Generally, those manufacturers that separate power supplies from the rest of the components recommend that the two NOT be stacked. If stacking results in the power transformer being in a bad location relative to sensitive circuits, it may be worse than if the manufacturer carefully laid out the circuit in one box instead. The usual recommendation is to separate the boxes as much as possible, and preferably side-by-side rather than one on top of the other. I've heard this from Mark Levinson (I have a two-box Reference No. 32), Naim, Ray Samuels (two box phono), and a dealer for VTL. |
Why not contact John Curl (frequent poster over on AA) and get a definitive recommendation. |
Larryi -
Good information, thanks. Both cases on the Blowtorch are extremely thick. I'm not sure if that will make enough difference or not. Unfortunately, side by side placement is not going to be an option under any circumstances - at least with my present rack. There's simply no room. Still looking for a replacement phono stage as well. This is going to be quite a juggling act! |
Dopogue -
I sent John an email yesterday, but no reply yet. More than anything, I was looking for anecdotal evidence from those who had tried stacking vs. separating, and what differences if any were heard. |
Hi Mike,
Stacking them will work fine for the interim. I had mine set up that way for a while till I put them in a proper rack. Depending upon what else is nearby, you may notice a reduction in noise by separating them. Isolating the power supply (shelf, etc.) can be a benefit. Enjoy!
Brian |
I don't think stacking them will hurt very much, except if the Blowtorch has a phono stage. That's the circuitry you want most to keep away from power supplies. I would ultimately recommend separating them, though, if you can, in order to avoid audiophilia nervosa... |
I have my power supply on the floor, and the control section is in a rack. This works very well. Obviously you want to have the power supply on some kind of rack/base/isolation unit on the floor. The question, of course, will be whether the length of your umbilical cord will allow this in your set-up. Good luck. |
One of the areas where the Blowtorch excells is in its extremely low noise level. On regular inputs on a 93db efficient speaker, there was no audible noise at 12 noon on the volume controls. Advancing the volume to higher levels did little to increase the noise. The unit is inherently quiet with no 60hz hum. Using a Vendetta into the Blowtorch, siting, grounding and cables became more of an issue. Even in phono, if everything is properly set up, there is very little noise. Having said this, I would try to avoid stacking the units. There is a reason that the power supply is in a separate box with a long umbilical. Bob could have saved several thousand dollars on each unit by putting everything into one box. |
I received the Blowtorch three days ago, and as I stated, must initially stack them. Even so, this is without question the most silent piece of gear that I have owned or heard. The blackness is simply remarkable. I intend to get in touch with Mapleshade to provide me with two more shelves, but in the interim there seems to be little if any problem at all.
Brian - thanks again for all of the advice, and most particularly your information regarding the seller. The transaction was flawless.
Rcprince - point taken. I presently have an ASR Basis Exclusive phono stage in house for evaluation. This is another unit with a control box and separate power supply (very heavy and battery powered). I may try vertically stacking the power supplies of the Blowtorch and the ASR, and also the respective control units. Umbilicals of both are long enough to allow this. Also, there is the possibility that I may acquire a Vendetta if the owner decides to sell. We shall see.
Fred - we may have to get you up here for a visit after a while. A drive out into the country would do you good!
I have one comment about the preamp itself. It is simply awesome. C, T, and C created a masterpiece here. |
Curriemt11--If you get the Vendetta, you'll definitely need to keep it away from power supplies. That's the unit I was thinking of when I made my post above, as I had one and found it very susceptible to hum if placed near a torroidal transformer. |
Rcprince - OK, thanks very much for the information. Thus far, I have not noticed noise of any type with the ASR. Sonic quality evaluation is still in the works, but so far so good. |
Mike
Maybe you should consider a second Samson rack instead of just more shelves...
Bob |
Hi Bob,
I have thought about it. I end up with a bit of a space problem though. The photos don't show it, but I now have the JC1 monos on large amp stands on either side of the existing Samson rack. Unless there is a good sonic reason for not doing so, the additional shelves seem like the better answer. I'm going to ask Mapleshade for an opinion on this. |
