I own Acoustat 2+2's and have also owned Acoustat Model 2's. Previously I drove them with a McIntosh MC7300 and the sound was top-notch, or so I thought. When I acquired these 2+2’s I got with them a TNT-200 amplifier and a TNP preamp but both had sat unused for nearly 25 years and had hum, hiss, crackling controls, etc. So I set the TNT-200 aside, never giving it much thought since I had my system well sorted with the McIntosh.
I forget why, exactly (probably spurred by reading threads like this one), but I got curious about the TNT-200 a while later and started doing A/B tests vs the McIntosh. It was during a time when my father was in town visiting. Despite the TNT-200’s humming right channel, my father’s immediate reaction was that the TNT-200 sounded noticeably better than the McIntosh. I had been preoccupied with the hum problem but when I forced myself to be more objective it was obvious that he was correct (how could this ugly, buzzing amp sound better than my gorgeous Mac?!). The TNT-200 was revealing more detail and had punchier, lower bass than the McIntosh. The McIntosh sounded somewhat flat and soft-edged in comparison. We A/B'd a few more times just to confirm but it was always the same.
I decided then and there to get the TNT-200 fixed and started making a list of places that still serviced them. This turned out to be a very short list. I contacted the first place but didn’t like what I was hearing, so I continued on and lucked into Ken Ealey of www.kenealeyaudio.com. Ken not only repaired my TNT-200’s hum but I was sufficiently impressed by his knowledge and professionalism that I essentially gave him carte blanche to fully refurbish and then modify the amp as he saw fit.
It took several weeks but what I got back was nothing short of amazing. The hum was completely gone, of course. In fact, the amp was dead quiet at rest. Ken had completely rebuilt the amp including replacing the main power supply caps and numerous other parts that had degraded over time. But he had gone far beyond that, to include some circuit modifications and other enhancements that all contribute to making this the best-sounding amplifier I’ve ever heard.
On my better recordings the amount of detail presented is nothing short of astounding. This is particularly apparent on vocals and stringed instruments like acoustic guitar. Bass is deep and tight. Percussion sounds like wood blocks and rim shots are freakishly real. And splash cymbals shimmer on and on in long-lasting sustains.
I’ve had the refurbed/modded TNT-200 in line for about three months now and continue to be impressed by how great it sounds. A few weeks ago I had a visit from an old friend who had moved out of state some ten years ago. He hadn’t listened to his old stereo system in years but the 2+2 obelisks in our living room somehow caught his eye and I proceeded to give a system demo with my Cabasse demo CD.
He was stunned. He commented that he never knew a stereo system could even sound like this, i.e. so real. He could envision the performers out behind the speakers, which didn’t themselves seem to be making any sound at all (and on and on). Just how impressed was he? After never having owned a high-end system he just tracked down and purchased his own set of Acoustat 2+2’s (a pristine set of red Medallions, the lucky bstard!) and has vowed to replicate my modest system in his own house. Now he’s desperately seeking his own TNT-200 which are, unfortunately, seemingly in short supply. Small wonder.
I forget why, exactly (probably spurred by reading threads like this one), but I got curious about the TNT-200 a while later and started doing A/B tests vs the McIntosh. It was during a time when my father was in town visiting. Despite the TNT-200’s humming right channel, my father’s immediate reaction was that the TNT-200 sounded noticeably better than the McIntosh. I had been preoccupied with the hum problem but when I forced myself to be more objective it was obvious that he was correct (how could this ugly, buzzing amp sound better than my gorgeous Mac?!). The TNT-200 was revealing more detail and had punchier, lower bass than the McIntosh. The McIntosh sounded somewhat flat and soft-edged in comparison. We A/B'd a few more times just to confirm but it was always the same.
I decided then and there to get the TNT-200 fixed and started making a list of places that still serviced them. This turned out to be a very short list. I contacted the first place but didn’t like what I was hearing, so I continued on and lucked into Ken Ealey of www.kenealeyaudio.com. Ken not only repaired my TNT-200’s hum but I was sufficiently impressed by his knowledge and professionalism that I essentially gave him carte blanche to fully refurbish and then modify the amp as he saw fit.
It took several weeks but what I got back was nothing short of amazing. The hum was completely gone, of course. In fact, the amp was dead quiet at rest. Ken had completely rebuilt the amp including replacing the main power supply caps and numerous other parts that had degraded over time. But he had gone far beyond that, to include some circuit modifications and other enhancements that all contribute to making this the best-sounding amplifier I’ve ever heard.
On my better recordings the amount of detail presented is nothing short of astounding. This is particularly apparent on vocals and stringed instruments like acoustic guitar. Bass is deep and tight. Percussion sounds like wood blocks and rim shots are freakishly real. And splash cymbals shimmer on and on in long-lasting sustains.
I’ve had the refurbed/modded TNT-200 in line for about three months now and continue to be impressed by how great it sounds. A few weeks ago I had a visit from an old friend who had moved out of state some ten years ago. He hadn’t listened to his old stereo system in years but the 2+2 obelisks in our living room somehow caught his eye and I proceeded to give a system demo with my Cabasse demo CD.
He was stunned. He commented that he never knew a stereo system could even sound like this, i.e. so real. He could envision the performers out behind the speakers, which didn’t themselves seem to be making any sound at all (and on and on). Just how impressed was he? After never having owned a high-end system he just tracked down and purchased his own set of Acoustat 2+2’s (a pristine set of red Medallions, the lucky bstard!) and has vowed to replicate my modest system in his own house. Now he’s desperately seeking his own TNT-200 which are, unfortunately, seemingly in short supply. Small wonder.