Otl's with AvantGarde Duos?


I am driving my Duos with Wavelength's Venus. Not entirely satisfied ( to lean?) i am considering going for more power (15-30watts). Would like to have some feedback with OTLs & the AvantGarde.
wham1000
Hi David, we may disagree on whether on not conventional OTLs have weakness that other arts do not; that is a matter for elsewhere.

You misinterpreted my request for an explanation of the air core transformer's function. I was asking if it is an OTL, how can there be a transformer essential to its function in the output section. The acronym is for "TransformerLess". In plain English, this means that there is no transformer, aircore or otherwise.

So we also disagree on semantics. Even though the air core device you use does indeed allow for DC response, it is nonetheless a defined as a transformer by the electronic texts (any physics prof will disagree with you also). Even though it is supplying the power for the output tube... well, with this simplified description, that happens with a lot of output transformers (although not in the same way). And, if you strip the 250KHz out of the signal that the air core transfers, there is an audio signal that is the resultant. Plus, if you trace from the speaker terminals back through the circuit, you do not find it connected to the elements of a tube (not even through a coupling cap)- it is connected to the tube via a DC to DC converter and an aircore transformer.

This is clearly not an OTL. Technical explanations to the contrary have, for the last 7 years, amounted to obfuscation.

Now the odd thing to me is this: Before you came along, there were two techniques for coupling output tubes to loudspeakers: the transformer coupled way and the OTL way. All tube amps made prior to this invention operated on some varient of the the above two techniques.

Now there is a third way and you invented it! Why, for heaven's sake and for your own, would you not take advantage of the tremendous marketing opportunity that represents??

Of course, I know that you are not referring to me in some of your comments directed at OTLs :) Controlling bias so that is does *not* drift, and providing as much current as a transistor amplifier are two of the things that we do. But I agree that those are problems with (other) current and past OTLs.
Good discourse going on here by two of the audio paragons. For what it's worth, the opinion of the village idiot...

I am the owner of a pair of AtmaSphere M60 OTLs, and have also had the pleasure of being around a Berning ZOTL just over one month ago.

While I will not get into the circuit designs of either, as I have not immersed myself in them. I don't know what is and what is not this or that. I will say that I was more than a bit surprised to find out exactly just how similar both amplifiers sound to each other. And, in the end, is it not really the sound? However close or not the designs are, I have NEVER encountered an amp that sounded so much like my Atmas as the Berning.
Ralph, there are two things that Dave is really not very good at, in fact, he's very bad at, is visual esthetics and marketing :)

If you ask Dave if he's done any marketing, he'll say, oh yeah, just came back from there, got some apples to make apple sauce!

An I'm not kidding.,
I don't doubt what you are saying: One of the more brilliant concepts seen in amplifiers in the last 20 years or so and he has it mislabeled :)
I HAVE BEEN USING ATMASPHERE M-60'S WITH DUO 2.0'S FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. i DON'T SPEND MUCH TIME ON THE NET SO YOU'RE POST CAME TO MY ATTENTION TODAY WHILE SCANNING THE NEW OTL THREAD ON THE ASYLUM. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE MY INSIGHTS WITH YOU AND THEY ARE MANIFOLD. DUE TO THE TIME THAT HAS ELAPSED SINCE YOUR POST, THIS SUBJECT MAY NO LONGER BE ON THE FRONT BURNER SO E-MAIL ME IF IT IS AND I WILL SHARE MY CONCLUSIONS WITH YOU.