[jswallac]

It is certainly entertaining to read how quickly things are changing with these new digital amps.  It was not that long ago the the Carver Pro amps were considered the amazing wonders.  How could they do it for the "relatively" inexpensive price?  How times have changed.  You don't read much about these anymore.  Next came a slew of highend entries such as the Bel Canto, Jeff Rowland, and PS Audio amps.  Not sure of the exact order, but the mass market entries soon stormed in.  I believe the Panny was the first to make a huge impact.  Sharp and Kenwood were in there somewhere.  The JVC, while only a hybrid, certainly made us question the whole price/performance equation. And we can't forget the real bargains such as the Teac and Sonic Impact.  Now it seems the Clari-T is all the rage.  

I know some of you have owed several of these.  I would be very interested in hearing why you kept sampling new flavors.  How do the newer flavors satisfy where the prior flavors now seem so yesterday?  In particular what does the Clari-T do that the JVC can't do?  Also, what does the Rossi mods do to the $30 sonic impact that makes people feel a $500 amp is an exceptional bargain?

[srayle]

I have an unmodded JVC F10, and absolutely positively LOVE it. Best money I have ever spent in audio. It continues to please and amaze me, and I have no thoughts of spending bigger bucks on amplification. The music just soundsdeep, smooth and gooood. It compares quite favorably to a gainclone chip-amp  I had for awhile.

[GHM]

I haven't owned the JVC. So can't comment on it. I have tried several other D class amplifiers. Like the Carver Pro..nice but it won't work with my current speakers.It sounded best on inefficient speakers like Magnepans.The noise floor is way too high on an efficient speaker.The Panasonic had some good qualites, it just needs some modding to sound refined. It was infact the first unit that made me take notice of the D class revolution.

Once I heard the depth it had I was ruined. I tried other amplifiers like the Musical Fidelity stuff. It sounded nice but didn't have that depth or see thru soundstage like the Panny. I tried the Flying Moles for a short while. Again they didn't match my speakers. But they do sound great on a my friends Eminent Techs..where they are now used.

It's a process of finding what fits. So far the ClariT fits like a glove!
Since I've owned a couple of amplifiers that cost 7 to 8 times the ClariT.
But seriously can't compete across the board in what I'm looking for.
The question of price makes it a easy choice.

[Horizons]

I have an unmodded JVC F10, and absolutely positively LOVE it. Best money I have ever spent in audio. It continues to please and amaze me, and I have no thoughts of spending bigger bucks on amplification. The music just sounds deep, smooth and gooood. It compares quite favorably to a gainclone chip-amp  I had for awhile.

What he said. I agree 100%. I also tried the Panny which can be equally good but it is a little more picky regarding what speakers it can drive.

I think we need to give credit to John Meyer of Newform. I believe he really broke the story on the Panny and cheap digital amps in general.

I would love to try the Teac, Bel Canto, etc. but I am so happy with the JVC F10 that I really have no urge to upgrade at all.

[AphileEarlyAdopter]

I have the Panny XR50 and really like it. First sound and then convenience. I know how much difference even and analog interconnect makes. Not to mention the DAC and associated power cords. So I like the simplicity of the Panny.It is just Panny + transport. But I am finding out that the transport itself is another big hairball. I am trying different tweaks, power cords, digital cables. I think I might breakdown and plunk the money down for a good dedicated transport (around $1k budget going through approval process with the Finance Secretary aka wife ).
For the Panny, I think, the best tweak is a power cord. I am little disappointed that the balanced power conditioner is not helping much. Straight to the wall with a VHAudio cryoed power cord, the sound is BIG.
Since there will be more digital amplifiers in the market soon, I want to invest in transport and switch out the Panny for the next best direct digital amplifier on the horizon.

[TheChairGuy]

I would love to try the Teac, Bel Canto, etc. but I am so happy with the JVC F10 that I really have no urge to upgrade at all.

Well, you know how much I love my F10 (with Maggies no less), too...but I've also listened to a stock SI for a while now.  It's pretty dang special with the SLA. I'm having member corwin99 modify it to see how far it will improve.

I'm not sure if corwin99 is modding these for all, in case anyone was wondering...just ask him.

I don't have speakers that will do the 5 watt Clari-T justice right now, so I'll see what $125+ in SI, SLA battery and mods will do before springing for $499 for the Clari-T.

I'll let you know what I think when I get it back  

[corwin99]

Chairguy,
I haven't heard any digital units besides the SI, so I wouldn't really know where to go with modding them, i've mostly only modded my own personal gear... but your SI sounds better than mine!!! I don't know if it is the break-in amount that yours has had or maybe the built-in volume control, but it sounds better than mine does!! Now i have to find out why You should have it back this week at the lastest

Nelson

[TheChairGuy]

Nelson,

Yeah mine had well over 300 hours on it.  Because my SLA is 7 aH I was able to run it day after day without too many recharges.  Because I didn't have it optimally set-up I didn't notice many changes as it broke in.  It sounded pretty interesting/good right outta' the box.

Your upgrades should make it quite special for peanut sized money, overall.

I hope to have it in my impatient hands tomorrow (today is national holiday in US)

[denverdoc]

I think we need to give credit to John Meyer of Newform. I believe he really broke the story on the Panny and cheap digital amps in general.
.

Right on--John came out of the closet so to speak back in 99 or so, and being a Newform owner at the time, received the benefit of this very good call then via his newsletter. Glad to see someone else recognize his very gutsy and early stance,
John

[gary]

I know some of you have owed several of these. I would be very interested in hearing why you kept sampling new flavors. How do the newer flavors satisfy where the prior flavors now seem so yesterday? In particular what does the Clari-T do that the JVC can't do? Also, what does the Rossi mods do to the $30 sonic impact that makes people feel a $500 amp is an exceptional bargain?

The JVC is a great amp for the money, it gives you a nice slice of what a high end amplifier can do for just a couple hundred bucks. The Clari-T (especially paired with a battery-powered NOS Dac) is an entirely different animal; it'll stop you in your tracks and make you wonder why you ever lived with dinosaur tube or solid-state amps for so long. The clarity, purity, and realism that the pair deliver are startling.

Gary

[miklorsmith]

My Clari-T is currently waiting patiently for me on my front doorstep.   It will power some project BR Fostex 206's, recently completed.  I got that idea from the original Sonic Impact promise.  Having listened to these speakers, they are capable of incredible performance.

They are currently connected to an HCA-2, which I think is an excellent amplifier (connected to the Gallo Ref. 3's, it can be spooky).  With these speakers, there is just too much noise though.  I got sick of SI coming to terms with supply issues, cancelled my order, and here the Clari-T sits.  So close, yet so far. . .

I've hooked these speakers up to a Musical Fidelity A3cr, with similar hissing issues.  I'll come back to this once I have a better picture of the Clari-T's capabilities.

[miklorsmith]

Clari-T looks pretty silly sitting on top of the HCA-2 - visions of David and Goliath.  However, with the Clari-T's volume at 12:00, I was worried about my kids' (and my) hearing with the Fostex 206 project speakers.  Not a hint of strain either.  This is in a 30 x 25 x 15 room, which is essentially the entire house.  I don't know how loud it will go and I probably never will.

Out of the box, the Clari-T has less definition, detail, and presence than the HCA-2.  Vinnie warns of early sound quality issues, and I expected it.  However, even with the 96 db speakers and my ears right at the cones, I couldn't hear one shred of hiss, which is a problem with the HCA-2 and these speakers.  Also, the Clari-T already sounds quicker, which I certainly didn't expect, with its "puny" 6-watt rating.  Must be something in them batteries.

On the original "flavor-of-the-month" question - technological advances in digital amps are happening at a mind-bending rate.  In this tumult, one must either wait for everything to sort itself out, i.e.  live with existing equipment, or jump on the carousel knowing that the purchase will be out of date quickly.

Other elements are undergoing rapid changes as well.  How long ago was it we couldn't buy a universal player competent with all formats at any price?  How many are currently available under $500?  Stiff, light speaker materials are changing the price-to-quality equation continuously.  Manufacturing and materials technologies and evolution of overseas business models are enabling rapid advancements in all areas of our hobby.

Each participant must decide for themselves how active to be.  I'm guessing the population here is much more active than average.  Me?  I haven't been as excited about anything as I am about the small amp/high efficiency/low cost potential in the 20 years I've been active in audio.  I'm already trying to figure out what I should do with my expensive stuff.

Bon apetit!

[gary]

On the original "flavor-of-the-month" question - technological advances in digital amps are happening at a mind-bending rate. In this tumult, one must either wait for everything to sort itself out, i.e. live with existing equipment, or jump on the carousel knowing that the purchase will be out of date quickly.

Definitely. And I don't want to speak for Vinnie, but one thing that makes his amp attractive to me is that if a newer, better chip comes out it should be really easy for him to retrofit it into the enclosure I already own. I would hope that his amps will be pretty upgradeable.

Gary

[miklorsmith]

And, it's $500, not $5k.  This is where the $500 "ridiculous value" potential enters.

[Dmason]

Miklor,

I too am more excited about what happens with quick, noiseless, high quality amps in a pairing with high sensitivity speakers. Music is more fun this way than any other I have tried, and I figure I have tried it all. I see the digital chip platform as more or less inherently upgradeable, and I see the value and quality of sound as being over the top. "Flavor of the month?" Naw, that's not what's happening here at all. This is evolution of a maturing technology.

I also see the 8 inch wide range driver format as being interchangeable as trousers in a dresser drawer; With my cabinets and a deliberate 7.125" cutout, I can push in 8 inch singles and coaxials until I run out of choices, which wouldn't happen any time soon. I also prophesy that the arrival of the hemp cone/Alnico magnet drivers is going to jack things up some more..... Everything I have tried in that hole sounded really, really good. No "betters," just differences.

To quote Ed Schilling, "stoopid good."      

[smargo]

I also prophesy that the arrival of the hemp cone/Alnico magnet drivers is going to jack things up some more.....

Dmason:

Please let me know about the hempcone/alnico as soon as possible. Maybe you and vinni could team up as a partnership and sell a practical speaker with the clari t as a package, for a no holds barred attack on the high end.  I might invest if needed or feasible.

Thanks,
smargo

[Dmason]

Hemp can enhance musical enjoyment in more ways than one, it turns out.

 A durable, light, and very stiff hemp based paper makes a standout and easily "controlled substance" in the manufacture of cones, becoming known for a warm, organic, and "phat" sound with extended frequency range, is now making its way into hi fi type drivers. Couple that with the magical effect of Alnico magnets, high sensitivity, and, well, we'll have to wait awhile yet.

Like they say in NorCal, "Hemp is on the way"

[TheChairGuy]

Hemp can enhance musical enjoyment in more ways than one, it turns out.

 A durable, light, and very stiff hemp based paper makes a standout and easily "controlled substance" in the manufacture of cones, becoming known for a warm, organic, and "phat" sound with extended frequency range, is now making its way into hi fi type drivers. Couple that with the magical effect of Alnico magnets, high sensitivity, and, well, we'll have to wait awhile yet.

Like they say in NorCal, "Hemp is on the way"

Hemp may well be on the way here......  

[denverdoc]

Hey if things get really grim, can always make brownies out of it!
John

[denverdoc]

Oh almost forgot to add that the bananna pulp Fostex drivers are a synergistic match made in heaven,
J