Reference quality line stage?

Sean, the CTC Blowtorch has 8db of gain single ended and 14db balanced. This has ALWAYS been enough gain in stock configuration so don't know where you are getting your information.....It is easy enough to allow more gain if the customer needs it by changing one resistor, but nobody has ever needed it.....The unit does not like driving amplifiers with input impedances under 20K is the only caveat and we offer an output buffer, but haven't sold a unit with this feature either......

Bob Crump, Proprietor
TG Audio/CTC Builders

Thanks for the ideas and suggestions, everyone. Digging up information about some of the candidates I hadn't considered has really helped focus my thoughts.

A couple of things became clear to me in the process. On is that there are a lot of very, very good line stages out there at this price point. The second is that given that sound quality is not so much of an issue, philosophical considerations play a major role in the decision.

I'm a bit of a hair-shoirt guy. I like designs that are totally focussed on sound quality, and I dislike designs that try to be all things to all people. Too many features turn me off. I've always believed that you get a better outcome if you decide up front to completely satisfy a limited set of criteria rather than trying to broaden your customer base as much as possible.

Given that understanding, the choice was simple. Curl, Thompson and Crump are getting my money.

Now all I have to do is wait...

A couple of last comments:

Sean, when I connect my DAC directly to my amps, the sound level is about where I normally listen, or a wee bit more. While that's OK, it doesn't leave much room for CDs with low recording levels, or the occasional bout of headbanging. So I decided on a bit of gain. The Blowtorch's 8db should be plenty.

Gregm, thanks for the TVC suggestion. I've already got one - a Bent Audio NOH. In a development that surprised me no end, it was summarily demoted to the TV system by my Audion. While the NOH is very nice tonally, in my system it rolled off the bass and lacked dynamics and focus. When I got it I was very enthusiastic (you can see my rave review over on AA). In comparison to my SimAudio P-5 it was a musical revelation, but the Audion let me know that much better results were possible.

Bob: First of all, i had no idea what the rating of the Blowtorch was in terms of gain.

I based my statements on the interaction between a Blowtorch and an amp rated at 200 / 400 with a factory rated input impedance of 24K. Using a one box CD player as a source, the volume control on the Blowtorch had to be cranked near maximum to obtain "reasonable" spl levels. Even at this volume setting, the sound was not punchy or dynamic. I didn't pass judgment on the Blowtorch in terms of sonics as the rest of the system was not of the same calibre as the Blowtorch itself. Having said that, the lack of gain was apparent in this specific set-up, so i thought that i would pass this information on based on this experience.

While i know that you guys / CTC would bend over backwards to take care of a customer based on past experiences dealing with you, $10K+ is a lot of money to spend on something that could be initially quite disappointing. That's why i suggested talking to either you or John PRIOR to purchasing one of these units to get the low-down. NO offense to you or your product, just trying to be helpful and honest. If i thought it wasn't worthy, i wouldn't have bothered to suggest such things. Hope you and any others interested in a Blowtorch understand where i'm coming from. I was NOT "knocking" the Blowtorch.

Having said that, I appreciate your honesty in terms of clarifying that your product ( like all others ) should be electrically compatible with those connected to it. Many other manufacturers would simply sell a product knowing that it wouldn't work well in a given situation and then tell the customer that they must have a cable based problem. I'm glad that CTC acknowledges component / system diversity and offer a suitable "real world" solution to such problems based on proper engineering. Sean
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Sean, the 24K input impedance is OK as won't drop much, if any gain, there......Sounds like the amp only had 20db of gain instead of 28.3db which has become a standard of sorts.......Running balanced into 100k amp impedance with 28.3db of gain from a 2v out DAC I run the volume at 10:30 or so into 89db speakers here.....Running the unit single ended into 50K I run the pots at 12 O'Clock and was how I set it up five years ago. Easy to get more gain if necessary......Bet that was at the dance club in Desplaines, Illinois which was a huge and very boomy room about the size including height of a basketball court......Not sure the Chicago Symphony could fill that room much less anything for use in a home HiFi :-)