[Steve Eddy]

Yes very true. I'm still a newb with amplifier design, but the only issue that i can foresee would be the wiring of the Crack's MagneQuest transformers i suppose?   What would be your logic that they may not be able to be bridged?

MQ transformers? I thought the Crack was an OTL design and didn't use output transformers?

Personally I've never really been a fan of the whole "balanced" craze. I mean, a headphone doesn't know a "balanced" amp from a hole in the ground and behaves no differently. Bridging is nice if you need to get maximum power from a limited supply voltage, say when using batteries, but if you can specify whatever supply voltage you want, it becomes rather pointless. And when you bridge, you pay the price of higher noise, higher distortion and higher output impedance.

se

 

[FraGGleR]

  Hey Doc, I can't help myself but I'm sure others would be interested in this as well. Could there be a snowflake's chance in hell that you would entertain a balanced tube amp offering by chance?

Both the S.E.X. and their top of the line Mainline can output balanced.  As Steve Eddy can attest, there are many different definitions of balanced with regards to amps. and many different opinions on where in the chain is best to move to a balanced signal or if it is even worth it.
 
I don't understand the technicalities, but listening to my S.E.X. balanced sounds better to me.  Since it has single ended input and uses transformers to create a balanced output, it isn't necessarily the "correct" way like a dual mono amp, but it sounds noticeably different from the single ended output so I have kept it in the position.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Does the S.E.X. tie signal ground to the bottom of the output transformer secondary?

se

 

[clowkoy]

Does the S.E.X. tie signal ground to the bottom of the output transformer secondary?

se

I'm not sure what you mean but this is how the SEX is wired for balanced operation.
 

 

[brunk]

MQ transformers? I thought the Crack was an OTL design and didn't use output transformers?

Personally I've never really been a fan of the whole "balanced" craze. I mean, a headphone doesn't know a "balanced" amp from a hole in the ground and behaves no differently. Bridging is nice if you need to get maximum power from a limited supply voltage, say when using batteries, but if you can specify whatever supply voltage you want, it becomes rather pointless. And when you bridge, you pay the price of higher noise, higher distortion and higher output impedance.

se

 
 

  Both the S.E.X. and their top of the line Mainline can output balanced.  As Steve Eddy can attest, there are many different definitions of balanced with regards to amps. and many different opinions on where in the chain is best to move to a balanced signal or if it is even worth it.
 
I don't understand the technicalities, but listening to my S.E.X. balanced sounds better to me.  Since it has single ended input and uses transformers to create a balanced output, it isn't necessarily the "correct" way like a dual mono amp, but it sounds noticeably different from the single ended output so I have kept it in the position.

 
 

 
I'm not sure what you mean but this is how the SEX is wired for balanced operation.
 

That's correct Steve Eddy. I also agree with the the points you've stated about "balanced craze", but I still think it could turn out to be a nice piece of kit that could be highly customized to taste and fill a gap in the BH product line. I think us four are just getting lost in eachothers' interpretations of what we're typing lol, speech is so much better for this type of conversation 

 

 

[Steve Eddy]

I'm not sure what you mean but this is how the SEX is wired for balanced operation.

Oh, ok. With the virtual center tap made using the resistors, then it would indeed be balanced. You can't assume a balanced out just because the amp has an output transformer because typically on single ended amps like that, the signal ground is tied to the bottom of the secondary winding.

se

 

[Steve Eddy]

   
That's correct Steve Eddy. I also agree with the the points you've stated about "balanced craze", but I still think it could turn out to be a nice piece of kit that could be highly customized to taste and fill a gap in the BH product line. I think us four are just getting lost in eachothers' interpretations of what we're typing lol, speech is so much better for this type of conversation 

 

 
Yeah, selling twice as many Cracks would certainly make Doc's day.

 
se

 

[brunk]

   
Yeah, selling twice as many Cracks would certainly make Doc's day.

 
se

 

[Steve Eddy]

HA! Thanks. Made my day.

se

 

[brunk]

HA! Thanks. Made my day.

se

Hehe 

 

 

[amcananey]

That's awesome. Too funny....

 

[JamieMcC]

lol that cracked me up as well thought I would see how it looks as a avatar for a day or two.

 

[Loquah]

Great idea! We should get all Crack owners to take this avatar for a week.

 

[DarKen23]

 

[Steve Eddy]

se