Shunt or Not - Looking for the Ultimate Audio Voltage Regulator

In this great article, author Are Waagbø, himself a confessed "a passionate 50-year-old hi-fi amateur, with many years of practice and experience," and admirer of Erno Borberly work and designs, shares his experience in the relentless search for "the ultimate audio voltage regulator." As Waagbø writes, "Testing more shunt models with selected components and numerous listening tests led to one current-source-fed super shunt, developed by Erno. I developed the PSU, which, together with the sophisticated shunt, sets a new standard for audio voltage regulators." This article was originally published in audioXpress, February 2008.

In order to generate a sound, a driver must vibrate. But what happens when one or more drivers are placed on the same baffle? In the exact moment that the cone begins to move, it starts to transmit — through the frame and the screws — vibrations to the cabinet and to the other drivers that are fixed on it. This article discusses multiples approaches to handle the problem, working on material, dimension, thickness, density, rigidity, and damping of the panels to be used. This article was published in audioXpress, February 2008.

Following the publication of its original SE 6C33C amplifier in audioXpress July 2004, Ari Polisois returned with more information on how to further simplify the whole construction and reduce the costs. The results, as the author describes, "combine the advantage(s) of the push-pull (mainly power) to the wonderful character of the SE: sensitivity, smoothness, simplicity, and warmth (due to the 2nd harmonic content, easily tolerated by our ears, as against the third, fifth, seventh, and so on harmonics produced by the push-pull)." This article was originally published in audioXpress, February 2008.