The BLOWTORCH has an absolute polarity switch, and it is pretty serious. It is composed of a 4 pole Shallco switch that flips the balanced outputs of both channels. It is almost 4" deep.
The 2'nd harmonic change is negligible due to 4 quadrant balanced topology and matching. It works, but I am not very sensitive to it, compared to some others. I am not very sensitive to imaging either, and can live with mono if necessary. My personal choice, but others, including my former business partner, Bob Crump who really built the BLOWTORCH, was very concerned about imaging, and we did everything in our power to have good channel separation (without compromising something else).
The 2'nd harmonic change is negligible due to 4 quadrant balanced topology and matching. It works, but I am not very sensitive to it, compared to some others. I am not very sensitive to imaging either, and can live with mono if necessary. My personal choice, but others, including my former business partner, Bob Crump who really built the BLOWTORCH, was very concerned about imaging, and we did everything in our power to have good channel separation (without compromising something else).
Interesting, you switch the OUTPUTS for polarity?
Totally agree on Shallco and similar switches, "primum non nocere."
Totally agree on Shallco and similar switches, "primum non nocere."
SY, without a switch a duo of Blowtorches singing in unison can cancel each other leaving residue only!
Wavebourn, while I respect you, you are not the sort of careful, balanced designer that I am famous for being. I have been making designs with virtually perfect 4 quadrant symmetry for the last 40 years, starting with a 2000W power amp that I made for AMPEX Research in 1969, using 4 separate feedback loops, 2 positive and 2 negative, in order to make current output for motor drive operation. I keep telling many here that we have been there, done that, and you might do well to listen up.
PMA said:
I've done a blind test once on a set of interconnects, the cable that I've used was a coaxial design that I did not use for quite a while because I prefer twisted pair screened cable that is directional. It took many sighted direction changes for me to hear a subtle difference. The outcome was that I've named the direction the wrong way round in 8 out of 9 tests, whatever that means. 😀
I will try again with my speaker cables, it is just not a joke switching direction on bi-wire cables with spade terminals. 🙄
Andre, while I and many others (the silent ones) believe you, this means NOTHING to our critics. They are primed against ANYTHING they don't know already, and they don't go to CES, etc, where they might widen their horizons. The only common ground that we have found is the 'The Burning Amp Festival' and while it was fun, it was not a super listening experience in general, although there were a few exceptions.
john curl said:
John; you are very famous for designing "the best possible things", but you are not free from bonds of selected topologies, and from beliefs in possibility of absolute things. Sometimes it is enough to change a topology instead of searching for more and more expensive devices. Salieri was a strict and balanced composer...
May I hope you are not going to poison me?
john curl said:
John, luckily they don't have to believe it in order for our systems to sound better. 😀
I certainly don't look for more and more expensive devices, they just got expensive, because they were discontinued. It is just like vacuum tubes. Should SY stop using vacuum tubes, because they are more expensive than some IC's that Scott makes?
Once, the 2SK389, cost 79 cents in small quantities. It's complement, the 2SJ109, maybe 1dollar.
About 10 years ago, I was asked by Ed Oxner, a consultant for Interfet, Siliconix and Linear Systems, to evaluate a complementary matched quad fet pair. Yup! 4 fets on one substrate, 2 N ch, 2 P ch. I told him not to bother with it, because buying Toshiba was so cost effective, and I knew that Siliconix or anyone else would charge too much to make it worthwhile.
Now, Ed and I, work with another consultant, hoping to get Liinear Systems up to speed in p channel parts pairs at a premium price. Still, I am not sorry to use the best parts available. I sure wish that SUPERFET had kept making the parts that we used in the JC-80, back in the '80's. They discontinued their parts too! And so it goes.
Wavebourn, stick with what you know, please don't judge me and what I do, especially on THIS THREAD. Get your own thread, if you can manage to keep the interest up, with your ideas. People need little projects to build, here. Then, others can judge just how capable you really are.
Once, the 2SK389, cost 79 cents in small quantities. It's complement, the 2SJ109, maybe 1dollar.
About 10 years ago, I was asked by Ed Oxner, a consultant for Interfet, Siliconix and Linear Systems, to evaluate a complementary matched quad fet pair. Yup! 4 fets on one substrate, 2 N ch, 2 P ch. I told him not to bother with it, because buying Toshiba was so cost effective, and I knew that Siliconix or anyone else would charge too much to make it worthwhile.
Now, Ed and I, work with another consultant, hoping to get Liinear Systems up to speed in p channel parts pairs at a premium price. Still, I am not sorry to use the best parts available. I sure wish that SUPERFET had kept making the parts that we used in the JC-80, back in the '80's. They discontinued their parts too! And so it goes.
Wavebourn, stick with what you know, please don't judge me and what I do, especially on THIS THREAD. Get your own thread, if you can manage to keep the interest up, with your ideas. People need little projects to build, here. Then, others can judge just how capable you really are.
John, if you want me don't answer you, please stop judging me. What I read here, "There may be only 2 opinions: My Opinion, and Wrong Opinion".
There is a palette of opinions here, it is what I personally like.
There is a palette of opinions here, it is what I personally like.
Wavebourn said:
...when she always leaves it open!
Surely yours is in the right way round. 😉
😀 😀 😀
You are right, Andre. You want to be there, up close. It is magic when it happens.
It happens sometimes at CES with other people's systems. A few times, our own. I especially like my tube direct driven Stax Lambda Headphones. Sometimes, I can smell the stage tack box (a combination of Belden cable and spilled European beer) from when I worked with the GD, in a flashback, while listening to the music.
It happens sometimes at CES with other people's systems. A few times, our own. I especially like my tube direct driven Stax Lambda Headphones. Sometimes, I can smell the stage tack box (a combination of Belden cable and spilled European beer) from when I worked with the GD, in a flashback, while listening to the music.
Andre Visser said:
Yes! Following this thread I am learning to be strict and careful!
Like, coming here from Joburg I strictly and carefully locked doors and windows in my car... Until realized, deeply in my mind, that different approaches are more optimal for different conditions...
SY said:
SY, sorry to spoil your popcorn but what does the literature say, do absolute polarity make a difference or not?
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