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For all the cost no object readers, these new amps seemed to have the best of all parameters when I heard them in a great system through Nestorovic 5a speakers. We listened to the 845 version, and it was immediately so much better than any other amp we've heard in this system that all 3 of us said it was the best music making system we've heard lately. OTL with gutsy bass and transparency and a soundstage that was enormous. Here are some specs and info from the distributor;
BERNING 211/845 $73,000 pr retail. 60 WPC. Class A Triode. Zero feedback. Differentially balanced input to output. The amps will immediately auto bias 211 or 845 output tubes.
Stock Tube compliment: one 12AT7 (gain) one 6SN7 (gain) Electro Harmonix, 2x 6V6 (driver) Sovetek, two per channel 845 or 211 Pasvane Western Electric replica. Optional upgrade tube compliment: 6V6: Pope or Tungsol, 12AT7: Telefunken or Siemens triple mica.
Each pair of amps is full power cycled for 2 weeks at the factory with the stock tube set to insure all operational parameters are met including a critical listening test. All tubes are curve traced on a Tektronix 576 at full rated plate voltage and David plots the curves at 10 different grid bias levels. The most accurate method to test tubes. Then the curve plots are compared to the printed examples for each tube type that appear in the manufacturers technical data sheets and books. Moreover, we routinely reject the very best available 211/845 tubes to get the top 1%.
The amps utilize: 36 Stillpoint circuit board standoffs, eight Stillpoint Ultra 5 chassis 'feet', Stillpoint cryogenic treated selected chassis parts, Cardas unplated binding posts and RCA's, Neutrik XLR's, Solen Teflon caps, Caddock resistors and ceramic and gold plated tube sockets.
Note, the amps you heard did not benefit from the stock Pasvane Western Electric replica 845 tubes which are the best currently available. Or the optional gain/driver tube set. And they did not have the eight Stillpoint Ultra 5 feet attached (per stereo) pair. Moreover, all of the amps sold to date have gone to clients that opted for the optional driver/gain tube set. With all of these products in place, the amps are positively transformed. I know it is a leap of faith to accept this when what you heard was so convincing -- but the amps respond amazing well to the best tubes and Stillpoint Ultra 5 isolation. Stillpoint products are an integral part of the design and in fact, each pair of amps has the "Stillpoints Inside" logo anodized on the back plate. It is another reflection of David's commitment to technical excellence, and an open mind to new technologies. I am delighted to globally represent The David Berning Company 211/845. Hi Fi One is singularly committed to representing "technology in the service of music".
Finally, David Berning as been making technically advanced OTL amplifiers for decades. His intellectual curiosity and technical expertise led to the ZOTL circuit. The 211/845 amps are the ultimate expression of his thinking. They will be made in limited quantities dictated by the time it takes David to hand craft them. This is not gratuitous 'hand production', but a necessity as many of the proprietary ZOTL parts cannot be commercially sourced and David makes them by hand.
BERNING 211/845 $73,000 pr retail. 60 WPC. Class A Triode. Zero feedback. Differentially balanced input to output. The amps will immediately auto bias 211 or 845 output tubes.
Stock Tube compliment: one 12AT7 (gain) one 6SN7 (gain) Electro Harmonix, 2x 6V6 (driver) Sovetek, two per channel 845 or 211 Pasvane Western Electric replica. Optional upgrade tube compliment: 6V6: Pope or Tungsol, 12AT7: Telefunken or Siemens triple mica.
Each pair of amps is full power cycled for 2 weeks at the factory with the stock tube set to insure all operational parameters are met including a critical listening test. All tubes are curve traced on a Tektronix 576 at full rated plate voltage and David plots the curves at 10 different grid bias levels. The most accurate method to test tubes. Then the curve plots are compared to the printed examples for each tube type that appear in the manufacturers technical data sheets and books. Moreover, we routinely reject the very best available 211/845 tubes to get the top 1%.
The amps utilize: 36 Stillpoint circuit board standoffs, eight Stillpoint Ultra 5 chassis 'feet', Stillpoint cryogenic treated selected chassis parts, Cardas unplated binding posts and RCA's, Neutrik XLR's, Solen Teflon caps, Caddock resistors and ceramic and gold plated tube sockets.
Note, the amps you heard did not benefit from the stock Pasvane Western Electric replica 845 tubes which are the best currently available. Or the optional gain/driver tube set. And they did not have the eight Stillpoint Ultra 5 feet attached (per stereo) pair. Moreover, all of the amps sold to date have gone to clients that opted for the optional driver/gain tube set. With all of these products in place, the amps are positively transformed. I know it is a leap of faith to accept this when what you heard was so convincing -- but the amps respond amazing well to the best tubes and Stillpoint Ultra 5 isolation. Stillpoint products are an integral part of the design and in fact, each pair of amps has the "Stillpoints Inside" logo anodized on the back plate. It is another reflection of David's commitment to technical excellence, and an open mind to new technologies. I am delighted to globally represent The David Berning Company 211/845. Hi Fi One is singularly committed to representing "technology in the service of music".
Finally, David Berning as been making technically advanced OTL amplifiers for decades. His intellectual curiosity and technical expertise led to the ZOTL circuit. The 211/845 amps are the ultimate expression of his thinking. They will be made in limited quantities dictated by the time it takes David to hand craft them. This is not gratuitous 'hand production', but a necessity as many of the proprietary ZOTL parts cannot be commercially sourced and David makes them by hand.