Why no threads on OTL amps?


I looked through the old thread list and didn't find anything on OTL amps. How come? Does nobody like them? Is there something wrong with them? Would you buy/notbuy one, and why? If you would buy one, which one do you like best? I always thought OTL was the best, but there doesn't seem to be much interest here on this forum for them.
twl
Jtinn, just for the record it is not my goal to invalidate your comments entirely and perhaps my statement of being "quite closed minded" was going a bit far. My intent is not to create personal conflict in this forum, as I do not feel its necessary in order to make a point. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and interpretation of the design in question. Like many around here often state, "let your own ears decide".

Best Regards,
Chris

So let me understand. The idea of a OTL amp is that there is no transformer between the tubes and the speakers, right? So, here we have a transformer that's not a transformer because we don't want it to be a transformer, so the amp is OTL because we want it to be an OTL and be included in that class of amps.

Other than a desire to argue, what's the point of the debate?

Best wishes,

Bill E.
Owner of Tenor's
Without trying to be argumentative, I agree that if one wants to call the amp non-OTL because of the "coupling transformer", this gives one an ostensibly good reason. On the other hand if one wants to call it an OTL, one can use my reasoning in the above post. I've already posted my reasons. I think that the main point is that it addresses the inherent difficulties in circlotronic OTL circuits, without resorting to a "conventional"(is that alright?) output transformer for impedance matching. Does so with considerably fewer tubes, with lower heat, lower energy consumption, and excellent reliability. I mean absolutely no disrespect to the Tenor people, Atma-Sphere people, Graaf, or anyone else. So now there is a design that provides(apparently arguably) the benefits of both OTL and traditional output transformer amps with neither of their typical weaknesses(although not perfect). I say that this can only be considered a historic event, much like the circlotron before it. Regardless of how one categorizes it, as several mentioned above, it exists and cannot be ignored. How it will fare in the marketplace is up to the performance level that users feel it posesses, at the various price points. Just like any other product.
Bill E., I made the same point in my post preceding yours, but since people obviously do care about whether an amp is an OTL or not, let me propose a theory (I should say that I'm an experimental psychologist by training, so explaining why people do things is what I'm supposed to be good at, although most days I wonder about that!:). High-end audio is a social group, a club if you will, and a fairly exclusive one. Within the club, there are 'levels of exclusiveness', kind of like becoming a 32nd degree Mason, or something like that. OTL amps have a certain 'mystique' about them, like they are the 'holy grail' of tube amplification. Being 'recognized' as an OTL confers this mystique upon the amp, and by extension those who own it. OTL owners are serious audiophiles in search of ultimate accuracy in amplifier sound reproduction; everybody else is just playing around.
Now, before anybody who might read this tells me I'm full of crap, I already know that--my wife and kids tell me that all the time.
this is not about words, but about performance. i am another fanatical Tenor owner. so far in my experience, the Tenor easily out-performs ANY other amp in my system (or any system with reasonably OTL friendly speakers).

i would love to hear ANY amp that can out-perform the Tenor in my system and if there is a Berning Owner that lives in the Seattle area or in the Northwest.....come on over and see what happens.....our ears can deciede....and i could give 2 rips whether we call the winner an OTL or not.