My current TVC preamp - hi-fi heaven!

I promised to post what preamp I am using since some of you have been fllowing my saga in the pursuit of the perfect pre. As followers of this serial will know I used to own the Music First - thought it was terrific - the Promitheus close. I then had an Eklipse which was definitely the best passive valve I have heard but not quite the edge/detail that i got from a tvc.
Well, recently I picked up a real weird item secondhand. You wont find the preamp I'm now using too easily - only 2 were made and it's one of the best pieces of kit I've ever bought and definitely best preamp I've heard- it has silver wired transformers and is non mechanically remote controlled. It was made by John Chapman of Bent Audio in Canada. It has silver wired S&B transformeres rev 3 - but. . . . it is remote controlled via a toslink connection to a module that looks like an art deco unit - blue lights and crystal balls - almost out of Dr Who.

But what does it sound like? Astonishing. Chapman reckons it is sonically similar to the new remote controlled Bent TAP amp - but this one has silver wired trannies. This amp also has real drive especially with the 6 dec increase which Chapman has built in to his kit. Open, trasparent - well you know the stuff but the real gob smacker with this is just how detailed and concrete are the edges of notes to the music, rock solid with a real 3D walk around image. Adding supertweeters just blew me away, and even made Mrs Rat (my other half) sat silently in astonishement. I know we have cliches about "even my other half heard the difference" - but trust me Mrs Rat is not that interested in my Hifi hobby and watches with vague amusement whilst i watch her light up another Marlboro with equal amusement. This is my bargain of the year. The silver First Music is I think around £2800 - but the Bent is different especially with its non mechanical volume control like the Audio Synthesis Ultimate remote model. John Chapman said that it was uneconomic to make - the reason for just two - though he said he had some parts around to make another, so I am very lucky to have grabbed this. Hope you find this interesting and sorry i cannot say go to this web site and buy one now - which is what I would like to reccomend.It seems I have the advantage of silver version of the Music First with the remote control benefit which isn't I think available in any silver wired tvc?

Now I wonder what Anubisgrau is up to. . . . .:JPS:

 

Glad to hear you still like it and hope this is "the one" after your flings with the 3 other TVCs. As you know I was dithering about the same unit just before I bought your Promitheus Ref 4. I'm still extremely pleased with the Promitheus, so I'm happy and, knowing what the Bent was on offer for, I imagine you are happy too!

 

Can you post a pic or 2 please?

 

Dev happy to do so but how do I do it? Sorry but believe it or not never done this before!

 

Larkrise,
well done on your find!
Are you saying that it is different though to a 'siver' MFA other than in price? Even though it may have some form of remote control, surely it has to be finally the same as a switched one as the tvc can only alter volume by moving from one tap to another via some form of switch - remote controlled or not?
Happy listening!

 

First, you need to post the pictures on a webspace somewhere like pbase.

To include a picture in your post click on the button that looks like a postcard. It should open up another menu to add the url of the picture. Click on OK and it should then display the picture in the post. I think, it's easier to do than explain.

 

Shall figure this out and post soon as I can. It's about time I learnt how this is done!

 

As an aside: I'm enjoying your Eklipse at the moment (you sold yours recently didn't you?). It's pretty hot, but not as hot as the Rotel power amp underneath it

 

I believe this is the item in question



Edit: Chris I've edited your post, please check your PM. Dev.

 

That's the item in question - saves me posting stuff. OK you all know I got it for £700! Seemed worth a punt and it's great - followed up with some research with bent audio which is how I discovered the further info. Just seems to sound better and better. Curious to know whether the soutastanding sound is down to the silver S@B (i have had a standard Music First) or further aspects/tweaks of the design - standard 6db built in etc - but what is so nice about this is the remote facility. As this was a Magazine Review item which was then packed up and unused I am wondering whether it has been fully burnt in - it is mint nick so intend to do a burn over the next few weeks. It has some other interesting provenance which i think it is appropriate to keep private out of courtesy to the person who sold it to me.

Anyone tried the new remote Music First which is the Bent but without silver trans?

As an aside: I'm enjoying your Eklipse at the moment (you sold yours recently didn't you?).

Yes - ironically to a guy in a neighbouring village - he is very happy with it - as was I - but systems are also about balance and present setup - marvellous. I'm now having a go at vinyl to see whether I keep or sell all those records.

As for main system components i have got the setup sounding the best I have heard for years - much of this may i add to advice from others on this forum (thanks especially Gordan for the Sonus Faber tip).

 

laurence, you were really lucky that i haven't checked ebay for quite some time. otherwise this beauty wouldn't be yours - and i definitely wouldn't wait for the last day of the auction to use "buy it now" option.

anyway, congratulations on the job well done.

if you ever happen to decide selling it, may i have the first offer?

 

Hi Gordan - one never knows of course in this game - but at present this is staying - but if it moves on of course I'll let you know. I did the figues - silver Music First WITHOUT remote - little under £3000, remote controlled Bent BUT not silver wired - little under £3000 in the UK - so this one had to be bargain of the year without even touching on it's uniqueness - I saw it by accident too.

 

Ebay Bent

Actually this was offered twice on Ebay. I did a search for TVC and was amazed when something came up! On the first occasion it was up at a £750 starting bid and attracted no offers. Since I thought about it on both occasions and had asked the seller a little bit about it, I'm a kicking myself a little now for being so cautious! However Laurence's "old" Ref 4 is a good consolation prize.

 

Let me know if you ever decide to sell it!

 

Thanks for all the congrats e mails - and one especially that confirmed its rarity - felt like a birthday. If I do move it on I will let the forum members know but i can't see that happening just now. But with my record in the last year or so I don't blame any scepticism out there. Anyhow - what this hs done for me is to confirm that silver SandB's sound better - but. . . . almost twice the price!

 

i'm the first in the queue mate

 

I believe this is the item in question



Edit: Chris I've edited your post, please check your PM. Dev.
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Hi all - re Chris' post above - excuse the e bay link being removed - the pics remain however. Thanks Dev.

This was my request as I have begun to get spoof e mails, e bay related, which were clearly aimed at getting me to log in to fraudulent sites. This may or may not have been related but as I have had my credit card details stolen via internet recently has made me cautious. If you think it through a crook could piece together an ID from cross links.

 

I know that both are made by S&B but are the transformers used in the Bent Audio TAP the same spec as those used in the MFA TVC or is it a different design? The comparative prices would suggest different.

Bent Audio



MFA



EDIT : I'm very reliably informed that, screening cans aside, the Bent & MFA transformers are identical but as Bent sell directly (without dealers) their pricing reflects this.

 

How do you find the Bent, Murray - is that yours, maybe it isn't? I've been told the same except in the one I grabbed they are silver versions.

 

Hi LR,

That image was from their website. I was just interested in the way the transformers seemed to be implemented & how different they might be to the MFA ones. Apparently they aren't.

I haven't listened to a Bent. I did try both the silver and a newer copper MFA TVC but they aren't for me. They have a characteristic sound that I didn't like although they do seem a step forward from conventional resistive passive pre's. In a similar vein, I actually preferred the autoformers from Intact Audio which had less of their own sound although I still feel that a 'good' active pre-amplifier is a better way to go.