Barfind - If I'm not mistaken, you're driving B200 drivers w/ your charlize. How do you find this particular combination? What tube amp is being set aside for the charlize? - just curious.
General - A couple of years ago I built a gain clone using the pcbs from Brian Bell and the 3875 national chip. As good as Brian was to deal with, I have never been happy with the sound of that amplifer - so much so that I've always wondered if I have something miswired. It sounds good - but it certainly doesn't outclass either of my tube amplifiers. Has anyone compared the Charlize to a straight up gainclone?
Thanks in advance,
Scott M.
General - A couple of years ago I built a gain clone using the pcbs from Brian Bell and the 3875 national chip. As good as Brian was to deal with, I have never been happy with the sound of that amplifer - so much so that I've always wondered if I have something miswired. It sounds good - but it certainly doesn't outclass either of my tube amplifiers. Has anyone compared the Charlize to a straight up gainclone?
Thanks in advance,
Scott M.
Scott, the amps being replaced are Viva 572B SETs, the circuit modified for noise reduction, and with premium parts throughout. The unmodified Viva's couldn't hold a candle to the modified version. The only way I could see to obtain better performance from the Vivas was to use silver wire transformers and possibly to rearrange the circuitry along the lines of Ari Polisois' DCMB circuit, which sounds very fine indeed. I'll be scrapping those plans, of course.
Nigel, I'm actually really enjoying my music again, and it's being run from my computer (.wav from iTunes through digital optical out into my Meitner D/A then to the Charlize). I'm now set on improving this system, the more obvious inroads to such being to feed the digital signal via USB to, say, an M-Audio transit with its own power supply, and to feed the Charlize with a better power supply. More break-in also will help.
By the way, what function do the on-board 1000uF capacitors perform?
Nigel, I'm actually really enjoying my music again, and it's being run from my computer (.wav from iTunes through digital optical out into my Meitner D/A then to the Charlize). I'm now set on improving this system, the more obvious inroads to such being to feed the digital signal via USB to, say, an M-Audio transit with its own power supply, and to feed the Charlize with a better power supply. More break-in also will help.
By the way, what function do the on-board 1000uF capacitors perform?
Hi chaps
Charlize has replaced my Audio Innovations AE500 valve amp,quite a statement in itself.The sale bought a Bottlehead Foreplay which hopefully will be with me by Christmas
Running Charlize and Monica with Nuuks PSU's with great results.
Front end is an RME 9632 soundcard via spdif to the DAC,all music on a server upstairs.
Not tried my turntable yet due to no pot installed,cant wait till the Foreplay arrives.
Charlize has replaced my Audio Innovations AE500 valve amp,quite a statement in itself.The sale bought a Bottlehead Foreplay which hopefully will be with me by Christmas
Running Charlize and Monica with Nuuks PSU's with great results.
Front end is an RME 9632 soundcard via spdif to the DAC,all music on a server upstairs.
Not tried my turntable yet due to no pot installed,cant wait till the Foreplay arrives.
scott_m said:
Good Morning Scott. The B200/Charlize combo is just awesome. Many of my friends that have been in this hobby for many years, all admit that it is the best sound they have heard. period. I can recommend them highly, and in OB, they just are wonderful.
The Charlize replace a 300B SET. This amp had every mod known to man, and cost as much as a small car. But the Charlize is much more involeing, has better soundstage, and much more detail. I have sold the 300B, and for about 3 months have not even thought about tubes , or have missed them. Very satisfied.
My good friend Rabbitz, of this community, has a 3875 gainclone. He has had over here to compare with the Charlize. While it was musical and clear, it was really no match for the Charlize. The Charlize has better extension both ways, much better soundstage, and much more detail. He remarked how the Charlize just floats some instruments, with a very wide and high soundstage, with sounds reaching out to you. He was looking around for the first few songs, thinking there was a rear speaker. All these things the gainclone was unable to do, in my system anyway.
I hope this info is helpful.
Nigel
Barfind,
Thanks for the info! My Charlize should arrive any day now - but I doubt I'll get a chance to really play with it until after Christmas. My acomodations are rather small at the moment, so no open baffles for me. Instead the B200s are in an aperiodic damped box - similiar to what Omega is doing - and their sound w/ bottlehead s.e.x. headphone amplifier is first-rate. Do you use a pre-amplifier or did you wire up a pot. directly to the Charlize?
Scott.
Thanks for the info! My Charlize should arrive any day now - but I doubt I'll get a chance to really play with it until after Christmas. My acomodations are rather small at the moment, so no open baffles for me. Instead the B200s are in an aperiodic damped box - similiar to what Omega is doing - and their sound w/ bottlehead s.e.x. headphone amplifier is first-rate. Do you use a pre-amplifier or did you wire up a pot. directly to the Charlize?
Scott.
scott_m said:
Hi again Scott. I was using a valve pre in front of my Charlize. But one day one of my valves blew. I really needed to hear music, so I hooked Charlize up to the variable output of my Sony X7. Wow! Just magic. I havent even bought new valves for the pre. But I have heaps of hours on it now. One day I will try the valve pre again to make sure its not better.
How are you going to power your amp? I run mine from a 7AH SLA, with nothing in between the battery and board. Its wonderful.
Nigel
Charlize power questions
I recently got my Charlize. I've got it in a temporary setup until I have all of the parts I want, but it's working... What a great little amp!!!
I'm using an smps wallwart which gives me 12V, 2.5A and I'm trying to figure out a couple of things:
1. Do I get anything more if I find a way to reach higher voltage (I've seen up to 13.8V mentioned)?
2. Do I get anything more if I give it more current?
3. Should I be putting a cap across the inputs? What will it improve? Any configuration issues (e.g. a big one vs. small ones in parallel)?
Thanks!
I recently got my Charlize. I've got it in a temporary setup until I have all of the parts I want, but it's working... What a great little amp!!!
I'm using an smps wallwart which gives me 12V, 2.5A and I'm trying to figure out a couple of things:
1. Do I get anything more if I find a way to reach higher voltage (I've seen up to 13.8V mentioned)?
2. Do I get anything more if I give it more current?
3. Should I be putting a cap across the inputs? What will it improve? Any configuration issues (e.g. a big one vs. small ones in parallel)?
Thanks!
Re: Charlize power questions
Hi,
1. Do I get anything more if I find a way to reach higher voltage (I've seen up to 13.8V mentioned)?
A little bit more power. I push mind at 13.2V I decided to not play with the Devel
(push it more)
2. Do I get anything more if I give it more current?
Same answer ! The dynamic can be better because of the extra power, but I'm not sure. I did not compare the sound with different voltage
3. Should I be putting a cap across the inputs? What will it improve? Any configuration issues (e.g. a big one vs. small ones in parallel)?
We are a few here who tried some cap across the power input and prefer Charlize without it.
Regards,
Hi,
1. Do I get anything more if I find a way to reach higher voltage (I've seen up to 13.8V mentioned)?
A little bit more power. I push mind at 13.2V I decided to not play with the Devel
(push it more)2. Do I get anything more if I give it more current?
Same answer ! The dynamic can be better because of the extra power, but I'm not sure. I did not compare the sound with different voltage
3. Should I be putting a cap across the inputs? What will it improve? Any configuration issues (e.g. a big one vs. small ones in parallel)?
We are a few here who tried some cap across the power input and prefer Charlize without it.
Regards,
There is a T-Amp wiki FAQ now under construction.
http://www.diyaudio.com/wiki/index.php?page=Class+D+Amplification
Should we make a seperate page for each amp? And maybe have a general section on T-Amps?
I added the default size power connector for SI T-Amp.
http://www.diyaudio.com/wiki/index.php?page=Class+D+Amplification
Should we make a seperate page for each amp? And maybe have a general section on T-Amps?
I added the default size power connector for SI T-Amp.
More questions
2 questions for the forum:
1. Given the encouraging response, I should probably try 13+ voltage. I already have a good 12V source and would like the simplest arrangement for testing - does it make sense to simply add a regular 1.5V battery in serial on the circuit?
2. Here's one that I haven't seen much about in the forum - the wires, as in what would be the best way to wire the board to the various connectors?
I understand that the power wires aren't (?) noisy, because the power is direct and stabilized, whereas the audio is noisy (?). If so, other than adding capacitor there's nothing much to add for power, but what would give me the best results on audio - thick/thin, single/multi-stranded, coax/plain
Thanks!
2 questions for the forum:
1. Given the encouraging response, I should probably try 13+ voltage. I already have a good 12V source and would like the simplest arrangement for testing - does it make sense to simply add a regular 1.5V battery in serial on the circuit?
2. Here's one that I haven't seen much about in the forum - the wires, as in what would be the best way to wire the board to the various connectors?
I understand that the power wires aren't (?) noisy, because the power is direct and stabilized, whereas the audio is noisy (?). If so, other than adding capacitor there's nothing much to add for power, but what would give me the best results on audio - thick/thin, single/multi-stranded, coax/plain
Thanks!
Re: Re: More questions
I second that. The very short lenghts involved will no show too much differences. I used some cat 5E with teflon insulation, and it works superbly. You will find that only thin wire will fit the board. Silver coated will work well, but so will other sorts. Just dont use anything with pvc insulation, Thats what I think anyway.
Nigel
kanaddict said:
You'll get different answer to this question
I personnaly prefer thin/single/plain silver plated copper wire in TEFLON sleeve. My second favorite is coax (Canare).
Regards,
I second that. The very short lenghts involved will no show too much differences. I used some cat 5E with teflon insulation, and it works superbly. You will find that only thin wire will fit the board. Silver coated will work well, but so will other sorts. Just dont use anything with pvc insulation, Thats what I think anyway.
Nigel