T+A
T+A - Theory and Application
T+A is a renowned German audio company that has been manufacturing audio systems, headphones and speakers since 1978 and is exclusively represented in Brazil by Audiopax.
It is known for the innovation, quality and finish of its products. In 2022 it won the “German Brand Award 2022” and its emphasis on technology development led it to create the first DAC on the market in DSD1024 and to close development partnerships with 9 European universities.
The partnership with Audiopax was born from the incredible synergy of the DACs produced by T+A and the concept that is now used in the development of our Audio Servers, based on the use of the HQPlayer software from Signalyst, a company that has successfully participated in partnership with Audiopax in the 2015 and 2017 Munich fairs (where our room was considered by Audio Stream, the publication of the bold;">Stereophile dedicated to digital audio, as the best room of the entire event).
DAC 200 and Series 200
The DAC 200 is part of the Series 200, a product line that also includes the HA 200, a headphone amplifier, the MP 200, a Multi-Source Player (which includes streaming capability), and the A 200 and M 200 power amplifiers (the latter in two monoblock form).
It is, first and foremost, the best DAC on the market for integration with HQPlayer, the revolutionary software from Signalyst that brings to an Audio Server part of the processing (filters, interpolators, etc.) normally performed within the DAC itself. With this, its owners can have access to digital-to-analog conversion systems with performance only found in systems with DACs priced many times higher than the DAC 200, which becomes an option for stellar performance in digital systems at a much lower cost.
Audiophile Style, the most important and complete source of information about digital audio on the market, begins its review of the DAC 200 as follows:
“T+A has set an extremely high standard with the DAC 200. It sounds fantastic, looks classic, works flawlessly, has good support, and is competitively priced. Based on my experience with more DACs than I can remember, this would be my number one choice…”
It works with two entirely independent converters, exploring the maximum potential of each format with different circuits – the best of both worlds in a single DAC.
For PCM, a quadruple converter with double symmetrical circuitry comprising eight 32-bit converters from Burr-Brown is used, a sophisticated approach that ensures excellent compensation for possible non-linearities of the components and an additional increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of 6 dB, guaranteeing a result with very low distortion and incredible dynamics and linearity. The same topology also allows the easy application of Belzier filters developed by T+A itself, which are available in six options, two of which are NOS, one of which is dedicated to integration with HQPlayer (something unique in the market).
For DSD, the DAC 200 uses a 100% discrete converter with the “True 1-bit converter” topology, an exclusive T+A feature that processes DSD files in their native mode, i.e., directly in the 1-bit bitstream (most DACs on the market convert from DSD to PCM and use a single converter for both formats). It was the first DAC in the world to work with DSD1024.
A sophisticated multi-stage circuit, the “DeJitter Masterclock”, acts to reduce jitter and operates with two distinct oscillators and with femtosecond precision for both clock families (44.1 KHz and 48 KHz).
For the best possible quality of analog output, it is essential that a consistent separation is made between the digital and analog areas of the DAC. In the DAC 200 this is achieved by means of ultra-fast isolators from Silicon Labs, which ensure complete galvanic separation between these stages.
In addition to all these features, it also has an excellent integrated headphone amplifier. See the Series 200 catalog here!
HV-Series
The HV-Series is the most refined and sophisticated group of equipment developed by T+A and was born with the concept that should permeate all truly high-end products: reproducing music with the highest standard of quality through the maximum use of technology and construction standards without cost restrictions.
Numerous innovative solutions were developed for this series and several quality aspects were adopted:
- All of their amplifiers work with high voltage at the power outputs (the term “HV” comes from “High Voltage“), which guarantees more linearity for their circuits than traditional approaches (the same concepts, by the way, used in the Reference Pre and in the Reference Amp from Audiopax).
- All DACs feature independent converters optimized for PCM and DSD.
- All analog and digital signal processing is independent, with gantry isolation between these areas and separate sources for each set of circuits.
- All products follow the “double mono” philosophy, that is, transformers, sources and circuits are entirely independent for the left and right channels.
- Use of discrete circuits to the detriment of lower quality integrated circuit solutions.
- The mechanical construction in all models is extremely refined, with the massive use of 10mm aluminum parts molded for each demand and without the use of any ferromagnetic compound.
All these premises combined make the HV-Series an exceptional set of high-end products. It consists of the following products:
- SD 3100 HV – Reference Streaming DAC
- SDV 3100 HV – Reference Streaming DAC Preamp
- PSD 3100 HV – Pre-amplifier-Streaming-DAC
- PDT 3100 HV – Reference CD/SACD Transport
- M 40 HV – Mono Power Amplifier
- PA 3100 HV – Integrated Amplifier
- MP 3100 HV – Multi Source Player
- P 3100 HV – Preamplifier
- A 3000 HV – Power Amplifier
- PS 3000 HV – Power Supply
See here the HV-Series catalog!It is, first and foremost, the best DAC on the market for integration with HQPlayer, the revolutionary software from Signalyst that brings to an Audio Server part of the processing (filters, interpolators, etc.) normally performed within the DAC itself. With this, its owners can have access to digital-to-analog conversion systems with performance only found in systems with DACs priced many times higher than the DAC 200, which becomes an option for stellar performance in digital systems at a much lower cost.
Audiophile Style, the most important and complete source of information about digital audio on the market, begins its review of the DAC 200 as follows:
“T+A has set an extremely high standard with the DAC 200. It sounds fantastic, looks classic, works flawlessly, has good support, and is competitively priced. Based on my experience with more DACs than I can remember, this would be my number one choice…”
It works with two entirely independent converters, exploring the maximum potential of each format with different circuits – the best of both worlds in a single DAC.
For PCM, a quadruple converter with double symmetrical circuitry comprising eight 32-bit converters from Burr-Brown is used, a sophisticated approach that ensures excellent compensation for possible non-linearities of the components and an additional increase in the signal-to-noise ratio of 6 dB, guaranteeing a result with very low distortion and incredible dynamics and linearity. The same topology also allows the easy application of Belzier filters developed by T+A itself, which are available in six options, two of which are NOS, one of which is dedicated to integration with HQPlayer (something unique in the market).
For DSD, the DAC 200 uses a 100% discrete converter with the “True 1-bit converter” topology, an exclusive T+A feature that processes DSD files in their native mode, i.e., directly in the 1-bit bitstream (most DACs on the market convert from DSD to PCM and use a single converter for both formats). It was the first DAC in the world to work with DSD1024.
A sophisticated multi-stage circuit, the “DeJitter Masterclock”, acts to reduce jitter and operates with two distinct oscillators and with femtosecond precision for both clock families (44.1 KHz and 48 KHz).
For the best possible quality of analog output, it is essential that a consistent separation is made between the digital and analog areas of the DAC. In the DAC 200 this is achieved by means of ultra-fast isolators from Silicon Labs, which ensure complete galvanic separation between these stages.
In addition to all these features, it also has an excellent integrated headphone amplifier. See the Series 200 catalog here!
Headphones
T+A headphones combine unique concepts in their development, the best materials available today and a superlative sound result.
The line is currently made up of 3 models:
Solitaire P and Solitaire P-SE
These are magnetic-planar headphones, which are inherently superior to alternatives with technologies such as dynamic, magnetostatic or electrostatic, and use transducers developed and manufactured by T+A itself: TPM 3100 for the Solitaire P and TPM 2500 for the Solitaire P-SE (a version with the same development and construction principles but with a more affordable price). They are works of art in the form of headphones, combining the ultimate in design, technology, performance and construction.
In any transducer, regardless of whether it is used in speakers or headphones, the diaphragm needs to be moved as linearly as possible. Devices with flat surfaces – such as electrostatic or magnetostatic transducers – are much more effective in this regard, since all the force in these processes is distributed evenly across the entire surface of their diaphragms. In the P Series headphones from T+A, the magnet consists of high-performance neodymium magnets in the shape of rods of variable length and with an innovative geometry. The manufacturing and assembly of these magnets are precise to the order of hundredths of a millimeter, generating an entirely linear magnetic field to move an ultra-light diaphragm, just a few microns thick and made of a high-tech, structurally stable polymer. In order to use conductors with a thickness of just 1 micron in this set, a sophisticated photochemical bonding process was developed. These are exclusive technologies from T+A and they ensure that the entire surface of the diaphragm is driven in an absolutely uniform manner, thus eliminating the partial oscillations that are inevitable with localized drive systems. The end result? Transducers with an enormous dynamic range, impressive linearity and free of distortion.
Solitaire T
These are dynamic headphones with a focus on quality and versatility, combining the concepts of use in audiophilia, work and travel. This set of features guided several aspects of their development and construction:
- Transducers developed by T+A exclusively for the model.
- Presence of a sophisticated active noise reduction system (which adds to an incredible passive acoustic insulation capacity).
- Focus on connectivity, with analog inputs, USB C and Bluetooth, always maintaining maximum audio performance.
- Extremely robust construction based on parts machined from aluminum blocks (but which follows the same design principles as the Solitaire P).
To make the most of the quality of the headphones, T+A foi desenvolvido também um amplificador de fone superlativo – o HA 200, um dos componentes da Series 200.
The HA 200, in addition to being prepared to work with dynamic and magnetostatic headphones, adopted specific criteria in its development so that its output stages also have maximum performance with magnetic-planar headphones, such as the Solitaire P.
For more information about T+A and its product lines, please visit its website by clicking here.
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