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Stereophile - MF Supercharger article-add 550W/ch.

Have you read this article in september issue of Stereophile?
It says that Supercharger pumps up your system to 550W/ch. and leaves "no sonic signature" - "Like a chameleon".

It works like this - simply connect Supercharger between your power (or integrated) amp and speakers.You only need a new set of very short speaker cables.You get 550 W/ch.,better dynamics and bass, and everything else is the same.
It is claimed that it only increases dynamics, and doesn't change "the sound" of your original amplifier.

Without questioning Stereophile's knowledge (it is my favorite magazine) i just find it hard to believe this.
My question - has anyone actually tried adding supercharger to the SET based system,2-20 Watts of primary amp. power?
And can any owner of such SET system say it didn't damage (a bit at least) the magic and "the sound" of SET tubes?
I am aware that in article Scott 299B(18 W/ch.) amp was connected with Supercharger.
I want to hear from owners of SET based systems who have tried this.Or from other people who have some opinion on this subject.I just find this hard to believe.
audiobb

Showing 2 responses by audiooracle

audiooracle
387 posts
 

You guys didn't get the point this is a marketing scam! You are trading transparency for power.

Putting one amplifier in series with another is not a great idea, hence even Carver stopped with it.

If you want the control of solid state with the musicality of tubes then you buy a tube preamp and mate it with a solid state amp.

There was another company marketing a distortion box which would make a solid state amp sound like a tube amp, this is no different.

I have heard the supercharger and it sounds like a good solid state amp period, however, if I was going to pursue Musical Fidelity I would buy a separate amplifier from them and not a super charger.
audiooracle
387 posts
 
What they are doing is an old Carver trick.

If you remember the original Carver Cube amplifier ads they were selling a connection box which you connected your speaker cables to and then it converted the output into a low voltage connection bridge for their amplifier.

Your amplifier's output is restricted think putting a big resistor in line and all you get is a trickle of voltage.

This is a slick marketing gimmick, the intelligent thing would be to put in one of their amplifiers and be done with it.
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