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In the Forum: Analog Playback
In the Thread: Vinyl Ceremonies: Repeatable VTA
Post Subject: One man's meat...Posted by Paul S on: 5/14/2008
Adrian, I wrote extensively about the TAP in its own thread.  Given good electricity, the pairing of K&K and TAP is a pretty clean gain path for the cartridge, with far more range, color, etc. - everything you'd want - in the end than the previous set-up.  And bottom line, way more music, as noted.  No problems of any kind with the TAP in my set-up, which was +/- optimised for it.  It is a neutral volume control that is otherwise a non-factor, as far as I can tell, except as noted later in the TAP thread; no downside here.  Electrically it actually acts +/- like a buffer in my case.  Again, consistancy and stability with different volume settings is a huge plus, unparalleled in that regard, really.  But S&B apparently saw Chapman as a too-effective competitor for their own similar (judged lesser) offering, and they summarily cut off his custom POCC-wound tranny supply, so I don't know if he offers the TAP anymore, anyway.  If he does it will use different trannies.

As I have noted above, variation in VTA is simply audibly quite clear now.  And now that I can get the FR ambiance and for-me-unprecedented bass, etc., I am simply greedy/OCD about it.  I have corresponded with another K&K owner who also noted the audibility of the VTA.  I have not used the K&K with any other pre-amp, nor am I disposed to at this point.  Remember, my K&K is not stock, but it uses 6DJ8 family tubes rather than stock 6N1Ps, and also amorphous trannies and "special" caps, and also just one fixed mm input.  But I covered all that, too, in the K&K thread.

Re: the Well Tempered, to my knowledge only the Reference came stock with easy separate VTA adjustment.  The stock Original and Classic require futzing with azimuth at the same time when doing VTA.  This would absolutely put the wood to the VTA adjustments for me.  OTOH, I woke up last night with an idea for VTA calibration that will at least get me quickly repeatable settings!

Of course you are welcome to come by any time.  Please bring good electricity.

Best regards,
Paul S

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