P 3100 HV

Most solid-state amplifiers operate their transistors across a wide portion of their transfer characteristic, which introduces non-linearity that must be corrected with large amounts of negative feedback — a technique that reduces distortion on paper but can compress dynamics and add its own sonic signature. T+A's approach is fundamentally different: by raising the supply voltage to 360V in power amplifiers (compared to the typical 60–80V), the music signal uses only the most linear 20% of each transistor's operating curve — the region where a transistor behaves almost identically to a vacuum tube. This means negative feedback can be reduced to near-zero levels, preserving the signal's original dynamics, micro-detail, and spatial information. Every HV circuit is built from discrete components rather than integrated circuits: individually selected and matched audio-grade J-FET transistors, hermetically sealed gold-contact relays for signal switching, and a precision discrete resistor ladder for volume control that maintains perfect channel balance and signal purity at every level.

In any device that combines digital processing with analogue audio — streamers, DACs, integrated amplifiers — the high-speed digital circuits generate electromagnetic noise that can couple into the sensitive analogue signal path through shared ground planes, power supply rails, and even physical proximity. Most manufacturers attempt to manage this with careful PCB layout and filtering, but some coupling is inevitable when digital and analogue circuits share a common electrical ground. T+A's DASS eliminates this problem at the most fundamental level: ultra-fast Silicon Labs digital isolators transfer the audio data across a galvanic barrier — there is literally no electrical connection between the digital and analogue sections. Each domain has its own dedicated mains transformer and completely independent power supply, meaning digital switching noise has no conductive path to reach the analogue circuitry. The digital isolators are fast enough to pass high-resolution audio data without introducing jitter or timing errors. The audible benefit is a lower noise floor and a blacker background, revealing low-level detail and spatial cues that would otherwise be masked by digital contamination.