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REVIEW: Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid Preamplifier (Tube) Review by C.B. at Audio Asylum

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I, too, just finished building a scratch-built version of the Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid preamp. In my case, I took some care with the layout of the parts and neatness in wiring--I wanted the finished unit to become the focal point of my system. Although it is completely unnecessary for the design, I made my own circuitboards, one each for the signal side and power supply (it's fun--try it sometime!). The boards are 1/16" glass epoxy with 1 oz. copper--fairly standard. I didn't do a ground plane, because Bruce Rozenblit, the owner of Transcendent Sound, said it wasn't necessary. Based on the almost total absence of hiss and hum at full volume, I would say he's right.

I decided to scratch-build because the kit version offered by Transcendent Sound is too spartan for my tastes. I needed additional inputs (my version has five to the factory's three) and a few extra controls: a mono-stereo switch, a mute switch (very useful for quickly killing the sound when dropping the needle), a channel reverse switch, a balance control (a 250k balance pot retrofits very nicely in the circuit), and a stereo blend control. I find the latter essential when listening to small ensembles and the stereo effect needs to be reduced.

As for the sound, I would second the opinions of the other reviewers on this site who have characterized the GG as quick, detailed, clean, with plenty of bass slam and control. In fact, that is perhaps the biggest difference between the GG and my previous preamp, the solid-state Rotel RC-990. With the GG, there seems to be more bass, althought the ultra-low bass might be a shade diminished. In the midrange and treble, I sense a bit less grain, and a bit more relaxation compared with the Rotel. Strings, in particular period violins (which can be a bit hard to take on some recordings), are sweeter and more enjoyable. The differences between the GG and the Rotel were not earth-shattering, which surprised me a little. But the GG is clearly an outstanding design, one that should be taken seriously.

Given the ease of build, the excellent sound, and the capacity for experimentation and modification, I don't know of any other tube preamp design that is quite as enticing as this one. For example, you can substitute different values for the feedback resistors and alter the sound towards a more "traditional", laid-back kind of tube sound. I intend to experiment with this in the coming weeks.

Invest $25 in Bruce's book Audio Reality, where a complete schematic and parts list of the GG can be found, and decide for yourself if this isn't the kind of challenging project you might be looking for. Even if you don't build the GG, the book is a great read.


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Topic - REVIEW: Transcendent Sound Grounded Grid Preamplifier (Tube) Review by C.B. at Audio Asylum - C.B. 23:11:08 04/10/01 ( 0)