Promitheus TVC passive preamp anyone?

Whitese · « **Reply #1820 on:** 7 Jun 2007, 09:32 pm »

Quote from: robert1325 on 7 Jun 2007, 09:25 pm

I'd rather see a whole tree in New-Zealand

No doubt,,but these are trees that were salvaged from lake bottoms, or dried up rivers/lakes...no trees were cut.

gooberdude · « **Reply #1821 on:** 7 Jun 2007, 09:49 pm »

isn't that where the wood for the mega-buck Stradovirus violins come from? from sunken ships & what not??

Whitese · « **Reply #1822 on:** 7 Jun 2007, 09:55 pm »

Quote from: gooberdude on 7 Jun 2007, 09:49 pm

isn't that where the wood for the mega-buck Stradovirus violins come from? from sunken ships & what not??

That, I dont know...but these are ANCIENT trees meaning thousands of years old..I also didnt know Stradivarious did Scubadiving...

1000a · « **Reply #1823 on:** 7 Jun 2007, 09:57 pm »

OK you damn rare tree killers I am out and furthermore I'm calling Al Gore right friggin now!

anubisgrau · « **Reply #1824 on:** 7 Jun 2007, 10:44 pm »

tbh i have nothing against tweaking but frankly i prefer to have improvements done in a basic design of a component first before we get lost in the world of exclusive woods

that said today i was a witness of putting promitheus on oscilloscope and measuring its response as well as ringing behaviour

i was a bit surprised to find that it has an early resonance point at 27.5 khz. i think this has to be moved further way up from the audible range.

another, DIY TVC i mentioned earlier, based on double-C core transformers (sounding superior to both S&B and promitheus) resonates at 50khz.

i will have a S&B based bent 102H in a few days to measure S&B trannies.

my promitheus is behaving nicely in the bass, it has -3db at 5-6hz, it's flat until 10k when surprisingly early it starts to rise.

27.5 khz resonance is just too close to the audible range that i am confident it affects the sound in some way, though i can't say how right now.

sorry to be a spoiler - i'm sure that nick is aware of this so the further versions, especially these with a different and more advanced core geometry will provide a better performance. good as it is, promitheus is just a hint of stellar TVC possibilities.

robert1325 · « **Reply #1825 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 12:23 pm »

Quote from: Whitese on 7 Jun 2007, 09:32 pm

Quote from: robert1325 on 7 Jun 2007, 09:25 pm
I'd rather see a whole tree in New-Zealand

No doubt,,but these are trees that were salvaged from lake bottoms, or dried up rivers/lakes...no trees were cut.

Thanks, you made my day

rollo · « **Reply #1826 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 02:22 pm »

Wow!,
You Boys have been busy. My 2 cents. Granite rings. If you install Black hole pad or Dynamat on one side the ringing goes away and is an excellent base for Isoblocks then tone wood.
The Buffer as good as it is lacks a bit of bass IMO. When I changed the bypass caps to V-caps the bass was back and all was improved. Whitese I have V-caps for you. Email me your address and I will ship. I am leaving for Malaysia on Monday so hurry up.
I rec'd a Balanced power supply from Nicholas and in conjunction with Energizer on the front end [ CDP, Buffer ] everything is clearer, more dynamic with a larger soundstage and better bass. They are very effective. Previously there was not a power cond.. I liked.
I am surprised no one is using the Ebony cones Nicholas offers. They are very effective on every piece I have have used them with. They look great as well. If I were you guys I would try them before the introductory price goes up.
rollo

Whitese · « **Reply #1827 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 02:37 pm »

Quote from: rollo on 8 Jun 2007, 02:22 pm

Wow!,
You Boys have been busy. My 2 cents. Granite rings. If you install Black hole pad or Dynamat on one side the ringing goes away and is an excellent base for Isoblocks then tone wood.
The Buffer as good as it is lacks a bit of bass IMO. When I changed the bypass caps to V-caps the bass was back and all was improved. Whitese I have V-caps for you. Email me your address and I will ship. I am leaving for Malaysia on Monday so hurry up.
I rec'd a Balanced power supply from Nicholas and in conjunction with Energizer on the front end [ CDP, Buffer ] everything is clearer, more dynamic with a larger soundstage and better bass. They are very effective. Previously there was not a power cond.. I liked.
I am surprised no one is using the Ebony cones Nicholas offers. They are very effective on every piece I have have used them with. They look great as well. If I were you guys I would try them before the introductory price goes up.
rollo

Nick PM'd me that he was sending some V caps himself, unless he was referring to yours? I may get some cones today actually....Now, I am not sure how to judge the bass, as my tube amp only is 2.5 watts..even though my speaks are high efficiency.

Whitese · « **Reply #1828 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 02:50 pm »

What is the intro price for the cones?

I am also curious about the sound of his hybrid amps....

gooberdude · « **Reply #1829 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 03:10 pm »

The Black Hole Pad material really is the cat's meow... Over the last few weeks i've been playing around with circles of it adhered directly to the back of the compression driver of my hawthorne si's. So far, i've had a 2" diam circles adhered but knew it was just a bit too much. Last night i cut out new 1.25" circles and had to do something with the old circles, so i plopped them on top of the plastic safety covers for unused outlets (to protect kids) that i keep in my power strip's unused outlets...just adding those safety caps seemed to quiet everything down a bit. Adding a poker chip sized piece of BHP to the top of each one did crazy things, made the background blacker and bass a bit tighter...much to my surprise.

A big Tweaker over at AudioAsylum, Kenster, puts a Golden Acoustics disc on his safety plugs which is how i got the idea...but at about $12 each verus 10 cents for the BHP circles, i'm sticking with the BHP. kenster has also reported adding those discs (they have adhesive on one side) to power cord plug bodies and also to amp heatsinks (if they ringgggggg when you flick them, they might need damping). Lots more room for tweaking in my system, when time and creativity allow it.

Hopefully this weekend i'll get a chance to add BHP pads underneath the TVC trannies, still haven't done that.

Keep us informed on your studies anubisgrau, that's very interesting. I've read of a hi-end rack mfgr who claims their racks resonate at like 2Hz, but typically you don't hear of mfgrs reporting these measurements. What you are looking into is quite crucial, and is really why we damp...to get the nasties out of the audible range. right??? i'm not a scientist!!

Just my opinion, but as good as any audio designer is in this day and age its tough to have the R&D budget and brains that Pierre Sprey commanded for some 30 yrs with the Pentagon and Millitary. That would go for any designer with a successful career in the Millitary R&D depts as well. The Pentagon does have the largest R&D in the world (larger than the GDP of most of the 160+ nations that exist) & have for decades. I don't like to pimp anyone (except Nick and Pierre

) but it sure seems like Mapleshade's technology is over and above what most audio mfgrs have access too.

Whitese · « **Reply #1830 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 03:35 pm »

Well, I plugged in my vintage Hadley 622 SS amp at 20 watts/ch and its just tremendous...i really like this combo of the TVC, active and SS amp. I think my lil Modjeski amp is a bit anemic for bass and definition thereof.

This Hadley amp is the most musical SS amp I have heard to date with great clarity. no grain (that I can hear). I wonder if revamping it, even by its designer might muck up the magic.

Ronw · « **Reply #1831 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 04:47 pm »

Hi Nicholas
This is the first time that i have used this forum.
I have been trying to e mail you but i guess that my emails have not been getting through to you.I am trying to find out when i can expect shipment of my active preamp and reference phono stage.So Nicholas if you read this please give me a holler. Thanks, Ron Wilkinson

gooberdude · « **Reply #1832 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 05:28 pm »

Hey Ron,

welcome aboard.

I am quite interested in what you think about the Reference Phono Stage...its real high on my wish list for '07. Please keep us posted.

matt

Whitese · « **Reply #1833 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 06:16 pm »

Ref Phono Stage??? doesnt Nick sleep?

I want to know what are the diff with the regular one listed on the web site....Phono pre is my main upgrade priority...

gooberdude · « **Reply #1834 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 06:34 pm »

You might read back in this thread a few pages Whitese, or even hop over to the other thread about his Phono stage for more info. Right about the time nels ferre came out with the TVC review i started hearing rumblings about the Reference version.

From what i can tell, Nick's had the orig Phono stage in production for some time, but now has decided to make a Reference version with upgraded trannies, layout, etc. About 60 Days ago i e-mailed Nick to actually purchase the orig, and he told me to wait and save up - the Reference version will be much better.

Please don't ask Nick to rest, he's so good when we keep him running like a chicken with its head cut off!!

has anyone looked at the heading of this TVC thread? 61,000+ views and going... Is this gonna set an AC record or what??

rollo · « **Reply #1835 on:** 8 Jun 2007, 11:40 pm »

Quote from: Whitese on 8 Jun 2007, 03:35 pm

Well, I plugged in my vintage Hadley 622 SS amp at 20 watts/ch and its just tremendous...i really like this combo of the TVC, active and SS amp. I think my lil Modjeski amp is a bit anemic for bass and definition thereof.

This Hadley amp is the most musical SS amp I have heard to date with great clarity. no grain (that I can hear). I wonder if revamping it, even by its designer might muck up the magic.

Whitese,
Leave that amp alone man. The V-caps for the Buffer once broken in will bend your mind. At least wait till after the new bypass caps are in. You are going to get more clarity, explosive dynamics without losing the body and soul. Truly amazing. I never thought 4 caps could make such a difference. All Buffers from now on will come with V-caps as standard issue.

rollo

Randy · « **Reply #1836 on:** 9 Jun 2007, 01:44 am »

Can anybody tell me what's wrong with my TVC? I finally took the cover off to take a look and could not find any obvious damage, loose wires, etc. Hooked it back up and it seemed fine. (Kept the cover off.) Now it seems to be fading away in volume again. There is no added gain at all in the last seven or eight clicks. Sounds fine, but I need more volume and can't get it.

Randy · « **Reply #1837 on:** 9 Jun 2007, 01:49 am »

And it seems to be fading away even more as I listen. Strange.

1000a · « **Reply #1838 on:** 9 Jun 2007, 04:12 am »

Hey Oscillate

did you get your Promi gear, yet? If so how do you like it?

Quote from: Oscillate on 8 May 2007, 07:54 pm

"That way we can get a basic handle on pondering a whole Prometheus package"

I took the plunge in April and ordered a Promitheus system

Opus Magna Balanced Power Supply
Power Energizer
Reference Dual Box TVC
Tube Active Preamp
Hybrid Amplifier

...I currently have the Paradisea+ DAC (which has made a complete difference
in the way this 'ol computer sounds). But am seriously considering ordering a
Promitheus Tube NOS DAC later this summer. Perhaps a Class A tube amp also?

My gut tells me there is something musically good happening here and I feel
comfortable, without reservation, being part of it. I have ordered but not yet
received these components. I suspect delivery to be late May or perhaps early
June(?) Should finally bring some good sound into my residence! I certainly do
intend to write a review.

BTW, did anyone else note the DIY open-baffle line array speakers in Nicholas's
reference system (pictured in the May 2007 Affordable Audio article)?
Those speakers intrigue me!

(...Nicholas, I still owe you an E-mail response)

* edited to clarify that I don't have the components in house yet.

1000a · « **Reply #1839 on:** 9 Jun 2007, 04:22 am »

are you serious more BHP magic

Quote

So far, i've had a 2" diam circles adhered but knew it was just a bit too much. Last night i cut out new 1.25" circles and had to do something with the old circles, so i plopped them on top of the plastic safety covers for unused outlets (to protect kids) that i keep in my power strip's unused outlets...just adding those safety caps seemed to quiet everything down a bit. Adding a poker chip sized piece of BHP to the top of each one did crazy things, made the background blacker and bass a bit tighter...much to my surprise.

how did you measure these "crazy things" - just what science instruments back up such a claim?

seriously I'll just have to order this stuff and see what all the fuss is about