[JiffyBoob]

I have been listening to the Signature 30 today, gratefully lent by Dmason for me to try. He pointed out that it was brand new with under 20 hours on it, but it sounds very mature, I have read that the tripath amp takes along time to break in. People note the warmth and smooth nature of the sound, but also I would like to point out this velvety hammer of bass I was particualy fond of with synth bass, not dance or electronica, but vintage synth bass with Moogs and the like. An analog synth that sounds analog, listening to the remastered stuff from the 1970's, and Richard's comment about the upward spiral of the volume control. This thing sounds great with the engine running!! I have no idea how to write even a little mini review, but suffice it to say that this thing really is special. My only amplifier is a SET PX-25, and so my ears are tuned in to the big triode sound, and I can only say that my ears suffered no real tube withdrawal with this digital amp. I dont even want to say it mimicks a tube amp because to me at least, it has its very own sound, an open and bottomless sound, like this abyss, created by (I suppose) the otherworldly low noise levels, do something that affects the psychoacoustic interpretation of the music. This is a very nice sounding AND LOOKING amp. I didnt know Vinnie was still a "kid." Scary.

[ndpjr]

Jiffyboob,

   You did write a good review. It's all about how you hear the sound and the synergy of components that you have. The bass is "velvety" without being bloated or exaggerated. It's a very true bass that is smooth yet accurate. The Signature-30 has a warm, smooth sound that is very similar to "some" tube amps yet it is very clean and robust. This amp gives the benefits of a triode amp but without the lack of bass or rolled off and bloated bass that "some" tube amps provide. The Signature-30 so far has provided great sound and tone with the detail, speed and precision that t-amps can provide. The Sig-30 is a real winner.

[Vinnie R.]

Where some say that the Clari-T was a little shy on the bass they will have no concerns with the bass on the Sig-30. The bass is very strong, tight and clean sounding. The Sig-30 has a overall sound from the bass to the highs that most anyone would be extremely happy with.

Vinnie, you did a "great" job with the Signature-30. The combination of parts used, custom board, the look of the amp and the long play time with battery power has made a really standout unit. I think if a person is looking for a more warm, smooth, detailed and fast responding amp then the Sig-30 is definitely worth a try. I believe it will be one of those amps that will be hard for a person to ever part with as it is going to be difficult to find an amp that gives the sound of the Sig-30 with the benefit of battery power and remote control if a person wants it.

Hi ndpjr,

Thank you VERY much for posting your initial impressions of your Signature 30!  

I really appreciate the early feedback that I have received from you, Dmason, Richard, and Jiffyboob!  I hope once you guys have put the hours on the amp (100+ hours) that you can post again.  

A few other Sig 30s have been shipped last week (a few to customers who are not audiocircle members.  I hope they will sign up and join the party   ).  I am going to have to start making another batch of Sig 30 boards.  This is the most time consuming step (hand soldering all those surface mount parts), but in the end I am very confident of the quality and this is one reason why I decided to offer the 5 year warranty.  

Got news for you folks...at least in my 12 x 15' room...there's MORE than enough oomph to drive the MMG's is on tap with the stock TEAC. 12 noon on my PAS-4 tube preamp is deafening. I think some 'frictional' losses have been ameliorated by the change out of cap, inductor, binding posts, perhaps making 30 watts more capable than previously...but, so it is. Sounds decent, too, as it breaks in.

Hi ChairGuy,

Thanks for trying your Teac with the MMGs.  Actually, there is another ac member "onemug" who tried his RWA/Omega Lotus power amp with his Maggies and said it actually drove them too!  Naturally, you can only bring the volume up so much with 6 watts of any amp into Maggies, but the 30 watts will definitely give you more.  If your room is not too big and you don't listen at loud levels, 30 watts of an amp that can provide the current should do the trick.  The stock Teac's power supply is limited in output current and runs out of steam.  Going with the SLA batteries gives not only stronger bass, but better bass quality.  

I took down the link to the Teac mods because I wanted to focus on filling Signature 30 orders (along with incoming modded Olive orders, the endless iMod orders, and still some custom Clari-T's for those who find 6 watts to be plenty   ).  I can still offer the Teac mods for those interested.  The link is here:
http://www.redwineaudio.com/Teac_AL700P_mods.html
I was using Auricaps, but the PIO caps (or the Mundorf Silver/Oils) make it even better....quite a bit better!

When you raise the volume it doesn't just get louder...the uncanny
transparency of the musical presentation keeps its composure...
which presents a devilish desire to want to hear blues and rock as
it was meant to be heard...I am going to get in trouble with the
Signature 30...even Deb can tolerate music at levels unthinkable
with any other amp...

Hi Richard,

Go ahead...crank it up!     Let the music come alive and enjoy those OBs!  And if what Dmason has been looking into in regards to a new, special "green" OB 8" driver coming out, we might have even more tone coming our way!  I hope this comes true!


Hi Jiffyboob,

Thanks for posting your impressions of Dmason's Sig 30!
Yes, I am still a kid at heart but I seem to be aging quickly.  Must be those solder flux fumes and little parts that are causing my syes to bug out, and my back is getting hunched over  


Okay...I have family coming over today and Jen and I need to get ready for the company.  Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!

Have a good one!

[watersb]

Regarding driving the MMGs, I'm not so sure how well the Sig 30 would drive them. Those speakers need POWER...probably a solid 50 watts minimum. I'm sure it will do the trick at moderate volume levels, but when you want to play at louder levels, 30 watts (from any amp) is probably not going to cut it with Maggies. I haven't tried it so I could be wrong...

Well, Vinnie, just this once I think you are wrong!

I've been very, very happy with my modded Teac driving my Maggie 1.6's to levels that are loud enough to overpower any conversation in a 20 x 26 x 13-foot room. For hours on end.

I'm somewhat embarrassed to reveal that I use 3-meter Monster cable Z3 for speaker cables -- embarrassed because it may be overkill. But they sound better than the zip cord I was using. And I got 'em half-price used from another audiophilia sufferer. Vinnie's coax interconnects also improve the sound.  

With that Teac, the volume control is in the input, and I get distortion from my outboard USB DAC (over-driving it) before I hit the stops in the Teac. Your setup is likely to have better source than mine (an Edirol UA-5 driven by a Macintosh computer via iTunes) but I have no complaints with  the Teac/Magnepan combination.

I have not tried to drive larger Maggies. A friend down the block has a pair of Maggie twos, but the next real step up would be three-sixes.

(I will be happy to post my impressions here if someone wants to ship me some 20.1's. You're almost certain to need more power for those, but it's worth a shot...)

(I still read Stereophile magazine for the music reviews, but the hardware reviews have been boring since Vinnie has been slamming them out of the ball park! Game over! Problem solved!)

[onemug]

Re Maggies:  Vinnies RWA/Lotus did indeed drive the 3.6's. Maggies may be low in impedance but they are pretty flat/resistive and low power likes that. I even run a few SET's on them from time to time. Loud is a relative term. I wish everyone had a Radio Shack SPM.  It would be easier to recommend an amp if someone said "I like to listen to around 80db." I also think alot of people would be surprised how loud 80 to 90 db is.  The Lotus's 10 wpc into 4 ohm is fine for alot of the music. I am seriously considering the Sig 30 though as it should play 4 to 5 db louder for those other times and from all reports so far, it's a fantastic sounding amp.

Vinnie, I would be using it on the Omegas mostly, and I have not seen a 4 ohm spec on the Sig 30. Would it be happy hooked up to a fairlly flat 4 ohm load, kept within it's power rating?

[kbuzz3]

Anyone know when the full review comes out.  I like the 6 moons site a lot but the teasers are well, a tease.

[Vinnie R.]

Hi watersb,

Good to see you here again and thanks for posting.  I can't believe I forgot that you are one of my customers using Maggies with your RWA modded Teac.     I'm glad it is working out and giving you enough output.  

Hi onemug,

Yes, I have tested the Signature 30 using a 4-ohm load and it will be fine (kept within its power rating as you mentioned).  Thanks for posting about the Lotus/Maggie 3.6 combo.  I am still dumbfounded that it is pushing them  

Hi kbuzz3,

Srajan should have his Signature 30 for review sometime next week.  He usually gets right to work on reviewing so I would think the review will be out in July.  I don't want to rush him though  

Thanks for all your posts!

Vinnie

[Loftprojection]

...Srajan should have his Signature 30 for review sometime next week. He usually gets right to work on reviewing so I would think the review will be out in July. I don't want to rush him though icon_wink.gif

Ho no, not him.  I can barely contain myself with all the nice comments in this thread and now Srajan is going to publish his comments, man ho man, last time he publised the review of the Audio Technica W1000 that was it, I had to have those.  This guy is worst for the wallet than a women!  

[murphy11]

Silly question - is this a digital or analog amp? Been toying with the idea of getting a used TACT pre and am wondering if this amp can pair up with the digital pre (and remove the need for a DAC)

Thanks in advance!

[Vinnie R.]

Silly question - is this a digital or analog amp? Been toying with the idea of getting a used TACT pre and am wondering if this amp can pair up with the digital pre (and remove the need for a DAC)

Thanks in advance!

Hi murphy11,

It is an analog switching amp based on a Class-T (Tripath) chipset.  The input must be analog (single-ended RCA...line-level).

Best regards,

[Wind Chaser]

...Srajan should have his Signature 30 for review sometime next week. He usually gets right to work on reviewing so I would think the review will be out in July.

This guy is worst for the wallet than a women!  

Well whatever you do, don't sleep with him.  

[Loftprojection]

...Srajan should have his Signature 30 for review sometime next week. He usually gets right to work on reviewing so I would think the review will be out in July.

This guy is worst for the wallet than a women!  

Well whatever you do, don't sleep with him.  

Hahaha, well I didn't expect this one!

[Vinnie R.]

Well whatever you do, don't sleep with him.  

Hi Wind Chaser,

Thank you for your concern.  I promise not to do so... I find my wife much more attractive  

[Wind Chaser]

Hi Vinnie,

My comment was directed towards Loftprojection... that he might not want to sleep with Srajan.  He might want to avoid women too.  

John.

[Vinnie R.]

Hi Vinnie,

My comment was directed towards Loftprojection... that he might not want to sleep with Srajan.  He might want to avoid women too.  

John.

Hi John,

My bad.  Sorry for the confusion.  

Cheers!

[Wind Chaser]

Vinnie,

Without even having to see a picture, I'm totally convinced that your wife (or any man's wife for that matter) is more attractive than Srajan.  

John.

[-Richard-]

An AC member who got in touch with me a year ago stopped by for
another visit...traveling from Tucson, Arizona ~

Steven was kind enough to bring his beautifully designed Fi 2A3
monoblocks...Vinnie's moded Olive CD player/computer...enough
tubes to make a tube lover salivate...preamps, dacs and so on ~

I had on hand Vinnie's new Signature 30 and several SET tube amps
designed by Roger Modjeski ~

We sat and listened very carefully to all the combinations you can
imagine possible with the myriad equipment we had on hand ~

I cannot go into all the insights rendered during our total of 15 hours
over 3 days of careful listening ~

Steven has Zu Druid's which he likes very much...he never heard OB's
before...he purchased a pair of Visaton B200's on my recommendation
but has not had a chance to build a simple baffle for them ~

Steven was immediately taken by the OB's...actually he was amazed...
He sat almost hypnotized by the fully saturated wrap-around spatially
surreal holograph 3-D sound!!!

His legendary Fi amps sounded like they were designed specifically for
my OB's...a perfect synergy...they sounded extraordinary...with
remarkable texture and harmonic richness...

At some point we switched out the Fi's and switched in Vinnie's
Signature 30's...you could hardly hear a difference...and my Signature
30 is still green!!!!!

Steven loved it!!!!! His thoughts "Vinnie has a World Class amp
here...WOW!!!!" And Steven is an SET tube lover!!! He was incredibly
impressed...they rivaled the legendary Fi's!!!! Steven owns a Vinnie
moded Teac...insights: "NO COMPARISON!"

The Olive is stealth audio...while it is playing a CD it is actually copying
it at several times the speed of real time...so it finished copying each
CD played in only a few minutes...I kidded Steven by suggesting
he could travel to all his audio friends, play Vinnie's moded Olive for
them using their CD's...and while they sat mesmerized, Steven would
be copying their CD's amasing a huge collection of CD's...
all nicely stored in the hard-drive of his Olive!!!!

Vinnie was right...his mods render the Olive with a very refined sound...
lush, deep, silky highs, black background...another level entirely of
refinement that together with the Signature 30 makes music that sounds
as if it is directly from the gods!!! And they look great together ~

So far everyone who hears the Signature 30 is truly amazed!!!

Warm Regards ~ Richard ~

[Vinnie R.]

Steven loved it!!!!! His thoughts "Vinnie has a World Class amp
here...WOW!!!!" And Steven is an SET tube lover!!! He was incredibly
impressed...they rivaled the legendary Fi's!!!! Steven owns a Vinnie
moded Teac...insights: "NO COMPARISON!"

Hi Richard,

I forgot to reply to your latest post:

Thanks for sharing with us your listening session with Steve!  I am really happy to hear how much you are enjoying your Signature 30.  And I have to agree with Steve's insights regarding the modded Teac vs Signature 30....no comparison indeed 

The Sig 30 orders have really been coming in these last two weeks and I just finished building a fresh batch of Sig 30 boards.  More PIO caps, DACTs, batteries, remote control kits etc. are on the way so hopefully my lead times won't be too long.  As of now, my lead time is about 3 weeks. 

While building them takes up a lot of time, I must admit that I am really enjoying building each and every one of these amps.  Everything comes together so nicely! 

Srajan should be receiving a Sig 30 for his review any day now.  I just hope it doesn't get held up in customs 

Thanks again!

[lonewolfny42]

ndpjr wrote
 I had Vinnie make a dual mono Clari-T that I later had Jensen copper PIO caps installed in and with its battery power and the Jensen caps it was "very" close to the sound of the Korneff and is still the amp I play most of the time.
If I had the Jensens installed in the Teac that Vinnie modded for me .....

Vinnie,

When the work load settles a little could this (the PIO caps) be an option for Teac owners who may have difficulty springing the cash for a Signature 30?

Jim

Hello Vinnie....I'm wondering...those PIO caps...what would they add sound wise to the RW Teac ? Thanks....hope you can make Jim's/Hogg's Rave in July...in CT...

Chris

[Vinnie R.]

Vinnie,

When the work load settles a little could this (the PIO caps) be an option for Teac owners who may have difficulty springing the cash for a Signature 30?

Hey Lonewolf!

They certainly will fit in the Teacs.  Shoot me an email (vinnie at redwineaudio dot com) and we'll discuss doing this.   

Best regards,