Chip amps compared

[dfolson]

Hey all,

I was reading an interesting discussion and thought I would pass the thread link along. I think it is pertinent...

http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/v...ic.php?t=14379

David

[Nuuk]

I was reading an interesting discussion and thought I would pass the thread link along. I think it is pertinent...

Pertinent to what? The thread lasted just six posts because somebody had the common sense/knowledge to mention system synergy.

IMHO, there have been too many discusssions of this nature on this forum and the subject has been done to death!

The nice 3 dimensional soundstage of the SoA had been replaced by something totally 2 dimensional.

For the record, I will say that my GC based system has the deepest soundstage I have heard in any system, regardless of cost!

[dfolson]

Nick,

I just wanted to mention the discussion as I took a few points from it. To give you some background: The commercial amps they are comparing the gainclone to are in the $3,000 - $4,000 range. Also the poster is a dealer for one of the products mentioned.

This is a new thread that was only started Saturday.

For the most part, I was interested in the comparison. As you mentioned, they did not seem to try too many speaker combinations to find amore suitable match. So my question for all the GCs (any flavor) out there, what speakers work well for you?

Dave

p.s. Last year I sent you some Elna Silmics - what did you think of them?

[Nuuk]

Hi Dave,

I must admit, I didn't realise that it was a new thread! But these sort of discusssions inevitably lead to bad feelings and as we have just had a 'Gainclones are not state-of-the-art' argument, I was trying to nip another one in the bud!

I'm not sure what such a debate is really trying to discover. GC builders like myself will argue that the GC is a very good amplifier and possibly scoff at those who part with thousands for somethnig commercial that may sound a tiny bit better.

Conversely, those that do spend that sort of money want the reassurance that they have got something considerably better than the DIY attempts that we make for considerably less outlay.

I doubt that we will ever bring both sides together and in any case, this is such a slippery egg to catch hold of as system synery is variable factor that makes direct comparsions somewhat meaningless.

What speakers work well with a GC? It may be a more meaningful question if we say what speakers work well with [b]my]/b] GC in my room! ).

My open baffles work very well. Carlos FM swears by his GC with Epos 11's. Ron Clarke loves his battery powered GC's with his horn speakers. I know of a few more GC owners who swear by their horn speakers so may be there is a synergy there - I am yet to try them.

The Silmics? I'm sorry to tell you that they never arrived. I didn't say anything in case you had simply forgotten to send them or found a use for them after all. I guess a postman somewhere is enjoying them in his GC! (What else would a postman listen to?)

[t.]

Also not all GC's are the same

[carlosfm]

Originally posted by Nuuk
My open baffles work very well. Carlos FM swears by his GC with Epos 11's. Ron Clarke loves his battery powered GC's with his horn speakers. I know of a few more GC owners who swear by their horn speakers so may be there is a synergy there - I am yet to try them.

Originally posted by t.
Also not all GC's are the same

I went a long way to have the results I have now.
My first GC was very typical: unregulated low capacitance PSU, no zobel (or call it snubber), no series resistors, and LM3875 chips.
At the time I tested many commercial speakers and the results were not convincing.
The amp couldn't drive most of them.
Also, speaker cables type made a huge effect on the sound, they made the amp sound horrible to very good.

All this is past, all that water has passed under the bridge.
For a long time I'm using the LM3886, a better choice IMHO, along with several other tricks I've posted here.
My Epos ES11 speakers are not easy to drive and I couldn't rest until I could make them sing properly, as I love them.
I will take my amps now to anywhere, to test with most common speakers and cables and it sounds very good: very detailed, harmonics and note decays to die for, magical midband, tight and dynamic bass, with "slam", with authority.
Bring on the commercial amps to compare, I'm ready.

EDIT: Instead of dispersing your attention through other forums, you guys should be where the action is: diyaudio.com

[Nuuk]

I will take my amps now to anywhere, to test with most common speakers and cables

My friend in Alice Springs would like to hear them Carlos. Have you got a current passport?

Seriously, you make a good point. Many of us have put an awful lot of work into developing our GC's and may be that is why we are a little bit touchy about seeing a bog standard chip amp put up against 'the opposition'!

[t.]

Spot on boys
Strange you mentioned about the speaker cable Carlos, I now find that the cable that wouldn't work with my first unregged/unbuffered GC now sounds great with my current GC.
The biggest achievment with my GC is the bass tightness and power, it sounded like crap with the standard clone

[carlosfm]

Originally posted by Nuuk
My friend in Alice Springs would like to hear them Carlos. Have you got a current passport?

A simple ID card is enough to travel through all the UE.
Bring your friend, there's good music, beers and whisky, whatever makes you fancy.

I'm makin' a small LM1875 amp for my bench/computer.
This small amp is on my main system right now driving my Epos speakers in a way I would think impossible a year ago.
The chip hasn't chage, it's just the way to use it.

Originally posted by Nuuk
Seriously, you make a good point. Many of us have put an awful lot of work into developing our GC's and may be that is why we are a little bit touchy about seeing a bog standard chip amp put up against 'the opposition'!

Absolutely.

[Nuuk]

A simple ID card is enough to travel through all the UE.

No, I meant this Alice Springs !

(You did say 'anywhere'!)