Helluva Shootout: Sonic Impact vs. Jadis 300B and more...

Dmason · « **Reply #20 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 12:25 am »

Ulas,

Nothings changed, just that CD horn tweeters are far better off paired with tube amps, a pretty well known fact. Damping factor absolutely has to do with compression horns, and the coaxials I use would abslolutely be better off with tubes driving metal compression drivers. It doesn't mean at all that I prefer tube amps, or have waning interest in the TA2024 chip, or battery powering it. It means that using other than tube amps, CD drivers need some contouring.

I am collecting high sensitivity drivers because I like the way they sound with the ClariT even MORE than when I originally wrote this thread's first post.

The more it breaks in, the more I like it. In fact I am considering a cost-no-object version of it, to see how much can be milked out of the design.

smargo · « **Reply #21 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 01:14 am »

dmason wrote:

Quote

The more it breaks in, the more I like it. In fact I am considering a cost-no-object version of it, to see how much can be milked out of the design.

Me too! - is it available? - If this isn't one of the most amazing amps now for the money i don't what is?

Keep me posted

Thanks,
smargo

Panelhead · « **Reply #22 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 03:16 am »

Quote from: grkn

You clearly see that a trace near the bottom is burnt, and there's also one further up at the right.

But this is fixable right? If I just fix these two the SI might work?
And if fixable, what would be suitable equipment to do just that?

It is most likely junk. The components that drew the power to burn the traces are toast. It would good to practice unsoldering and resoldering on. Working on these surface mount boards requires practice.
If you try just redoing the traces, using some 30 ga wire wrap wire to jumper from the still attached trace to trace should work. You may try going from a component to another instead of trying to tie the traces.

George

grkn · « **Reply #23 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 10:13 am »

Hmm, but RickB said on his SI DIY page that he had burnt a trace, fixed it and then it worked..

Anyhow, will try to repairs the traces.

KT · « **Reply #24 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 02:38 pm »

Hi everyone,

I'd like to hear more about what Sonic Impact is doing in their latest revision board.

From TheChairGuy:

"... Sonic Impact, frow what I've read, deleted a lot of sound enhancing parts in their simplified version of the 2024 board."

If anyone has a chance to A/B the Rev.2 and latest Rev.3 boards, I'm sure all of us would be very interested.

It would be ashame if the performance of the little 5066 was reduced. Perhaps they're doing this so they can justify the existence of a soon-to-be-released, more upscale (read: more expensive) amp?

Just a thought, anyway.

It would be great to hear your experiences regarding this.

Best,
KT

KT · « **Reply #25 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 02:39 pm »

BTW,

Can you post the links to any discussions of the new revision boards?

Thanks,
KT

RickB · « **Reply #26 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 06:45 pm »

Quote from: grkn

Hmm, but RickB said on his SI DIY page that he had burnt a trace, fixed it and then it worked..

Anyhow, will try to repairs the traces.

Yep, but then I did something else obviously incredibly stupid yesterday and smoked the chip.... and this is after it had been working great for three months straight.....I just wanted to put it in a nicer case, with better wire and connectors, and lose the volume control....oh well....looks like I can finish the case and get a new SI when they are out in the normal distribution channels again...

Thank goodness this was one of my cheaper blow-ups!

Rick

grkn · « **Reply #27 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 07:14 pm »

my chip -looks- unharmed, so there might be a chance that it'll work?

RickB · « **Reply #28 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: grkn

my chip -looks- unharmed, so there might be a chance that it'll work?

Maybe....when I first blew mine up, the same trace that you show vaporized on mine....I replaced the trace with a length of wire and mine started working again...but I had a channel imbalance....that's when I replaced the xfrmr volume control with the Alps Black Beauty....which gave the unit an incredible focus...but my Alps is a 250K unit, way too much for this little amp, so there really was very little rotation of the control knob near the end of it's travel needed for a large change in volume...in other words, 250K is way too much!

Besides, I have an Audible Illusions Modulus 3A preamp and don't need an amp with a volume control...

The entire reason I blew mine up in the first instance was because the wires from the battery box to the board were "color coded" wrong...i.e., black was really the positive lead....connecting it up that way vaporized that one trace on the board....

This last time I blew mine up a tiny hole opened up in the top surface of the Tripath chip and let all the smoke out....I don't guess a drop of epoxy would fix that, eh?

Rick

Panelhead · « **Reply #29 on:** 25 Jan 2005, 09:21 pm »

Fry's stocks a phenolic based patching putty formulated for the Tripath chips. It is in the appliance section of the store.
I can only laugh because my 5066 is still in the stock box. After reading about all the problems with letting the smake out I plan on paying attention to the wire routing.
Has anyone swapped out the chokes in the output section? They look like real cheap stuff. Local suppliers stock 2 uH air core that should fit. The radiation may be higher though. And the antenna effect on rfi pick up.
Spome how I suspect the values selected by SI are not the ones listed in the Tripath data sheet for the 2024. Make have to destroy a board to measure what SI has used. I have one that has dc offset of 20 mv on one channel and 100 mv on the other. It is not going to get used anyway.
This dc offset is real also. It measures the same whether the amp is unloaded or has a 12 ohm resistor across the output. I hoped it would be lower with a speaker attached.

George

tvyankee · « **Reply #30 on:** 26 Jan 2005, 12:15 am »

hey guys.

just thought you should know that sonic impact is doing the right thing.

here it is from the cows mouth.

Dear Tvyankee,

Sonic Impact has not done anything to its board. Tripath, the
manufacturer of the 2024 chip used by Sonic, has developed a "dumbed down"
version called a 2008. However, the 2024 has not changed. Sonic will
continue to use the 2024 Tripath chip and will not do anything to degrade
the sound.

As an aside, we are working on a more "audiophile friendly" version
to our amp. It will not look like a toy, and it will feature things like
gold binding posts, etc. We are also working on a more powerful version of
our amp. Please put the word out that we have not changed our amp. Thanks.

Best regards,

hope this helps to clear things up on the rev thing.

corwin99 · « **Reply #31 on:** 26 Jan 2005, 01:05 am »

tvyankee,
that is pretty cool. I actually emailed them today to see if they had any in stock directly, and they said that they did... so i guess they are available direct, but at a premium.

neL

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #32 on:** 26 Jan 2005, 01:32 am »

wow & great, tvyankee, nice investigating

corwin99 · « **Reply #33 on:** 27 Jan 2005, 04:49 am »

I have a question.. anyone every try building an outboard power supply for this? Is it possible to build a 12v linear power supply that would give similar results as the SLA?

BillyM · « **Reply #34 on:** 27 Jan 2005, 04:51 am »

Quote from: corwin99

tvyankee,
that is pretty cool. I actually emailed them today to see if they had any in stock directly, and they said that they did... so i guess they are available direct, but at a premium.

neL

How much, and who do we email?

--billyM

ooheadsoo · « **Reply #35 on:** 27 Jan 2005, 05:11 am »

Quote from: corwin99

I have a question.. anyone every try building an outboard power supply for this? Is it possible to build a 12v linear power supply that would give similar results as the SLA?

I know a friend who bought a big honkin' power supply off of ebay and he vows that it's great with the SI. In fact, he has no interest in battery power because of that power supply.

corwin99 · « **Reply #36 on:** 27 Jan 2005, 06:56 am »

Quote from: BillyM

Quote from: corwin99
tvyankee,
that is pretty cool. I actually emailed them today to see if they had any in stock directly, and they said that they did... so i guess they are available direct, but at a premium.

neL

How much, and who do we email?

--billyM

Just go to their site:
http://www.si-5.com

I emailed through the contact form, and i got a reply from the guy saying that they can be bought through the website and that they are in stock.. $40US.

corwin99 · « **Reply #37 on:** 27 Jan 2005, 06:59 am »

Quote from: ooheadsoo

I know a friend who bought a big honkin' power supply off of ebay and he vows that it's great with the SI. In fact, he has no interest in battery power because of that power supply.

Like a premade regulated one? I was thinking about building my own... not sure how much trial and error i would have to go through to get the optimal design though. My battery should be here tomorrow... i guess i really should hear it before i decide whether or not i want to try... it sounds pretty darn good already with the additional mods i made tonight.