Anyone compare CJ Gat to VTL 7.5 v3?
- Thread starter caesar
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Lloyd - My knowledge of VTL is a little dated, but from recollection; like your Gryphon gear the VTL is balanced so you might reap some benefit there, but be careful with the amount of gain. Regardless of the sound, you may end up with "gain hiss" (for lack of a better expression at this moment). The Gryphon amps generally have about 31db gain whereas the preamps are low gain. VTL on the other hand tends to put most of the gain in the preamps - which might be due to using tubes in the amplifiers (?).
Anyways the long and the short of it is, regardless of sound you might find the two are not overly compatible due to too much system gain.
Anyways the long and the short of it is, regardless of sound you might find the two are not overly compatible due to too much system gain.
Lloyd - I'm a bit disorganized here but I recalled this review of the earliest iteration of the VTL TL 7.5 preamplifier - somewhere down in the review the issue of excessive gain is brought up.
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/vtl_tl75.htm
All that said, I note that the gain numbers aren't all that hugely different between brands (VTL & Gryphon) so my rambling might be all about nothing.(that won't be a first!
)
A final note of interest but of absolutely no consequence, I remember Flemming Rasmussen getting anxious about using tube preamps with his amplifiers...
Good Luck with that change if it ever comes to materialize!
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/vtl_tl75.htm
All that said, I note that the gain numbers aren't all that hugely different between brands (VTL & Gryphon) so my rambling might be all about nothing.(that won't be a first!
)A final note of interest but of absolutely no consequence, I remember Flemming Rasmussen getting anxious about using tube preamps with his amplifiers...
Good Luck with that change if it ever comes to materialize!
Thanks, Peter...the CJ GAT gain is also quite high...about 25db single ended only (vs VTL older model 26db balanced, 20db single ended)...and the system is silent when on but not playing. if i put my ear up to the tweeter, i need to be within 3 inches to hear anything when the tubes are new...probably closer to 7 inches when the tubes are around 1,000-1,500 hours. And if i am off axis, it is even more difficult to hear hiss.
i do not think i will change CJ GAT for a long time to come...i have owned CJ consistently for 12 years...always at least one of their preamps. I was just curious about the comparison for anyone who might have done so. always good to learn about other people's impressions or to hear comments about equipment i have not heard before.
i do not think i will change CJ GAT for a long time to come...i have owned CJ consistently for 12 years...always at least one of their preamps. I was just curious about the comparison for anyone who might have done so. always good to learn about other people's impressions or to hear comments about equipment i have not heard before.
The gain figures you guys are throwing out there for preamps (20-25 dB) is quite high. My Counterpoint SA-5.1 had 18 dB of gain if you had the gain switch in the high position. I think my KBL preamp is only 12 dB of gain and it sounds like it. You have to turn it up much higher than other preamps to get the same volume level (when it is working of course).
Not in the Series 3. My friend just got his VTL Preamp back and the gain was reduced to 13 db, though there's something about it being switchable but no documentation. Of course my friend hates that since he is an analog kinda guy.
My recollection is that one of the major considerations for VTL in coming out the the Mk2 version was to reduce the gain - which they did partly by changing tubes...12AU7 to 12AX7 or some such thing. Now at Mk3 they are all the way down to about 12 to 16db... For comparison, the ARC Reference 3/5 are at, or around, 12 db gain.
Lloyd is fortunate to have 25db in the preamp and another 31db in the amp and yet have a dead silent system...
Yes, i had not fully appreciated this until i first put the whole thing together and then thought 'about the math'. I listen at 2am at volume 1 (out of 99) in a 30' x 17' room, the Velodyne has a solid rumble and the room has a nice full sound, but no hiss unless you walk over to the speaker and stand 7 inches directly in front of the tweeter...if you are 7 inches and off-axis the hiss drops in half or less. during the day, i listen at 24...for action flicks, it gets up to 45...but if you're playing Tron the furniture at the other end of the room starts to rumble/almost move a bit...and i get nervous about the neighbors.
Haven't compared them.
My friend is still burning his unit in
All I can say that VTL routinely has among the best sounds at shows.
I find it interesting that David Manley started VTL and Manley and now he owns neither. I could be wrong, but prior to David's departure from VTL, I think he designed all of the products. I don't think Luke is an engineer (and I could be wrong), and I don't think he designs any of the VTL products that have been on the market since he and his father parted ways.
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