Why no threads on OTL amps?

Jayarr,

Which horn speakers did you settle on? I own a Berning 270 and am myself interested in horns. Did you try the 270 with the horns before selling it? How did it sound?

Thanks.

Chris is right on concerning the incredible Berning ZH-270 OTL amp. I bought one used about a month ago and am astounded at it's sonics and capability.

I was a little apprehensive about it's ability to drive my Aerial 7b's. These are not considered tube-friendly, being 86dB, and 6 ohms with a wide impedence swing. But to my delight and surprise, it doesn't seem to have any problem with them. The Berning can drive them to very high levels in my 20 x 21 x 10 room. I have a combined 2-ch/HT system, and use the Berning not only for 2 ch listening, but for HT on my L/R front speakers as well. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but it handled the opening battle scene on the Gladiator dvd better than my EAD Powermaster 2000. And it's got 400 watts x 5 channels compared to the Berning's 70 watts.

I've got a REL sub connected to the high level input of the amp. During the most dynamic sequences on the dvd, the EAD would shut down due to the low impedence of the combined load of the REL & Aerial's. The Berning didn't miss a beat. It delivered all the volume and impact you'd want. Simply incredible.

I'm now considering selling the Aerial's and replacing them with a horn speaker. I'm told there's nothing like a "good" horn to bring realism into the listening room. While the Berning will be overkill from a power standpoint, I feel confident it will deliver sound to die for.

This is not a well known amp. The only reason I was aware of it is because two of my friends each owned one, and kept telling me how great it was. I forgot to mention it's versatility. It's got 2 RCA inputs, and a quality volume control. This allowed me to run both my cdp and front HT channels directly to the amp. It's got more than enough gain for both. I'm now debating on whether I need my Joule Electra preamp.

For a small 10 lb amp to deliver this kind of performance and versatility, not to mention the 10-20 year lifetime on the tubes (it's already got 4 years on them and going strong) it's a miracle product. If you get the chance to pick one up, don't let it pass. You won't regret it.

Kris,

You mentioned the Berning ZH270 running a speaker by Preference Audio. I'd be very interested in learning more about this speaker. I couldn't find anything on Preference Audio thru the Google search engine. Can you provide me with any additional info that would allow me to track them down?

BTW, which speakers are you running with your Berning?

Thanks