ldj325

Last I heard (June NorCal meet) ASR (Steve) was planning on being at the Colorado meet. He seems like a helpful guy. Maybe he'd be willing to check the amp out for you.

I was surprised to hear from an a otherwise knowledgeable acquaintance that the TTVJ Millet is in essence a single ended amp that achieves the balanced state via transformers (as opposed to the 2 amps in one box concept used by some other builders). If this is the case, I suppose that it would mean that the balanced inputs would need a transformer to bring it down to SE to go through the amp, and then another set of transformers to achieve a balanced output. Can anyone confirm or negate that this is the case? If it is, it would seem to me that other than a possibly lower RF noise signal coming into the amp, that having a balanced source could be a disadvantage since the signal would have to pass through an input transformer, as well as an output transformer, whereas an SE source would only need to go through the output transformer. Is my thinking correct on this point or not? What I do know from my experience with another tube amp that definitely used the design of SE amp to balanced via transformers on the output, is that IMO there is still a benefit to how such an amp drives balanced headphones. So I am not looking to restart the argument that the only benefit of balanced is the RF rejection of the input transmission line. And whatever the architecture, I thought that the TTVJ Millet sounded excellent, so I am not dissing the sound quality of the Millet in any way. But I would like to know about the architecture all the same.

Great idea about comparisons with the B-52. And some comparisons with the your special SSDDSS would also be very interesting. Have a great 4th spinning the tunes!

Thanks Dan, I figured you'd know and certainly have more experience with the Qualias and the RP010. Maybe it was the effect of the DV-50 I was remembering. I just remember being very impressed with the high end detail/resolution of that rig in comparison to my Edition 9s (not yet fully burned in) on the same rig. It may also be the different reference Cd I used then, or that the Edition 9 has picked up more high end detail with full burn in. Who knows. I could even be full of it--that has happened once or twice in my life. Voltron, I know about the fit of the Qualia and I did adjust it, but again who knows if I had it right. It was simply the one can I put on where I didn't immediately go, "Wow" with the sound. Otherwise I loved the TTVJ Millet. I was focusing on the Senn 650 and Edition 9s, and the Qualias were just a hit and run. That's why I figured I'd just ask Icarium. All that said, I am trying to figure out a way to afford the winner of the Nautilus/Balancing Act run off. As much as I liked the TTVJ Millet, I nearly liked the Nautilus as much, and it is much more within my current financial reach. That was quite a corner for balanced tube amps. Did either of you guys listen to the HD2? For me, that was neck and neck with the TTVJ.

As a slight digression, how did you like the Qualias with the TTVJ Millet at the NorCal meet? I listened to the Millet quite a bit with various balanced headphones. I thought they all sounded very good, except the Qualias (I thought they were yours). Its not that the Qualias sounded terrible, its just that I remembered them as sounding better a year ago with your Rudistor RP010 (and maybe it was the DV-50 as source that made the difference). (I know its a year ago and audio memory. But this time, as I did then, I compared them to my Edition 9s for a reference point on the TTVJ.) I didn't hear the level of detail and resolution that I associate with the Qualias. I didn't spend a lot of time with the TTVJ & Qualias, so I wanted to get your impressions and forgot to ask at the meet. I liked the Nautilus as lot but didn't listen to it with the Qualias. ldj325