[lonewolfny42]

I hope I did not ever state that I have heard the ClariTamp, just something that in its bases is similar conceptually, same chip + battery driven. Of course it is NOT the ClariT amp. Call my "idea" of what is sounds like "meta analysis."  

This pretty much says it all..... [/list:u]
Without hearing the actual amp ,you cannot truely know how it sounds. What we heard at the last NY Rave was Larry's T amp....but conditions were less than perfect.[/list:u]
Now if someone wanted to loan me their Clari T amp for a listen at a Rave meeting ...I wouldn't refuse their offer..... [/list:u]

[RoadTripper]

When I am listening to music on the the Clari-T with my Omegas, midrange forwardness is the farthest thing from my mind. I just hear lots and lots of music/musical performances.  And, yes, it does continue to improve over the 250 hour mark.

I am going to be demoing this thing for a friend who has $2K to drop on a system. He has bad tinnitus like I do and claims that he can never hear any stereo as better than another, regardless of cost. So it will be interesting to get his impressions.

[gary]

When I am listening to music on the the Clari-T with my Omegas, midrange forwardness is the farthest thing from my mind. I just hear lots and lots of music/musical performances.  And, yes, it does continue to improve over the 250 hour mark.

I am going to be demoing this thing for a friend who has $2K to drop on a system. He has bad tinnitus like I do and claims that he can never hear any stereo as better than another, regardless of cost. So it will be interesting to get his impressions.

It'd be interesting to see what he thinks of it. I have tinnitus as well, and lately I've noticed that after I listen for a while - even at fairly low levels - my ears would be ringing. Last night that didn't happen at all. In fact I really had no idea how loud I was listening until I went upstairs and found out my girlfriend was mad at me because you could hear the stereo through the whole house.

Gary

[maxwalrath]

If no one from NY has one and the timing works out for me, I might be able to bring a ClariT to NY for a gathering.

[JohnnyLightOn]

Anyone have any thoughts for me on my question (see thread page 1)?

I need to know whether to salivate over this amp right now, or think about it as a second-system amp for the future...

[gary]

Anyone have any thoughts for me on my question (see thread page 1)?

I need to know whether to salivate over this amp right now, or think about it as a second-system amp for the future...

Well, I'll let you know in a few days, when my 100dB/W speakers are here. My guess is that with the right speakers it can do what you're looking for.


Gary

[JohnnyLightOn]

Excellent!  Thanks, gary.  

[tianguis]

Paul, all:
       Since one subject of Paul's criticism was my humble little $20 (total cost)  T-Amp project, I'd better clarify a few things which were stated.
       First of all,  the T-Amp was never used to drive the Omegas. The binding posts on the Omegas wouldn't take the bananas on the beater Goertz MI 2's I brought. The only speaks heard with the T-Amp were original Reference 3A De Capos, ~88 dB/W/m.
       Secondly, I certainly did hear it clipping. However, at the volume some RAVE folks seem to favor, I'd expect that. At lower levels, even with the De Capos, there was no clipping. Since most of my listening is with Lowther ML TL's at ~80 dB SPL, I don't ever experience the clipping we heard.
        Proper speaker choice is critical for these little amps. If we'd been driving the De Capos with 2A3 SETs, the clipping would have been worse.
Different horses for different courses.

Regards,
Larry Welsh

[-Richard-]

Thanks Larry for the clarification,

This proves that there can be a very strong psychological
component to our perceptions...if we are not careful when
we gather the facts of our audio experiences (and this would
be just as true in every area of our lives)...

It is an interesting question to ask why would someone
willingly choose to inject a shadow into someone else's
very positive and enlightened experience with audio
products...products mind you that are coming from what
can only be considered a cottage industry...small one
person businesses...as opposed to the corporate style
businesses with their exasperatingly impersonal style.

Perhaps because we are not aware of the effect that our
rather off-the-cuff...so-to-speak...observations can have
on the viability of these brave folks who put their lives
and integrity on the line each and every day to keep
their business afloat...

We must be very careful not to judge these small one
person audio businesses with the same measure of
disdain that we might level on some large corporate
impersonal entity...it is not a question of a double
standard...

The point here is that Louie of Omega and Vinnie of
Red Wine Audio are lovely guys that are accessible and
genuinely nice and are killing themselves to give us
a glimpse into the musical life we crave...and their
products are (relatively) inexpensive compared to the
megabuck audio carnival that spins its web of misinformation
and hype with large splashy adds with their repetitive
branding presence in the magazines...

So may I caution all of us to be a bit more sensitive when
we place our powerful opinions in these august circles...
you may be adding ultimately in the death of a small audio
business that is making wonderful products for a niche audience
that would not be able to find these jewels anywhere else...

Thanks all...spring is coming to Ojai...lilacs all along
Rice Road...

-Richard-

[tianguis]

Richard:
        In a word, amen.
        Lilacs? Bah, humbug. Raining here in New Yawk City. No lilacs for months yet. But, we got music.

Regards,
Larry Welsh

[Bwanagreg]

Richard,

Very nicely put.

[Bemopti123]

I must have made a fool of myself after stating that I had heard the Sonic I modded with the lead battery as Tianguis brought it to the Rave.  There is no apologies that can be accepted at this point on my mistake.  

The only thing that can deliver me from the jail house would be that there was toooo much going on on the meeting to pay attention to it all.  Too much swapping and switching going on.  Could it be possible that I placed the Sonic T as a shadow insert, a figment to my imagination?

The only thing to say is that this mistake was definetly not intentional.  Everyone please take my apologies.  

BTW, definetly I would have appreciated the experience more if it was in a more controlled environment with less changes and swapping of equipment.  

If my position on the ClariTamp seemed as if I favored larger companies at the expense of a one man production as Vinni's Amps, it is not intentional.  I prefer to deal with small production or rare and exotic products such as the esoteric Final Music Amplifier I have that runs in the 100s of units instead of the thousands.  I am even tempted into sending my Sharp unit to be modded by Vinnie to use it as a simple digital amp, bypassing all other electronics.  Maybe he could work some of the tripath chip and ClariTamp magic on my Sharp and allow me to taste audio nirvana.    

As for the Omega speaker, not to hurt anyone's feelings, I have to say that in the circumstances as I heard them sounded fairly forwards in the midrange, something that was noted by someone else.  Maybe it needed more break in?  Regardless, it is something that can be fixed with a little or more aggressive tweaking.

To quote back to what Eric Shultz and even Tianguis commented about digital amplification, the technology is here to stay and there is no one denying the fact.  In fact, what was most telling about the merits of tripath amplification is that Tianguis commented that he had not fired even a single one of his tube amps since he got the Sonic I modded into the form he had.  That really told me that there is something going on inside the chip, especially coming from the mouth of someone who seemed to be like a really tube amplification fan.  

Good listening to all and no need to get our bloods flowing just to state an opinion.  Everyone should be happy with whatever set up they have.  

Paul from raining NYC

[mcrespo71]

The point here is that Louie of Omega and Vinnie of
Red Wine Audio are lovely guys that are accessible and
genuinely nice and are killing themselves to give us
a glimpse into the musical life we crave...and their
products are (relatively) inexpensive compared to the
megabuck audio carnival that spins its web of misinformation
and hype with large splashy adds with their repetitive
branding presence in the magazines...

So may I caution all of us to be a bit more sensitive when
we place our powerful opinions in these august circles...
you may be adding ultimately in the death of a small audio
business that is making wonderful products for a niche audience
that would not be able to find these jewels anywhere else...

Let me first say I have never heard the Tripath amp and have no comment on it.

Let me get this straight, though, if an audio product is not that good and comes from a small vendor, we are supposed to bite our tongue and shut up?  These forums are really opinions, but it seems to me any opinion, whether good or bad, is just a data point.  People can do with it what they may.

I'll criticize a product that sucks whether it comes from a small vendor or large one.  If a small vendor makes a shitty product and I hear it, I'm not holding back.  Likewise, if the small vendor makes a great product, I'll let people know.

All vendors must deal with the good and bad of audio forums, though I suppose a small vendor is more suceptible to bad press on the net.  However, despite this, if anyone makes a product I don't like, I'll let it be known.

Michael

[tianguis]

Paul:
       I have to agree with you about the amount of stuff we seem to swap in and out at these things. I can't keep it straight, either. I try to keep notes, but half the time I forget to bring a pen.
       At the RAVE, the only time my T-Amp was in the system was when Frank was demo-ing his DSP. The T-Amp was utilising the DSP, driving the De Capos. The comparison "stereo" system was the Almarro driving the Omegas. I think the DSP may have imparted a signature of its own, aside from the spatial thing. At any rate, it was good to hear the T-Amp driving some good, fairly inefficient speaks.

Regards,
Larry Welsh

[AphileEarlyAdopter]

"ruthless disregard for the
numbing hype that has most of the audio world immersed in
some form of somnambulistic under sea, pre-conscious state... "

I wish I could write like Richard..english is not my first language but I love it when it is written the way Richard writes. This pretty much is what I feel about Dan. Somebody mentioned that 6moons is spying on his activities ..whether it is true or not..I am following Dan, just like I would eagerly follow my favorite magazine or a book.
His foray into single driver designs is what will be my next stop. I have not ventured into the T-amp, mainly because I like the convenience of my Panasonic (working on the transport side following tiangius' discoveries). But Dan's  like a magazine whose next issue I eagerly look forward to.


I am philosophically in agreement with Richard when he writes "transcendence of music to lift me out of the mundane existence
we find ourselves falling into in this complex, demanding and stressful
society that we are plunged into... " I would go further and say that the Do-it-Yourself and Discover-it-Yourself approach of Dan and his ilk is a soothing antidote to this ..

[smargo]

Let me first say I have never heard the Tripath amp and have no comment on it.

Let me get this straight, though, if an audio product is not that good and comes from a small vendor, we are supposed to bite our tongue and shut up?  These forums are really opinions, but it seems to me any opinion, whether good or bad, is just a data point.  People can do with it what they may.

I'll criticize a product that sucks whether it comes from a small vendor or large one.  If a small vendor makes a shitty product ...

And I think really what happens is if a product is bad usually nobody talks about it at all. I never heard of tripath either until I bought the clari t with the notion that I was just going to buy it to do vinnie a favor to help get his business going. I had no intentions of replacing my tube amps and speakers.

But now I am rethinking my whole setup as regards to what makes me a happy listener and believe me - Im going to start building everything around the clari t which i had no intention of doing 2 months ago.

Reagrds,
smargo

[mcgsxr]

I am also a big fan of Dan's, but cannot stand the way that he chews through speakers!

Seriously, this guy builds more speakers in a month than I have hot meals in a week!  Jordans, Fostex, WR125's, more Fostex, bizarre German imports etc...

As for the battery powered amps, well I think my speakers are not efficient enough, and I am pretty pleased with my Bolder Teac, in spite of the DROVES of people that are over the moon for their Clari-T amp, or Bolder battery Tripath, or DIY upgraded Sonic etc.

Nice to see people happy with what they have for a change!

[GHM]

I think I could read Richards post all day long! WOW
This man sure knows how to write. That's what I call a gift!

Good for you Micheal..no one here is trying to cover for Vinnie.
I've lived with and heard enough gear to know what sound I'm looking for. If the ClariT didn't work for me it would be sent back. Same goes for speakers..I have bought a pair of speakers and sold them within a week of buying them. I don't mess around when it comes to this stuff anymore. Some try to bandaid and use crazy tweaks to make something work. Not ME! If it doesn't work it is out of here period!

That said no one product is for everyone. A couple of years back I wouldn't have ever considered FR speakers or low wattage amplifiers. My taste have changed in music. I want to be able to visualize the stage as well as hear it. This is the closest I've come. As the saying goes different strokes for different folks.

[konut]

AEA----- I have only been hanging around this forum for a couple of weeks and I feel the same way as you do regarding DMason and Richard  as their experience correlates to mine. Only until you've hung around the hobby long enough to audition hundreds of speakers, owned a few dozen, and looked at pertinent specs, do you start to get a sense what works and what doesnt.  

MGXSR----- Be thankful DM chews through those speakers, so we dont have to.  

I"d really like to talk to DMason about some ideas I have concerning a speaker design I'm toying with.

[cjr888]

Would be interesting to maintain a single, constantly edited 1st post that tracks all the speakers people are using with the Clari-T or SI.  Also curious to hear impression other than Dmason's of those with multiple speaker sets -- curious to hear not what does match, but what doesn't match and how/why.....  Example - the single driver folks seem very happy -- I'm curious to see if they weren't so happy with other designs.

I do own one of these little amps, though its not the primary amplifier in the system.  It probably has maybe 75 hours on it or so, but is sort of sitting on the side right now.  Maybe I'll make the time to run it in much, much more, but I might be in the minority opinion here.  I can certainly understand what people could appreciate in the amplifier, what could make people extremely happy in comparison to most of what's out there, but I'm still finding my happiness in another amp, while finding respect in the CT if that makes any sense.