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Thorens TEM3200 hybrid mono power amplifier
(TTA07)
At first glance, the setup of Thorens' newest product can be quite confusing: Almost all known concepts for amplifier design have been thrown overboard or radically altered. The results of the German-made device, however, speak for themselves. The list begins with the shielded input transformer, highly unusual for power amplifiers. It enforces continually balanced conditions for the following symmetric signal path independent of the signal source. Additionally, Thorens employs a distinctive design to gain highest quality results throughout the whole amplification process. Extremely high transconductance EC86 NOS tubes “made in Germany” are used as input tubes featuring exceptionally low noise and pulse velocity. These demands can only be met by special output tubes - formerly only found in Russian military radar devices - to provide the perfect match. It comes with an extra large cathode and a deliberately granular anode heat sink. To complete the unusual setup, the Royal British CV 6189 tube with gold plated pins acts as the middleman. This extreme trio, of which Thorens has already bought thousands for production and service, is controlled by top secret circuitry casted in three modules to provide highest precision biasing. All stages are DC-coupled, making sound critical coupling capacitors superfluous. All active parts are arranged so ingeniously that the final setup of the operating points is completed with the turn of just one single potentiometer. The last technological surprise is the circular arrangement of two unusually large transistors in the output stage. The radical newly designed Circlotron topology allows crystal clear signal conversion with control of every loudspeaker. Maple finish.
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