Promitheus Audio TVC C-core - Passive Transformer Volume Control Reference series.

Reference C-core TVC series is available in:

1 XLR and 2 RCA Inputs and Outputs

Reference C-core TVC

- Using our Reference C-core material for the TVC
- This new reference C-core material is made with 0.05mm lamination
- Our new Reference C-cores plates are housed on 1.5mm Copper plates
- The coppers plate are for good Radio Frequency shielding and magnetic shielding.
- This version is house is our newly available and rare ebony chassis
- The ebony chassis is hand finish with 5 layers of Danish oil to give it the natural sheen.
- Each layer of oiling is sanded down between oil layers
- Dual box version with dual mono volume controls
- Ebony knobs
- Internal wiring done with 4N double run Silver
- Input connection are 1 XLR, 2 RCA
- Output Connections are 1 XLR, 2 RCA

From Enjoy the Music, here are some pieces of the standard TVC review, that describe the Promitheus Audio TVC better than we could (you may read the entire review following the link in the Resources section below):

The Promitheus Audio TVC SE is a compact unit, roughly the size of a cigar box. At approximately 12 pounds, it weighs more than one expects given its size. The knob on the left controls input selection, while the knob on the right is a 24 position volume knob. The back panel is populated with four pairs of inputs and two pairs of outputs.
The review sample was single ended; those that require balanced (XLR) connections will be pleased to learn they are available at no additional charge. Inside the case are two transformers, reportedly hand wound by Nicholas Chua, proprietor of Promitheus Audio, one for each channel. Each transformer rests upon a bit of damping material which isolates the transformers from external vibration. Wiring from the transformers is copper while generic solid silver wiring from Germany handles the wiring chores from the volume control and input selector out to the RCA jacks. Internal construction is high quality, the wiring quite tidy.
Included in the box are 3 pyramid shaped footers, made of the same Malaysian Nyatuh wood as the case of the TVC SE. According to the manufacturer, the TVC will sound different depending on whether the points are facing the bottom of the unit or the rack upon which it sits.

Because the TVC SE is passive, there is no power supply and therefore no power cord. It works differently from a conventional "passive preamplifier" which is usually nothing more than a volume potentiometer, source selector switch, input/output jacks and the related wiring to make everything work. Using a passive preamplifier, the output of the source component drives the input of the amplifier directly. This isn't really the best way to get the job done: it is the audio equivalent of attempting to mow an acre of grass with a sickle as opposed to a tractor. Adding transformers to the recipe changes things entirely: they act as a buffer between the source and the amplifier, and makes it easier on the source component to drive the amplifier.
Interestingly, the lower the volume setting of the TVC, the easier it is for the source component to drive the amplifier. This is the opposite of the way things work with a conventional passive preamplifier.

Do not let the low price of admission or the handmade appearance fool you. The Promitheus Audio TVC SE is not a curiosity or a toy. It is a serious audio component, and probably the very best bargain in audio today. It doesn't have the visual or tactile panache of its more expensive counterparts, but sonically, it runs easily alongside the "big dogs." The nature of its design results in total and complete transparency. Because of this, the quality and compatibility of the rest of the system components is critical. Vinyl lovers will need to pay special attention to both the output of their cartridge as well as the gain of their phono stage. However, at the end of the day, I find the Prometheus Audio TVC SE to not only be a joy to "listen" to, but also an invaluable reviewing tool. I will be keeping it, and I suspect it will be hooked up most of the time. This component gets my very highest recommendation.