I do not know the blue/black but I know the SMSL and Sure. Sure sounds better IMO.
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Haven't had a chance to listen to my reference material yet, but I'd say there was definitely a small improvement in a few categories. It's a good sign when you power-on and get goosebumps. Well worth the few bucks/minutes it took to swap the parts.
BK
For the record, the Mini Aleph may have been derived from a version of the
Alephs, but was a DIY done by someone else.
For the record, the Mini Aleph may have been derived from a version of the
Alephs, but was a DIY done by someone else.
Apologies Nelson! Still a great amp.
I hope that Mr. Pass takes comparison of the TPA3116 amp to one of his designs (even though it wasn't built by him) as flattery. BTW, I heard the First Watt SIT-1's at the Zu Audio suite during last week's California Audio Show, and the amps were impressive.
Now back to the Class D fun, I finally wired up the CineMag CMLI-15/15B input transformers to my modded YJ blue amp. Keep in mind this is a temporary test bed build, and I will tidy up the wiring, but those little silver cylinders were talking to me to install them since they arrived two days ago.
Originally, I was going to do the bootstrap snubber mod, but I decided to do this first. I will get around to doing the snubber mod, so don't flame me. I spent $120 on these things, so I was going for the big buck mod first.
All I can say is this amp sounds pretty awesome playing Patricia Barber's "Cafe Blue." Just as dboy and sharp31 have previously reported, the input balancing transformers really open up the amp. The sound is definitely clearer with some incredible inner detail. The soundstage is substantially larger and the bass is punchier and more articulate. This is noticeable on kick drum strikes. If you want air, the transformers will give it to you.
If you want to know how this compares to my Sure TPA3116 amp with the six OSCONs, there is no comparison. This set-up wins by a huge margin. Now what would be interesting is modding a Sure amp with these input transformers. I will elaborate more on the sound quality if anyone is interested. Thanks again to Danzz for the amp design. This layout accomplishes exactly what it was intended to do, and that is to accommodate mods easily. In the meantime, I am going to enjoy the tunes on my new amp.
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Rhing,
Wow, that sounds really impressive. I can't even imagine what that sounds like. I know that there was a huge difference when input the OSCON's on. Is this even more impressive on first listen? I want some trafo's!
I may have to settle for the $31 ones though.
Thanks for sharing. Your amp with the bulging inductors and now dual can trafo's look like a hot rod car for sure.
Wow, that sounds really impressive. I can't even imagine what that sounds like. I know that there was a huge difference when input the OSCON's on. Is this even more impressive on first listen? I want some trafo's!
I may have to settle for the $31 ones though.
Thanks for sharing. Your amp with the bulging inductors and now dual can trafo's look like a hot rod car for sure.
I just listened to Holst's "The Planets" and I was completely overwhelmed by this expansive soundstage with incredible depth, separation and transparency. I realize this is a huge expense for a $20 amp, but dboy and sharp31 described the upgrade accurately. For anyone using these amps on a desktop computer or iPhone audio system, this mod isn't for you, but if you have one of these amps in your main rig, you owe it to yourself to try the CineMag CMLI-15/15B, Jensen JT-11P-1 or any of the Lundahl input transformers like the LL1592 or LL1690's. This mod is a game changer.
Before I forget, no turn-on or turn-off pops with the CineMags in place.
Before I forget, no turn-on or turn-off pops with the CineMags in place.
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I just got my hand on a pair of Sowter 8920F 10K:10K+10K Input phase splitter transformer, do you think this will work on the blue/black board?
Sowter Type 8920
Rhing, thanks for the pics and report. I know you've had many tpa311x amps in your hands. Is it safe to conclude that this one (with the trafos) is now the hands-down best? (Speaking only of tpa311x amps of course. Although a related question is, how does this latest rank overall of all amps you've ever heard?)
Another question: did you wire the xformer up to support balanced inputs?
Thanks again, although I'm a little miffed because, even though I haven't ordered them yet, my wallet already feels $120 lighter! You may get a call from my wife.
I just got my hand on a pair of Sowter 8920F 10K:10K+10K Input phase splitter transformer, do you think this will work on the blue/black board?
Sowter Type 8920
Just hook it up and try it. Can't hurt anything.
I used Sowter 3575 and am very happy. My guess is that this could be wired up to give similar results.
For folks in the USA I believe Edcor make a suitable transformer that costs peanuts and has some very good reports. It does not have the mu-metal shielding, so you would need to think about layout/positioning. I looked into these recently for further fun and games, but postage to me in the UK is prohibitive.
https://www.edcorusa.com/wsm10k-10k
Edit P.S. there actually seem to be quite a range.
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Sorry guys, I don't really feel qualified to give opinions on what would be the best here. All I did was use the transformers that I fitted to my DAC several years ago. These are 10k:10k so I am confident to say that 10k:10k impedance works well. There may be better options.
I found I got better bass by reducing the gain of TPA3116 to 20db for highest input impedance to the chip. This reduced dynamics very slightly but the gains in bass clarity and weight more than made up for it.
I found I got better bass by reducing the gain of TPA3116 to 20db for highest input impedance to the chip. This reduced dynamics very slightly but the gains in bass clarity and weight more than made up for it.
I had a quick look at the umm transformers and it seems a nice idea - you can experiment with different impedance. Reducing the transformer output impedance a bit is my guess at what might bring an improvement, so maybe UMM 7 or 8? But then you would reduce signal strength. Which would be fine if you have very sensitive speakers or are using a preamp.
Actually, with lower transformer output impedance you might get good bass with lower tpa impedance, if you like the higher dynamics of higher gain. So then maybe reduction in signal strength would not matter!
But you probably don't need me to speculate like this...
Actually, with lower transformer output impedance you might get good bass with lower tpa impedance, if you like the higher dynamics of higher gain. So then maybe reduction in signal strength would not matter!
But you probably don't need me to speculate like this...
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