Amplifier T.A.C. K-35

Three-letter name brand hides three words - Tube Amp Company. This division of Sintron, familiar to us from the well-known modern audience Deutschemark Vincent, under which produced high-end audio equipment. If the majority of classic tube integrated amplifiers technical and audiophile circles jokingly referred to as "breadbox" due to mesh, usually rounded front metal cover that covers the bulb, the TAC K-35 looks more like a microwave oven or a household grill. That is, it is completely closed housing with ventilation holes on the top panel and small slits on the top and bottom of the "Display" - glass protective strip on the front, which is a thick milled aluminum panel. On the bottom lines are the power button, two knobs (volume control and input selector), LED display and IR sensor for the remote control - a long metal bar and elegant, pretty easy to manipulate. This is also a classic push-pull, and its preliminary stage is served by four double triodes - 12AU7 and 12AX7, and the output stage work popular among the people pentode EL-34. But this time, the designers took no copies of the Russian British Mullard, and headlight Chinese firm Shuguang. However, they are carefully selected, and, most importantly, in the circuit function is used AutoBias, that is, all the lights are automatically controlled by the bias current. Internal installation is a traditional half method, except the main board, in which there are ceramic plates for lamps with sound collets. Again, remember that you must be careful when connecting the speaker cables - lived two and three terminals for each channel, so make exactly as your acoustic impedance (4 or 8 ohms) marking on the connector panel of the amplifier. Preheating for thirty minutes will not be amiss, but then every time they turn on this time can be reduced. Although LED warm (warm up), located on the front panel, invites to listening after 15 seconds.

Testing began, as usual, with the hard rock and were somewhat disappointed - this style came TAC K-35 is not too liking. I have the feeling that the machine simply can not cope with a barrage of riffs, distortion effects, drum bursts. However, a similar pattern is quite characteristic of a tube devices that, for example, do most of DIY enthusiasts, urging them sound under certain genres, usually jazz or light classical music from all directions. There also needs primarily comfort and sensitivity, and not saturate decibels. So when we started to move in this direction, the situation began to change dramatically. We walked along the soft pop music, light and melodic art-rock, found no flaws in the performance records of rhythmic genres type disco, reggae and funk that is mixed with soul. And, enjoy the instrumental new age, plunged into a hypnotic atmosphere of jazz. A classic academic material put an end to the dispute about the future of the verdict. Yes, T.A.C. K-35 - power is not for everyone, it is capricious, but a virtuoso in his element.

T.A.C. K-35 Amplifier photo