Folsom Consort prototype amplifier on tour, looking for another host.

Hello everyone,

I haven't talked about my amp on this forum much.

First I want to lay down the intention with the unit. I've got numerous things in development. But something I mean to accomplish throughout my eventual releases of consumer products is that I plan to offer some DIY solutions. I highly respect the DIY crowd for diving in and creating their own equipment. But my DIY projects may not resemble other projects because they are not existing to just be there, or fit a budget. For all intensive purposes they are and will be truly high end. The DIY projects will typically not be mutually available as commercial products; but is in this scenario.

I'd like to find another place to send it. But it's not first come first serve. The amp is only 15w, so speakers that will mate with it are needed (91db+).

I think anyone with fairly efficient speakers will appreciate the amplifier particularly for the fact that it isn't a big heat generator. In fact it puts off almost nothing. It makes a wonderful summer amplifier if heat keeps driving you out of your listening room.

How does it sound? Well it's had a fair bit of good feedback. Comparatively it made a Bryston 3BSST2, and a McIntosh MC302 sound like uncultured oafs. A unit was made to replace the Bryston. The owner believes the Consort sounds as if it has more power at any regular listening levels. It's the easiest listening he's ever had. I believe that's because the sound comes to you and you don't have to work for it because it's so clear. In fact it's somewhat freakishly linear. By that I mean on a stereo with an active source (buffered, preamp or DAC) when you turn the volume up or down it sounds the same. It's not until you push it beyond it's means that you can hear the compression set in, that it changes the sound. The result has been quiet listening levels that deliver what you previously had to turn the volume up to get. However it makes you face the reality of the volume you're playing. If you have it loud and some trumpets blare real hard you might want to turn it down or get away from them just like standing next to a trumpet would do in real life. I'll post more following this entry.

The amp drives 4ohm and 8ohm speakers just fine. The input impedance is approximately 27k. The gain is 32db so it does not match best with preamps that add gain.

Here's some fun pictures;

The amplifier was used in a review posted here. Wayne liked my amplifier a lot, enough to use it on the fun listening day. However that was before it got it a few upgrades. It's a much better amp than when he heard it.

Here's a review by a fellow named Craig,

"I’m not convinced that critical listening of one audio product versus another is worth anyone’s time, unless you have a whole lot of it. I therefore don’t understand those who are reviewers for all or part of their living, appears to take the fun right out of it. The differences (in my experience) are generally minor and it’s difficult, if not impossible, to absolutely decide which one is better. It ends up like choosing which flavor of ice cream to eat before bed, there is no wrong way to go. However, audio equipment is expensive and ice cream is not. Weigh in that cost factor and it’s no wonder my system has not changed in many years. I require a rather large benefit per expenditure and a clear winner.

Nevertheless, every now and again I am compelled to purchase, the cost overcome by the improvement. In late 2008, a friend of mine from the stereo shop contacted me to demo a power conditioner he had on loan. The conditioner was custom-made by a young fellow named Jeremy Hood, right here in Missoula, and I really needed to “listen” to it in my room. I’d demoed several power conditioners over the years from the local stereo shop and online vendors and had not thought any on them really improved the sound. They all went back to where they came from. This was different and after a few days, I begged to rent the unit until Jeremy could build a conditioner for me. I suffered for weeks in silence as the rental option was not really an option (nobody in their right mind would be without this conditioner once it’s in their possession) and I had little interest in listening without it.

That was my last improvement until just recently. Sure, I replaced my Bel Canto cd player in 2014 with a new one from the same manufacturer after the transport started acting up. It didn’t change the sound any, at least after the new unit broke in a bit. I’ve considered my system complete since 2009 and I spent my money elsewhere. That doesn’t mean Jeremy and others weren’t trying to tempt me with other “upgrades”. They would bring the upgrade to the house and we’d listen to the change in sound. In 6 years I bought nothing but more music.

That changed this summer when Jeremy hooked up his new chip amplifier in my rig. He had already brought several previous amps to me for demonstration. He trusts my ears, my system and my listening room. Plus I am likely his toughest critic, at least in person as it’s easy to be unimpressed over social media. None of the previous amps were nearly as competent as my already broken in and paid for Bryston 3B-SST2. The rather expensive Bryston is powerful yet refined, quiet as a mouse and a great match for my Bel Canto CD transport and DAC as all appreciate a balanced connection.

After a few hours to let the demo amp settle in, I was pretty sure this was going to cost me as the Bryston was suddenly muffled and slow by comparison. After a day, I had to have the new amp. My daughter’s wedding would have to wait (kidding). I once again suffered without much music during the build process. A few days of burn-in time, a quick yet convincing A/B test of the two amps and the Bryston went into the closet. Jeremy’s amp provides gloriously articulate, colorless gain. I have so much music to relisten to.

For those who care and have inquiring minds, my system:
Piega Premium 5.2 speakers
Bel Canto transport 3 and DAC 3
Folsom Consort Amplifier and Folsom Power Conditioner (one off unit)
Analysis Plus speaker cables
Zenwave Audio D4 IC's
Nordost XLR
Heavens Gate AES/EBU
Shunyata and Cardas AC cables
Oyaide power outlet"

The best part is I upgraded his amplifier to the current rendition of the Consort and he said, "it's more like a $3000 upgrade." (he was charged a pittance since I decided to travel to him as I needed to stop by Missoula anyway)

It's also been preferred over a Firstwatt F5 and Aleph J, while on tour.

Now for a little bit of technical information.

The amplifier board (as pictured) features:

-CFC (capacitor field cancellation)

-Organic polymer capacitors, highest grade offered (very low ESR, very fast)

-Capacitor multiplier w/ voltage regulation for maximum safe output; the KMR (does wonders)

-Ground planes for lower noise (not nearly as common with amp circuits as digital and other sensitive devices)

The PSU board features:

-CFC (capacitor field cancellation)

-Input filter with dampened common mode choke, followed by naked EPCOS MKT (very effective on RF) capacitors with CFC following; all on the AC side. This may be the only amplifier to feature this; at least that one can find on the internet.

-Very low noise diodes for rectification; that also don't need a snubber circuit

-Nichicon's highest grade electrolytic capacitors for ripple smoothing/power. (These are audibly better than many capacitors seen in gear from mid to very high end)

-Ground planes for lower noise

Beau, why not? I think your stereo is an appropriate one for such an amplifier. Sometime in the future I'd love to get it onto some Alexandria's or such to know its true limits.

amirm said:

I am happy to measure it for you if you have interest in that....

Click to expand...

Because it's based on a chip, I don't really have a reason for a speaker FR plot, or distortion plot. For discrete designs and pieces of an amp, including this one, we LTspice model first. We're quite good at that and offer it to others as part the services we offer.

I much appreciate the offer however!