will be going in for Lyrita Audio

[Hiten]

Without purchasing the transformers there was no way i could compare the sound quality. Once i have the amp with Slagle transformers, it would be easier for the next person to take a call. So i guess you can call me the guinea pig

On the contrary you are doing great service to the community as one can listen to both right here.
Also I am almost sure of improvement as it is a critical component and idea behind core material and construction is very real.
Regards

 

[prem]

Yes Hiten, i am also expecting a big improvement, especially in the area of low level information

 

[prem]

All the stuff has reached Viren.

Thanks Viren for personally ensuring that there were no unnecessary custom delays.

Now another 2 weeks wait for the amp to be built and tested.

Edit:
Well after round 1 of trials, Viren has decided to just have the autoformer vol control and the power amp. He feels this combo works best and is very pure and dynamic. By end of this week he will have the power amp built with the upgraded trannies. So hopefully by end of month i should have it.

 

[anm]

hope to have a listen to it before it is shipped to you

 

[heliumflight]

I would also love to hear the custom made SET.

 

[malvai]

I would also love to hear the custom made SET.

me too! just waiting for virenji to finish up! and also to finish up my phono

 

[prem]

The amp is going to be shipped out tomorrow. So should have it latest early next week.

 

[jenson]

The amp is going to be shipped out tomorrow. So should have it latest early next week.

fab!! i'm so tuned in to this thread..awaiting your review

 

[anm]

oops! missed listening to it in delhi. maybe someday in mumbai then.
congrats prem

 

[viren bakhshi]

Well, Prem's 2A3 SET amplifier is on its way to him. The one with the Dave Slagle / Intact Audio transformers. These are custom wound audio transformers using a 80% nickel alloy core. Hope he enjoys listening to music through it.

I certainly did. After building it, and testing it, I listened to a variety of music through it, and did my own comparisons. The most obvious one was with a stock 2A3 amp, using local Delta manufactured audio transformers, which use a CRGO (cold rolled grain oriented) steel core. The circuits are identical.

There are differences, subjectively major ones. Through Prem's amp, music flows with greater abandon. Tonal colours are fuller, and richer. Instruments are better fleshed out, and vocals have more presence. There's a wealth of detail, but its wedded to the music. So, it doesn't stand out, just makes its presence felt as part of the music. Everything is a cohesive whole. I am describing the sound of a single-ended tube amp - in Prem's amp there is more there!

In Prem's setup there is a further simplification. No preamp is used - just a single input passive autoformer volume control, sourced from Dave Slagle again. This gives more transparency to the sound. There is no loss in drive at all; dynamics in music come through clearly and cleanly. Though, Prem's situation is unique. His turntable has a built in phono preamp, with variable output, upto 9V. So, he'll have no problem with gain at all.

Why does transformer core material matter at all? It's the core that forms the magnetic path for audio signals to pass from one winding to the next. Nickel core materials have higher permeability (the ability to magnetize), and lower core losses. So, more of the signal passes through. More low level information goes through, providing a more complete music waveform, and adding that richness to sound.

So, here are some pictures of the riches that Prem got, in transformers, and after they were installed. The small box contains the autoformer volume control, with its complex wiring.

Viren

 

[square_wave]

Thanks a lot for the post Viren. I am sure we have a winner here

No preamp is used - just a single input passive autoformer volume control, sourced from Dave Slagle again

Hey Prem,

How much will this volume control cost ?

 

[prem]

Hi square_wave $400 for the one i purchased

 

[anm]

Thanks Viren for sharing this. How much does the entire thing cost?

Prem - is TT the only source you would be using it with?
Will digital volume control, like that in oppo95, be good enough to connect directly to the power amp?

 

[soulforged]

kewl :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

The autoformers have also gone into the trademark Viren enclosure

Prem, eagerly awaiting you hear you feedback...I presume you are still using Rethm Saadhnas. First time a Lyrita - Lowther combination isnt it?

 

[prem]

Yes Soulforged. First time Lyrita - Lowther combo

Hi Anm, the whole thing costs about 2.3 lac. I will be using only one source. Viren will be able to answer your query on digital vol control better.

Hi Viren


Its been a true pleasure interacting with you. I also look forward to listening to your horn speakers

 

[rikhav]

Hi Prem
Congratulations

Expect the amp to reach you within 48 hours of despatch

And yeah , keep a hammer ready.

 

[prem]

Thanks Rikhav, it will reach me on Monday. I did not understand the hammer part.

 

[rikhav]

Thanks Rikhav, it will reach me on Monday. I did not understand the hammer part.

The wooden crate in which Virenji sends the amp is so strongly built with big nails that you will need a big size hammer to pull off the nails

I had got my Lyrita amp within 2 or max 3 days of despatch from Delhi.

 

[jai1611]

Thanks Rikhav, it will reach me on Monday. I did not understand the hammer part.

It comes in a wooden crate. Not the easiest thing to open, hence the hammer.

 

[avidyarthy]

If Virenji has dispatched using GATI ... possibly, the amp should reach you by Thursday ... latest Friday. Keep a tab on the movement .. on their website, pretty accurate.

My TL speakers had landed up in 3 days flat (Thane to my doorsteps) even though it was indicated 5-7 days in the pre-paid bill.