WTD maybe: best of all worlds pre amp

[montesquieu]

Those units both have Alps blue pots in.

That is appauling for the cost.

Yes Tim is famous for using cheap components - as far as he is concerned the electrical value is all that matters. Where he is strong is in the transformers, he custom winds all of these.

I had an EAR V20 once, had literally dozens of resistors changed out for fancy ones, lots of other components changed out especially in the power supply, the thing was absolutely transformed. I did think about going to town on the 912 to see what the impact might be, but it's a tight squeeze in there to do anything major in the end I decided to make a bigger change.

[Bigman80]

Yes Tim is famous for using cheap components - as far as he is concerned the electrical value is all that matters. Where he is strong is in the transformers, he custom winds all of these.

I had an EAR V20 once, had literally dozens of resistors changed out for fancy ones, lots of other components changed out especially in the power supply, the thing was absolutely transformed. I did think about going to town on the 912 to see what the impact might be, but it's a tight squeeze in there to do anything major in the end I decided to make a bigger change.

I am stunned, Tom.

Seriously stunned.

[anubisgrau]

Yes Tim is famous for using cheap components - as far as he is concerned the electrical value is all that matters. Where he is strong is in the transformers, he custom winds all of these.

I had an EAR V20 once, had literally dozens of resistors changed out for fancy ones, lots of other components changed out especially in the power supply, the thing was absolutely transformed. I did think about going to town on the 912 to see what the impact might be, but it's a tight squeeze in there to do anything major in the end I decided to make a bigger change.

Yes. This is exactly an echo of a talk I once had in Vienna with the owner of possibly the best system I've ever heard - a famous Austrian underground speaker designer. He is a big fan of TdP topologies but he hates his execution with basic parts. When I was there, he had DAC4 and pre 912, completely reconstructed at every critical detail.

I had no point of reference (I used to own only 864) but this sounded so good that I was gobsmacked. I remember he especially praised 912 phono as possibly the best commercial one, after a few improvements. And this gentlemen is as critical of audio gear as you can imagine.

I had 864, I've always thought that 868 wasn't a step ahead but a side move towards a layout with more accessible/cheaper tubes.