Telstar

The Tron Telstar 211 is named after the famous communications satellite "Telstar", as well as the 211(VT4-C) tube being a famous communications tube. Amplification is achieved by a 6C45 single triode driving the 211/VT4-C output valve. Graham describes the 211 valve as behaving like a racehorse “The 211 valve has an enormous heart and can provide surges of power and dynamic contrast like almost no other, however it can easily be abused and the result is more of a workhorse than thoroughbred. I have worked very hard to capture the best from the valve in a way that allows it to breathe and run free; ensuring the loading is not equivalent to a cart for a racehorse.”

The choice of components in the circuit was also critical to ensure that the dynamic tension in the music was not lost or encumbered; Graham remarks “with such a powerful valve the temptation is to get it to do all the work unaided.” The power output we obtain is deliberately lower than we know is possible, and this is really to ensure that there is headroom for the dynamic changes that make the right music piece so dramatic and captivating. It produces a conservative 12 watts of power and is completely free of any feedback, which allows the circuit to remain both agile and simple.

The 211/VT4-C is transformer coupled to the loudspeaker by a specially made output transformer. The power supply is a valve design and is connected to a pi filter making a very smooth and quiet experience. Measured hum on the output is so low that it is completely inaudible even on loudspeakers of 110dB efficiency (Avantgarde Trio Omegas). Custom made components are used throughout Telstar and these are hard wired between stages, which is labour intensive but allows for the most efficient signal path. The 211 valve is a very special valve, we believe you will understand why the moment you hear the Telstar.

Reference 
The Telstar can be upgraded to the Reference specification to further improve the musical performance from all your musical sources. The output transformers form a critical stage in the amplification and in a power amplifier drive the output to the speakers. Ensuring that we maximise this element is critical and so to further improve the voyager we have specially developed some unique non-standard core material that we keep as proprietary knowledge and simply refer to as exotic. These exotic core transformers help to lift the musical performance and enhance the vibrancy and intimacy of the music, in a way that just makes everything sound more immediate and tactile. We also see the use of these cores in the output transformers for the power amplifiers delivering a greater sense of control and power of grip over the speakers; the effect is more like a speaker upgrade than an amplifier.

Ultimate 
The Ultimate comes with all the additions of the Reference model, but also uses 99.99% pure solid silver wiring throughout the critical signal path. Silver as a conductor has the advantage of a more revealing and transparent reproduction of the music, however care needs to be taken to ensure that this is delivered in a complete and unified manner as sections of silver in a component in isolation rarely provide a benefit. Finding the right dielectric (insulation) for the cables is also critical to extract the best from this expensive material. Our choice of dielectric enables the ‘skin effect’ associated with incompatible insulation to be rendered almost non existent. This helps to bring the music to a tighter and more cohesive performance, here conventional cables tend to render the small details essential for the whole piece to really hang together in a muddled and incongruent way.

GT
 GT Specification is the final step to perfection and to achieve this we have redesigned and built a more significant power supply that is carefully laid out in the existing chassis. This layout is very labour intensive to install but allows me to place the components in their perfect orientation. We have developed specifically designed capacitors for the circuit as readily available samples were not able to maximise the circuit Graham had been working on. We have also wired the whole of the power supply with 99.99% pure silver wire to be absolutely certain that the maximum performance possible is achieved. This has the effect of making silences darker and dynamic shifts in the music even more dramatic, and with a good recording this is phenomenal. I would describe this improvement by making the analogy to film photography; a good print film can have rich beautiful colours and a great tonal range, but when you compare it to a great slide film the depth and richness of the picture just takes your breath away.

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