Burson Audio Timekeeper 3X Grand Tourer Monoblock Power Amplifiers (Pair)
Breaking the Neuro Association
Old-school car enthusiasts associate the deep rumbling sound with performance. Furthermore, we assume a barista with a leather apron and arm tattoos make better coffee.
Class-A and Class-AB amps are time-tested gold standards. But, unfortunately, through the traditional design path, they inevitably look like ice-boxes with heat-fins. So for over 100 years, audiophiles have been conditioned to love eyesores! The family may help unpack such dead weights out of love but don’t expect them to approve the visual impact on their family space
Burson’s breakthrough in power supply tech enables our amps to bypass the transformer, the linear power supply and the enormous power caps. Furthermore, removing those old techs and their limitations brings superior sonic performance. As a result, pound for pound, dollar for dollar, we outperform any transformer-based amplifiers.
The Timekeeper GT is our working-class hero. Here to take on the industry aristocrats and disrupt this sleepy speaker amp industry.
The Golden Sound
Pure Class-A is ideal as it does not have crossover distortions associated with Class-B or Class-D amps. The resulting organic, responsive sound is undisputedly the best.
However, Class-A amp makers face two challenges: power supply stress and heat dissipation. Following the traditional linear power supply approach, the resulting Class-A amp is inevitably heavy due to its transformer and heat-fin size and lacking driving power.
Class-AB outputs the first few watts in Class-A and the rest in Class-B. Because it is more efficient, it can output more driving power. Still, the more watts it outputs in Class-A, the lower the distortion, the better it sounds.
The Timekeeper GT is a Class-AB amp. Using our proprietary Max Current Power Supper (MCPS) and innovative cooling, it outputs significantly more wattage in Class-A than our competition while looking sexy in any living space.
The Hushed Performance Indicator
Idling power is an important performance indicator when comparing Class-AB amps with similar outputs. The higher the idling power, the more it outputs in pure Class-A. But, traditionally, it also means a larger transformer, bigger heat-fins, more power caps and sky-rocketing production/transportation costs. As such, some elitist hyper amps proudly mention this spec, but most in the industry keep it on the hush.
The TK-GT draws 100W on idle, spitting out the first 30Watts in pure Class-A. The result is a luscious vocal and sparkling high previously reserved for the fortunate few. The rest of its 180Watts propels any speakers to their full dynamics.
The Purist Circuitry
The GT is fully discrete without any integrated circuitries (ICs) on its audio path. Our Vivid discrete opamp gives it an unmistakable Burson house sound that is detailed, textured and layered. Its direct coupling circuitry features a fully differential input stage. By not using a transformer or coupling cap on its signal path, the GT achieves the highest dynamic response possible.
Furthermore, being an independently powered monoblock, the TK-GT eliminates cross channel interference and delivers a bigger soundstage with a pure black background.
Audio designing does not get more fanatic than this!
Max Current, Min Noise!
A power transformer is a coil of wire with very high resistance (impedance), restricting current delivery. Furthermore, it vibrates at 50Hz, creating noise in the audible range. As such, in traditional linear power supply designs, the quality of the transformer directly affects responsiveness and the noise floor.
The TK-GT is the latest milestone in our power supply revolution, and our proprietary Max Current Power Supply (MCPS) is the reason why the TK-GT can be lifted with one hand yet performs at the highest level.
A newly developed 210W Burson Super Charger converts noisy 50Hz main power to a clean, quiet DC torrent with almost no impedance. In addition, the TK-GT’s internal MCPS raises the voltage working frequency beyond 170Khz, pushing any remaining noise beyond human hearing.
GT Cool.
With every component operating in a predetermined temperature range, independent of the environment, active cooling gives us the freedom to push the GT to its performance limit.
In combination with our unique Cool Case, we use the quietest fan from Noctua in Austria to reduce wind noise. It is quieter than an empty recording studio and more peaceful than most power transformers used in traditional amplifiers, which vibrate at a more auditable frequency.
The Complete Package
With XLR and RCA inputs and two gain levels, the GT matches perfectly with any preamps and speakers of any sensitivity. Its accompanying Cool stand lets the GT look and stay cool in any space. Its 210Watt Super Charger is designed specifically for the TK-GT. Its smaller 72Watts and 120Watts siblings are selling hot at 300-400USD. Here, we include the biggest and the best, free!
Warp into a new age
Imagine a sound-treated home auditorium. Cables thick as pythons slithering across a floor occupied by massive monoblocks in perfect formation, each resting on their tailored marble slabs. That used to be the ultimate fantasy of any audiophile. You can now get that audio performance without the eyesores through technological advancement. How much better is that living space? A new age of music appreciation has arrived, and we invite you to experience it with the Timekeeper Grand Tourer.
