Anybody own this "007" inspired receiver yet? (1 Viewer)

[LanceJ]

You have to admit--this wouldn't look out of place in Mr.B's office :
Link Removed
Any comments from owners?
LJ

 

[DanaA]

Looks very cool and sleek, but 7.7 pounds and a power rating only at 6 ohms with 0.9THD doesn't inspire confidence does it?

 

[LanceJ]

This receiver uses a digital power amplifier--it doesn't need a large transformer or heatsinks like a "normal" amp does.
I'll admit the power rating criteria is kind of lame, but not much worse than any other sub-$1,000 receiver's ratings.
Here's a company that is well-respected as far as digital amplification is concerned: http://www.tactaudio.com/Millennium/index.html
LJ

 

[Mike*Gillgannon]

Very interesting. But how come it weighs 62 lbs.? It's digital, ain't it?

--Mike

 

[LanceJ]

But how come it weighs 62 lbs.?

Did you see what it's constructed of? From the TacT site: "The volume encoder wheel which delivers optical information to the digital controller is held by two large-diameter ball races. Swiss precision switches are used throughout." This is just to give an idea of the mind-set of the TacT designers.
At this product's price point (@$9,000), no shortcuts are taken in its physical construction, just like other esoteric high-end products. Here's a review of it: http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/archive/...rintreview.htm
Even Sony does this: their first SACD players, the SCD-1 & the 777ES, featured solid slabs of aluminum & weighed 55 pounds! And even Technics used to make a stereo preamp (until last year) that weighed 26 pounds: http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/archive/...rintreview.htm
A receiver's heatsink (especially the cast metal variety) and power tranformer are many times THE most expensive parts in that cabinet. And their weight in turn increases shipping costs. So manufacturers would love to get rid of them.
Check out the latest HTiB's: many have very slim cabinets with few, or no, ventilation slots. Sony & Philips have some and Pioneer too.
LJ

 

[Paul Stiles]

Regareless of how good it sounds, when one pays several thousand dollars for an audio component, one expects more "heft" than a kenner close-and-play. To a large extent, I suspect part of the reason for this is due to male hormones ... mine's heavier than yours type of thing.

I suspect that in the near futuer (if not already), there will be digital amps that more or less are powered directly from the wall outlet power (no massive linear power transformers). The entire amp. package can be made so that it weights only a couple of pounds or so. BUT, something like this will have a hard time selling, so it will be packaged in a beefy chassis. A half inch thick front panel, a classy illuminated company logo, jewelry type gold plated input and output connectors and other features of this type will be added in order to make the product more marketable. Sizzle sells.

Paul

 

[Mike_Ch]

Looks much more stylish than the new Bose stuff
Cheers,
Mike

 

[Brian Ruth]

Probably sounds better to boot!

 

[Guy Usher]

Theree aaree amps that run direct from your AC outlet, theyy are called "Carver"

 

[LanceJ]

If the manufacturer's marketing people weren't so damn stuck on this stupid "100watts X 5" junk, they could publish better THD ratings.
For ahwile I owned an old (1983?) but classy little Sony receiver. It was rated at 21 watts (yep, twenty ONE) at .01% THD. I hooked up some old Pioneer floorstanders w/12" woofers and oh my.......it may have been "only" 21 watts per channel but it got very loud, loud enough to endanger your lease!
Receivers no longer have power meters to give the user an idea of what's happening, but my old Pioneer SX-6 does and most music listening only resulted in the meters going up to one tenth to 2 full watts. That's it. But when the family or roommate was gone....that's they shot up to the 20-40 watt range. And this was with some Advent "Baby" speakers with only a 88dB SPL rating. But, at this level conversation was impossible.
So in reality, not many people need a true 100 watts of power (subwoofers are a different story). That's only required for full-size/inefficient speakers or very large listening areas.
Come on Pioneer/Sony/Panasonic/Kenwood/Yamaha, put those meters back on the front and can the unrealistic power ratings. Wow, they could put FIVE on there now: it would look like a mini-version of a recording studio's mixing board, especially during Star Wars or James Bond movies-ultra kewl!!!
And in my continuing series of Panasonic suck-up posts--hehe--here's their, uh, solution for a high-end HT pre/power combination. & make sure you click on the "pictures" link--if you like power meters you'll love it: http://www.hifichoice.co.uk/review_read.asp?ID=1451 Remember, the British audio press usually are very picky--but fair thankfully--about equipment AND they like warm sounding amps, CD players, etc. And the Technics amp page itself: http://panasonic.co.uk/product/amplifier/
Re: Carver amps. I think they still use what are called "switching" power supply sections, which use very small transformers. I still remember their first power amp, a cube 7" on a side, with 150 watts per channel. It caused a real sensation in the audio world back then (I guess around 1980).
LJ

 

[Guy Usher]

A bottle of "Annie Greensprings" and we melted a Carver cube one afternoon, either Pink Floyd or Moody Blues I thinkk was the source material`

 

[LanceJ]

What's "Annie Greensprings"? (I'll let a human being explain this one, rather than Google or AltaVista ). Does this stuff cause electronic, or organic, overloads? Thanks!
LJ

 

[David Judah]

Theree aaree amps that run direct from your AC outlet, theyy are called "Carver"

What exactly does that mean? Please elaborate.
DJ

 

[Robert James Clark]

"Annie Greensprings" = a cheap wine...

 

[Paul Clarke]

Like Boone's Farm...oh boy, those were the days...no headache like a Boone's Farm headache.:frowning:

 

[Guy Usher]

I was referiing to Carvers switching power supply in jest. . .
And Annie in truth, wass an ass wwhpping and a headdache iin every bottle, made the old Carverr cube sound goood.( miight do something for this keyboard)

 

[DanaA]

Probably none of you youngsters remembers Red Mountain wine. Nothing beats the hangover that stuff would give you.

Lance,

I'm with you, bring back the frickin meters. It would shock some people how little power they're actually using and besides they looked cool.

 

[Mike_Ch]

You can buy a McIntosh amp for those nifty meters hehe . Dunno bout the gothic styling though...
Cheers,
Mike

 

[LanceJ]

Hangovers, headaches, ass whuppins'........I think I'll stick to a plain old Jack and Coke to mellow out with!
Speaking of McIntosh: read about some MAN's man power meters here:
http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?428
At 147lbs, this mono amp probably will have to sit on the floor.................
LJ

 

[Guy Usher]

I am sorry for not answering your post correctly LOL but kidding aside Panasonic hhas in the past ( mid 70s) made some fine Seperates I remember a friend who spent thousands of dollars on their Pre-amp and 2 channnel amp of about 100wpc. Sound was super even by todays standdards the equippment also looked awesome, everything was silver then, looked a lot like Pioneer, I think he had the stuff on "Large Advents" (walnut) knowing him I et he stiill has it. Someone may correct me but I think high end Panasonic is under the "Tecnics" brand. I have used Panasonic auto stuff with good results, reminds me of SONY, theres Sony and then theres SONY!