Toroidy.pl is a Polish company, specializing in high quality toroidal transformers. Historically, they originate out of the “power supply” sector, at least as I remember them, providing a broad range of toroidal transformers for various power supply needs. Their production encompassed, and still encompasses, many types of toroidal transformers, including single item orders, executed as per specific customer’s specifications. The power range that they offer is fairly broad, spanning from a mere 10 VA, up to a whopping 5000 VA.
You only need to specify the very basic parameters, such as input and output voltages that he requires, as well as the maximum current and/or power considerations. The rest – they shall do for you. How do I know this? Well, obviously, as a ‘DIY Guy’, I was many a time in need for a quality transformer. And many I time I have ordered such. When uncompromised and highest possible standard of quality was needed – this was (and still is) the place where I normally order them.
Some basic features of these power toroids include: IP 65 hermetic enclosures, multi-voltage, high voltage and/or high-current transformers, three phase transformers, enclosed transformers, high power units, transformers for control, switchgear and lighting applications, and all of this with the option to be made as per individual order, per customer specifications.
1. The Power Supply Toroids – the SUPREME V2 Series
But times … they are a changin’. How is it that now this company suddenly appears within the AUDIO context? Well, recently, during the last Audio Show, as held in Warsaw 2014, I noticed whilst visiting the fair, to my utter amazement, a ‘toroidy.pl‘ exposition stand. What the Hell ?
What are THESE guys doing here ? Well, it turns out that they were there for a very good reason. Quite a few reasons, actually.
The first reason are some definitely superb Audio Class toroidal power supply transformers. Not only are they utterly sexy from the looks, but they have some really decent specs to go with it. So in essence, for a really fair price, you get both the looks, as well as the specs, and the resulting sound. Hiend-Audio sound, at that. This series of products has been specifically designed and crafted for use in highest quality audio equipment.
Here I presented some photos of their Power Supply, Audio Grade Toroidal Transformers – The ‘SUPREME V2’ Series …
The products representative of the SUPREME V2 power supply series are crafted with utter care and attention to detail. Each such Supreme V2 toroidal transformer consists of the following layers, from outside to inside:
polished high gloss, non magnetic, stainless steel casing
epoxy resin fill
Mylar tape
magnetic silicon sheet screen
secondary winding
double coated copper electric Synshield screen
insulation
primary winding
Mylar tape
insulation
core
Their products may already be found in various amplifiers of known audio equipment manufacturers, in such brand names, as: Lampizator, AbysSound, Mytek, JAG Electronics, or Amare Musica.
2. The Speaker Output Transformer Toroids – the EXPO SE and EXPO PP Series
Here are some examples of the “EXPO” series of their new offering, the audio grade speaker output toroidal transformers. Just to dispel any doubts, the product is depicted with some well known types of vacuum tubes. The ones that a Beginner DIY Tube Audiophile is most probable to start off with, take a jump into the deep water and build his very first tube amplifier. These are audio toroids, no doubt about that.
The company offers such toroidal transformers, which are specifically crafted for the hiend audio context, executed with a selected choice of materials, and assembled in a manner so as to satisfy the most demanding electro-acoustic applications. They are marked by a high quality finish, noise-free operation and with excellent electrical parameters. Obviously, as there is a multitude of possible tubes and of topologies out there, so these products *NEED* to be custom made, in order to satisfy the individual needs of the recipient. The customer selects the level of modification and the equipment specifications, defines the parameters. Toroidy.pl, from their side, will make the required transformers in the power capacity ranging from 20VA to even up to 3000VA { if you need that much 🙂 }, with multiple optional taps on primary and secondary sides. Some popular “off-the-shelf” types are also available.
The excellent performance of the products has been achieved by use of highest quality laboratory selected components. Obviously, these products are based on a special type of magnetic material, used for the core, based on grain oriented steel, capable of handling high values of magnetic field strength, and with very good overall linearity.
Modifications and special executions of such custom orders include, but are not limited to: core and coil saturation limits, electrical shields (between the coils), magnetic shields (external anti-EMI screens), enclosures filled with epoxy resin, as well as vibration-proof mounting systems. The core is specially processed, according to a proprietary know-how and process, so as to enable the use of such toroids with in the SET (“Single-Ended-Topology”) context. The DC current component, which is typical for a SET topology, and which flows through the transformer, has been dealt with and accounted for.
Here are some specific examples of output toroidal transformers for a push-pull system, based upon a pair of KT88 vacuum tubes, per each channel. Please take notice that the actual dimensions of the product are smaller than the equivalent transformer, as made using traditional E-I profile based technology.
3. The DIY complete amplifier KIT for your self-assembly
At this year’s Audio Show, the company unveiled two stereo tube amplifiers, both working in Single-Ended amplification class, devices the design of which was ** SOLELY ** based toroidal transformers. Toroidal transformers ONLY.
Dear DIY’er, just to prep up your appetites, what follows are but just a few shots of the proof-of-concept exhibition amplifier unit, the one that toroidy.pl was demonstrating during the Audio Show trade fair and arranging listening auditions. This is what your DIY amp “could” look like (apart of the tubes themselves – You could either go with these PCL86 tubes, or possibly you would want to consider some alternatives, maybe a slightly beefed-up version, of the EL34, KT88 or similar kind?)
This is a ready assembled DIY Kit, which is based on PCL86 tubes. It shall very shortly be made available by toroidy.pl within their e-store web-page section. A Single Ended tube amplifier, based upon 4x PCL86 as output tubes, with a toroidy.pl “DT5” chassis and output toroidal class A transformers. Do You *still* think that a Single Ended amplifier is not possible to be made with the use of th toroidal transformers on the ‘output’? Try this unit out. It will cost you less then 150 EUR, plus shipping. It is a low-power unit, 2x 2.5W, based on 4 PCL86 tubes, complete with a simple Phono-Preamplifier. In the near future, the company will publish on its website the schematics of this amplifier, along with a list of the elements, parts, that are used to assemble it on your own, as a DIY project.
Of course, needless to mention that all of the individual toroidal transformers, as well as the chassis, are also “individually”, or piecemeal, made available within the e-store of toroidy.pl.
It is my understanding that the manufacturer shall try to ensure that the cost of all the necessary kit components will not exceed 150 EUR, give or take, subject to constantly changing exchange rates.
Given the sound quality, which I had a chance to listen to during the Audio Show Warsaw fair, if they indeed stand up to the promise and pull this thing off – it would be a sheer steal.
Such a precedent would imply that good quality, entry-level and very decent hiend-audio has just become available for the average folks. Indeed, I do hope that they shall succeed in launching this product line successfully and maintaining the targeted price point.
4. An off-the-shelf amplifier, by toroidy.pl, using the SUPREME and EXPO series toroidal transfomers
But then again, if you are not a DIY type of a Soul, and simply want to concentrate on the music, the listening, but without the soldering and the DIY hassle, then maybe the off-the-shelf product would be more suitable for you? The output power of this amplifier is 2x14W. It is designed to work with a speaker impedance of either 4 or 8 ohms. It is a product, based on which the company plans to expand its offering very soon. The transformers that have been used in these proof-of-concept products were 4x the toroidal speaker output toroidal transformer, of the “EXPO” series, and a “SUPREME” series unit as the toroidal power transformer, with a power handling cabability of 250VA. The unit is based on 4x EL84 output tubes, and one ECC83 driver tube.
… Speaking of amplifiers and transformers, one must not forget about “CHOKES”, or simply speaking inductors, which are more often than not a part of any vacuum tube based amplifier construction.
The toroidy.pl company also produces such inductive, toroidal components, including high inductance chokes, based on cores that are wound from Cold Rolled Grain Oriented Silicon Steel Strips (CRGOSSS), as well as on ferrite cores. They are able to manufacture chokes and coils with any given set of electrical and/or mechanical parameters, according to the customers technical specification.
Best Regards,
Ziggy.
hiend-audio.com