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When VTL introduced its awe-inspiring 1250-watt Wotan amplifier in 1996, Luke Manley, VTL’s President, called it “the culmination of all we know about amplifier building at VTL.” But even as he spoke those words, change was brewing—both in the audio industry and at VTL. The growth of home theater meant that amplifiers were being called on to perform an array of new functions. Meanwhile, VTL was confronting the question of how tubed equipment would fit into modern home entertainment systems. Reliability and consistency of tubed components were issues that had to be decisively resolved. With these questions in mind, Luke began formulating ideas for a new Reference amplifier; tubed to be sure, but packed with technological innovations and breaking new ground in sonic excellence. After five years of intensive R&D, designing, testing, refining and listening, VTL’s newest addition to the Reference family is ready… Siegfried 800-Watt Reference Monoblock Amplifier has arrived. * * * When Luke began developing the concepts for a next-generation Reference amplifier, he laid out the following design goals: - The Reference amplifier should deliver a new sonic standard worthy of its marque as a member of the Reference family – it should provide unsurpassed sound quality as well as excellent measurements on the test bench
- The amplifier must be able to drive a wide range of speaker types to their optimal performance, with consistent performance under all conditions
- The amplifier must be self-optimizing and provide a full range of diagnostics for sustaining peak performance.
- The operation of the amplifier must be intuitive and user-friendly while providing flexibility in its control functions, for integration with modern home theater systems
From the outset, it was apparent that Siegfried would not be a business-as-usual design. “The R&D process ended up being an intensive cross-disciplinary collaboration between multiple teams of engineers in different parts of the country,” says Luke Manley. “Tube circuit designers, power supply experts, software engineers, control circuit experts, and industrial design specialists all had a hand in shaping Siegfried.”
The quest to make Siegfried “smart” was a major part of the design process. VTL was committed to eliminating the continual tweaking and guesswork that usually come with owning large tube amplifiers. Automatic self-regulation was understood to be the key to keeping Siegfried operating at peak performance. To that end, engineers embedded a logic-controlled automatic tube biasing circuit inside the amplifier to ensure that Siegfried is running optimally at all times. A full range of diagnostic functions were also included to let users know which tubes need to be changed, amplifier operating time, tube life, real-time AC voltage and more.
Siegfried’s sound quality took a significant leap forward, due in part to the use of new precision-regulated power supplies. Benefits heard include increased dynamic headroom and a tighter, more tuneful bass. Listening tests also revealed a new vividness, with a noticeable increase in agility and articulation within the music. A balanced input stage keeps the noise floor vanishingly low.
Siegfried’s physical package received special attention in the design process. The thick and extremely rigid chassis (provided in a tower configuration) is clad in non-magnetic material and rests on large non-resonant feet to banish mechanical interference. The sleek, modern appearance of Siegfried matches the cosmetics of VTL’s TL7.5 Reference Preamplifier. A curved fascia is inset with a digital readout and three buttons. With its subtle interplay of brushed, ribbed and polished aluminum, Siegfried has a commanding yet refined visual presence; unmistakably a product for the most serious and discerning music lovers.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the way our new ‘smart’ amplifier has turned out,” says VTL’s Luke Manley. “Siegfried has surpassed everyone’s expectations with respect to sound quality and ease of use. This is an amplifier you can turn on and forget about; allowing you to sit back, relax and simply enjoy the music.” Feature Summary - Fully logic-controlled automatic tube biasing: Re-biases between music passages, to keep tubes in optimal operating condition
- Smart fault-sensing: Alerts user to all faults, with automatic shutdown and front panel fault display
- User diagnostics: For information on tubes and operating parameters, with tube change time reminder, automated fuse testing, line voltage display
- Precision regulated power supplies: For consistently musical performance and deep bass
- Balanced input stage: For dynamic sound and superior noise rejection
- Extended tube life: Logic-controlled soft-start sequence and optimized operating conditions
- Tetrode/Triode and Phase: Automated switchover with circuit protection
- Fully remote controllable and RS-232 Interface: For integration with centrally controlled systems
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