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The "LN" stands for low noise.  By incorporating an additional inductor/capacitor filter section in the power supply, the signal to noise ratio has been improved by at least 10 dB.  This pushes the noise specification to over 93 dBA, making the amplifier perfectly suited for driving the most efficient speakers in the world. The amp is now dead quiet.  Full range horns can be driven with the all of the clarity and quietness that they deserve.  The LN option is recommended for any speaker system with a sensitivity of 90 dB/1W or greater.    

"Clarity in perfect unison with musicality, not one at the expense of the other, as is often the case...
The midrange was just beautiful, integrating perfectly with the rest of the frequency spectrum, alive with fine detail and transient snap... The bass sounded large and in charge, always with perfect control... They were at all times effortlessly musical."
— Jonathan Scull, Stereophile, Vol. 20 No.11

"The T8 stereo, within the limits of its power output, is peerless. Jewelers speak of "water" in describing the clarity of a perfect gem-quality diamond, and that's the word that comes to mind when I reflect upon this amplifier's utter disappearance before the musical event. A fine-grained rendition of detail to equal the best solid-state conjoined to the sweet musicality of traditional tube circuits typifies the Transcendent Sound. It is, in a word, exquisite."
— Dan Sweeney, The Absolute Sound, Dec., 1998

This is it!  Nothing sounds better than an OTL.  No transformer coupled amp, no solid state amp can match the sound.  It cannot be imitated.

The loudspeaker is directly coupled to the output tubes. There are many practical limitations that have kept the transformer-less output from becoming widely used. Our patented design has finally solved all of these problems.

The sound quality is like no other. We have eliminated the characteristic "weak bass" and "light weight" sound that plague other OTL designs. The amp has a solid bottom end with lots of punch. See article on the importance of low output impedance.  Striking imaging causes instruments to be layered in a three dimensional sound stage that recreates the experience of a live performance. The music "opens up" and leaps out of the loudspeaker eliminating any box like sound. The most minute and subtle sounds are revealed producing uncanny realism. Musical voices are warm and lifelike yet completely neutral with a razor sharp focus. Nothing else can compare.

Three factors, heat, reliability, and the inability to drive conventional dynamic speakers have kept OTL's from widespread use. All other OTL designs are high heat types. A great deal of current flows through the output tubes at idle causing them to run very, very hot. The hotter a tube runs, the shorter its life. Furthermore, the high heat and stress may cause tubes to fail spontaneously. These amplifiers can consume tubes on a regular basis and devour themselves.

Other OTL's have heat outputs of 1200 to 1800 watts. A portable space heater has a heat output of 1500 watts. This is impossible to live with. The efficiency of the Transcendent design brings the waste heat down to levels only slightly greater than a conventional transformer coupled tube amp. The 80 watt monoblocks have a heat rejection of only 300 watts per channel. Any big tube amp will have a rejection of 200 to 250 watts per channel. This is the first OTL with a reasonable heat output. No other OTL can make this claim.

The design premise used is that the simplest most direct circuitry will yield the highest sonic performance. Any components in the signal path can degrade the audio signal. Our circuitry has the fewest stages needed to drive a loudspeaker with the highest clarity.  To maximize fidelity and reliability, our circuit uses a minimum of parts. If it isn't there, it can't break.

OTL's based on the old Futterman design have a terrible time driving dynamic speakers. They have a light-weight, thin sound with no bass and are primarily used to drive electrostatic speakers (lots of voltage, little current). They attempt to alleviate poor bass by just piling on more output tubes which wastes even more heat. There is a fundamental deficiency in the Futterman circuit which causes this problem. The patented Transcendent design corrects this and other deficiencies. Even our lower power stereo version has a solid bottom end.  Although 8 ohm speakers are preferred, the monoblocks can easily drive many 4 ohm speakers.

The output stage is a low heat, class AB type. It is biased to run with as low an idle current as possible. This creates a thermal reserve to handle peak currents. The output stage is truly direct coupled. There is nothing between the speaker and the output tubes but a piece of wire. The power supply is fused and current limited by passive devices. In the unlikely event of a short in an output tube, a fuse blows and the fault clears. There is no damage to the tubes, the amplifier circuitry, or your speakers.

The enclosure is large to allow it to breathe. Consequently, the amp runs remarkably cool. No fan is required. The lower internal temperatures will greatly extend component life.  The power supply and amp circuitry are contained on two separate chassis. Both variations of the amplifier use the same cabinet and power supply. By changing out the amplifier chassis, stereo units can be converted into monoblocks for a power upgrade. This flexibility is unmatched by any other tube amp manufacturer.
The bias is very stable and seldom needs adjustment. It is set by simply adjusting for zero volts on the speaker terminals. The adjustment is made on the outside of the enclosure where there is no exposure to high voltages or high temperatures.

The Transcendent Amplifier clearly advances the state of the art. If it embodies the quality, philosophy, and technology that you desire, we urge you to audition the amp. The only way to know if it has the sonic performance you demand, is to listen to it!

On-Line Orders
Credit cards are not charged until product ships.  Export orders will have additional shipping charges.  Contact us for amounts.

Specifications:

Power: 120V or 220-240V, 50-60 Hz.
Monoblocks
80 watts in 8 ohms, 50 watts in 4 ohms
Stereo
25 watts in 8 ohms, 15 watts in 4 ohms
Noise: > 83 dbA, LN version > 93 dBA
THD: < 0.5%

Gain: 20 db
Bandwidth: 5 Hz to 50 kHz
Waste Heat: 300 watts at idle

Tube complement
monoblocks: 1-12AX7, 2-12AU7, 8-EL509
stereo: 1-12AX7, 4-12AU7, 8-EL509

Size: 17.5"W x 9"H x 18.5"D
Weight: 40 lbs.

Warranty: One year parts and labor. Three months for the tubes. (original owner)

Transcendent and Transcendent Amplifier are trademarks of Transcendent Sound.

Specifications subject to change.

Design protected by
U.S. Patent No. 5,604,461