Thanks Chariguy for helping me out with the pic. What was the solution BTW?
Carlman said:
I continue to be amazed at how different a pair of speakers or an amp can sound. However, so far... that low power/single driver sound hasn't done it for me. So, my comments are based on liking expensive, dead, sterile... well, you know 'hi-fi'.
Obviously it is down to individual preferences and what you hear and prefer in a particular system.
There are also synergies which come into play. Most of the cheaper digital receivers/amps may not quite have the driving capability your preferred speakers require. I know some of the Bel Canto designs are higher power.
I believe they are all based on Tripath. The same chips used in the little Teac which I have. The JVC may also be Tripath derived.
BC obviously listen very carefully and tweak their amps to get a sound both they and their customers appreciate. A review at 6moons mentioned a significant improvement from just one capacitor change.
By contrast the Teac and probably the Pannys come 'as is' with a 'direct from the factory' sound. The passive components, etc. are obviously all low cost. Despite the lack of tailoring of the sound, to my ears and many others here, in the right system these amps are all 'music makers'. In other words they just seem to let the music through.
By contrast conventionally designed high-end amps are often heavily tailored to extract a particular sound. Perhaps this is the only way to get music out of those designs, especially SS designs; but it can lead to a contrived sound that may not result in music.
I'm not suggesting that you're attracted to a contrived or sterile, amusical sound. It seems these new digital amps (at least in my experience, those based on Tripath or Tripath derived designs) can be tweaked to improve the sound and still let the music through. I haven't heard any of the BC's; but I bet they're all 'music makers' as well.
To my ears both the little, untweaked, Teac and the JVC make real music. These amps differ greatly from each other though.
The Teac really brings out the leading edge of transients (something Mapleshade place a great deal of importance on and Horn loaded spkrs also do well). The notes also start and stop on the button, against a silent background.
The problem with the Teac is that it is icy cool sounding, which can be hard to take on some recordings.
The JVC on the other hand obviously has its sound tailored to suite certain tastes. This is hinted at in their literature where they talk about the problems of digital amps in general and the benefits of their hybrid feedback circuitry.
The sound of the JVC goes in the opposite direction of the Teac, in the sense that it is romantic and classical music in particular is gorgeously liquid. At the same time when I try to analyse its sound I don't actually hear any obvious deficiences. Despite sounding a little romantic, its sound doesn't feel contrived. It's still what I'd call a 'music maker'. Notes do stop and start precisely and I can hear the leading edge of transient attacks, just not as obviously as on the Teac. Perhaps the Teac is exagerating these qualities. I don't know; but I really enjoy both amps.
I haven't had either of these amps modded yet; but I intend to. Of course, there's no point in modding something unless it's really good to start with and I doubt if Wayne or anyone else would offer mods on these if they didn't consider it worthwhile. The mods are bound to add numerous refinements; but I doub't if they would change the essential character of either of these amps.
For me these amps along with single driver crossoverless spkrs can really make music. This is despite the fact that the amps as well as SET amps and horn loaded speakers all suffer from colorations. I don't believe it's the colorations that I'm attracted to and any attemps to ameliorate those can only bring improvements. So hats off to companies such as Bel Canto if that's what they're doing.
geoff
