Why no threads on OTL amps?

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.

Oneprof hits the nail on the head, in fact most of you have it right, non of you are wrong, in a way :)

In a perfect world with a perfect speaker, the Berning may not sound any better than any other OTL but who lives in that perfect world, well, some die hard OTL owners do, the ones that Oneprof is talking about, the Berning amps are not for those types, they want to see banks of tubes, they want to have heat, they want to have problems now and then, it's part of the mystique, like owning an English sports car, you know, it works great this week and they have pride in having it work great this week and that little bit of excitement wondering if it will work next week.

Now, if you want to have an active audio life, with an amp that can handle most anything, last like nothing else, efficient like nothing else, runs cool, in a light weight package and gives you all the advantages of OTL, yeah, I thought so, there is noting else like a ZH-270, is there???!!!

Allan

Well now you've done it. You've analogized amps to exotic cars. I've had it! Having owned a 512 Ferrari, if Ferrari's or for that matter English sports cars ever ran as consistantly excellently as my Tenor 75's, they would have won every race they entered. And by the way, you can't imagine how much money I'm saving on heat this winter.

I don't know a single thing about Berning amps. I do know hollow intellectual arguments and I have spent a lifetime sniffing them out!

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck and walks like a duck...

Bill E.