Should I go for Trends Ta-10 instead of an el84 integrated from china?

robert1325 · « **on:** 20 Dec 2006, 05:08 pm »

Hi,

since reading this review:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/trends/ta10.html

I've been thinking about getting one of those instead of a tube integrated.... Are these Tripath amps really that good? It can easily be modded to ( trough the hole components) The reviewer compared it to some very expensive tubed gear

It's usable as power amp, I could even decide to get a tube -pre if the sound is not warm enough!

Will this be better than the Solid state integrated I'm upgrading from? ( Don't like the cold uninvolving sound)

Thanks

Robert

shep · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 05:44 pm »

Robert. If you look on M. MArdis site you will find the one he did for me. I think he took it as far as it can go, without being silly. I wish I could tell you how it sounds but upon arrival it proved to have a dead channel. I sent it back and it still hasn't arrived in HAwaii after 10 days! It's probable that there was nothing wrong with it at all but I had a panic attack and forgot something really elementary: maybe the ic's I was using had a slightly short hot pin and the rca connector he used, a slightly long barrel. So no connection on one side. He's a clever dude with this stuff and was very patient with my barrage of questions. If you're good at DIY, you can do your own, following his intructions on the site. He says it sounds fabulous...obviously very speaker dependant.

shep · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 05:46 pm »

oops forgot this http://www.michael.mardis.com/trendamp/modded.htm

robert1325 · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 06:25 pm »

Hi,

thanks for your response, I think I'll go for it!

Robert

shep · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 06:28 pm »

Plus it's cute as hell! (never hurts...) If I ever see mine again I'll post a review.

robert1325 · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 06:29 pm »

Where is he located? and how much for the full mods?

EDIT:

Hawaii, I see.....

Greetings

Robert

GBB · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 07:28 pm »

Quote from: robert1325 on 20 Dec 2006, 05:08 pm

since reading this review:

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/trends/ta10.html

I've been thinking about getting one of those instead of a tube integrated....

For another view of Tripath amps, look at this 2nd opinion from TNT Audio:

http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/amp-6n_e.html

Hartmut has very good ears and I agree completely with his findings. I find Tripath amps to be good value for the money but not even close to a good tube amplifier. I know that this is a minority opinion based on all the rave reviews here in Audiocircle and elsewhere on the web but I continue to be mystified by this phenomena. I just don't find these amps musical.
Of course your mileage may vary.

---Gary

robert1325 · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 07:43 pm »

Oh oh, the thing I'm looking for is a more musical sound

I was just putting in an order

Cacophonix · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 08:14 pm »

Quote from: robert1325 on 20 Dec 2006, 07:43 pm

Oh oh, the thing I'm looking for is a more musical sound

I was just putting in an order

I like the tripath sound ... i've both SI and the teac. Both sound great ... ! I wud be interested in giving this amp a try ... were you about to buy from buyoyo.com?

robert1325 · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 08:17 pm »

Yes, I'm going to order one anyway. I can always sell it!

shep · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 08:32 pm »

Robert, sorry but my wi-fi cut out in as i was answering you. All I can say with any certitude is that M. MArdis has a lot of experience with these chip amps and he pronounced mine a winner. It was meant to be a one-off but now he's excited by it and open to doing more. The first one (mine) was a kind of special deal, a prototype. He charged me the base price, parts and shipping basically. You'll have to ask him directly for an "offical" price. It will be reasonable. I think the basic model is pleasent and musical but nothing to wet ourselves about. I suspect his is in another league (I sure hope so!)

miklorsmith · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 08:32 pm »

I have a Yamamoto A-08s, a world-class 45 SET amp. I also own Red Wine Audio Signature 70 Tripath amps. These are not worlds apart in sound quality. As with anything audio, execution is key and Tripath is no exception. Bear in mind there are many Tripath chips which do not all sound the same and the particular skill of the designer has a lot to do with the final sound.

So, don't assume the negative position any more than you should assume a positive one. For the price, I can't imagine why you wouldn't give it a try. If you don't have experience with tubes, I'd read up and buy something used on Agon. Resale of used gear isn't that painful and you'd definitely learn something.

Beware, tubed amps are Hugely Dependent on associated gear - especially speakers. The above poster specified 300B tubes as the benchmark for tube gear. The Dared 300B monoblocks I had in-house didn't last a week. 300Bs have a seemingly deserved reputation of being soft and willowy. However, push-pull arrangements can cure this, as can use of $900/pair NOS Western Electric tubes.

There's no doubt that just "300B amps are the best" is no better advice than "Tripath amps are not musical". The review looked at a $39 amplifier and stated that it wasn't nearly good as a competent 300B amp. What is the minimum price of admission for a 300B amp? $2,000? $5,000? It ain't $39. Throw the $2,800 Signature 70's into the ring to make it a fair fight and the Sig's aren't shaking in their shoes, I guarantee that.

Your particular values are paramount in your quest for your own perfect sound. You stated an EL84 would be the tube choice as opposed to the Trends. I've owned one EL84 amp, a Decware Taboo. This was a very nice amplifier but one that I ultimately sold. Why? It was a little too "clean and clear" for my VMPS 626rs. It had sufficient drive but ultimately it was just a little too sharp. I'm now using a battery powered Teac tripath amp on those speakers which works better.

I always wonder how people arrive at their "this or that" questions. Over on Audiogon, people who haven't heard either ask questions like "should I get the latest Pass 350 watt solid state spaceheater, or a 2A3 SET, I just can't decide, PLEASE HELP". Of course, this is an exaggeration and not indicative of your exact request, however it would be beneficial to know what factors got you to these choices. This would mean partnering gear, especially speakers, preferred music, listening volumes, etc. Otherwise, we're all shooting in the dark.

duggie · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 08:45 pm »

mike, if you had an almarro a205a mkll, i suspect you still might have it...

i have used other el84 amps, (including one of the cheap chinese iterations), & no way i would choose a digital amp over them. i had one of the sharp digital amps & it was nice, but definitely not tubes. even the cheap single-ended el84 amps i have that came out of an old akai m8 reel-to-reel tape deck are better, imo.

of course, $2800 digital amps might fare better, but so would tube amps that expensive.

ymmv...

Quote from: miklorsmith on 20 Dec 2006, 08:32 pm

I have a Yamamoto A-08s, a world-class 45 SET amp. I also own Red Wine Audio Signature 70 Tripath amps. These are not worlds apart in sound quality. As with anything audio, execution is key and Tripath is no exception. Bear in mind there are many Tripath chips which do not all sound the same and the particular skill of the designer has a lot to do with the final sound.

So, don't assume the negative position any more than you should assume a positive one. For the price, I can't imagine why you wouldn't give it a try. If you don't have experience with tubes, I'd read up and buy something used on Agon. Resale of used gear isn't that painful and you'd definitely learn something.

Beware, tubed amps are Hugely Dependent on associated gear - especially speakers. The above poster specified 300B tubes as the benchmark for tube gear. The Dared 300B monoblocks I had in-house didn't last a week. 300Bs have a seemingly deserved reputation of being soft and willowy. However, push-pull arrangements can cure this, as can use of $900/pair NOS Western Electric tubes.

There's no doubt that just "300B amps are the best" is no better advice than "Tripath amps are not musical". The review looked at a $39 amplifier and stated that it wasn't nearly good as a competent 300B amp. What is the minimum price of admission for a 300B amp? $2,000? $5,000? It ain't $39. Throw the $2,800 Signature 70's into the ring to make it a fair fight and the Sig's aren't shaking in their shoes, I guarantee that.

Your particular values are paramount in your quest for your own perfect sound. You stated an EL84 would be the tube choice as opposed to the Trends. I've owned one EL84 amp, a Decware Taboo. This was a very nice amplifier but one that I ultimately sold. Why? It was a little too "clean and clear" for my VMPS 626rs. It had sufficient drive but ultimately it was just a little too sharp. I'm now using a battery powered Teac tripath amp on those speakers which works better.

I always wonder how people arrive at their "this or that" questions. Over on Audiogon, people who haven't heard either ask questions like "should I get the latest Pass 350 watt solid state spaceheater, or a 2A3 SET, I just can't decide, PLEASE HELP". Of course, this is an exaggeration and not indicative of your exact request, however it would be beneficial to know what factors got you to these choices. This would mean partnering gear, especially speakers, preferred music, listening volumes, etc. Otherwise, we're all shooting in the dark.

robert1325 · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 08:52 pm »

Ordered one!, I'll let you hear what I think.

My dad owns audion PP 300B's wich are great with my speakers.

If it does not live up to my expectations I could always mod it a bit and add a better PS.

shep · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 08:59 pm »

Robert, M. Mardis is a very open guy and if what you see on his site is not clear, you can ask him for input. I hope no ne is foolish enough to imagine these amps to equal good tube gear. Come one, we're talking 100-200$. My aim was to find a cheap but musical integrated. I was charmed by the size, by having it built to order, by discussing the progress of it's re-build and the guy doing it. I mean just going into a store and buying of the shelf...ok so it's a kind of reverse snobery on my part! I will confess publically that having the only modified Trend amp in the whole of Aquitaine tickles me

robert1325 · « **Reply #15 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 09:08 pm »

I'm a bit nervous right now

shep · « **Reply #16 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 09:19 pm »

Don't be

You're in NL right? I just ordered speakers from this guy. He auditions them with the Trend! http://www.crafty.nl/

robert1325 · « **Reply #17 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 09:23 pm »

Those speakers look awesome!, My chinese Blaudio pastoral bookshelfs are fairly easy to drive with a nice flat 8 ohm load and 90db's. Oh and no crossover on the Mid/bass driver!

My sources are the bolder modded squeezebox 2 and my TT ( thorens td321/dl103/jolida jd-9)

I'm In the Netherlands yes, where are you? UK? my dad is from scotland.

Wich color did you go for? the yellow ones look nice

shep · « **Reply #18 on:** 20 Dec 2006, 10:10 pm »

France/Aquitaine. I had trouble choosing! I ended up deciding for the blue ones.

WEEZ · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 Dec 2006, 12:17 am »

Those speakers look to be pretty nice...I'll bet that's a Hiquphon tweeter and a Seas mid/woofer..nice stuff. What would you guess the U.S. cost would be?

WEEZ