. The TVC is very good for impedance matching. Better than any passive volume control I have tried.

I still can't believe it, a high-end pre for a budget price! Do you mean TVC vs- volume pots, or normal tvc vs. reference tvc?

Do you know the main differences in sound betweend the normal one and the reference one? It looks like this will be my next upgade... as long as my system sounds as good or better as it sounds now .

Sorry for being so lazy and not reading trough the long topic

Robert

GHM · « **Reply #878 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 07:25 pm »

Quote from: robert1325 on 29 Jan 2007, 07:02 pm

Quote from: GHM on 29 Jan 2007, 06:03 pm

There will be no comparison between a TVC and the volume pots. It's a totally different ball game in sound. The TVC is very good for impedance matching. Better than any passive volume control I have tried.

I still can't believe it, a high-end pre for a budget price! Do you mean TVC vs- volume pots, or normal tvc vs. reference tvc?

Do you know the main differences in sound betweend the normal one and the reference one? It looks like this will be my next upgade... as long as my system sounds as good or better as it sounds now .

Sorry for being so lazy and not reading trough the long topic

Robert

I mean TVCs as a whole verses a volume pot. I haven't had my V2 version here for several months. So I can't really compare them. Just based on memory..I think the V2 version had a tad more gain. The V3 maybe slightly silkier in sound. It is so close I don't know if the differences are really worth mentioning.

Now all the TVCs come with V3 trannies. So hearing a clear difference between them probably won't be easy. I like both versions ...no gripes really. The V3 with single knob is much easier to turn than my 4 input V2 unit. Other than that I could be happy with either.

tanchiro58 · « **Reply #879 on:** 29 Jan 2007, 08:14 pm »

Hi,

I agree with GHM. I bought a first TVC (single stereo volume control and an input switch in the front and two aluminum plates) from an audiogoner and a second one (dual mono volume control with input switch in the back and one top aluminum plate) which looks beat up on the bottom wooden part. For my taste of music I find the second one sounds more lively, seperate and more image than the first one. I really do not know what version they are but for sure the first one is the latest version since the second TVC has the wooden dual mono attenuators, which maybe the reason it has a better sound but not a better look at all. However, I will be curiously to order the Reference version or Stainless steel enclosure with V3 transformers to compare.

Tell you the truth if you have a better quality ICs from the source to TVC and from TVC to your amp (I use AZ MC2 from my PS modded Denon 2900 to MHDT modded Renaissance II, Audioquest Niagara to TVC and AZ Matrix Reference II to my SET parallel 2A3 amp. The sound is getting better and better.

Regards,
Tan