[DRCope]

Greetings,

I received a used Clari-T about 4 hours ago and plunked it into the middle of my all-Audio Note system. 4 year old CD2.1x player, digital out to DAC1.1x/II (now) into E/SPe HE (hemp) speakers, AN Vx interconnects, SPe spkr cable.

I don't know how long it's been since it was charged or played, but the light came up 'charged' right off, so I switched over to 'Go' mode and started playing CDs. First comment is, yes, it definitely does go through a warm up phase. It started out sounding charming, but small and restrained, especially in the lower mids and bass. A little splashy in the treble. Half an hour later it sounded less small, better still after an hour, and now, 4 hours later, the lower mids and bass have filled out, treble is smoother, everything has relaxed and become more expansive.

This is one amazingly musical little brick! I bought it for my office system, or maybe the basement movie system, but it may not escape the living room. Hmmm. I'll have to scoop up another one for those systems.

[Paul_Bui]

Good for you, and welcome to the old club.  If yours is a stereo Clari-T with volume pot, better still performance can be had with a Clari-T monoblock w/o volume pot.

[gary]

The Clari-T is an amazing little amp, especially if it's got the auricap & BG capacitor upgrades. The things that it excels at are the things tube amps come up short on, like resolution, transparency, speed, and, well, clarity. Even a hardcore tube lover can appreciate these things, and keep the amp around to plug it in every now and then for kicks. I just sold mine, but only to upgrade to the new Sig 30 because from the early reviews I think give me a little more of the full-bodied SET sound without compromising in the areas that made the Clari-T something special.

Gary

[DRCope]

I'm torn between leaving it as it is so that I can use it in various systems and ways at minimal cost and complexity.

I'd love to upgrade the power supply caps to Black Gates, but Vinnie has advised against DIY mods, and even though I've built and modded a number of amps, it's pretty darn tight in there. I'd like to add/upgrade not AuriCaps but Audio Note copper foil paper in oil caps. They are huge and won't fit in the case, but if I knew where they are supposed to go in the circuit and could get at that location, I'd drill holes in the top of the case and park them on top.

Moving to mono Clari-T's without vol pots is very tempting as well.  My Audio Note M6 Phono is not leaving the equipment rack, and except for simplicity's sake, the pot in the Clari-T is redundant in my system.

I'm also now looking hard at my iPod Photo sitting on the shelf. Vinnnie, do you have any time to do the iMod now that you're apparently buried to the chin in Sig 30 and 70 orders? 

 While there certainly are tube amps that, as Gary observed, lack "resolution, transparency, speed, and, well, clarity", it's too broad brush to suggest that all do. As a long-time Audio Note listener, recent US distributor and current marketing guy, I have to say that there are remarkable exceptions. That said, the exceptions are very much more expensive than a used Clari-T, or even a pair of new Sig 30s! The Emmission Labs mesh plate 45's I most frequently listen to cost nearly as much *each* as I paid for the used Clari-T.

While I've thought it was the case from what I've read and heard at a few different shows, I can now confirm from personal experience in my own living room and system that Red Wine Audio offers HUGE musical value for money. I'm sorry to see the Clari-T fade away as part of the product line-up, though.   

[gary]

Yeah, I should have made that clear. There are definitely tube amps that can compete with the Clari-T in the areas it's strongest, but they cost big bucks. One of the best systems at RMAF was in the Audio Note room, but at upwards of $100k it was far out of reach of mere mortal high-end buyers like me. And I also liked the Audio Note system I heard at Triode & Co. in Paris but that was still probably 50k euros or more. For the price of a pair of output tubes the Clari-T gives you an awful big slice of that sound, even if it lacks in some areas where tubes excel.

Gary

[Vinnie R.]

Hi DRCope,

Welcome to Audiocircle and the RWA forum!

This is one amazingly musical little brick! I bought it for my office system, or maybe the basement movie system, but it may not escape the living room. Hmmm. I'll have to scoop up another one for those systems.

I am glad that you are enjoying it!  Is it a stock unit (no upgrades)?  It can be made to sound a lot better with a few upgrades (power supply caps, input coupling caps, DACT CT-2 if you want to keep a volume control, etc.).

Vinnnie, do you have any time to do the iMod now that you're apparently buried to the chin in Sig 30 and 70 orders? 

I have been flooded with iMods in the last two months and I have to make the time to do them as well.  I try to get them finished within 2 weeks from when I receive them.  Here is some recent updates on the iMod that I posted on headfi:
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=206006&highlight=iMod

BTW, I just found this post:

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=33176.0

This is a SILLY-GOOD price!  Dual-mono (separate board and battery for each channel), 24-hour play time between charges, gorgeous enclosure, all the upgrades, no volume control, etc.  ZLS is interested in the Signature 30 for his Omegas and is thinking of selling his one-of-a-kind Signature 6. 

Thanks for posting,

Vinnie

[DRCope]

It's stock. Do you still do mods to existing Clari-T's? I'd like to go to Black Gates and PIO cops, even though they'd have to be go in a roof rack configuration. I'd also like to lose the vol. pot. It's now in a system with an Audio Note M3 Line pre.

I can't get into the page you've linked to on headfi despite being a logged in registered user. I can get into everything else. Hmmmm. I'll drop you a line on getting my Pod modded offline.

Man, that is tempting. But transmission work and newly deceased original Titanium Powerbook will likely distract available funds. Rats.

Thanks!

Dave

[Vinnie R.]

Hi DRCope,

I responded to your email yesterday regarding upgrading your Clari-T.

Regarding the link on headfi, it was removed by the moderators.  It was too "ad-like" and they removed it.   

Maybe I can get it back from them and post it here.... It had a lot of useful info 

Best regards,

Vinnie