Tripath Battery Powered Audiophile Amp: Initial Impressions

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #120 on:** 20 Dec 2004, 07:33 pm »

Vinnie,

Don't have a voltmeter...not sure I need one that badly. But, I hear and understand all you have indicated.

I may still go ahead and buy one of these little killers from you...I was just hoping to have my cake and eat it sorta' thing

It's a guesstimate at about 30 hours, but that seems about right if you are estimating 5-6 hours for 1.3 aH SLA (5.38 times less storage capacity than 7 aH). I'm also using a 90 db sensitive, 6-8 ohm speaker, but my music is mostly fairly soft in the background while I work (and can hear telephone). So , our (guess)stimates kinda' line up nicely. My room is 12 x 15 x 8-12' and I am only 7' from left speaker when working during the day.

Thx.

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #121 on:** 20 Dec 2004, 07:40 pm »

Quote from: TheChairGuy

Vinnie,

It's a guesstimate at about 30 hours, but that seems about right if you are estimating 5-6 hours for 1.3 aH SLA (5.38 times less storage capacity than 7 aH). I'm also using a 90 db sensitive, 6-8 ohm speaker, but my music is mostly fairly soft in ...

John,

If you are playing at a fairly soft volume level, you'll most likely be about to go beyond 6 hours of listening before recharging. If you do buy a Clari-T-Amp, at some point it may be a good idea to get a low cost voltmeter (you can get one for less than $20). After playing for 6 hours, test the battery voltage. If you have plenty left, feel free to continue. You'll eventually be able to estimate how long you can play at that level you normally listen to in your office. It wouldn't surprise me if you find you are able to go 10-12 hours...

Maybe I should add a small voltmeter to the front panel of my next REV of Clari-T-Amp

That way you can view the battery voltage during playback and charging

-Vinnie

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #122 on:** 20 Dec 2004, 08:47 pm »

Quote from: Vinne R.

Maybe I should add a small voltmeter to the front panel of my next REV of Clari-T-Amp That way you can view the battery voltage during playback and charging

I'm not sure if you're joking, but dudes dig meters. Think of all the amps that are sought after than have meters on them...it seems to affect their desirability near and short term. I'm in sales, don't ya' know...I notice those things

Just as long as it doesn't effect sonics or price....a meter on the Clari-T seems to be a good decision for a couple reasons.

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #123 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 01:19 am »

Quote from: TheChairGuy

Quote from: Vinne R.
Maybe I should add a small voltmeter to the front panel of my next REV of Clari-T-Amp That way you can view the battery voltage during playback and charging

I'm not sure if you're joking, but dudes dig meters. Think of all the amps that are sought after than have meters on them...it seems to affect their desirability near and short term. I'm in sales, don't ya' know...I notice those things

Just as long as it doesn't effect sonics or price....a meter on the Clari-T seems to be a good decision for a couple reasons.

John,

I was only half joking

I'll have to look into this, and no, there should be no impact on sonics, but it would unfortunately add to the price (depending on the cost of the meter). Thanks for you feedback on this.

-Vinnie

maxwalrath · « **Reply #124 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 02:35 am »

Ditto for the meter...it would be cool.

Dmason · « **Reply #125 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 03:31 am »

Make it a performance option for those who feel they have trouble remembering to turn other similar appliances such as lights ON before they use them, and turn them OFF after they use them. This way they could always be sure of when to turn it "OFF" and the bright blue light could act as a "reminder" to turn it off.

RoadTripper · « **Reply #126 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 04:00 am »

I think it all depends on how you think having the option at the increased price will affect sales. And then it depends on whether or not you want more business or not.

All I know is when I look at it I can't believe I paid $400 for it, and then when I listen to it I can't believe I paid $400 for it!

It is doing a great job of retiring my other amps. For example, my son is about to inherit my JVC ES1SL.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #127 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 04:29 pm »

Vinnie,

Then don't change a thing.....

The only thing is to possibly change out the battery to something larger, but this adds weight (making it less portable, if folks plan to tote it around) and you'd have to find a new aluminum box to house everything in. It'd still be a mightly pipsqueek!

Anyhow, enough of my marketing advice, I'm not even a paying customer yet

Based on what I'm hearing from Seminarian, DMason and others, this baby doesn't seem to need much help at all...at least not from a sales guys angle

Dmason · « **Reply #128 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 05:00 pm »

I think the sonic performance angle is what needs to be seriously explored here. Push the performance "meter" toward the red, with the Clari-T. It is one mind-bender, and had a stunned audience in the palm of its hand last night, whilst mixing grapes with Mahler, and Stravinsky.

To this end, I ordered a pair of ultra high quality Beyma 8BX coaxials today, and sim'd in a 36L pipe, these little Spaniards are about flat to 25Hz

and 93.2db efficent, making for a truly full-range speaker set up with no need for subs, and sensitive enough for all the slam, power and glory bottled up in that little black box....now we are cooking with oil

maxwalrath · « **Reply #129 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 09:48 pm »

what speakers are those??

Dmason · « **Reply #130 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 10:30 pm »

Beyma is a Spanish manufacturer of very, very high performance pro-audio drivers, well known in Europe, but not so much so in the US. www.beyma.com They recently launched a line of coaxial drivers, the 8" being the smallest, and have the widest bandwidth of all the high performance 8" coaxials on the market. It also uses a high quality aluminum diaphragm compression driver horn tweeter and a time-aligned first order crossover, apparently. If I had more room, I would be interested in the 99db 15" for the Clari-T amp

I ran a simulation using MathCAD showing that in a 60 litre bottom-vented pipe, the Beyma 8CX will remain flat to about 30Hz. It also has a 93db sensitivity rating, which makes it perfect for Vinnie's amp, and a full range, higher efficiency solution without the need for a sub, for true full range sound. Aluminum C/D horns sound addictively fantastic with tube amps, and with some resistor tuning (because of higher damping factor in T amps,) just as good or better with Tripath amps. The Beyma comes very close to being a modern day hotrod version of the vintage Tannoys, but with the benefit of speaker technology developed over the last thirty years.

I have had email exchanges with a music director/teacher in Holland who loves his Beyma 8CX in the bigger box, using two Gainclone amps. He has no plans to change out these speakers, and says he has very high standards for musical reproduction. If he is spending his days listening to high school band classes, he would have to, to be inspired to listen at home...I believe him. Beyma are available here through www.usspeaker.com

tubeytubeamp · « **Reply #131 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 10:36 pm »

What, preamp are you guys using for the Clari-T? Is it that much better than the JVC?

Vinnie,

Are there any plans to make a poweramp version without the attenuator?

Thanks
Dennis

RoadTripper · « **Reply #132 on:** 21 Dec 2004, 11:29 pm »

No pre-amp is being used.

I really liked the JVC. I was able to easily listen to it through my Omega Grande 8Rs for 5 hours every night, no problem. But, the Clari-T is at a completely different level. It has fabulous detail. It has an even, balanced sonority all up and down the range. Its bass is much more solid and deep, bigger. I moved from row 5, with the JVC, to the conductor's podium with the Clari-T (on some recordings, but not all). Human palpability is much better with the Clari-T, no doubt because of detail.

It has detail and sonority. So called tube warmth is not an issue, because it is not adding something not there to begin with. If the performance had warmth, then so does the recording. If the perf. had emotion, then so does the recording.

The overall size (soundstage, I guess) of the sound is growing as the thing is breaking in. My Omegas used to be smallish sounding in comparison with my VMPS RM40s, naturally. But now they are catching up.

maxwalrath · « **Reply #133 on:** 22 Dec 2004, 01:34 am »

No preamp being used here either...

tianguis · « **Reply #134 on:** 22 Dec 2004, 02:13 am »

All:
I threw together some speaks today, using Lowther EX3's which I'm driving with my modded T-Amp. Now we're talking! The Lowthers seem like a very easy load compared to my Hammer Super 12's and take even less power, even though the Hammers are rated at 98 db/w/m. the same as the Lowthers. No bass yet, no break-in yet, have to move them. But what a mid-range and detail in spades.
No pre-amp, either. Been there, tried that. Different, but not better.

Regards,
Larry Welsh

Dmason · « **Reply #135 on:** 22 Dec 2004, 02:14 am »

Last night we plugged in a Joule Electra tube pre amp to see about enhanced dynamics, soundstage, additional "warmth," and tube sparkle, and to be honest, we all agreed that the ClariT just sounded more connected to the performers, and recorded ambience without anything in the way of the source. Usually I prefer a tube pre amp to energize the signal, but not with this thing. And the Joule pre is a wonderful machine.

It also sounds best with the non upsampling, non filtered approach of the Nixon DAC, with single drivers. ClariT made even my old Sony DVP7700 sound better by far than it should.

brj · « **Reply #136 on:** 22 Dec 2004, 02:28 am »

Hi Seminarian!

Quote from: Seminarian

My Omegas used to be smallish sounding in comparison with my VMPS RM40s, naturally.

Just out of curiosity, have you considered trying to drive the RM40's with the Clari-T? I know the 40's are supposed to like power, but they are listed as a 4 Ohm nominal load with a 90dB/1W/1m sensitivity.

(The RM30's would probably be an even more suitable match, as they are more sensitive at 93dB/1W/1m while presenting a 4 Ohm nominal load.)

Edit: Ok, I'm not sure about those sensitivity numbers any more... I got them from the VMPS Europe site, but this page lists a different RM30 sensitivity. I can't seem to find an RM40 sensitivity offhand, so maybe it wouldn't be a good match afterall.

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #137 on:** 22 Dec 2004, 02:31 am »

Quote from: tubeytubeamp

What, preamp are you guys using for the Clari-T? Is it that much better than the JVC?

Vinnie,

Are there any plans to make a poweramp version without the attenuator?

Thanks
Dennis

Hi Dennis,

I will probably be adding the option for an "attenuatorless" version of the Clari-T-Amp for those who want to use their own preamp. It will probably look the same, but without the volume control. The inputs from the RCA would be soldered directly to the amplifier board.

Someone who owns the Clari-T has expressed interest in have this done and using this passive preamp"

http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=CROBH22&product_name=OBH-22%20Remote%20Passive%20Preamp

They are about the same size and should be a SWEET combo!

Regards,

Vinnie

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #138 on:** 22 Dec 2004, 02:36 am »

Quote from: Dmason

It also sounds best with the non upsampling, non filtered approach of the Nixon DAC, with single drivers. ClariT made even my old Sony DVP7700 sound better by far than it should.
...

Dan,

Don't forget the key words "battery powered" in front of "non upsampling, non filtered approach of the Nixon DAC, with single drivers."

Feed the Nixon DAC with a 12V SLA, and you will get the blackest background out there!

Can I get an A'men!

-Vinnie

maxwalrath · « **Reply #139 on:** 22 Dec 2004, 02:47 am »

In layman's terms, why is there such a big advantage to having a battery powered DAC, but little talk of battery powered transports? (I know they were discussed earlier in the thread)

Has anyone out there compared a great CD player or great modded cd player to a decent transport for $200 or so and a battery powered DAC? I'm sure there's a thread for this buried somewhere in audiocircle.

I don't mean to steer the thread away from the Clari-T...only to focus on the benefits of battery power for other components in the chain besides the amp.

The Clari-T is sounding damn good for having 10 hours use...