SET Asylum: REVIEW: David Berning Siegfried 811-10 Amplifier (Tube) by Laoye

Model:	Siegfried 811-10
Category:	Amplifier (Tube)
Suggested Retail Price:	$5750
Description:	Single-ended output transformerless amplifier
Manufacturer URL:	David Berning
Model Picture:	View

Review by Laoye ( A ) on October 25, 2002 at 18:02:15
IP Address: 63.12.66.171

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Many people who have heard the ZH-270 (Berning's 70wpc amp) or read about it may have wondered about its less well-known but even more exotic brother, the Siegfried.
Here is a single-ended triod amp using the same innovative Berning impedance matching technology. If less is more, then this little amp must have the most. It dominates its niche of exactly one--there is nothing like it. But how to find out more? There are excellent reviews of the ZH-270 on the Berning website. A search for user reviews on the web turn up Dr. Gizmo's entertaining raves and a few positive comments from shows and individuals, but nothing which goes into the question of "(How) does the Siegfried beat the ZH-270?"
With an 88db/w speaker (the wonderful Spendor SP 1/2), I didn't dare go for the Siegfried the first time I called David Berning... Berning himself considered 88db/w "borderline" and so I chose the ZH-270 and was delighted with this for about two years. My impressions were consistent with those of reviewers: this is a wonderfully clear and highly resolved amp which did everything well. However, once I switched to a more sensitive speaker, it was only a matter of time before I called him again.
I couldn't justify keeping both amps, so I put the ZH-270 up on Audiogon and it was sold within weeks. I just wish I didn't sell the ZH-270 quite so fast so that I could do proper justice for a comparative review. I had been running a Sony SCD-1 cd player directly into the ZH-270 and then the Siegfried. After selling the ZH-270, I bought a used Berning TF-12 preamp--I needed the additional inputs. I expected no sonic improvement and hoped only for minimal degredation. The big surprise was that the TF-12 actually IMPROVED the sound, giving voices a organic wholeness and solidity that makes it sound "right". The Siegfried volume control is turned all the way up now. I suppose that the TF-12 volume control is somehow more transparent.
I don't know whether the TF-12 on the ZH-270 would make a similar improvement or not. Berning himself commented to me that he didn't see what a preamp could add. I was always thrilled with the inclusion of an A/B switch and volume control on the ZH-270 so that I didn't need any preamp. However, it may make a useful difference there as well.
I use the JBL 4344Mk2, a 95 db/2.83v nominal 6-ohm speaker. I measured an impedance peak of about 20 ohms in the bass register, but no dips below 6-ohms. I was using rather spindly speaker cables which suited the ZH-270. Going straight from the ZH-270 to the Siegfried without a preamp I immediately noticed enhanced dynamics, but weak bass and confused imaging. Switching to Harmonic Technologies heavy duty speaker cables firmed up the bass and gave an overall more open sound for the Siegfried. (I liked the spindly cables for the ZH-270, though). The other change I needed to make was to replace the Red Rose 1 interconnect I had used to connect the SCD-1 and the amp with something smoother: the Kimber KS-1011 did the trick. There may be others, this one is fine.
After all these changes, I am not sure whether we are comparing amps anymore! However, the overall effect was a much more articulate and dynamic sound for most music at moderate volumes. When I say "articulate" I mean, for example, that you can hear the words of songs that much more easily without any bizarre artifacts like siblance, etc. When I say "dynamic" I mean that the inflections of various instruments are that much clearer, even when they are playing all at the same time. Music is more lively and interesting. It sounds that much more like people are playing it rather than it just "happening". Does that make sense? I don't think that it is a tonal change.
Tonally, the two amps are similar, but the Siegfried has, I think, a more open high-end and somewhat more resonant bass on my speakers despite the lower output impedance. Is the high end difference related to feedback? Maybe. On a ZH-270, listen closely to how the fine details of cymbals, etc. are rendered at different feedback settings. I found that the high treble fell off at the low feedback setting on the ZH-270, yet paradoxically there was very a subtle improvement in cohesiveness. Overall, though, on my speakers, I found the high and medium settings best: the high setting gave me a tight, fast sound and medium a more organic sound. Low feedback was sometimes alluring, but didn't hold my interest in the same way.
On these speakers, there is a big difference between 10W and 70W. The ZH-270 unquestionably beats out the Siegfried when it comes to volume. It can get louder and louder without any noticible strain on my speakers. It just "puts out" the sound and remains confident, open and tight. With my speakers, the Siegfried, by contrast, starts to sound a little hard and compressed on peaks if you push it over its limits of a few watts average. That happens on large orchestral work including, ironically, Wagner's Siegfried! On music with only a few voices at natural volume, though, Siegfried is in its element and sounds much more emotionally detailed than the ZH-270.
People often comment about the "speed" of the ZH-270 and I noticed it, too, especially at the high feedback setting. I rather liked the effect, but don't believe it is particularly natural. After all, when was the last time you listened to live music and remarked that the sonics were really "fast"? I suppose I prefer fast sound to slow, but the best of all is one which doesn't even raise the question. I have forgotten all about this with the Siegfried: it just seems to get it right.
Can I find the best of two worlds of high dynamic contrast and power? My current project is to build a more sensitive (100db/w) speaker to see what happens. I do understand that the amp has limited output into high impedance peaks. Even a 20-ohm peak limit the output noticibly in a sine-wave sweep test. With real music, though, on balance the result is still positive but today I must limit myself to moderate volumes and enjoy the natural sound even if it means giving up some visceral impact.
For SACD, it seems that the duty of reproducing the inaudible high-frequency noise robs little Siegfried of some headroom in the audible spectrum. At decent volumes, bass is noticibly tighter when running the SCD-1 with its low-pass filter on, but then you lose that alluring high-end openness of the "custom" mode. Life is full of trade-offs.
Tube rollers can experiment with this amp, but after an "adventure" I ended up back home with the stock unit. To my ears, this gave me the right balance. The stock plastic feet sounded better than cones or sorbothane, too. As with the ZH-270, you must keep the Siegfried far from magnetic materials like steel shelves and other equipment or the sound will close down.

Product Weakness: A good preamp beat the built-in volume control. 10W requires a sensitive speaker. Limited output into high impedance (20-ohm+) peaks.
Product Strengths: Dynamic, articulate, clear and quiet. Fabulous rendition of natural detail if recording has it. Small and light-weight.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Berning Siegfried 811-10
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Berning TF-12
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Sony SCD-1
Speakers:	JBL 4344Mk2
Cables/Interconnects:	Harmonic Technologies Pro-9 / Kimber Select KS-1011
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Various
Room Size (LxWxH):	25 x 8 x 7
Room Comments/Treatments:	Basically none. Close side-wall proximity is a bonus in this low-power system.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	PS Ultimate Outlet
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	See Laoye's "Beauty and the Beast" inmate system.

Product Weakness:	A good preamp beat the built-in volume control. 10W requires a sensitive speaker. Limited output into high impedance (20-ohm+) peaks.
Product Strengths:	Dynamic, articulate, clear and quiet. Fabulous rendition of natural detail if recording has it. Small and light-weight.