Hi all,
Had noted the potential of class D amps years ago when I was still interested in conventional low efficiency speakers. As there was little progress in the class D amp, I interest on it faded.
Since I bought a tube headphone amp in 1999, I became a tube addict, interested in High efficiency fullrange speakers. My current system consists of a Philips CD880 CDP, a pair DRD 300B SET monoblock and a pair of Bastainis Open Baffle with active sub woofer.
A recent search in this forum aroused my interested in Class D (or class T ) amp. Small, economical & inexpensive, no special requirements in power supply, flexible.........lots of good reviews on inexpensive units, lots of potentials. I can't help but trigger buying some to test and play around.
Ordered an assembled Charlize and a Monica2 from Mr. Yeo of Diyparadise, 2 Amp3 kits and one Amp6 kit from Mr. Jan of 41 HZ. Both gentlements are extremely nice and the delivery is increadible fast!! I receive the Charlize & Monica 2 in 2 days and the 41HZ kits in 3 days and the 41 HZ kits in 5 days. Completed the connectors and installation of the Charlize using the plastic case shipped with the amp. I used cheap hook up wires (telfon insulated Cat 5) and cheap RCA & binding posts (total connector cost less than USD 6). Will do the 41HZ kits latter as I am now playing with the Charlize.
I power the Charlize using an off the shelf 5A regulated power supply with selectable output voltages.
Right out of the box, the Charlize delivered very good and promising performance although the high is a little bit sharp. After playing the Charlize for two days, the hig end sharpness and eddgyness improved. The sound of the Charlize is now very very good. It has extremely good resolution and good hig end extension delivering very clear and clean sound. As a headphone users, I has always been liking clear, clean and good resolution systems. The sound stage is reasonably good with good airy sound.
I am not an audiophile but a guide love listening music and playing around with cost-effective audio gears. Therefore, I am not good at giving review or description. The performance of the Charlize is really really good when paired with high efficiency speakers causing expensive high-end amplifiers to sweat . Don't know its performance when using low efficiency speakers. I am also unable to test its bass performance as my speakers use active bass units.
Is the Charlize better than the DRD 300B SET? Not yet. The DRD 300B is an extremely good SET with excellent clarity, very good resolution, yet maintaining good lidquidity, soundstage, space , air and wormth of a good SET. Don't know if the Charlize can be improved using battery or further break-in. The Charlize is really good even compared with real HI-End.
I opine that Class T amps has really good potential and is the real ticket to hi-end sound without spending Hi-End price (this statement also applies to good and inexpensive SET amps). A real winner for music lover who won't care about brand name.
I also note that the gain clone has gained good reputation and has good potential. Have bought 2 kits from Brian to experiment.
Happy listening, DIY and experment.
Had noted the potential of class D amps years ago when I was still interested in conventional low efficiency speakers. As there was little progress in the class D amp, I interest on it faded.
Since I bought a tube headphone amp in 1999, I became a tube addict, interested in High efficiency fullrange speakers. My current system consists of a Philips CD880 CDP, a pair DRD 300B SET monoblock and a pair of Bastainis Open Baffle with active sub woofer.
A recent search in this forum aroused my interested in Class D (or class T ) amp. Small, economical & inexpensive, no special requirements in power supply, flexible.........lots of good reviews on inexpensive units, lots of potentials. I can't help but trigger buying some to test and play around.
Ordered an assembled Charlize and a Monica2 from Mr. Yeo of Diyparadise, 2 Amp3 kits and one Amp6 kit from Mr. Jan of 41 HZ. Both gentlements are extremely nice and the delivery is increadible fast!! I receive the Charlize & Monica 2 in 2 days and the 41HZ kits in 3 days and the 41 HZ kits in 5 days. Completed the connectors and installation of the Charlize using the plastic case shipped with the amp. I used cheap hook up wires (telfon insulated Cat 5) and cheap RCA & binding posts (total connector cost less than USD 6). Will do the 41HZ kits latter as I am now playing with the Charlize.
I power the Charlize using an off the shelf 5A regulated power supply with selectable output voltages.
Right out of the box, the Charlize delivered very good and promising performance although the high is a little bit sharp. After playing the Charlize for two days, the hig end sharpness and eddgyness improved. The sound of the Charlize is now very very good. It has extremely good resolution and good hig end extension delivering very clear and clean sound. As a headphone users, I has always been liking clear, clean and good resolution systems. The sound stage is reasonably good with good airy sound.
I am not an audiophile but a guide love listening music and playing around with cost-effective audio gears. Therefore, I am not good at giving review or description. The performance of the Charlize is really really good when paired with high efficiency speakers causing expensive high-end amplifiers to sweat . Don't know its performance when using low efficiency speakers. I am also unable to test its bass performance as my speakers use active bass units.
Is the Charlize better than the DRD 300B SET? Not yet. The DRD 300B is an extremely good SET with excellent clarity, very good resolution, yet maintaining good lidquidity, soundstage, space , air and wormth of a good SET. Don't know if the Charlize can be improved using battery or further break-in. The Charlize is really good even compared with real HI-End.
I opine that Class T amps has really good potential and is the real ticket to hi-end sound without spending Hi-End price (this statement also applies to good and inexpensive SET amps). A real winner for music lover who won't care about brand name.
I also note that the gain clone has gained good reputation and has good potential. Have bought 2 kits from Brian to experiment.
Happy listening, DIY and experment.
Andy, this may be strange coming from somebody who is now writing reviews of hi-fi stuff, but I think that it is quite sufficient to say that you like something or that it sounds good without having to go into a lot of detail! So I'm glad that you like the sound of the Charlize - as I do.
And I applaud your desire to try the Gainclones and find out for yourself how these amplifiers sound in comparsion. Keep up the good work!
And I applaud your desire to try the Gainclones and find out for yourself how these amplifiers sound in comparsion. Keep up the good work!
Hi Andy,
Charlize do very well with low efficiency speakers, at least at low and moderate level. I use it with some big 3-way (85dB, 4 ohm) with great result.
Also, if someone listen to two $$$ amp, but not in the same listening session. He could enjoy both very much. Then, if he compare them, he will start to find that one of them is a little bit better on some regard and the other is better on another regard. At the end, he will prefer the one who is better according to what he put on the top of is priority. So, if you compare Charlize to you SET amp, the SET amp surely have some + according to some point, but I'm sure that Charlize also have some. I would suspect that Charlize bass would be better. That said, for your personnal application, the bass performancee is not relevant and you prefer the SET. For someone else, the bass could be the little thing that make him prefer Charlize.
The important thing is that we agree that Charlize is a great amp for the $$$$
My Charlize :
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=49267685408&page=1&sort_order=0
Charlize do very well with low efficiency speakers, at least at low and moderate level. I use it with some big 3-way (85dB, 4 ohm) with great result.
Also, if someone listen to two $$$ amp, but not in the same listening session. He could enjoy both very much. Then, if he compare them, he will start to find that one of them is a little bit better on some regard and the other is better on another regard. At the end, he will prefer the one who is better according to what he put on the top of is priority. So, if you compare Charlize to you SET amp, the SET amp surely have some + according to some point, but I'm sure that Charlize also have some. I would suspect that Charlize bass would be better. That said, for your personnal application, the bass performancee is not relevant and you prefer the SET. For someone else, the bass could be the little thing that make him prefer Charlize.
The important thing is that we agree that Charlize is a great amp for the $$$$
My Charlize :
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=49267685408&page=1&sort_order=0
Mick_F said:
I think you are right. I just saw there is a caption. It is said that the SMPS is german.
The filtering is also explained.....
Hi,
yes, I wrote a little comment for each picture. You can find more information about the SMPS by reading my post here :
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61111
Regards,
Nuuk said:
I was just trying to see if it is or not! I don't think it is though.
Hi Nuuk,
this is not yours, but it a good one too. I have it setted to 13V and Charlize sound good at this setting. I wonder if I should push it a little bit more..... 13.4V.....
What do you think of the look of my amp ? The wood knobs were inspired by the work of someone you really know well
Well, I did think that is the sort of amp that I would like in my hi-fi rack!
I still have my Charlize in a 'pod'! That's the trouble with reviewing - you need to keep things modular!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Nuuk said:
Well, I did think that is the sort of amp that I would like in my hi-fi rack!
Thanks
I still have my Charlize in a 'pod'! That's the trouble with reviewing - you need to keep things modular!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Your pods look great ! They are unique and this is what I like of DIY cases. I came close to spend $150 CND on a case, but I realised that this would make of my amp 1 of hundreds with the same look. So, when peoples look at our DIY cases, they know that it's DIY & still they like them
Andy,
I'm sure Charlize can drive some relatively low efficiency speaker.
Just last week-end, I brought the Charlize over to have a listening session at a friend’s place. His set-up was pretty good and comprises of :-
a.) CEC belt drive CDP (can't remember exactly which model)
b.) Unison Research Simply 845
c.) Focus Audio 58 Sig. speakers
Assortment of power-cord, interconnect and speakers that are expensive.
Played a couple of songs including Patricia Barber's 'Live: A Fortnight In France' CD. Listening to the U.R Simply 845 was quite satisfying. However, swapping the Charlize against the Simply 845 into the exiting set-up simply was experience to be-hold.
The piano simply sounded more 'real' compared to the Simply 845. The Charlize puts the whole sound-stage into a much clearer and better perspective. With the Charlize, I was virtually transformed into the same hall where Patricia was performing. In comparison, the Simply 845 portrayed a somewhat smaller picture of the performance that I felt is not in the correct proportion.
The owner of the set-up was simply stunned by what he heard from the Charlize, which cost a fraction of what he paid for the Simply 845. I was told the speaker was rated at a low of 85dB.
I'm sure Charlize can drive some relatively low efficiency speaker.
Just last week-end, I brought the Charlize over to have a listening session at a friend’s place. His set-up was pretty good and comprises of :-
a.) CEC belt drive CDP (can't remember exactly which model)
b.) Unison Research Simply 845
c.) Focus Audio 58 Sig. speakers
Assortment of power-cord, interconnect and speakers that are expensive.
Played a couple of songs including Patricia Barber's 'Live: A Fortnight In France' CD. Listening to the U.R Simply 845 was quite satisfying. However, swapping the Charlize against the Simply 845 into the exiting set-up simply was experience to be-hold.
The piano simply sounded more 'real' compared to the Simply 845. The Charlize puts the whole sound-stage into a much clearer and better perspective. With the Charlize, I was virtually transformed into the same hall where Patricia was performing. In comparison, the Simply 845 portrayed a somewhat smaller picture of the performance that I felt is not in the correct proportion.
The owner of the set-up was simply stunned by what he heard from the Charlize, which cost a fraction of what he paid for the Simply 845. I was told the speaker was rated at a low of 85dB.
Hi all,
Glad to know that there are lots of Charlize lovers. It is an incredibly tiny amp. Will explore more on this class D technology.
By the way, I have just solved the Charlie start up problem. My PSU has selectable Output voltage from 1.5V to 15V. I start the Charlie using 6V output. Then gradually raise up the voltage to 12V. No start up pop now. May try a soft starter before the PSU later.
Happy exlploring and listening to the Class D.
Andy
Glad to know that there are lots of Charlize lovers. It is an incredibly tiny amp. Will explore more on this class D technology.
By the way, I have just solved the Charlie start up problem. My PSU has selectable Output voltage from 1.5V to 15V. I start the Charlie using 6V output. Then gradually raise up the voltage to 12V. No start up pop now. May try a soft starter before the PSU later.
Happy exlploring and listening to the Class D.
Andy
Nuuk said:
Well, that's interesting to know Andy but I wonder how many of us have variable power supplies!
I must get around to trying the mute option as Yeo suggested. But how do you do that when you can't stop listening to the damn thing?
Hi,
If you try it, please let us know if it worked for you. For me, it doesn’t work. The pop is still about the same.
A soft start would be the solution, but I wonder if someone already made one that could be place between the amp and the PSU
With a SPMS, it's not possible to use the soft start before the PSU
Last week I tried to use a Thermistor between the SPMS and the amp. The result was bad.....a big noise instead of a pop. After a few on/off, the thermistor was contaminating the DC current with some "frying" noise. I'll try some thermistor with bigger amperage, but I'm not optimistic.
Nuuk said:
I must get around to trying the mute option as Yeo suggested. But how do you do that when you can't stop listening to the damn thing?
This time delay kit looks like a possibility. It appears that the output relay can be configured to turn on after a preset delay and stay on as long as power is applied. So, un-mute the Charlize after say 5 seconds after power is applied.
http://www.electronics123.com/s.nl/sc.8/category.44/it.A/id.386/.f
The circuit that I posted earlier in this thread should work well too!
Yes, I've been there Andy and nearly everything is cheap compared to over here!
But what sort of quality PSU iis it? The supply that I tried first has selectable voltages but the sound quality is nowhere near as good as when using the SMPS!
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