Gainclone vs Sony TA1055

[Jim Read]

I made up a GC using Thorstens circuit and my wife and I have just been comparing it to the 30yr old TA1055.

There was no need to do a blind test, in fact the GC sounded so crappy we both laughed.

The GC was thin and lifeless and the worst of it - no bass at all!

In comparison the TA1055 sounds warm, musical, and delivers bass that you can feel.

The speakers - ML TQWP's - now they ARE worth making.

Awfully sorry chaps but you've been HAD by the HaHa End.

Regards - Jim Read

Thinking about it, I put this post on AMP Chip yesterday, the LM amps are made to amplify the speakers in motorcar door panels and the manufacturers don't want the customers complaining of excessive vibrations.

[gpapag]

Dear Jim
Except from the case that the TA 1055 is an exceptionally good amp, and/or the GC you built has some fault, i think you undervalue the gainclone. It is not THE amp, but at the same time it is not as bad as you describe. Try to burn it in for a while and then give it another good listening. May be you have been used to the sound of your amp and the new kid sounds unfamiliar. If the TA 1055 has a bit rolled off highs, you may easily fall to the false assumption that in comparison, GC has no bass. In any case though, feel free to enjoy music with whatever amplifier you feel comfortable with.

PS. Yes, "...the LM amps are made to amplify the speakers in motorcar door panels.." too, but not only. That they are cheap, because they are produced by the millions thanks to the car and TV manufacturers, doesn't mean that they are cheap sounding as well.
Regards
George

[Peter Daniel]

Since you posted a pic of your ML TQWP speakers, maybe you could post a pic of your gainclone and we could see what might go wrong. It doesn't seems that too many builders are so dissatisfied with their clones (like you are), so maybe something indeed went wrong when you were building it.

[mrfeedback]

Can you post a picture of the Sony amp too.

Eric

[karma]

ahh the only thing sony is good for are walkman's.

[UrSv]

Originally posted by Jim Read
Thinking about it, I put this post on AMP Chip yesterday, the LM amps are made to amplify the speakers in motorcar door panels and the manufacturers don't want the customers complaining of excessive vibrations.

Just which LM amp did you use for your GC? The LM chips used in the GCs are most commonly 3886, 3875, 3876 and 1875 as well as some OPA5xx. AFAIK, none of these are designed or even suitable for car amplifiers for speakers in door panels (which in itself is a really strange statement). The app note say High-End Stero TVS, Compact or Component stereos, Surround Sound amplifiers and Self-Powered speakers. Not much mentioned about cars. However for things like ST TDA7xxx series that would be true since they are designed for supply at 14.4 V max which none of the standard (or what I see as standard) chips in GCs are.

I myself found my GC playing better than my DENON 2800 amplifier without any hesitation and I am very sceptical about claims like for the GCs.

I wonder what may have gone wrong with your set-up. Please post some details and we might be able to help.

[analog_sa]

Lets not forget that GC is not particularly good driving difficult loads and can sound compressed and bass light with the wrong speakers. Under such circumstances it may well sound as Jim describes it. Then there is also the issue of individual sonic preference. A good friend of mine, proud owner of a huge Yamaha amp has never liked any of my amps ever. The Yamaha bass is capable of rearranging the furniture with little provocation and simply offers a different physical experience to wimpy SETs and gainclones. One size certainly doesn't fit all.


cheers

peter

[Jim Read]

The transformer is 34-0-34V 200VA, 50 amp bridge, and a 'smoothed' Euro socket

[Jim Read]

LM3875, carbon resistors, non-polarised caps except for the 0.1 uf across the power supply which is a tantalum bead. Two carbon track pots and star earth.

[ThorstenL]

Kuei Yang Wang

Originally posted by Jim Read
The transformer is 34-0-34V 200VA, 50 amp bridge, and a 'smoothed' Euro socket

One Bridge? Not my Circuit. Your circuit.

As for the Sony, I hope you turned Loudness off and bypassed the tone controls, so that you are comparing the Amplifiers and no the presence and absence of Frequency response shaping.

Sayonara