A Treatise on the TTVJ/307A

[recstar24]

BTW, if the iron used is at all above average, the parts cost will be higher. That is the biggest variable.

Based on my impressions, which took place many hours at the meet, in a hotel room with no background noise whatsoever (don't ask), the output transformers exhibited no coloration to my ear, or at least any I could detect. Usually you can hear a thickening of tone, a slight smear of transients, maybe even an image slightly off-focused - nope, none of it was there. Really really really clean, focused, direct, detailed, but had great tone, just so damn good. I used APS balanced HP-2's and that was probably the best I had ever heard them. The combo was the definition of dynamic, musical, yet so harmonically detailed and full, the top end was perfect, and I have always loved the bass and mids of the HP-2's, yet noticed the midrange just really opened up and the soundstage deepened a couple of layers behind the voice, so that you could hear some real space in the recording.

Those output transformers are a big part of what I heard IMO, and would imagine they are probably at the higher order of what Jack at Electraprint would charge, especially for a custom job that would be limited in quantities. Based on what I have read about Jack's silver secondary winding output trannies, I would not be surprised to find out later on that maybe those are the ones used here, as there was an air and refinement in the top frequencies that you don't normally here with good iron.

[spritzer]

It's been confirmed that the pic is free to be posted so here you go:

[tyrion]

possibly because i never offered my own opinion on the subject, yet yours seems to have as much validity and persuasiveness as my other friend plus i tend to trust both of you since you know more than me about this stuff, though, certainly one of you has a lot more experience and expertise building amps. it isn't such a big deal, at least to me, that both of you view the description on pretty polar opposite ends of the spectrum. that being said, i am really excited to hear this amp at CJ09, likely more so than anything else, and will judge the amp on sonics.

I wonder whether this experienced source to which you refer might have a conflict of interest relative to this issue. I'm not saying your source is wrong as I have no idea, however, perhaps disclosing this source may permit others reading to draw their own conclusions.

[n_maher]

FWIW my source is Pete and admittedly our discussions about this amp have been pretty limited and were mostly just in passing during the design and testing of the Menace.

[AlanY]

It's a nice looking amp inside. I love the idea of creating a PCB just to be used as a template for assembly (terminal post locations pre-drilled) and copper ground plane. It makes every build repeatable and consistent, while not surrendering any of the point to point charm.

[deepak]

Though I don't see this on the ttvj.com webpage, I thought I read that the transformers are custom wound by Sowter.

And I find it amusing that we derailed this thread to a 307A thread

[AlanY]

Though I don't see this on the ttvj.com webpage, I thought I read that the transformers are custom wound by Sowter.

That might make sense given that the amp has selectable output impedance. Sowter is more known for those types of headphone OPTs.

[Looser101]

a little birdie told me... all the iron in the ttvj 307A amp -- power transformer, inductor, input transformers, and output transformers are made by electra-print and are available to anyone to buy off his site. even the current source boards are bought from tent labs. only the chassis is custom.

I think the added boards are tent labs heater supplies not current source boards.

[luvdunhill]

Though I don't see this on the ttvj.com webpage, I thought I read that the transformers are custom wound by Sowter.

And I find it amusing that we derailed this thread to a 307A thread

oh, so a three-way dispute now. I say you guys have to roshambo...

[Pars]

...

[deepak]

oh, so a three-way dispute now. I say you guys have to roshambo...

What is the other guess? I see someone name dropped Electraprint already

[909]

I wonder whether this experienced source to which you refer might have a conflict of interest relative to this issue. I'm not saying your source is wrong as I have no idea, however, perhaps disclosing this source may permit others reading to draw their own conclusions.

in this hobby, it's virtual impossible to avoid having some sort of conflict of interest from time to time. imo, the issue here isn't the source, but whether the information provided is accurate. it appeared that the tango comment, which led to this discussion was more likely than not erroneous and the info i provided about the iron and boards manufacturer was likely right. the primary issue being hashed out in my mind regarding this subject is how broadly or narrowly one wants to apply the term custom to a particular part...

[Pars]

What is the other guess? I see someone name dropped Electraprint already

Someone said Tango IIRC

[tyrion]

in this hobby, it's virtual impossible to avoid having some sort of conflict of interest from time to time. imo, the issue here isn't the source, but whether the information provided is accurate. it appeared that the tango comment, which led to this discussion was more likely than not erroneous and the info i provided about the iron and boards manufacturer was likely right. the primary issue being hashed out in my mind regarding this subject is how broadly or narrowly one wants to apply the term custom to a particular part...

To others, the source maybe very important in what they choose to believe. Without more to go on, and your source being the basis of your opinion, it is vital to know the credibility of your source. Without that, your opinion is just that, your opinion.

[909]

fair enough and certainly you're definitely entitled to view it as you see fit

it makes little difference as it isn't really such an important thing, at least to me.

[Guest sacd lover]

fair enough and certainly you're definitely entitled to view it as you see fit

it makes little difference as it isn't really such an important thing, at least to me.

Why dont you just name the source?

[n_maher]

the primary issue being hashed out in my mind regarding this subject is how broadly or narrowly one wants to apply the term custom to a particular part...

And the issue being hashed out for me is why would "a little bird" would wish to cast the 307A in the light of being made up from readily available parts? Of course it is, there's hardly an amp of any kind made that isn't founded in generic parts available online. There's only so exotic one can get without being just plain stupid when it comes to passives. In this case, no effort was made to be particularly exotic in component selection, and the ad copy is unapologetic about that. The goal was to use what sounded good, not what sounded good on paper. My opinion, having heard the amp extensively at CanJam FLA is that Pete succeeded. Just like I thought Craig had done very well with the design of the Balancing Act I heard there too.

[AlanY]

And the issue being hashed out for me is why would "a little bird" would wish to cast the 307A in the light of being made up from readily available parts?

There are only so many "little birds" who resist having photos of the internals of their amps posted online. In the tube amp realm, I can think of only one.

It doesn't matter though, the 307A stands for itself, both in terms of construction quality and sound quality.

[deepak]

I've run some searches, and I don't know where I read that it might have used custom Sowter transformers (maybe I have it in my head that Pete likes Sowter transformers?). I thought it was the thread Nate created announcing the amp, but no mention there. Unless the description was changed on the ttvj website.

Sorry about the misinformation.

[Guest sacd lover]

There are only so many "little birds" who resist having photos of the internals of their amps posted online. In the tube amp realm, I can think of only one.

What does this statement have to do with 909s comments ?

[postjack]

my amp manufacturer is better then your amp manufacturer.

[jp11801]

this is really silly I could care less if they trannies were sowter, electra print, tango... as long as the amp sounds fantastic.

I am pretty sure the Pate and Todd have kept out of the name dropping on parts and have let the amp stand for itself and it does fine in that regard.

I hope Todd and Pete do well with both the FET-A and the 307A amps.

[Guest sacd lover]

this is really silly I could care less if they trannies were sowter, electra print, tango... as long as the amp sounds fantastic.

I am pretty sure the Pate and Todd have kept out of the name dropping on parts and have let the amp stand for itself and it does fine in that regard.

I hope Todd and Pete do well with both the FET-A and the 307A amps.

x2

Hey how much longer before you get your Stacker?

[909]

And the issue being hashed out for me is why would "a little bird" would wish to cast the 307A in the light of being made up from readily available parts?

in hindsight i shouldn't have lifted part of a private discussion i had, even though, i thought it applicable to the discussion at hand and hoped it would clear up some misinformation (tango), but in fact it opened a can of worms. it didn't dawn on me in the slightest that custom, off the shelf or somewhere in between would even be a contentious issue and potentially snowball into a somewhat heated topic. if i did, i wouldn't have touched it with a ten foot pole as i am trying to avoid controversy. i had believed and still do to a certain extent that the info i provided was factual and have no reason not to believe my source. and in the big picture at least for me, the two main things i tend to care most about are sound quality and price to performance ratio.

i pulled this from Todd's description of the 307A...

"All of the transformers are custom wound by hand in the USA by one of the finest audio transformer producers in the world, and were designed specifically for this amplifier."

if it is the case that anyone can order this transformer, i can see how one could find it suspect or even disingenuous. but i certainly can still respect your position as it also makes sense. this whole situation seems a bit like making a mountain out of a molehill to me, but then again i don't think it such a big deal.

[spritzer]

I do believe that the transformer is a custom unit as what other design has use for the impedances involved. Do you see many speaker amps with 300ohm output taps, let alone 30 or even 20ohm? The fact that a transformer can be bought now proves nothing as it had to be available before the 307a was designed to be relevant.