General Asylum: REVIEW: Transcendent Sound Stereo OTL Amplifier (Tube) by epictetus21@hotmail.com General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

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Have had the Transcendent OTL Stereo Amp for four years now. Must have been amongst the first that Bruce produced. The price has been reduced so that they are an even greater bargain now than when I purchased them. In retrospect, my search for a better aural combination was the continuing dissatisfaction with a series of amp/speaker combos over the past 4 decades. All were "certified" by reviewers, audiophile stores, etc. but still the itch persisted. My last combo was a VTL/MLogan combo which by all rights should have been perfect but was not.

Decided to shift to Simplicity as a philosophy on the hope it would help. While I had flirted with Gizmo's Futtermans decided to go the OTL route with Bruce. After many combinations, matched the signal direct from the tubes to the enclosureless, crossoverless Gallo Nucleus References (no longer made but may be revived). Compared with spectacular results in the comparison on the side of the T amp/Gallos. Have had this for four years now and have not had to go back to the itching well since then. Do enjoy myself when I visit showrooms or friends at how poorly the other systems compare. It's a bit like the emperor has no clothes: lots of money thrown at combos that don't work.

How to describe the amps? No mushy bass, quick as hell, lightning transients, musical, wide soundstage, and female voices sound there with extra reality. Was worried about room size and 25 wpc with the 88 db sensitivity but at no time, repeat at no time, has there been a moment when the amps ran out of steam. Try a well recorded Handel Messiah on these to get isolated voices, grand choruses, instruments all on a musically satisfying stage. Granted I still use the Russian 6C33CBs (which give about 20% more than the present tubes).

Will be comparing Rick Shultz's Nude Attenuators on the amp to the Audible Illusions preamp to see if it makes a difference (again, moving towards the ultimate simplicity). Will report. Richard U.

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