| Thanks for the excellent shootout Peter! Well done!
My favorite all around was the TAB transformer version. It actually sounded very similar to the transformerless. Kudos must go to Oliver for making such an amazing transformer that it could be that transparent.
However, I generally felt a better sensation of "depth" with the TAB transformer. It's hard to explain but I felt I was hearing more information in the TAB transformer version than in the transformer less. You would think you would hear more info in the transformerless version as there is one less component in the signal path. My guess would be that the transformer is providing a better impedance match with the preamp, which of course is one of the functions of a good transformer. I can't back that up though.....just a guess to explain what I was hearing.
Thanks again Peter! |