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Stereophile - MF Supercharger article-add 550W/ch.

Have you read this article in september issue of Stereophile?
It says that Supercharger pumps up your system to 550W/ch. and leaves "no sonic signature" - "Like a chameleon".

It works like this - simply connect Supercharger between your power (or integrated) amp and speakers.You only need a new set of very short speaker cables.You get 550 W/ch.,better dynamics and bass, and everything else is the same.
It is claimed that it only increases dynamics, and doesn't change "the sound" of your original amplifier.

Without questioning Stereophile's knowledge (it is my favorite magazine) i just find it hard to believe this.
My question - has anyone actually tried adding supercharger to the SET based system,2-20 Watts of primary amp. power?
And can any owner of such SET system say it didn't damage (a bit at least) the magic and "the sound" of SET tubes?
I am aware that in article Scott 299B(18 W/ch.) amp was connected with Supercharger.
I want to hear from owners of SET based systems who have tried this.Or from other people who have some opinion on this subject.I just find this hard to believe.
audiobb
aball
2,018 posts
 
I read it and found it to be a very interesting concept. I would love to experience it myself. In theory, it should be no different than an amp passing on the "sound" of the source so I suppose as long as transparency is excellent, this amp should be able to do the same.

Arthur
audiooracle
387 posts
 
What they are doing is an old Carver trick.

If you remember the original Carver Cube amplifier ads they were selling a connection box which you connected your speaker cables to and then it converted the output into a low voltage connection bridge for their amplifier.

Your amplifier's output is restricted think putting a big resistor in line and all you get is a trickle of voltage.

This is a slick marketing gimmick, the intelligent thing would be to put in one of their amplifiers and be done with it.
audiobb OP
103 posts
 
I am not an expert on the topic, but i can't understand how pushing the signal through the transistor - based amps doesn't have any effect on quality and color of the sound.

I mean, it must leave SOME signature, right?These are SS amps, in push-pull mode, of course.
I don't argue on improvement in dynamics, that seems logical.

The whole point of this concept was to keep the sound you have and add power, bass and dynamics.Using them alone probably wasn't the main idea of MF.

But if what they are claiming is true - then you have ultimate sound!Use a 300B SET amp of 10 W/ch (or PX25 6W/ch), add Supercharger and that't the best ever imaginable system.

But i find this really hard to believe.
rlawry
485 posts
 
I agree with Audiobb. Merely putting in a passive volume control will change the sound of a system. I could buy the idea that the sonic change is minimal compared to the increase in dynamics and bass, which could overwhelm any change in tonal balance, detail, etc. It is an old but interesting idea. I loved the sound that some 15wpc Cary Audio 300B SET amps made with my Watt Puppy 7's--voices and instruments had a ton of presence, but I couldn't accept the floppy bass and reduced dynamic range. Perhaps the Supercharger is an answer to this dilemma.
audiooracle
387 posts
 

You guys didn't get the point this is a marketing scam! You are trading transparency for power.

Putting one amplifier in series with another is not a great idea, hence even Carver stopped with it.

If you want the control of solid state with the musicality of tubes then you buy a tube preamp and mate it with a solid state amp.

There was another company marketing a distortion box which would make a solid state amp sound like a tube amp, this is no different.

I have heard the supercharger and it sounds like a good solid state amp period, however, if I was going to pursue Musical Fidelity I would buy a separate amplifier from them and not a super charger.
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