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In the Forum: Melquiades Amplifier
In the Thread: A different breed of 6C33C amplifier.

Post Subject: The proof to rumor?Posted by Romy the Cat on: 3/30/2012

Nope, I do not have any proof to the rumor as I do not use the Japanese transformers. I heard them many times, was not liking the entire sound of the playbacks (do not blame only transformers for that) but since I never myself dealt with Japanese transformers my opinion is leas relevant on the subject. The source for rumors is probably come from me but it is not my invention. A few years back I was talking for a famed US transformer maker. He is very knowledgeable guy who is in business for many dozen years and he knows his field. so, he told me that some years back a large Chinese or Taiwanis corporation did buy all those Tamura, Tango, Hashimoto and etc. they still operate independently and a separate brands (like all companies that under umbrella of Harman International) but they all owned that that huge Chinese conglomerate that makes all possible cheap power, switching, signal and many other transformers. So, according to him: as the conglomerate’s cost-effective nature begun to penetrate the production discipline of former small Japanese makers their transformer stopped to be what they were famed for in past and nowadays they all sound “nothing special”. I can’t corroborate with it as I have no personal experience but to be the story sound very believable. He did named the name of the conglomerate and even I knew it but I can’t recall it now. Ironically that many US makers: Plitron, Torpid of Maryland do not make transformer in US but outsource it to the very same Chinese conglomerate. So, today if you buy a Tamura, or Tango, or Plitron, or Amplimo or a $5 transformer in Radio Shake you might very much but the very same transformer only with different labels. I do not know if the Partridge, MagneQuest, Sowter, Stevens & Billington, Bartolucci, Lindberg, One Electron, Audio Note, Hammond and other still do the transformers themselves. I personally prefer to deal directly with one-person type of company, somebody like Intact Audio, Tribute, Elektra-Print and others – who will do my own custom transformer. It is not the most cost effective way and not the assurance of quality but it is an assurance that it will be no indifference in the results. I do like that personal touch….

The caT

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