Bespoke Audio TVC Passive Preamp - An Unassuming Star
- Thread starter CKKeung
- Start date
This is a new generation of Bryston. It gets enough power and fine sounding.Very interesting. It seems that this preamp can be associated to a wide range of Amp… Good to know.
The main question of passive pre amp is most likely from the gain output of the source. Once the output gain fits the need of the pre amp (the modern dac indeed helps a lot), the strengths of passive pre amp are easily shown up.
Had an audition of this grand and beautiful passive pre amplifier last night. The soundstage is amazingly wide and deep.
My Bespoke Silver preamp is on the road again!
It's because I am sending it back to Harry & Lucy for upgrading to the spec of Ultimate Silver version, similar to the one owned by Matej Isak of monoandstereo.com
This is the photo of such version :
The main difference is the cowls (outermost enclosures of the transformer).
For the usual Besopke models, the transformers are put inside mu metal shields first and then into aluminium alloy outer enclosures.
This is the internal photo of my Bespoke Silver :
On the contrary, the cowls of Ultimate version are made with brass and are of bigger size :
They are also beautifully plated with true gold :
Due to the diff materials and sizes of the Cowls, the Ultimate version gives a significantly more effortless sound and a much bigger 3-dimensional soundstage.
Initially I was uncertain whether the upgrade was feasible or not, but Ben Lau, the HK dealer asked Harry & Lucy at the Munich Show last year and the answer was affirmative.
Therefore I laision and group together several Bespoke owners in HK and send our Bespoke, some copper some silver models to UK for the upgrade.
Will update you on the progress.
It's because I am sending it back to Harry & Lucy for upgrading to the spec of Ultimate Silver version, similar to the one owned by Matej Isak of monoandstereo.com
This is the photo of such version :
The main difference is the cowls (outermost enclosures of the transformer).
For the usual Besopke models, the transformers are put inside mu metal shields first and then into aluminium alloy outer enclosures.
This is the internal photo of my Bespoke Silver :
On the contrary, the cowls of Ultimate version are made with brass and are of bigger size :
They are also beautifully plated with true gold :
Due to the diff materials and sizes of the Cowls, the Ultimate version gives a significantly more effortless sound and a much bigger 3-dimensional soundstage.
Initially I was uncertain whether the upgrade was feasible or not, but Ben Lau, the HK dealer asked Harry & Lucy at the Munich Show last year and the answer was affirmative.
Therefore I laision and group together several Bespoke owners in HK and send our Bespoke, some copper some silver models to UK for the upgrade.
Will update you on the progress.
Hi @CKKeung , so if I understand it, the change from mu metal transformer enclosures to bigger gold plated brass enclosures is supposed to make a significant difference in the sound? One has to wonder if it's not the case that the mu metal enclosures are somehow deficient in the first place. When do you expect it back?
The size of the transformers and the mu metal shields of the usual models and Ultimate version are the same.
The only diff is the larger gold-plated brass cowl. There is more filling beewax inside them too.
The mu metal enclosures are still in place but not visible. The stock visible enclosures housing the mu metal encased transformers are made out of aluminium. These outter aluminium enclosures are the ones being replaced with larger brass enclosures (and more beeswax damping).
interesting to read this thread , there is extremely little written on UK forums about the bespoke . when harry worked for music first audio i had the mfa baby reference on which the bespoke is based i believe . I had it the same time as an arc ref 5 and it certainly was superb. the ref 5 only just pipped it in terms of realism but at the time it was double the price . wonderful pre amps
i believe they have upgraded the remote on the bespoke which is good , one reason i do not have a passive of this type in my system
i believe they have upgraded the remote on the bespoke which is good , one reason i do not have a passive of this type in my system
So was my previous ARC 40th Anniv Preamp. Fully NOS tubes-rolled.
But I liked my Bespoke Silver much more.
So. Wonder if i can be controversial. I have been using a new Townshend Allegri reference pre amp with Totaldac drivers. I believe that this betters the Bespoke Audio. Reviews are starting to come out from certain quarters. It will be interesting to see if anyone on this forum with a Bespoke ends up agreeing.
That's not too controversial. The Townshend uses an AVC, the Bespoke a TVC. They do sound different in general. And then core material, winding material, etc. Both should be good, it's just that price doesn't always dictate preference.
What do you find to be "better" about the Townsend?
What do you find to be "better" about the Townsend?
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Agree with Bazelio.
AVC and TVC have basic sonic diff but none is better than the other.
Execution of the manufacturing and the implementation of them make big diff too.
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