Tenor Audio
AmplifiersPreamplifiers & phono stages
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Founder | François Lemay and Robert Lamarre |
Tenor Audio is a Canadian amplifier maker founded in Montreal around the end of the 1990s by François Lemay and Robert Lamarre, who commissioned the designer Michel Vanden Broeck to build an output-transformerless (OTL) valve amplifier. OTL designs drive loudspeakers directly from the valves, without an output transformer, which can give remarkable speed and transparency but is difficult to do well. Tenor's first 15-watt OTL monoblock was followed by a 75-watt OTL design, and both won strong praise. The company later developed hybrid amplifiers, combining valve input stages with solid-state output stages, such as the 175S and the 350M monoblocks. After a period of financial trouble and bankruptcy, Tenor was re-formed around its designs with new leadership, and it has continued to build its hybrid amplifiers. Tenor's products have often been demonstrated with Kharma loudspeakers and are known for a natural, dynamic and refined sound. Its OTL amplifiers in particular remain highly regarded.
Notable Tenor Audio products
- 15W OTL monoblock
- 75Wi OTL
- Line 1 preamplifier
- 175S hybrid
- 350M hybrid monoblocks
More about Tenor Audio
Tenor 350M Ultimate Reference Amplifier Design Principles The passion and desire to attain the most realistic and live musical reproduction has been a lifetime goal of Tenor. Tenor’s proprietary research in the field of harmonic structural integrity is the essence behind the transparency and resolution of the Tenor 350M Ultimate Reference Amplifier. Power Supply The heart of the power supply for the Tenor 350M is a custom designed and manufactured high current transformer that accommodates various international voltages and frequencies in providing specific line voltages for each stage of the amplification process. This also determines the proper cable to be shipped with the amplifiers.
Audio Amplification The Tenor 350M combines the richness of tubes with the durability of transistors. The first amplification stage is based on the original OTL (Output Transformer-Less) concept pioneered by Tenor in the late 1990’s and provides 13 watts of pure Class A tube power. Precision Engineering & Assembly Each Tenor amplifier is custom manufactured in Montreal, Canada by master technicians dedicated to exacting standards. Rigorous testing and component matching is conducted on all amplifier components prior to assembly.
Once assembled, each amplifier is rigorously tested for several hundred hours to ensure complete equilibrium prior to its ultimate calibration. Finally, the Tenor 350M is securely packed in its own custom travel cases for transport to the new owner.
Sources: 6moons.com, stereophile.com