OTL amplifiers

I have owned 2 OTL amps, and still own one of them. The ones I have had have been just as reliable and easy to use as any solid state amplifier I ever had. Absolutely no fuss whatsoever. But the sound is better than any other amp I've had by far. I see no reason to avoid OTL for reliability reasons anymore. That is simply a part of their early history, and has no impact on the current crop of OTL amps. I have the Berning ZOTL-type, and I think it may be the best design of all amps ever. And if you want a SET OTL, then it is the ONLY choice possible, because nobody else can make a SET OTL, except Berning.

I was realy speaking in general terms of OTL designes. In particular the protection and auto-bias circuits are implemented either using tubes or transistors depending on model. Amps that are pure tube-OTL with all implemented protection basically overwent tough reliability issues but "naked" tubes still drop the power twice when impedance drops twice and that's in the nature of all "naked" tubes.
OTLs can realy be used successfully in bi-amp applied for active systems where there is no need for higher power i.e. for freequencies from .8k to 20k and that's where most of our ears hear the best clarity resolution.

why doesn't someone ask Dfrigot where he is and see if he can hear one, feel one, seeing is always believing :)
You Berning guys are famous for that :)
Show offs :)

I agree with TWL since I have owned the Berning ZH-270A and I could not think that I will replace with another amp. I am listening every day to the Berning and it makes me addicted to my music more than ever before. But if you own the Berning and will add to it some more tweaks you will love it.

SET OTL amps

BTW, the Joule VZN80 is a Single Ended Triode OTL amplifier...

Jim