Budget power amp for Promethius TVC and Quad 22L

i have the promitheus tvc & also had the dac-ah. ihave recently upgraded to Reimyo DAP-777 dac. Just take my word on it, th dac-ah does NOT match with the TVC.the dac-ah output impedence was too high even for my ASL hurricanes with 100k input impedence. lots of detail were missing, bass was sloppy and the noise coming from the dac was unbearable. the dac-ah is a good dac but not a good match with promitheus tvc, specially in stock form.

TVC warmed up a little bit and still sounds lean and thin.

Any Promitheus TVC owners out there, will please list your power amp, speakers and cables.

Also any tips on adding little body to the music.

Gmood1,
My equipment and connection details

TVC input1:
---------------
SONY NS 975 --> (optical in) DAC-AH(anlog out) -->(siver cable) TVC(silver cable) --->(analog ext in) Denon 2801 -->(Monster cable) Quad 22l

TVC input2:
----------------
Timewarner cable box(anlog out) --> TVC --->(ext in) Denon 2801 -->(monstor cable) Quad 22l

I tried earlier Monarchy SM-70 pro mono blocks and a CJ MF2250A and the improvements are 5 to 8 percent over my receiver. I returned SM-70's due to clipping and not driving quads to enough pressure levels.

For some reason the bass is so much better on Denon and the above power amps beats the receiver on mids, highs and instrument space. I never tried them with the TVC.

Ozzy62,Gregm
I will continue to break in the TVC. I searched net and did not find the DAC-AH output voltage and impedence values.

Any one tried Audio Research 150.2 or Belles 150A hotrod with a TVC? Please share your thoughts on those combo's.

Can any one explain why the sound is bright and lean?

Since I don;t know the characteristics of your AV rec (is there an input buffer...etc?) or yr source, I can only surmise that the source component is NOT outputting enough energy to drive the receiver.

You should try connecting the TVC to a power amp and check.
Transformers do break in -- but the most usual/immediate and perceptible improvement is in the resolution /hi freq. Cheers

A TVC will need to break in just like any other piece of equipment. And each tap on the transformer will have to break in individually. Just be patient.

Oz

What are you using as a source?
AV Receiver line stage..what is this? The TVC will not hide source or amplifier deficiencies. It is very easy to put together a poor matching of components using a TVC.

I've never heard a receiver that sounds good with music, accept for strictly background listening.

I received my TVC and so far I put around 150 hours on it. It sound's little bright and lean when connected to my AV Receiver line stage (47K ohms input impedence) and to my headphone amp(headsave classic connected to Sennheiser HD 555) with a volume control.

Can any one explain why the sound is bright and lean?

If I connect to a poweramp, am I going to get a warm and detailed sound?

I agree with Ngjockey about the gain issue.

Gain (i.e. amplification factor) is not very important in this context, and you have already opted for ~100W capability for the amp, so stick with that for now. However,

A TVC, or any passive device for that matter, needs an amp that is very easy to drive.

"Easy" simply means the following: the input impedance of the amp should be "benign" (high) -- a rule of the thumb is, 10kOhm or more.

Likewise and usefully, the output impedance of the source connected to the TVC (i.e. cdp, phono, tape, whatever, connected to the input of the TVC) should have be low -- rule of the thumb would be 1kOhm or less.

A practical way of determining if the set-up is correct electrically is simply to listen to mid-bass & upper bass energy. If it is notoriously lacking, there is incompatibility usually termed as "mismatch" in audiophool. WHat that means is, the source + TVC are outputting insufficient energy to drive the amp. ANother amp may sound excellent, with the same source+TVC -- simply because its input impedance is higher.

Are there any other solid state amplifiers at reasonable price works with a passive TVC?

I used an RM-9 with my TVC and it worked fine. The gain is adjusable on it via a toggle switch on the top plate. I now use a TRL D-225, but that is not in your budget. Some amp specs to look for are an high input sensitivity (under 1V is preferable but you may be able to get away with 1.2V) and an input impedance of at least 50k ohms.

I use an Audio Sector amplifier with 30 dB gain.My speakers are 89dB efficient. It's rare for me to go higher than 12 o'clock on the volume. Average music levels are 10 o'clock.

I have two friends who used the Odyssey amplifiers. One used it with QUAD monitors. He didn't use a TVC though. He had a matching Odyssey preamp. It sounded very nice. Sort of warm I might say.

The other used it with the Promitheus preamp and VMPS speakers. The VMPS I think are 92 dB. He didn't like this combo. He found the Marsh amplifiers to work better.

I would consider a power house tube amp like the Music Reference RM9 or one of the newer versions. It will be a match made in heaven for the TVC. Gain is something this amplifier doesn't run short on.

Good luck!

Thanks for all your suggestions.

How much gain is usually considered as good for a power amp with a passive pre?

What do you think of the following amps, are they match well with a passive?

1. McCormack DNA 125, DNA 1, .5
2. Arcam P35
3. Odyssey Stratos
4. Cary CAA 1
5. Rotel RB-1070
6. NAD C252
7. Quad 909

Can you name your power amp if you are using with a passive and speakers effitiancy less than 89db.

I agree with Ngjockey about the gain issue. A TVC, or any passive device for that matter, needs an amp that is very easy to drive. If not, you will never be able to hear what it can really do. I just replace my TVC with a Lamm LL2 because my new CJ amp just wouldn't get it up with a passive. So shop careful.

Oz

Although the Plinius SA100 mkIII averages for about $1700 used, they are a great match for TVC's with lots of gain, good impedance and the ability to drive just about any speakers.

you may try some of these new class-D amps. For example from PS Audio ($1.000), Lyngdorf (~ bit more than $1.500), NuForce, ... Your Quads do not mind having some additional Watts at disposal and these class-D amps have plenty to offer in that department.

The sound and synergy is something that I believe is the best if you check it by yourself.