The discrete TC-7520(SE)(+) line output

[Heady]

I have about two dozens left. But many people have asked me if I can make a new batch and maybe even sell it already fitted to the TC-7520 and Caiman. So I might do just that in a month or two.

Any chance of being put down for two Gator boards please?

[StanleyB]

Any chance of being put down for two Gator boards please?

I can, but stock is now critical. Someone just bought 6 pieces in one go for himself and a few members on a Polish audio forum, bringing my stock level to below 20.
I am going to have to make a new batch at this rate if interest in the Gator continues.

[tizer2000uk]

Emailed Stan last Sunday and expected to find a reply Monday morning but no...

He replied some 20 minutes later.

Ordered late Wednesday night, goods here with me today!

I will be going straight home tonight for an evening of tinkering and listening.

Top marks for customer service as usual Stan!

T

[Marco]

Hi "tizer",

Welcome to AoS

Could you do me a favour please and pop into the Welcome area at your earliest opportunity and introduce yourself, giving your real first name, basic location, system details and music tastes, as this is now required of all AoS members.

Cheers!

Marco.

[Heady]

I can, but stock is now critical. ...

Thanks - how do I order and pay?

I can see a Gator button on your website but I get redirected to a missing page.

[Alex_UK]

There's no sinister reason for my silence on the Gator - it sounded very good, but unfortunately the inputs on my amp are too sensitive for the output of the board, and so for the moment I'm back to the passive mod - may have a play with it as a preamp into my Audiolab over Christmas.

Well, here's my update. As expected due to my usual procrastination, the Gator board went in the cupboard, Christmas and New Year came and went, and that is where it stayed.

I got an email from Stan last week to enquire how I was getting on - and to offer me the "gain mod" which would resolve the issue I have with my amp. I duly recovered the Gator from said Cupboard, and despatched via the Post Office back to Beresford Towers on Monday lunchtime.

Imagine my surprise, therefore, when the postman knocks on my door this morning, and I'm thinking "I'm not expecting any deliveries... " and then realise the Gator has come home to me, in less than 48 hours! I know we always "big up" Stan's service on here - but really - this is just exceptional - I can't imagine many manufacturers would even have remembered I had a problem, let alone be proactive enough to offer the mod, and then turn it around in less than 2 days - and I don't even seem to be able to pay him for it!

If any of you out there in "lurker land" are looking for a reason to buy a Beresford (other than the exceptional performance and value, of course!) then surely this sort of extraordinary service should surely seal it!

Anyway, enough blowing smoke up you know where - to top it all, it only bloody works! Duly fitted, and only a few tracks in, but I can confirm the gain mod has indeed cured the issue I had with my amp distorting, and I can immediately tell that the Gator is a notch up from the passive mod I was previously running. I'm not going to go into any detail or over the top rhetoric - far too early to tell - but I am one happy bunny now having my Gatorized Caiman up and running, and looking forward to some listening.

Once again - Stan's the man!

[Audioslave]

Hi guys,

As alex has updated ill follow suit. Ive put 100+ hours on the caiman+ gator but my amp was distorting so unfortunately it looks like i too have the gain problem too. Stan has offered to do the gain mod, but im also experiencing distortion through the headphone which i would have thought has nothing to do with gain. Can someone more knowledgeable than myself please clarify if a gain problem will affect headphones? Im running some Sennheisers HD 25SP, but im not really a headphone user im just doing it just to figure out whats going on.

As i was aware this was a new mod i got stan to include the original caiman op amp board so i could drop back to stock. I briefly put the original op amp board and it still sounded off so immediately concluded a contact issue between the main board and the opamp board.

However, i think i was a little hasty and in order to be fair ill let the original op amp board burn in, then make a decision.

P.S. The TC-7520+gator rocked out of the box but the Caiman being a sensitive soul needs a bit more tinkering me thinks. No pain no GAIN and all that (im sure theres a pun in theres somewhere)

[StanleyB]

Can someone more knowledgeable than myself please clarify if a gain problem will affect headphones?

I thought I had .

[Audioslave]

I thought I had .

Not to my knowlege stan. From the email you sent to me, it just refences the gain into the amp...extract from email as follows....

"From your description it appears that the gain of the Gator is too high for your amp. The Caiman output is about 80% higher than the TC-7520 in stock form as it is.

Send the Caiman back and I'll reduce the gain."

Also stan, i keep getting error messages saying my emails to you are delayed...i hope they are reaching you.

[Labarum]

Done a bit of listening now, and the Caiman-Gator has been powered up seven hours.

As I said, better piano tone.

With the Gator the Caiman seems to have more clarity and is less aggressive, though it was neither clouded nor abrasive before. I am always wary of subjective descriptions (my engineering background!), but the 'picture' projected by my little Neutron 4s seems bigger, deeper and more convincing. I look forward to hearing what the Gator will do on my big system in Nicosia.

I have now listened to the news and a Feature Film with energetic soundtrack. Speech is better, and the film soundtrack seemed to have more life and more size.

Verdict: An improved sound - a worthwhile purchase.

Back in Nicosia: Caiman-Gator is driving the Quad 405-2 and the big Quart floor-standers.

Of course it is difficult to make a judgement because I have not listened on this system for six weeks, but yes, tis better. Cleaner, clearer, more controlled.

Judged by listening to some tracks I know very well.

On refurbishment the Quad 405 had its input sensitivity reduced to what is normal for today. The Caiman is driving the 405 with the volume control in the centre of its range. That's fine.

Good work, Stan. It does what you say:

The sizeable improvements from both the fixed and variable outputs are noticeable within the first few seconds of playing music through the Gator. Speaker output is far more extended, with a more energetic and punchy bass. Treble is also less edgy and more natural. Soundstage is wider and open, with no hint of a veil.