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Quad ESLs with Tenor OTL amps

Has anyone used Tenor OTL amps with any Quad ESL speakers? I have had the pleasure of owning previous OTL designs by both Futterman/NYAL and Counterpoint in systems with Quad 63s and USA Monitors, and consider it to be one of the great synergies in audio. I currently own Tenor 75 Wi amps and would like to try them with Quad 988s or 2805s, but am interested in whether anyone else has tried this combination.

The good folks at Tenor are reluctant to endorse the match, as the protection circuitry in the Quads could potentially short the output of the amps, which are not protected from such an occurrence, and would likely, as a result, sustain damage. I am told that, in this sense, the Tenors are quite different from other modern OTL designs, such as the Atmaspheres, which are protected. I do own Zero Autoformers, which might help mitigate the potential problem.

I am most anxious to have any information or hear any accounts of attempts, successful or not, to use these products together, as well as informed opinion as to why it should or should not be attempted. Many thanks.
framerunner

Showing 1 response by tef8568

tef8568
25 posts
 
Hello,
I would follow Tenor's reluctance and act in accordance with it by not making that particular match if possible. Ralph at Atma-Sphere is one sharp cookie who knows his stuff about tubes and OTL's. He's right and then some.
Also, the Autotransformers will not serve or function as a fused or protected output would in case of a blown or arcing tube. Even if they have isolation properties to them as transformers often do (if designed that way for that purpose), they are for impedance matching, not protection, or at least primarily so. Perhaps a different speaker system would be a good idea. I wish you success and safe and enjoyable listening. Tom
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