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Delivery time approx. 2-3 weeks.
The product is handmade according to customer requirements.
Premium Package
Headphone adapter cable
Headphone cable with two 3-pin XLR connectors and one 4-pin XLR connector for connecting a balanced 4-pin headphone
(Headphones with two XLR 3-pin connectors can be connected directly to the Master 10 MK3.)
DC blocker
Because the product uses low impedance transformers, strong power line interference (120V or 230V) typically results in low voltage on the power line, causing the transformers to vibrate and make noise.
Even with the same power line disturbance, the high-impedance transformer design can operate without vibrations and noise, for example with R-core, EI-core or high-impedance O-core transformers.
However, in power amplifiers, the high-impedance transformer design impairs sound dynamics, bass reproduction, and control.
Since severe power line interference is rare and, according to customer feedback, only occurs in about 10% of users, our power amplifiers are not equipped with a DC blocker. If customers have noticed vibrations and noise in their previous power amplifier model, they can reorder a DC blocker that suppresses 1.2 V DC in the power line, which is sufficient in most cases.
Highlights
- True symmetrical ACSS integrated amplifier without negative feedback
- Dual-mono design power amplifier and headphone amplifier
- Supports 250W x 2 (8 Ohm) speaker output
- Supports 50W x 2 at 40 Ohm (high gain mode) headphone output and 5W x 2 at 40 Ohm (low gain mode)
- Applied “Linear Fidelity” technology
- Soft-start power design
New ACSS design
The Master-10 MK3 is a true symmetrical design that utilizes the latest ACSS design, making an XLR connection sound as good as an ACSS connection. It looks complex, but it's actually the simplest design ever.
It contains many components for processing the power supply. The Master-10 MK3 power amplifier has only a single "voltage" amplification stage for signal processing, but operates in ACSS mode, so it's actually a current amplification stage instead of a voltage amplification stage, whereas conventional OPA chips already contain two or three voltage amplification stages. The simplest and shortest signal path ensures a neutral sound with minimal coloration.
The Master-10 MK3 uses an extremely low-distortion, single-stage ACSS amplifier soldered directly to the main circuit board. The amplifier and preamplifier stages operate in Class A.
The output transistor stages operate in a high quiescent current state. The diamond-shaped output stage design can avoid "switching distortion" as well as a Class A amplifier.
ACSS is a feedback-free technology with fully discrete amplifiersMost people know that global feedback designs perform better in test measurements, while feedback-free designs don't perform as well in test measurements but offer better sound to the human ear. This is where the classical circuits conflict. However, ACSS opens up a new field, offering a sound with minimal coloration that is more neutral, has very low distortion, and offers high linearity.This preserves dynamics, detail and a neutral sound without the sound appearing bright or harsh.
All signal amplification is achieved via current, achieved by the unique, outstanding open-loop multi-output current mirror. The result is incomparably precise and extremely low-distortion signal amplification. The signal path is fully symmetrical, and all transistors operate in Class A mode.
The ACSS components utilize four sets of high-quality Class A parallel power supplies for the dedicated DC power supply. The Class A parallel power supplies feature very high input impedance to prevent pulses from the power supply from affecting the gain stages, as well as low output impedance with very high speed and high linearity, ensuring a very clean power supply.
driver
The extensive use of high-performance components and a robust power supply guarantee powerful current output capable of driving most existing loudspeakers. The Master-10 MK3 features four channels with diamond-shaped, feedback-free output stages consisting of 24 ON Semiconductor transistors, each rated at 15 A/230 W. The entire unit's capacitance reaches up to 140,000 uF. Two transformers with a total output of 1500 W are used.
Entrance
The Master-10 MK3 can process not only balanced XLR signals and unbalanced RCA signals, but also the high-quality ACSS current signal. Regardless of the type of input signal, it can be converted to a balanced current signal and amplified.
Shielding and avoiding vibrations
The Master-10 MK3 uses a heavy-duty aluminum alloy enclosure to prevent eddy currents from the transformers from interfering with the circuit board. The interior is divided into two compartments by aluminum panels to optimally separate the ACSS components, the output stages, and the transformers. The power cable is shielded from rear to front by a copper conduit.
The Master-10 MK3 is designed to minimize vibrations to ensure the best possible sound reproduction. The amplifier components of each channel are housed beneath a 5 mm thick aluminum plate. These aluminum plates not only ensure thermal equilibrium between the hot and cold amplifiers, but our engineers also take care to mount all transistors to the aluminum plate to prevent vibrations that could degrade the sound. Our tests have shown that the aluminum plate provides clear, detailed reproduction and makes the sound less harsh than without the aluminum plate.
Volume control
The volume control also differs from conventional technology. With conventional volume control technology, the volume is reduced in the analog amplifier input stage via a volume control. The quality of the volume control directly affects the sound quality. A poor-quality volume control results in a loss of detail and channel imbalance, leading to distortion in the sound image. Even a high-quality volume control causes a loss of detail. Regardless of the quality of the volume control, the signal-to-noise ratio deteriorates.
However, with the Master-10 MK3, we used an I/V converter volume control, where the volume control is simply a variable passive I/V conversion at the output of the ACSS amplifier, where the output is a current signal rather than a voltage signal. Volume control is achieved by I/V conversion, and the volume depends on the conversion of current (I) to voltage (V).(Similar to R-2R D/A chips with passive I/V conversion at the output.) This keeps the signal's frequency band flat and eliminates any loss of detail. Sound quality is unaffected at any volume level. After the volume control, four sets of diamond-shaped, feedback-free output stages ensure very low output impedance for driving the speakers.
The quality of the volume control is very important in a true balance device. It must ensure precise signal control of the four channels to achieve the performance of a true balance device. If the signal balance cannot be precisely ensured, severe distortion will occur, making the sound quality and performance even worse than a single-ended device, wasting the balance device design and costs.
The Master-10 MK3 utilizes a four-channel digital relay volume control. The Master-10 MK3 features a total of four channels, which can be switched to volume control by changing the DALE resistors to avoid channel imbalance and achieve the best performance and sound quality from the unit.
The Master-10 MK3 allows users to choose between 99 levels of exponential volume control, with each volume control allowing for continuous adjustment of the volume level. When changing the volume, the various relays are interrupted or closed, which may result in a slight switching of the sound at the output, but this disappears once the volume change is complete.
Specifications
Signal-to-noise ratio
>115 dB
Speaker output
250 W at 8 ohms
500 W at 4 ohms
1000 W at 2 ohms
Headphone output (high gain mode)
80 W at 25 ohms
50 W at 40 Ohm
10 W at 100 Ohm
3500 mW at 300 ohms
Headphone output (low gain mode)
8 W at 25 Ohm
5 W at 40 Ohm
1 W at 100 Ohm
350 mW at 300 ohms
Input sensitivity
1.2 V RMS on XLR
2 mA RMS at ACSS
Input impedance
94 kOhm for XLR
<10 Ohm at ACSS
THD
<0.007% (2.83 V RMS)
Frequency range
<0.1 dB (20–20 kHz)
Channel overlay
>-120 dB
Channel asymmetry
< 0.05 dB
Power supply
1 version 100–120 V AC 50/60 Hz
2 versions 220–240 V AC 50/60 Hz
Power consumption
150 W static at 240 V or 120 V
Transformer power
1600 W (4 transformers)
Weight
Approx. 37 kg
Dimensions
430 (W) * 400 (L) * 172 (H) (mm, including feet)
Accesories
Power cable
Metal remote control X1 (customer must provide two AAA batteries)
