Description

New Review by Cliff Oman

New as of August 2010, the T2000 70 WPC Stereo Amplifier featuring the KT120 output tubes. This is a value packaged integrated unit boasting of a motorized 41 Silver Stepped Attenuator, 4 inputs including an XLR, massive output transformers, easy lift chassis. Quite capable of driving most difficult loads, ALLNIC T2000 is one of the world's finest integrated amplifiers.

 The T-2000 stereo integrated amplifier is one of Allnic Audio’s two KT120 stereo integrated amplifier models. Like all Allnic Audio products, the T-2000 has Permalloy (iron and nickel alloy) for its transformer cores. Allnic is grateful to Mr. G.W. Elmen of Western Electric for inventing Permalloy for transformer core use, and in so doing, providing an enormous service to recorded music listeners everywhere. The T-2000 has the following features:
• 70 watts of high power output. The T-2000 is a push-pull, triode/pentode switchable integrated amplifier.
• Remote controlled 41 steps silver contact attenuator. The T-2000 employs this house made quality attenuator, instead of standard, outsourced carbon film potentiometers. The Allnic attenuator provides complete channel balance and less distortion.
• Powerful Driving Circuitry. Allnic believes in the importance of using high-quality, low noise and powerful driving circuitry in all its amplifying devices. The T-2000 uses only two stages of driving circuit to achieve +35dB of voltage gain, instead of three or four stages as one finds in many conventional integrated amplifiers. This results in less coloration and more speed in signal/sound reproduction. In the T-2000, we employ the D3a tube in triode mode as the second stage driver tube, with a load of about 5K ohms, and using 20mA of current. The listener can easily hear and even "feel" the differences between this design and other, more conventional, ones. Please imagine, as you listen to the T-2000, its sound compared to the sound of an integrated amplifier with conventional 12AU7 or 12BH7's used as drivers, with a load of about 47K ohm, and using 2 to 3mA of current.
• “Full Engagement" Output Transformers. Conventional output transformers use pre-set secondary windings to accommodate 4, 8 and 16 ohm loudspeaker loads. However, these conventional transformers utilize only one secondary winding at a time, while the other secondary windings remain "idle". This approach has two adverse effects. First, the output transformers are not working at their maximum efficiency, reducing their output relative to their potential. Second, the "idle" windings are not actually "idle"; they are subject to parasitic oscillations, producing their own "signal". This undesirable electrical information is additive to the transformer's output, distorting the amplified signal going to the loudspeaker. Allnic's "Full Engagement" transformers address these issues by having 4 independent, secondary windings which are always fully connected, never "idled". This means that all secondary windings are always connected to your loudspeakers, regardless of which output switch position you use (4 ohms or 8 ohms or 8 ohms or 16 ohms, depending on the factory configuration you have selected). The result is that there is neither a loss of transformer output efficiency, nor the introduction into the output signal of distortion from parasitic oscillations of the secondary windings.
• Large Nickel/FeSi Core Output Transformers. As with our other models, Allnic uses very large output transformers (96 mm) with nickel, mixed with FeSi, cores. This provides for higher inductance with fewer windings than other designs can provide and results in the great benefit of an extremely wide range of output frequencies.
• "Soft-start" Circuitry. Allnic uses soft start circuitry that, after sufficient warm-up only, provides the high voltage supply to the plate of each tube. This protective design results in prolonged tube life and fewer and less frequent issues with tube performance.
• Analogue Power Tube Current Monitors. In order to provide constant current (bias) monitoring for the power tubes, Allnic uses a separate analogue current meter for each tube. The meters make it exceptionally easy to see the status of each tube at any time and to respond immediately to any variation in bias by use of the bias control knob for the relevant tube. The meters offer a simple, unambiguous indication of each tube's status compared to conventional LED bias monitors.
• "On-the-Fly" Triode/Pentode Switching. Switching between triode and pentode operation can be done "on-the-fly" at any time while the amplifier is in use.
• Beautiful 10KHz square wave response. See Figures 1-3.
• As are all Allnic Audio products, the T-2000 is fully RoHS (EU Reduction of Hazardous Substances regulation) compliant in construction and materials.

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