Sonic Impact and Super 3

thundernz1 · « **on:** 12 Oct 2004, 12:01 am »

I hooked up the Sonic Impact tonight and was totally shocked...It sounded good, really good, unbelievably good. In fact, I prefer it over my modified Jolida that I paid $1000 for. Anybody else tried this combination? I know 6moons did a review with just such a combination.

Bwanagreg · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 12:10 am »

Welcome to the Tripath/Omega mutual admiration society

I haven't heard the Sonic Impact, but I used the similar Powerwave for several months until my tricked out battery powered Tripath amp was finished by Wayne at Bolder cable. I too replaced an el-34 tube amp with a Tpath and never looked back. Enjoy!

thundernz1 · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 01:17 am »

I am a bit new to the digital amp revolution...are there any other tripath amps out there worth a listen?...

mcgsxr · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 01:21 am »

I like the Teac Tripath A-L700P for $99 - Wayne at Bolder is modding one for me, while I enjoy the other one... using boring old 2 way, inefficient speakers, and enjoying it, while I research single driver speakers...

Give it a shot from J&R.

mark in Canada

thundernz1 · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 01:25 am »

I saw the TEAC...does it need a preamp or a volume control?

mcgsxr · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 01:29 am »

Does not strictly need a preamp (it does have individual gain pots on the rear), but I have found the sound improves markedly when the gain pots are maxed, and a preamp is used - Wayne claims part of his mod is to strip these cheapies out of the signal path completely, with better sound resultant.

Recommend that you use a pre of some kind (I have used active and passive with good results).

Search my threads here on AC in the Multichannel circle for full comparison to my former amp, a Sugden integrated...

Mark in Canada

kbuzz3 · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 02:26 am »

Im using a pair of omegas with the flying mole mono blocks while i wait my vintage amp restoration. Quite frankly im very impressed, i do however use a vintage fisher pre with the moles.

Dmason · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 03:05 am »

Mark is fo shoo!

For an extra few bucks, the Teac is unquestionably a few orders of magnitude up on the Sonic Impact. It actually has quite a nice power supply despite itself, and could even be tweaked into 4 channels, if you have duals, or coaxials which are efficient. I hate to say it, but with suitably sensitive speakers, I think the sound of the Teac is close to what the Carver ZR mod squad are trying for. Having owned both, the Teac is sweeter, and by a wide margin. Replacing the power cord, as usual, gives it a chance on a real life..... It is a good amp, a Single Ended Tripath. (SET) right?

I was using mine with a pair of 12" Eminence co-ax's in an open baffle, and the effect was sublime. I will at some point get Vinnie R. or Wayne W. to work magic on it, when I decide which coaxial I am going to work with, either the Radians or more likely the new PAS 8" I am about to beta test. I still think the Fostii paper cones prefer tubes, but Teac Tripath does superbly, and is just astounding with good pro Co-axials.

Bwanagreg · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Oct 2004, 10:00 pm »

Here is the amp Wayne built for me. A bit pricier than many of the options mentioned already, but still only $400-500.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=12037

dwk · « **Reply #9 on:** 13 Oct 2004, 12:07 am »

Quote from: Dmason

For an extra few bucks, the Teac is unquestionably a few orders of magnitude up on the Sonic Impact. It actually has quite a nice power supply despite itself, and could even be tweaked into 4 channels, if you have duals, or coaxials which are efficient.

How were you running the SI? It improves greatly with a 12V SLA supply. I'm trying to decide whether it's worth the trouble to try a gung-ho mod on the SI or not.....

Quote from: Dmason

when I decide which coaxial I am going to work with, either the Radians or more likely the new PAS 8" I am about to beta test.

PAS?? whozat? P-Audio? FYI BMS has 12's and 15's coming using their highly regarded 4550/4552 drivers. If that's not enough, the BMS importer is supposedly putting together a BMS compression driver w/ Ciare coax.
Plus, at RMAF Dan W. confirmed kinda sorta that the XBL^2 coax drivers are real, but couldn't give a hard date - *maybe* first quarter next year.

Just too much happening in the hi-eff coax world at the moment, and that doesn't even include Tannoys.....

Dmason · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 Oct 2004, 11:21 pm »

dwk

I was using it with a wall wart but I have a good 12V/charger coming, and I will transplant the board into something abit better, and get rid of the pot as surely it is a fly in the proverbial ointment.

YES, there is much going on in coaxial land, and all of it is good. PAS is Professional Audio Systems, and they make the big coaxials that went into the Galante speakers. Beyma, B&C, Ciare, Radian, all are making fantastic coaxials that pick up where Altec left off. 'Nuff said.

It would be wonderful to try the Radians, if only Rosypup would step up and sell me those 8'ers he isn't using, then I could report back.