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The Matisse Reference Monoblocks have been introduced to provide power amplification to complement the Matisse Reference and Fantasy pre-amplifiers and are the culmination of many years research and development. As usual, our goal has been to produce equipment which not only sounds excellent but is also inherently reliable. Early on in our research we found that simple elegant designs sound best. They have an immediate and natural quality, in short, more like listening to real music and less like listening to electronics. Simple designs have other benefits. Signal paths are shorter and we have been able to select the very best components available, many of which have not been previously used outside military and aerospace applications. Top quality components not only sound better, but since they are manufactured to a hi-her standard, offer far better long term stability and reliability. In many instances the components are manufactured for Matisse exclusively to our specification. If you would like to find out more about the Matisse design, read the
Technical Discussion. But what really counts is how it sounds - and
for that, all you need to do is connect it to your system! |
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TECHNICAL |
The circuit comprises 2 matched pairs of 6550 WA tubes driven by 2 6SN7GT triode input tubes, configured as a long tailed pair with current source biasing. This gives a very accurate balance for the phase splitter and reduced noise. The power supply is fully regulated with 14OOmF computer grade electrolytic capacitors bypassed by 1 2OmF metallised polypropylene. We use construction methods which ensure that the signal suffers least degradation. Our audio boards are made-from heavy gauge copper, with thick wide tracks where appropriate. The ground plane helps to minimise radio frequency interference (RFI) and also minimises stray capacitance effects. Cadmium loaded solder is used throughout (This is more conductive than silver solder.) (CAUTION: Cadmium loaded solder produces toxic fumes when molten. Servicing must be undertaken under 'clean air' conditions.) The Matisse output transformers are custom built for wide bandwidth and efficient transfer of energy to the loudspeakers. Transformer casings are milled from solid aluminium, providing a non-magnetic shroud. Every component of the Monoblock has been chosen after extensive evaluation; we have selected components for neutral and musical qualities, and to achieve synergy, so that all items contribute and balance with the whole design. Non-inductive wire-wound resistors are used in all the audio stages. These have virtually no thermal noise (an important consideration in tube circuits) and they are completely stable over time. Not only is the amplifier quiet, but the resistors maintain their precise value over the entire lifespan of the equipment. The coupling capacitors are close tolerance selected Wima pulse application
types, bypassed with polystyrene foil. |
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SPECIFICATIONS |
OutputPower: 120W into 4 or 8ohm (Ultralinearmode)
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