AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Low Wattage Systems => Topic started by: Freo-1 on 17 Oct 2012, 09:04 pm
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With the continued interest in this little amp, thought it appropriate to start a new thread about the modifications that can be made or are available to enhance its performance.
I’m not one to get into hyperbole about “what’s better”, as those arguments are like teaching a pig to sing (A: it is not achievable, and B: it annoys the pig). What makes more sense is to discuss a products strengths, limitations, and observed comparisons between products for a given environment/setup. In the final analysis, one’s own judgments (and ears) should be trusted above all. Having stated the above disclaimer, on to the subject at hand.
The TBI Millenia’s performance is a league well above its pay grade. There is a LOT of gear that costs several times the price of this unit that, in most low wattage applications are not going to provide the same level of performance that this amp can provide.
The amps provide a lot of flexibility in stock configuration, in that it can operate from both 24 VAC and 12 volt internal battery. It also has the ability to be connected to a SLA battery setup from 12 to 24 volts, making it very flexible for usage in low wattage applications. Additionally, if one has speakers in the 87/88 db/watt range, an additional 30% of power can be achieved by using a pair in mono. The mono configuration also provides lower distortion, runs cooler, and allows for individual adjustments of each channel.
So far, the modifications have centered on the following:
1. External Battery Power Supply: Provides a significant improvement in sound with stock amp
2. Upgraded Binding Posts: Provides improved sound
3. Upgraded RCA Jacks: Provides improved sound
4. Upgraded Fuse: Meant to provide improved connection to the power supply
The battery power supply with the Stock Amp provides the largest improvement to the playback. The results are detailed in another thread, therefore, no need to repeat them here. The binding posts and RCA jack upgrades speak for themselves, and upgrading these does provide an improved performance. The fuse upgrade is also meant to provide a cleaner signal to the power supply. The audibility of replacing the fuse is hard to quantify. Personally, I did not hear much of a difference when the fuse was upgraded. Taking in all of the upgrades mentioned above, one can achieve outstanding audio reproduction from the stock amp with the aforementioned upgrades.
Recently, Jan Plummer at TBI offered an upgrade to the power supply filtering section of the TBI. He came up with the upgrade after a lot of interest was generated here at AC (and elsewhere) about power supply connections. After all, at its most basic level, an audio amplifier is simply a device that provides voltage and current gain by modulation of the power supply, hopefully as close to the input signal as possible, only with more power to drive the speakers. The modification is fairly basic: An addition of couple of filter caps and resistor to handle the loading of the external power supply. The modification was designed (optimized) primarily for use with the 24 volt AC supply. The modification absorbs the variations placed on the power supply by reproducing the input signal, thus proving more linearity in operation.
So, I re-connected the TBI amps to my audio only system, and sat down for a listen. The system used consists of the following components: MHDT Havana (Balanced) DAC, Modwright Oppo BDP-95 (Tube) player, a Conrad Johnson clone preamp (consists of 4 12AX7 tubes line stage), two TBI amps in mono, Cary Silver Oak Model One speakers, and a Genesis G928 subwoofer. CD and DVD Audio used the MHDT, and SACD/Blu Ray was via the Oppo. The amps were on the AC power source.
The first disc was Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata #2; a piece I’m very familiar with (CD). I was surprised at how much of an improvement the power supply modification made to overall playback. I was expecting a modest improvement, but this was significant. It sounded even better now on the AC than using batteries. Even my bride remarked how realistic the piano playback sounded, as if we were in the room with the musician. I then tried a DVD Audio of the Eagles Hotel California. I had always thought that the DVD A was a little brittle, but with the TBI, that was gone. Instead, one was treated to a performance that made one think you were listening to a first generation master tape. From there, tried the Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon SACD, which was never better. Then tried a couple of older rock/jazz CD’s, and was duly impressed. One of the near unique qualities of this amp is to make old recordings sound more enjoyable, in that it plays back the performance without overly emphasizing the limitations. In short, the power supply modification showed improved performance from every disc and music type that was tried.
With the upgraded power supply modification, the TBI gets even closer to emulating the best qualities of a SET tube amp, but with some noticeable differences. The bass is tighter and more natural sounding; the treble is a bit more extended, but totally non-fatiguing. The presence region is where this amp really shines. One almost thinks that the music is coming from a very pricey SET, not a Class BD amp.
TBI is offering the upgrade to all existing owners of the amp. I would strongly encourage existing owners to contact your amps reseller (or TBI directly if you can’t contact your reseller for whatever reason), and get this modification done to your amp. I am still amazed that this upgrade improves the amp as much as it did.
Lastly, I have used a variety of amps with the above system, and the TBI amps in mono has provided more musical enjoyment than any other amp I have tried to date.
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And a class d at that.....
Thanks for posting the details...
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Freo-1,
Much thanks for your impression and detailed upgrade. May I ask what brand of RCAs, speaker binding posts, and fuse you'd recommend? It's probably buried somewhere in the other thread.
Thanks,
Duc
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And a class d at that.....
Thanks for posting the details...
Indeed. I have not cared for Class D amps in general, but this specific unit is truly the exception. There is just enough unique topology to this amp to make it stand apart from the other Class D amps I have heard/used/owned.
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Freo-1,
Much thanks for your impression and detailed upgrade. May I ask what brand of RCAs, speaker binding posts, and fuse you'd recommend? It's probably buried somewhere in the other thread.
Thanks,
Duc
No worries. The binding posts and RCAs are all Cardas, available at the parts connection. The fuse is AMR 3.15 Euro fuse.
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My buddy Rex has tried numerous brands of RCA's and binding posts, so far the Cardas has been the best. The Cardas RCA's is not his favorite to use since he has to do a lot of grinding for these to fit.
There is another highly regarded brand that he is going to try next month, the company had all of their stock bought out from someone in Europe recently. Those should fit with no grinding.
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Freo-1,
Nice write up :D...are you using any kind of AC line conditioning with your system?
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Freo-1,
Nice write up :D ...are you using any kind of AC line conditioning with your system?
Yes. I have the two power supply units plugged into an Adcom ACE Line Enhancer. Nothing fancy, but seems to work well with the TBI power supply.
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First a disclaimer:
I'm the Caribbean distributor for TBI.
I've modified my Millenia as well. I've changed the RCAs and binding posts and replaced the fuse with the AMR 3.15A fuse. I'm awaiting parts to do the power supply mod.
The binding posts I used were WBT 0703s http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0703_Cu_Datasheet.pdf (http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0703_Cu_Datasheet.pdf)
The RCAs were WBT 0210 Cu. http://wbt.de/index.php?id=73&backPID=73&tt_products=56 (http://wbt.de/index.php?id=73&backPID=73&tt_products=56)
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And a class d at that.....
Thanks for posting the details...
Yeah no kidding. In the past Freo was vehemently opposed to class d, and look what happened. It's true, it's a whole new world, class d will soon be the king if it already isn't.
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First a disclaimer:
I'm the Caribbean distributor for TBI.
I've modified my Millenia as well. I've changed the RCAs and binding posts and replaced the fuse with the AMR 3.15A fuse. I'm awaiting parts to do the power supply mod.
The binding posts I used were WBT 0703s http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0703_Cu_Datasheet.pdf (http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0703_Cu_Datasheet.pdf)
The RCAs were WBT 0210 Cu. http://wbt.de/index.php?id=73&backPID=73&tt_products=56 (http://wbt.de/index.php?id=73&backPID=73&tt_products=56)
Those look nice. I will probably have to try those. Did you have to do any filing or alterating the chassis?
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Hi Tom,
I had to make some changes to the case. I had to enlarge the holes for the RCAs and the binding posts.
The WBT 0703s were larger than I thought they would be. I now think that the WBT 0708s (http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0708_Cu_Datasheet.pdf (http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0708_Cu_Datasheet.pdf)) would be better as they are a bit smaller. I'm going to use these for my next mod.
I'll post some pictures in a couple days.
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Yeah no kidding. In the past Freo was vehemently opposed to class d, and look what happened. It's true, it's a whole new world, class d will soon be the king if it already isn't.
Don't go overboard here. Up to now, the vast majority of Class D amps still do not sound all that musical. This unit is a major exception. The topology is quite a bit different from most other Class D amps.
It does bode well for the future.
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First a disclaimer:
I'm the Caribbean distributor for TBI.
I've modified my Millenia as well. I've changed the RCAs and binding posts and replaced the fuse with the AMR 3.15A fuse. I'm awaiting parts to do the power supply mod.
The binding posts I used were WBT 0703s http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0703_Cu_Datasheet.pdf (http://www.wbt.de/fileadmin/ppr-ftp/WBT-0703_Cu_Datasheet.pdf)
The RCAs were WBT 0210 Cu. http://wbt.de/index.php?id=73&backPID=73&tt_products=56 (http://wbt.de/index.php?id=73&backPID=73&tt_products=56)
Where are you located?
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Hi wisnon,
I'm in Trinidad and Tobago
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Hi,
As promised here's a picture of my modified Millenia:
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=69859)
Regards,
wcvb
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Looks a whole lot like a Virtue. It will be neat to pick up on Monday.
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A friend has just bought one of these amps. I had a look with him at the innards. I think there are more fundamental improvements which could be made to the amp than have been attempted so far.
The first thing that struck us is that there is an electrolytic input coupling cap. I suspect a coupling cap is needed because the opamp buffer has a single rail supply. If you are using the phono inputs only the coupling cap could be removed or simply bypassed and a film cap wired direct to the centre pin of the phono socket, the cable to the board would then be soldered to the other end of the cap. I recall the input coupling cap being 10uf, which if I am right is likely to be a much larger value than necessary. It would be necessary to disconnect the input on the front panel from the board if removing the cap.
Secondly, while the binding posts are industrial quality, the output cable is wired to a metal tag on the posts (which is retained against the posts by nut and washer) rather than directly soldered to the posts themselves. Righting that should help reduce the damage done by the original posts to the sound. Alternatively do a Ric Schultz by drilling a chassis hole, routing the internal speaker wire though it and loop stripped ends of the wire onto the posts. You can then have a direct wire to wire contact with your speaker cables.
The front panel input avoids the longish interconnect from the phono sockets to the board, using this with conventional interconnects would be problematic without disfiguring the front panel with a set of phono sockets. Still if it is solely better sound you are after...
I also seem to recall that using the headphone socket mutes the output, is that correct? If so, there is a switch there begging to be bypassed. Once again that involves a compromise, but if it is better sound you seek...
Rgds
Rob.
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Hi Rob, TBI welcomes DIY'ers to mod their amp. If you can bring up any improvements, feel free to post them here.
One easy mod I did was just to replace the stock cord with a $25 Pangea AC-14 power cord from the Audio Advisor. That opened the sound up even more.
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Tom
I'm sure it's been mentioned but I haven't seen it. Can you tell me / us about the company? Where it's made, who designed it and how he has gotten to this point?
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Jason, my first time seeing the company was on the TNT audio review. I read about the three amp shootout here. I had a Dayens Ampino and was amazed, but this review preferred the TBI.
http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/3_mini_amps_e.html
I bought one and was amazed, so I loaned it to my buddy Rex and he was amazed also. Rex is my friend that modded the amp with Cardas mods. As each step improved the amp, we now wonder how far this little amp can go. TBI is most famous for their subs, but they should become real famous for this little amp. I hope they sell as many as Musical Fiselity did on the A1 back in the 80's-90's. The A1 still sells for as much or more than they did on Ebay today.
Rex and I enjoyed our find very much, I wanted to share this with others here on AC. I was hesitant until the Positive Feedback came out. John Hoffman believes it is one of the best buys of the day.
TBI is based out of Georgia and run by Jan Plummer. Jan and his team even improved the amp while the tour was going on. Who knows, maybe the tour was the cause for the improvement? TBI deserves a lot of kudos on developing such a fine value.
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Ah cool. :thumb: So is the amps topology developed from their subs?
Sure would be cool if Jan joined AC. :)
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So is the amps topology developed from their subs?
Don't know what other technologies they might share, but the amplifier class of both the Magellan VIP su powered subwoofer and the external 200 su subwoofer amplifier is Class A/B compared to the Class D Millenia amplifier.
Steve
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Ah cool. :thumb: So is the amps topology developed from their subs?
Sure would be cool if Jan joined AC. :)
I know nothing about the subs, but their goal was to build the very finest low wattage amp that they could build, The Millenia MG3 is the final result. It would be nice now for them to build a more powerful version. The topology is Class BD, not just a pure Class D. But you will probably have to read the Positive Feedback review to understand what that is.
I know nothinnnn! :scratch:
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From the Positive Feedback review on Class BD:
"The Millenia amplifier uses an unusual output stage configuration that is essentially a Class BD arrangement, which is different than the more widely used Class D topology. The output of the amplifier is generated differentially between the + and – speaker terminals, and is capable of extremely fast response times. The Class BD circuit used by TBI has quicker transition times, and therefore has fewer switching errors to deal with. Which means that only a minimal degree of filtration and correction needs to be applied to the output of the amplifier, and has negligible effects on sound quality."
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue62/millenia.htm
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IThe topology is Class BD, not just a pure Class D. But you will probably have to read the Positive Feedback review to understand what that is.
Interestingly, on the TBI website's Millenia page they mention Class D no fewer than 20 times with no mention of Class BD. They do say that their Class D is better and more advanced than other Class D amplifiers, but if they have designed a "new" class (BD), I think I would probably mention it to further differentiate this particular amplifier.
I also think that if they are on to something here, it might pave the way to a "Millenia +" version, ready to go off the shelf with upgraded connectors, capacitors, volume control and enclosure (and maybe even multiple inputs).
Steve
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Interestingly, on the TBI website's Millenia page they mention Class D no fewer than 20 times with no mention of Class BD. They do say that their Class D is better and more advanced than other Class D amplifiers, but if they have designed a "new" class (BD), I think I would probably mention it to further differentiate this particular amplifier.
I also think that if they are on to something here, it might pave the way to a "Millenia +" version, ready to go off the shelf with upgraded connectors, capacitors, volume control and enclosure (and maybe even multiple inputs).
Steve
I hope so. Also be at least 75-100 wpc.
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Hi Rob, TBI welcomes DIY'ers to mod their amp. If you can bring up any improvements, feel free to post them here.
One easy mod I did was just to replace the stock cord with a $25 Pangea AC-14 power cord from the Audio Advisor. That opened the sound up even more.
Hi Tom
Can i get some bulk cable which can be used for power cords to power the amp from battery ?
I have to use very thin gauge cable as the pin which goes into amp AC power cannot take thick conducter
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i build a regulated power supply with Lm 338 with this circuit
http://www.acoustica.org.uk/
This is under the section ---using 3 pin regulator part 4
I use zener to set the output at 23 V dc.
At the output of the regulator there is a snubber of 0.47R +47 UF . This value is based on regulated power supply for gainclones.
The transformer is 22V ac --about 300W
The result is very favourable and i prefers it over the smps laptop power supply at 20 V dc .
I am using the evaluation board with the same chip
kp93300
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i build a regulated power supply with Lm 338 with this circuit
http://www.acoustica.org.uk/ (http://www.acoustica.org.uk/)
This is under the section ---using 3 pin regulator part 4
I use zener to set the output at 23 V dc.
At the output of the regulator there is a snubber of 0.47R +47 UF . This value is based on regulated power supply for gainclones.
The transformer is 22V ac --about 300W
The result is very favourable and i prefers it over the smps laptop power supply at 20 V dc .
kp93300
Excellent. Do you have the power supply mod from TBI?
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Hi Freo-1 ,
I want to add that i am using the evaluation board with the same chip .
I am excited as i am hearing quite a lot of new details esp with the nice decay of instruments when compared to the smps . I want to share my enthusiasm
Please delete the post if you think it is not relevant in this thread.
thanks
kp93300
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Hi KP93300. What is the rest of your sistem, do you use some preamp (or buffer), speakers?Thanks.
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Hi Pchelac
The rest of my system are dac---Buffalo 2 or discrete monica from diyparadise.
Speakers ---V2 from GR Research: 91 db/w ,powered subwoofer open baffle
Transistor Buffer ----diy diamond buffer from http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/analog-line-level/205522-rjm-audio-b-board-project.html
Lightspeed passive volume control before the buffer
I used a ATOM based fanless pc running on Linux .
thanks
kp93300
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Tnx , :thumb:
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Hi
i had been following the previous thread and decided to just purchase a Millenia from Jan. I received the latest version last week and am very impressed. I am using Omega super alnico 6s and the amp sounds great. My question is since i am not mechanically inclined i am afraid to change speaker pinding posts , rca's...etc. I at least want to try a battery supply. Can someone point me in the right direction as to which one to purchase and how to connect it ? i dont want to blow up the amp. Its a keeper. BTW..speakers are 93 db 8 ohm. thx.
FWIW, several of us prefer the upgraded AC power supply (that now comes stock with the latest MG3) over battery (in my case 2 x 12v 5 amp). Many prefer one 12v x 5 amp, but power is reduced to 18 watts or so. A lot of it depends on your system synergy, listening preferences, good or inferior local power grid, etc..
IMO, the latest MKII upgrade is by far the best upgrade for the MG3. If you purchased an MG3 recently, not sure if it comes stock or not. Cost is $50 + round trip shipping & it is a true bargain mod.
Other upgrades include Cardas (or other higher end) RCA’s & speaker binding posts, AMR sloblo 3.15 amp fuse, gel pad feet.
Drop a private message to OzarkTom or contact TBI directly to verify mods & related costs: sales@tbisound.com .
If you are set on going the battery route: 2-12v x 5 amp SLA batteries in series will do the trick w/ a 24v x 2 amp trickle smart charger. It is important that you disconnect the charger before turning on the MG3 or you will blow the fuse. Connect & charge the batteries when MG3 is turned off. If you go w/ a single 12v battery then you can keep a 12v smart charger connected & on all the time without blowing the fuse.
If you prefer not to make all the wiring connections yourself, Virtue Audio used to offer a Gary Dodd battery kit like this, you might could check w/ them (or Dodd Audio) to see if they have any remaining:
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=78595)
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so since i have the latest version ( received it early last week) i am going to leave well enough alone and enjoy it as is right now. once again,,,excuse my dumb question ....can you use a preamp with this amp ? would you set the volume control to max ?
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so since i have the latest version ( received it early last week) i am going to leave well enough alone and enjoy it as is right now. once again,,,excuse my dumb question ....can you use a preamp with this amp ? would you set the volume control to max ?
Again, I would check w/ Jan @ TBI to verify what comes free w/ latest MG3 version & what upgrades cost extra. OzarkTom is a great source for upgrade recommendations & where to get mods done if you prefer someone else to do it for you.
Heck yes you can use a preamp w/ the MG3. I currently use a tube preamp/DAC w/ the MG3. I would experiment with the volume controls & see what sounds best in your set-up. In my set-up, I have the preamp volume at 1 o'clock & the MG3 at 11- 1 o'clock depending on how loud I am listening.
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Hi brother love.......I hooked up a Decware Z stage and a switch box, using the Z stage as a preamp and running my cap phono stage and Mac mini thru the switch box into the Z stage and into the Millenia. Sounds great...the best I have heard the system yet. I am going to check with Jan just to make sure I have the latest version but I think I do. Thanks again for your help. In the bang qfo your buck department this amp is a slam dunk.
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Great to hear sugbob21. 8)
If you do talk to TBI re: latest MG3 stock & what additional upgrades are available, it would be great if you share that info here.
And be sure to post your MG3 impressions in your set-up in the other MG3 MKII listening tour thread. It's great to know everyone's experience w/ the Millenia MG3.
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Jan is using a tube preamp with his setup.
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Okay, OzarkTom sent me his amp and I have spent a little time with it.
Usually when an amp comes in for me to listen to there is always some setback or some negative quality that stands out. I usually notice it right away and it is hard for me to get past. I am just used to some really nice amps and it is hard for me to go back to average or typical. However, this one was different. Hmmmm... okay... wait a minute.... really? Hmmmm...
I had a pair of Serenity Acoustics Super-7's burning in so it was no problem to drop this amp in. I had no idea what this amp really was or even what the power rating was. I just dropped it in and turned it on. These speakers have 97db sensitivity and the amp only drives them from 200Hz and up. The lower ranges of these speakers have their own servo amps.
I hooked the amp up using the supplied small battery.
Funny thing is not a whole lot changed for me. I took me a while to let it soak in that this was a different amp. Critical listening noted differences from the tube amps that I am used to. But the differences weren't night and day or buzz kill differences. Nothing really great stood out to me, but nothing was really wrong either. The amps were pretty smooth, real balanced, had good detail levels, and a good vocal range. Even the dynamics were real good. I had no idea it was only an 8 or 10 watt amp.
A little back and forth with my little Dodd Audio, battery powered, 30 watt mono blocks, with some selective music revealed what one would expect. The little MG3 lacks some of the lushness in the mid-range. It was not quite as musically involving as my tube amps either, but it was no blow away. My tube amps also had better imaging and sound stage size, but not by a lot.
This is a great sounding little amp. My only real gripe was a little bit of buzz or hum. It was clearly louder than my tube amps (they are very quiet) and could be heard from the listening position. On a speaker with 90db sensitivity or less it might not be heard. But on a speaker with 97db sensitivity the humming needs attention. If that humming noise floor were dropped out then I'd really like it.
I also couldn't help but wonder how much better it would sound if I put it on my big 100 amp hour battery? Being battery powered is a great thing. AC power and noisy AC lines are pretty rough on these digital amps. The last set of digital mono blocks that came through here were really finicky about power cables and power conditioning. They needed a good $1,500 worth of conditioners and cables ahead of them for them to reach a reasonable sound. This little MG3 amp was plugged into about a $16 battery. :lol:
I also noted it sound better with the volume knob pulled back a little from wide open. Usually these cheap little pots sound best all the way up. This usually puts less resistance in the path, and sounds better. Not so with this one. And the hum was a little less too. It might sound better if this pot were removed too. I controlled the volume with my Dodd Audio battery powered pre-amp.
My whole system is off the grid except for the amps powering the servo subs. So this amp fit right in.
Two thumbs up for this little amp. :thumb: :thumb:
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Danny, very nice write up. Considering your reputation for "calling it as you see it", this is high praise indeed. The fact that this amp is under 600.00 shipped is icing on the cake.
Even die hard SET owners should at least audition it, as it could be a good spare amp to keep around in case the tube amps decide to play up (as they occasionally are known to do).
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I also noted it sound better with the volume knob pulled back a little from wide open. Usually these cheap little pots sound best all the way up. This usually puts less resistance in the path, and sounds better. Not so with this one. And the hum was a little less pulled back some too. It might sound better if this pot were removed too. I controlled the volume with my Dodd Audio battery powered pre-amp.
I noticed the same thing. With the volume knob wide open it almost seemed as if it was causing the amp to drive too hard, but when I pulled it back a little, the sound relaxed. This was also w/ a Dodd battery pre-amp. I'm waiting to get mine back with the latest upgrade, can't wait!
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hi Ozark Tom.... can u recomend a tube preamp to use with the Millenia. A Dodd tube buffer was one recomendation. can u recomend something else that would be a good value on a limited budget ? thanks.
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a very good inexpensive tube preamp to try is the bottle head quickie. here is a link www.bottlehead.com the select forums or look at what they have for sale. the preamp is 99.00 plus shipping. we have compared to preamps costing thousands and it did well and better than most.
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hi underdawg.....the bottlehead looks nice and the price is right but i am all thumbs and am not inclined to try and put one of those together....i would probably blow it up.. lol
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hi underdawg.....the bottlehead looks nice and the price is right but i am all thumbs and am not inclined to try and put one of those together....i would probably blow it up.. lol
You might be able to find an AC DIYer who could put the Bottlehead together for you for a fee. I think quietglow might be interested in potentially doing this, since he could then hear the Bottlehead in his system before shipping it off to you. He and I just grabbed some nice audiophile solder...
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just grabbed some nice audiophile solder...
What? You do know that there is no such thing right?
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What? You do know that there is no such thing right?
Well, $10 for 20ft of stuff that at the very least is praised as being easy to work with was money I was happy to spend.
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What? You do know that there is no such thing right?
I know this is slightly OT, but now that it's been brought up (and I'm not interested in a flame war, I'm just looking for some education on this). Cardas makes Quad Eutectic solder, and I've heard other solders with a higher silver content should make for a better connection and better sound. True? False?
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I know this is slightly OT, but now that it's been brought up (and I'm not interested in a flame war, I'm just looking for some education on this). Cardas makes Quad Eutectic solder, and I've heard other solders with a higher silver content should make for a better connection and better sound. True? False?
I have no idea. This question is likely better suited to a DIY forum.
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I know this is slightly OT, but now that it's been brought up (and I'm not interested in a flame war, I'm just looking for some education on this). Cardas makes Quad Eutectic solder, and I've heard other solders with a higher silver content should make for a better connection and better sound. True? False?
Higher silver content usually means higher temperatures needed. If you are not experienced with soldering stick w/ the Cardas - it melts like butter. That said you can buy small portions of Mundorf Silver/Gold solder on ebay to experiment for <$15 IIRC.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUNDORF-MSolder-Silver-Gold-Solder-/200917043699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec796c9f3 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/MUNDORF-MSolder-Silver-Gold-Solder-/200917043699?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ec796c9f3)
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Hi there,
I got the Millenia a few weeks ago and I wanted to try the fuse replacement. I am not used to DIYing but I thought that the replacement would be a piece of cake so I opened up the case and I was a bit disappointed as I could not access the fuse easily, in fact I did not see the fuse at all. I saw the other fuse, the one used by the battery compartment, but not the "interesting" one.
It would be great if somebody could try to explain me how to get access to the inner part of the Millenia "easily". So far I only go to this (image borrowed from another post):
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f17/iostream1/Mobile%20Uploads/WP_001447.jpg)
Cheers,
Victor.
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Seeing that picture reminds me of why I don't use binding posts anymore.
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Why? :?
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Why? :?
A binding post inserts a large metal mass into the signal path. Binding posts do not allow for an internal crimped connection.
Binding post are extremely hard to solder to as they are like soldering to a heat sink. So often soldered connections fail do to poor solder joints. Binding posts have to be used in a given length depending on the depth of the cabinet material and nearly all binding posts can only be used in up to a 3/4" thick material. Binding posts require access to the inside of the enclosure for mounting. Many loudspeakers have limited or no access internally to the binding posts making it nearly impossible to get any tool into the inside of the cabinet to tighten them up. It can be difficult to seal the internal connections with heat shrink with some binding post, and I never leave bare wire exposed on a joint like the one pictured above. Another problem with some binding post is the difficulty in getting the internal nut started onto the threads of the binding post because a spec of solder got on a thread while soldering to it or the heat shrink did not shrink down far enough to get the nut over it.
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Yeah, the Pomona binding posts might be better suited to that amp... Cardas makes nice stuff but those binding posts are way too big/chunky IMO...
Pomona 3770 are gold plated tellurium copper, small size, low mass, easy to solder to, and relatively cheap at $8.86 each. They made a big difference in my system. They aren't as pretty as the Cardas units but I'd bet they sound better.
http://www.pomonaelectronics.com/pdf/d3750-3760-3770_101.pdf
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Pomona-Electronics/3770-0/?qs=yih5jomMvb3Uhbdu3XO/Ag==
(http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l318/davec113/Cables%204-21-13/speakercablepics014_zps0c7cc64b.jpg) (http://s99.photobucket.com/user/davec113/media/Cables%204-21-13/speakercablepics014_zps0c7cc64b.jpg.html)
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Please check out http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/amp_pics.html (http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/amp_pics.html) for a large pic of my binding post bypass system (using the binding post as a wire to wire or wire to spade clamp). Sonically better than anything and you can use inexpensive binding posts. Even slightly better sonically on the speakers is to make the clamps out of wood or plastic.
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Got my amp yesterday, have AMR fuses on order and will be swapping RCAs for Cardas. Just finished binding post mods using Ric Schult bypass method , using nylon bolts and nuts.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=90520)
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=90521)
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Does anyone have a photo of the internals of their tbi? I got half way through my mod and now have no idea of the wiring for the audio connection:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29025989@N00/16761558959/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29025989@N00/16334487893/
With regards to the fuses one is 2a and one 4a. Do you guys replace both with these?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMR-Audiophile-Gold-Hi-Fi-Fuse-32mm-x-6-3mm-3-15A-T-/231261018044
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Does anyone have a photo of the internals of their tbi? I got half way through my mod and now have no idea of the wiring for the audio connection:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29025989@N00/16761558959/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29025989@N00/16334487893on
With regards to the fuses one is 2a and one 4a. Do you guys replace both with these?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMR-Audiophile-Gold-Hi-Fi-Fuse-32mm-x-6-3mm-3-15A-T-/231261018044
On the fuses, I just replaced the 4 amp fast blow with the 3.15 amp slo blow. AMR does not make a 4 amp fast blo.
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Cheers thanks Tom