TANDBERG 3012A MAKES LIFE WORTHWHILE

[bimasta]

I just got this off the Bay. The Seller honestly disclosed its problems, and I got it at a great price. After some First Aid, it seems to work well now. I've only tested the Digital Input so far, and it's spectacular. I look forward to trying the MM/MC — I have a separate/standalone Phono Stage that'll be hard to beat.

[Photo from google images.]

I already have the 3002A/3006A Pre-Power and 3001 Tuner (the 3006 needs TLC) so I'm a big T'berg fan in general. But this unit surprised me. It looks like the 3006A but it was made 6 years after the Pre-Power combo, it has changes (besides the inclusion of a 100WPC power-section) — and the MSRP was about double the older Pre-Power set. And this may be one integrated that's better than the comparable separates.

Whatever they changed, it really works. I said the Digital input is spectacular, and here's why...

Ben Webster at the Renaissance is one of my best demonstration discs. First, it's a great Jazz performance, perfectly recorded Live with tons of Nightclub ambience, and true you-are-there realism. The "ambience" includes chatter between the Musicians between numbers. I've always been able to hear stray words through other good systems.

But with the 3012A, I can follow entire conversations! If I tune my brain to filter the Music out, I hear the guys talking about their girlfriends — "Is she here now?" – "She couldn't make it tonight". Of course after hearing this once or twice, I want to get back to the Music — and the same effect applies: all details are clearer — Webster's breath on the reed, and the hi-hats shimmer disembodied in space. It's spooky.

I don't know if this "hear-thru" clarity is due to the aforementioned changes. T'berg eliminated electrolytic and ceramic capacitors from the signal paths, using poly-caps with foil-dielectrics instead. Whether that's where the magic is or not, it's very special.

I remember about a year ago, someone posted a pic (@jdurbin1?) here on AK of the 3006A with similar Cap upgrades. I didn't save it, and I'd be grateful if someone reposts it, as I'd like to do it too.

I didn't really need this amp as my system is pretty much set for now (well, one can always find a use for a great 100W Integrated at a throwaway price). But I'll find a way — I'm tri-amping my speakers now, and this new member of the family is probably better than the Midrange amp I'm using now (Meitner)..

 

[jdurbin1]

Interesting. I would not have said the 3012A was better than the comparable separates, in two key areas at least:

- the phono preamp is less built out than what you get in the 3002A or 3008A which is more a contemporary of the 3012A (there were earlier 3012 without the A introduced about a year after the 3002A IIRC, may even see a silver/gray version of 3012). The MC and MM inputs are merged to a single circuit in the 3012/3012A where they're entirely separate on the preamps, and I don't see that being advantageous to performance. You don't get the switchable loading in the integrated either.

- and, the power amp has half the # of output devices but is rated to do 2/3 the power of the 3006A. They run hot in the process, in part because the 3012/3012A also have half the heat sink area of the 3006A (though in all fairness that's also true to some extent comparing the 3006A to the larger 3026A, both are rated for 150 WPC but the 3026A has more heat sink area than the 3006A and its external which is a further advantage).

Don't get me wrong, I like the 3012A esp. the last version they did with satin gray knobs but if there's a sonic improvement you're hearing, I'd suggest it may have more to do with their relative conditions and potentially some improvements in component selection inside over the years - meaning, if you compared it to a separate stack from around the same period, I don't think the 3012A would outperform the stack. Another possible difference would be in whether your 3006A is the original design or the "feed-forward" version produced after serial 0970 - that might tie out to some of what you're hearing, if you have the original. I've never spent any time A/B'ing that change personally but clearly Tandberg felt it was sonically superior and went on to use it in most of the 3000-series amps.

I have part info for that 3006A cap upgrade, did a couple of them for a client and kept the part list. I can email it if you want. It used Nichicon audio grade caps for everything except the small caps on the two output boards (those were Panasonic FC IIRC), and a pair of large film caps the owner requested to replace the input coupling caps on either channel. He thought the originals sounded "dark", FWIW.

John

P.S. Am I wrong, or is that picture one of my own 3012A sitting on the JBL B380 subwoofer I have upstairs? I use that setting a lot for eBay pictures... looks very familiar.

 

[ludl1]

Interesting. I would not have said the 3012A was better than the comparable separates, in two key areas at least:

- the phono preamp is less built out than what you get in the 3002A or 3008A which is more a contemporary of the 3012A (there were earlier 3012 without the A introduced about a year after the 3002A IIRC, may even see a silver/gray version of 3012). The MC and MM inputs are merged to a single circuit in the 3012/3012A where they're entirely separate on the preamps, and I don't see that being advantageous to performance. You don't get the switchable loading in the integrated either.

- and, the power amp has half the # of output devices but is rated to do 2/3 the power of the 3006A. They run hot in the process, in part because the 3012/3012A also have half the heat sink area of the 3006A (though in all fairness that's also true to some extent comparing the 3006A to the larger 3026A, both are rated for 150 WPC but the 3026A has more heat sink area than the 3006A and its external which is a further advantage).

Don't get me wrong, I like the 3012A esp. the last version they did with satin gray knobs but if there's a sonic improvement you're hearing, I'd suggest it may have more to do with their relative conditions and potentially some improvements in component selection inside over the years - meaning, if you compared it to a separate stack from around the same period, I don't think the 3012A would outperform the stack. Another possible difference would be in whether your 3006A is the original design or the "feed-forward" version produced after serial 0970 - that might tie out to some of what you're hearing, if you have the original. I've never spent any time A/B'ing that change personally but clearly Tandberg felt it was sonically superior and went on to use it in most of the 3000-series amps.

I have part info for that 3006A cap upgrade, did a couple of them for a client and kept the part list. I can email it if you want. It used Nichicon audio grade caps for everything except the small caps on the two output boards (those were Panasonic FC IIRC), and a pair of large film caps the owner requested to replace the input coupling caps on either channel. He thought the originals sounded "dark", FWIW.

John

P.S. Am I wrong, or is that picture one of my own 3012A sitting on the JBL B380 subwoofer I have upstairs? I use that setting a lot for eBay pictures... looks very familiar.

Can you email the list to me.