Vinnie's Vino

Wind Chaser · « **on:** 24 Mar 2005, 03:48 pm »

The Clari-T arrived a few days ago. With only 2 hours experience and the amp being far from broken in, it's not appropriate for me comment beyond - WOW! This is thing is extraordinary! In my 23-year journey of high-end audio, I've never owned or auditioned a component regardless of cost that lifts the veil of distortion and recreates music like this little wonder.

Forget about tubes, single ended triodes, and ridiculously expensive solid-state muscle amps. This is it! The holy grail of amplifiers is among us.

gary · « **Reply #1 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 04:01 pm »

Quote from: Wind Chaser

Forget about tubes, single ended triodes, and ridiculously expensive solid-state muscle amps. This is it! The holy grail of amplifiers is among us.

Couldn't have said it better myself... do you have a battery dac yet? That's when you'll truly reach audio nirvana.

Gary

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #2 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 04:28 pm »

Upstream I have a Pioneer DVD player modified by Steve Deckert (Decware). At the other end I have some Jordan JX92s mounted in stainless steel cabinets. These are prototypes in development, but honestly I wish I had a “regular” amplifier to better evaluate these. I fear the Clari-T may make them sing far better than what they should.

Dmason · « **Reply #3 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 07:43 pm »

Another convert through personal Revelation.... hmmmmm, do I detect a pattern here? Maybe there IS something to this battery powered Tripath stuff after all...

Like Panda/Gary says, add the battery DAC to really stir the Koolaid.

I would like to get your impressions on how the amp does with the Jordans in your situation. Metal drivers have a curiously organic sound with the ClariT...

ludavico · « **Reply #4 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 08:14 pm »

Anyone around heard Vinnie's battery-powered TEAC A-L700P aka the Lucidi-T?

I fear the mounting temptation...

Gulp.

John

DARTH AUDIO · « **Reply #5 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 08:18 pm »

Vinnie, how about a phono stage? Battery operated??

JLM · « **Reply #6 on:** 24 Mar 2005, 10:19 pm »

Just got my custom Clari-T (front mini-toggles for power and a second set of inputs) a couple of days ago. Yes, too early to comment, but it's already as good as anything I've had in here. I'm using it with an Ack dAck v.2 (with high output/resolution options), stock Sony DVP-S7700, and Bob Brines FTA-2000 speakers (floorstanding mass loaded transmission lines with single Fostex F200A drivers). With the high output option from the dAck and my 90 dB/w/m speakers, the volume control at 9:00 is very loud.

More later.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 04:16 am »

Quote from: Dmason

Another convert through personal Revelation.... hmmmmm, do I detect a pattern here? Maybe there IS something to this battery powered Tripath stuff after all...

I think there's a lot more to it than the battery. When I had a Sonic Impact, I powered it SLA style and with a 2 amp 12 volt regulated power supply. I found myself second guessing what the differences were between the two energy sources, so I take that to mean that whatever the difference were - if any at all - they were not significant.

Vinnie worked some serious magic on the circuit. This is a very special amp. The veil has been removed. Now I am a clarity junkie!

Quote

I would like to get your impressions on how the amp does with the Jordans in your situation. Metal drivers have a curiously organic sound with the ClariT...

My situation is a little different. As the JX92 is made of metal, I figured why not put them in a metal cabinet? So I did. The result is very interesting. Powered by the Clari-T, even at very modest volumes (65 - 75 db) the music is very engaging, highly enjoyable and even enticing. I've owned some excellent well regarded (even Stereophile Class A rated) gear over the years. None of it holds a candle to this. This is a new day for audio.

GuyL · « **Reply #8 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 04:03 pm »

Quote from: ludavico

Anyone around heard Vinnie's battery-powered TEAC A-L700P aka the Lucidi-T?

I fear the mounting temptation...

Gulp.

John

I hope to hear it soon. I've sent my TEAC to Vinnie for the battery PS mod, a couple of days ago.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #9 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 04:37 pm »

Quote from: GuyL

I hope to hear it soon. I've sent my TEAC to Vinnie for the battery PS mod, a couple of days ago.

Guy, please do post your impression on that one - thanks. What speakers are you planning to drive with it?

Dmason · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 04:41 pm »

Windchaser,

You're reading too much into my comment; I was merely highlighting the fact that most people who become involved with the ClariT have a similar sort of "conversion on the [audio] road to Damascus." Most of these people have good experience with good sound and good componentry.

My view is that the battery power drops the noise floor waaay down and flat, and allows the most from this particular Tripath chip, the least complex in design, with seemingly greater amounts of the Tripath signature. One accentuates the other. Beyond that, Vinnie has definitely worked Serious Magic here. It takes alot of attention to get them to sound the way they do. The ClariT is so different from the SI, I cannot remember what the SI even sounded like.....And wait until it has 500 hours on it. It goes through a few evolutionary convolutions, upward!! I can't wait for the new Reali-T to be completed.

The TA2050 based "Lucidi-T" would be my first choice if more power is needed. With more power comes more amplification stages, more complication, it will be very interesting to have a final comparison of both.

The Jordan JX92S remains one of my favorite drivers, the specs allow one to employ it successfully in any design from sealed to open baffle, they work great. When relieved of LF duties, it becomes a giant. For people looking for a KILLER smaller scale system, look no further than the Jordans, with the ClariT. I have the GM-MLTL and the two sound amazing, together.

miklorsmith · « **Reply #11 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 05:29 pm »

and once you have seen the light, you cannot unsee it, uh-huh. I was blind but now I have vision, I have seen the vision, uh-huh. With mah ehyes closed and the system on, I have Clari-T as though the windows of Heaven have opened and there is just space and light and imaging and depth, ahye can See with mahye Ears, uh-huh. Come and listen to mahye story, uh-huh.

Druids arrive today and Nixon kit ordered. I have seen the light.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #12 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 07:00 pm »

miklorsmith

If you can live with 6 watts, and you can afford to spend $500; then try one yourself - absolutely risk free! I don't care how much the amplifier in your system costs, what it is or who designed it. You'll unplug it once and for all.

Risk free. Think about it. I dare you!

Not many shops will offer a full refund once you walk out their door with your expensive new amp. This is risk free audio opportunity.

Go on now, I dare you. I double dare you!

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #13 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 07:09 pm »

Quote from: Dmason

Windchaser,

You're reading too much into my comment; ...

I know I was just yanking your chain...

Dmason · « **Reply #14 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 07:45 pm »

Windchaser,

Miklorsmith already has his ClariT, and it ain't goin' back. He too got rid of those nasty crossovers. Next, get rid of the nasty cabinet, listen outside of the box....

Last night I had a few guests over who are into good music, and we listened to the Ciare CH250 open baffle arrangement, including some highly dynamic stuff, a fantastically well produced recording of the London Symphony Orchestra/John Williams performing the soundtrack to "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Dynamics right over the top. Just an amazing composition and evening of music, and we ALL came away as if we had really experienced something, like the way you feel after a really wondrous rock concert: blown away. My friend described his experience listening to that album on this system as the "wildest ride at the audio theme park." Three of them are likely to get happily involved with the ClariT as a result of what they heard. They also could scarcely believe just how little $ I have tied up in this particular system...

Pirate · « **Reply #15 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 07:55 pm »

Dan.

How would you compare this system

Quote

this is the set up for my back room stereo;

Reference 3A de Capo --Signal Cable double run -- AES Cary SuperAmp 20 wpc Triode --DaCT attenuator fitted into tooled wood stash box from local head shop -- Nixon TubeDAC --NEC Spin 6X CD-ROM drive with Hoeschler 12V toroidal TR., balun filtered PSU --Apogee Wyde eye interconnects --

This system has some serious synergy, and all around, is probably the most MUSICAL sounding setup I have heard, based on the fact that I know what real instruments sound like, both acoustic and electric. It also represents one of the most cost effective truly high end stereo combo I personally have come across, and to these ears, sounds better than my Big Dog Stereo, with exceptional components and speakers. --Dan

Dmason · « **Reply #16 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 08:16 pm »

That's from awhile ago. I think the SuperAmp is the sweetest PP tube amp deal on the planet. It is a serious music maker and it was the last tube amp I will ever own.

The deCapo's have rightfully earned their gilded reputation. Having said that, with the ClariT, tubes and tube sound become wholly inadequate to my purposes, as I have stated before. Beyond that, I found the 3A's were abit too "Darth Vader" in my livingroom. The deCapos, while considered "high efficiency" by some, don't make the grade from an SPL standpoint, to me at least. Nothing under ~94db floats my boat anymore.

Using high sensitivity drivers with the ClariT gives speed, dynamics, and a musical coherency that simply thrill. I am talking drool-pool producing, diabetes-inducing sonic sweetness here. Vinnie's amp is a godsend for those who listen to complex music such as full-tilt forte 20th century orchestral, prog rock, fusion jazz, etc., and if it can excel with that, anything else is background music, relatively speaking.

Pirate · « **Reply #17 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 08:25 pm »

Thanks Dan,

What source are you using for the Clari-T?

Dmason · « **Reply #18 on:** 25 Mar 2005, 08:52 pm »

Source is a battery powered Scott Nixon DACkit.

Transport is a Sony DVP-550S
EQ is a Behringer DEQ2496 (room and channel EQ)
Bass augmentor is a HiVi M8N in a transmission line w/ plate amp.
Speakers are $50 4Ohm/98db Ciare CH250 (Italian Car speakers) on 42X26 open baffle, 3/4" MDF

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #19 on:** 26 Mar 2005, 03:31 pm »

Quote from: ludavico

Anyone around heard Vinnie's battery-powered TEAC A-L700P aka the Lucidi-T?

I fear the mounting temptation...

Gulp.

John

Hi John,

I finally received the backordered heavy duty silver-contact switches(ON/Charge switch), and I already have a customer's Teac waiting for mods. I hope to be able to finish it next week. A couple of others are on the way for mods!

They'll be some customer feedback soon enough...

Regards,