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| Altec 15356 + UTC A20 |
While browsing at Books Kinokuniya in NYC in the 90's, this Noguchi ad from the November 1994 MJ Audio Technology issue inspired me to experiment with line transformers as digital sound enhancers. Since I was living on a post-grad assistantship budget back then, importing this pair from Japan was out of the question.
Instead, I settled for this surplus pair of Tamura line transformers.
Wired with a mild step up (via the center tap of the primary), I found my CDs a lot more enjoyable! Perhaps that's due to the iron "taming" the op-amps in the analog output signal path of my CD player and later, Audio Alchemy DAC in the Box.
Fast forward to 2023, I used a Google translate app to decipher the chapter about line transformers + digital in Stereo Sound Tube Kingdom Issue 107. The article discussed and evaluated various vintage and modern line transformers used in the same context, albeit they recommend a 1:2 step up ratio or 150:600.
The only Western Electric components in my Hi-Fi set up is this pair of WE111C repeat coils wired 300:600.
Even if I've eliminated all the op-amps and wired an all tube analog circuit from pin 6 (AOR) & 25 (AOL) of the non oversampling TDA1541 DAC chip, I still find the "digital sound shaping" abilities of these line transformers further enhance my enjoyment of digitized music.
Line transformers are a fun experiment. Try them!🍻
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