1.3 Why Transformers?
There’s a lot of talk these days about the advantages and/or
disadvantages of transformers in all sorts of audio gear. Some people prefer the
way audio gear with transformers sounds, some don’t. There is one inarguable
fact: gear without high-quality audio transformers is usually less expensive to
build.
So if transformers are expensive why do we need them?
First of all, it’s not just about the sound. Since the primary and secondary
of audio transformers are not physically connected they provide galvanic
isolation. That means there cannot be a ground loop between what comes
before the transformer and what comes after. In a piece of gear like the Daking
Comp IIT with input and output transformers there cannot be ground hum or
noise in a correctly wired system induced into the Comp IIT.
Second, transformers provide impedance matching. A transformer with the
appropriate primary and secondary turns ratio provides the optimum transfer of
voltage, or signal, from one stage to the next. This assures maximum gain
without distortion.
Third, great transformers sound great. Until the advent of monolithic ICs,
transformers were the main way to connect one piece of professional gear to
another. All the famous names in classic tube and early solid state audio gear
carefully chose high-quality transformers for their ability to provide galvanic
isolation, impedance matching and sound quality. That could mean neutral
sound or it could mean coloration, depending on what the designer wanted.
Although transformerless designs are often touted as not coloring the sound,
everything in the signal path colors the sound to some degree. A great
transformerless design can sound excellent and cost as much as a transformer-
based design. However good transformers are expensive, and the reality is that
most transformerless designs are cost-cutting moves, with sound quality taking
a back seat. The Jensen transformers we use are the best made.
