Tenor 75Wp monos & Amati Homage

Bwhite- The Berning is not a true OTL since is has a transformer inbetween the tubes and the speakers- hence making it NOT an output transformer less amp. There is a big difference, the magic of an OTL can not be rivaled in the right system.

I was looking at the sonus faber web site and they weren't too specefic, but if these speakers do in fact have 92dB and are a 4 ohm load it may be a stretch for the amps. If you listen to complicated music, or listen loud and want dynamic's it isn't going to happen if your room is remotely large. I think if you could wait the 150s would be ideal. Having heard the 300hp(which is essentially a bridged 150, just with twice the power) I don't think any one could go wrong with these amps, all of the magic of the 75 OTL's with effortless power available.

Tireguy - Very interesting. I do not own the Berning. What I gathered from the user and the website is that the Berning was an OTL.

Closer reading of the Berning website shows me this:

The ZH270 takes advantage of new technology in order to eliminate the audio-output transformer. The application of this technology is the subject of a pending patent. The ZH270 uses radio-frequency to change the voltage-current transfer characteristics of the output tubes from their normal impedance-plane to one suitable for driving a speaker. The radio frequency impedance conversion is implemented using special high-frequency power-conversion techniques. The high-voltage, low-current tube impedance-plane is changed to the high-current, low-voltage speaker impedance-plane through special transformers at a constant carrier frequency. Because the audio signal is riding on a carrier, it is not subject to the parasitic elements of the transformer that would otherwise distort the audio signal. There is no low-frequency limit for this impedance conversion, and the ZH270 is dc-coupled, with the exception of a small, high-quality, dc-blocking capacitor at the input of the amplifier.

So you may be right. Maybe there are transformers but certainly not used in the way most non-otl amps use output transformers.

Nothing can beat the magic of an OTL in the right system huh? I cannot comment - maybe Kondo would have something to say about that? :)

Hey.. if the Tenor is OTL (and I know it is) then what are those boxes on the back of the amps? Help me here, are those input transformers?

I sold my tenor on Audiogon after hearing Audio Note Kassai

Many thanks to all for your input, I will be auditioning Tenors 75Wp next week.

Andrew

You need to be very sure that they provide sufficient power for your listening level. The higher powered Tenors might be more suitable.