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Sound of transformers in preamps?

Many of the highest rated preamps around seem to have transformers in the audio chain. The Dude and Coincident tube preamps seem to kick ass when compared to other tube amps and the solid state McCormack VRE-1 is sometimes considered to be the best too. All of these preamps are said to have transformers. Is there a sonic difference with the transformers? What is the subjective difference?
rsimms

Showing 1 response by dover

dover
2,173 posts
 
Yep, it's a fetish. If you want colorama maximus, loss of transparency and destruction of musical timing and loss of coherency then by all means buy more stuff with transformers in it.
Transformers = hysteresis distortion, bandwidth limitations, phase shifts that differ at different frequencies, even order distortion ( in single ended applications ).
This article gives you a good insight -
http://www.jensen-transformers.com/an/Audio%20Transformers%20Chapter.pdf
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