Let me introduce you to the new amp

Audio Components Amplifiers
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Steven. thanks for the info. I usually read the newsletter but missed it this month. I read it now.

So it seems it will probably be April/May at best for shipping units.

Going to be a hard wait but I suppose it will be worth it, especially since I have the DS.

I am also in NYC, near the upper east side. You?

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Indeed, we’ll plan on releasing the first batch in March for those wanting to sign up for the beta run. As we have a ton of experience with power amps this won’t be a typical beta run, meaning they will be actual production units but sold directly by us. The intent is to get a few out into the world to make sure it plays nice with all sorts of speakers. This step will be the final tweak and adjustment before release.

Anyone interested in getting in on this beta group drop me an email (not a PM). We’ll probably have to restrict it to the US for now because of shipping considerations - this beast weighs in at 80 something pounds.

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Paul, is the Beta test a short term loan or an early buyer? I have Vandersteen 5’s and would love a chance to try another amp (currently using Audio Research tube amp). I couldn’t find an e-mail address for anyone, let alone you, on the site, just a contact form. How does one do this?

as an unrelated side not … wow, two people who haven’t heard of Derek Jeter. I’m “sports impaired” (my wife’s term) and I have a clue who he is (couldn’t tell you who he plays for though). I won’t attach any significance to this, just find it somewhat surprising. In today’s easy access to information world you have to work at not knowing some high profile information. Now that I think of it, I’m kind of jealous you can do that!

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Hi had heard the name Derek Jeter but couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why or what he was famous for.

The beta will be a sale, early adopter pricing for the few that get in. What’ll be different is those that participate have to agree to write a ‘review’ for us, letting us know the good and bad of the unit with respect to functionality. Also, should there be a problem like too sensitive to impedances, or premature shutdown, etc. we want the right to recall the unit and fix it before returning it. You’re basically helping us do final test in the field because we cannot test on all speakers possible here in the lab.

My email address is simple paul @psaudio.com

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Good news, Paul !!!

What is the voltage gain of the Bascom’s 7K design ?

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emailists said I am also in NYC, near the upper east side. You?
I work in midtown (45th and 6th) and live in Forest Hills in Queens. If you're old enough to remember when the US Open was at the West Side Tennis Club (and where they've started holding concerts again--I just got my Who tickets for next May), my house is a few blocks down the street.
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Valer Valer said Good news, Paul !!!

What is the voltage gain of the Bascom’s 7K design ?


I think the amp has about 28dB of gain so close to a voltage gain of 30.

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pmotz said ... wow, two people who haven't heard of Derek Jeter. I'm "sports impaired" (my wife's term) and I have a clue who he is (couldn't tell you who he plays for though). I won't attach any significance to this, just find it somewhat surprising.
It is probably the sports equivalent of those who do not know who the vice president is. :)

I ignore the sports page, turn off news sports coverage if I stumble into it, and encourage whatever sports trivia that leaks in to my feeble brain drop out as it takes up space which could be occupied by good stuff.

And back to the amp, it will be great fun to hear what the Beta amp testers think.

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Paul McGowan said Hi had heard the name Derek Jeter but couldn't, for the life of me, figure out why or what he was famous for.

The beta will be a sale, early adopter pricing for the few that get in. What’ll be different is those that participate have to agree to write a ‘review’ for us, letting us know the good and bad of the unit with respect to functionality. Also, should there be a problem like too sensitive to impedances, or premature shutdown, etc. we want the right to recall the unit and fix it before returning it. You’re basically helping us do final test in the field because we cannot test on all speakers possible here in the lab.

My email address is simple paul @psaudio.com


I suspect I’d be the only one with a pair of speakers like mine, but I’m both happy and sorry to say I find absolutely nothing at all to drive me to consider another amp.

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Who is the vice president?4_gif

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tony22 said
I suspect I'd be the only one with a pair of speakers like mine, but I'm both happy and sorry to say I find absolutely nothing at all to drive me to consider another amp.
Which is always interesting to me. Not much in our systems is more fundamental than our speakers and our amp. That's always fascinating to me why so many, cling so hard, to their amps
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Paul McGowan said That's always fascinating to me why so many, cling so hard, to their amps
Uh, I'm 'clinging' because the new one isn't ready yet. Been waiting 5 years (hint, hint). . .

On a more serious note, it seemed to me that once one bought a good amp, then improvements (in my case) of the speakers, source and preamp far outweighed potential improvements of the amp, hence I saved the amp for last. When I talked with the MartinLogan rep a few years ago they had just introduced the speaker model I bought (Spire) at a show in Munich and he noted that with that speaker he was finally able to discern the differences between amps. I dunno, maybe his ears were full of play-doh, but it did seem to make sense to make the last improvement the amp.

Of course, when I get the new PWA I might just discover what I’ve been missing for the last 30 years and kick myself . . .

–SSW

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Streets Still Works said . . . once one bought a good amp, then improvements (in my case) of the speakers, source and preamp far outweighed potential improvements of the amp . . .
This has been my experience as well, although going from a decent amp to a good amp made a big improvement at the time.

Speakers make the largest discernible improvement, probably because they are the most flawed and designer idiosyncratic.

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Paul McGowan said

Which is always interesting to me. Not much in our systems is more fundamental than our speakers and our amp. That’s always fascinating to me why so many, cling so hard, to their amps


Exactly the double edged sword. It took me so long to get to an amp that complemented both my speakers and the rest of my system, that changing either of those front end components at this point would throw a very big rock into my pool. I don’t feel there is a dollars/need balance to push me in that direction.

Yes folks, at some point it is possible to get to a reasonable point of diminishing returns. Not discounting Paul’s new amp will be great for a whole lot of systems (and I’m sure it will be!), but I’ve reached the “try before buy” point in my own system.

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I have long been at this same point. A new component may change the sound, but whether it is better is highly debatable.

The problem is I listen to music, not hardware. If I listened to the electronics, quality of individual recordings, etc. I could easily understand jumping on the hardware merry-go-round.

It is akin to racing cars or playing a musical instrument; soon one realizes it is not the equipment holding you back.

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Paul McGowan said
tony22 said
I suspect I'd be the only one with a pair of speakers like mine, but I'm both happy and sorry to say I find absolutely nothing at all to drive me to consider another amp.

Which is always interesting to me. Not much in our systems is more fundamental than our speakers and our amp. That’s always fascinating to me why so many, cling so hard, to their amps


I must say getting the EDGE 10.1NL in my rig was a real game changer, and perhaps the hardest thing I’ll ever have to sell, if it is indeed bested.

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As I mentioned earlier it would be very interesting to test the new amp on Martin Logan speakers (and since I was always #2 in line after Gordon, I sent a mail to Paul).

It’s actually crazy to buy something that only a few people had a chance to listen to (with completely different speakers)… The DS story repeats? ;)

Anyway, I’m in.

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Alekz

You and I are still top of the list [I hope}.

Also hope that EU voltage is ready at the same time.

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woot said
Paul McGowan said
tony22 said
I suspect I'd be the only one with a pair of speakers like mine, but I'm both happy and sorry to say I find absolutely nothing at all to drive me to consider another amp.

Which is always interesting to me. Not much in our systems is more fundamental than our speakers and our amp. That’s always fascinating to me why so many, cling so hard, to their amps

I must say getting the EDGE 10.1NL in my rig was a real game changer, and perhaps the hardest thing I’ll ever have to sell, if it is indeed bested.


Man is that the truth… I have a friend who’s an instructor with the BMWCCA ( Car Club of America) he drives an older 3 series… he routinely spanks the wannabes in their M3’s…It takes a bit for them to put aside their ego’s and accept that it’s the driver not the car that’s fast…

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Paul can you tell us if the new amplifier has a regulated power supply section?

I have read numerous columns regarding the necessity for having this to drive electrostatic speakers

Apparently very few solid state amplifiers have a regulated power supply

Here is a white paper I came across:

http://sanderssoundsystems.com/technical-white-papers/161-the-magtech-regulated-power-supply-wp

Not a trick question BTW I am considering your amp for a pair of electrostatic speakers.

Thank you in advance for your time and attention in this matter.

CF