Joseph and I like to keep this Discussion Forum informed of news about Audio Horizons that will soon be breaking. With that in mind, I would like to announce a new Audio Horizons productthe TB 5.0 tube buffer stage. We will be running our first ads the end of August.
The TB 5.0 is a tube buffer stage meant to supplement the solid state output of a preamplifier, tuner, CDP or DAC in order to impart to it some of the harmonic richness and the slower, more musical decay time characteristic of tube designs.
About six weeks ago, I heard the first prototype, and yesterday I heard the first production unit. As usual, the production unit is always far superior to the prototype, which itself was impressive.
We listened to the tube buffer stage, using a TB 5.0n, between a solid state preamp and amp, between a solid state tuner and both a solid state preamp and the TP 2.1, between a solid state upgraded CDP and a solid state preamp and the TP 2.1, and we compared the solid state Audio Horizons DAC 2a with it and without it and compared this to Josephs tube DAC, the TD 3.0. In every configuration, there was a decided and marked improvement over what preceded it.
The sound seemed to open out; the harmonic texture of the music was much more pronounced; the midrange was sweeter, smoother and more rich; the dryness which almost always characterizes solid state equipment disappeared; and all this was accomplished with no sense of loss, in part because as usual, the TB 5.0 is so quiet---117 dBv in the 5.0 version, -120 dBv in the 5.0n version. Distortion is quite low, channel separation and dynamic range excellent. To our ears, there were no losses and only a sense of significant improvement.
As you might expect the TB 5.0 is as sensitive to tube complement as Josephs other design. With two Siemens gold pin E88CCs it really came alive.
The genesis of the product stemmed from an A-B between my upgraded Sansui TU-X1 tuner and an upgraded Marantz 10B, in which the X1 excelled in so many areas, but not in warmth, sweetness and harmonic texture. Joseph suggested adding a tube buffer stage to it. The rest followed inevitably.
The TB 5.0 shares the same slim line 17 chassis used in the TP 8.0. Incorporated in certain solid state tuners with adequate room like the Sansui TU- 717 or the Kenwood KT 8300, it costs $475; in its stand alone version it costs $595. The 5.0n costs $725 and includes an on/off switch. For balanced inputs and outputs, add $200.
This 5.0 represents the last of our product introductions for the this year. In the back of our mind we are exploring an amp, but amps occur in so many different configurations, and there are so many considerations to take into account, that we will have to proceed slowly.
We will be running two different ads for the 5.0, one in the FM Tuner section, one in the solid state preamp section and one in the tweak section. Those interested, can keep an eye out for them.
Again, thanks for your support.
Victor
