That could be higher order harmonics, like 7th and so. They tend to make an amp sound bright. I need to get in there and measure a few T-Amps again. Maybe that's what is bothering you.
When I was in my 20s I was not a fan of tweeters. Most sounded artificial and "Hi-Fi" to me, not like the sounds I hear in nature. 30 years later, they don't bother me as much.I still hear a lot of speakers with too much tweeter, tho . With T-Amps and others with a low pass filter on the output, you have to be careful with impedance. Too light a load and you will get a real boost at the very top. For us old folks, we may not notice it much, younger ears will.
FWIW, in tests of T-Amps vs Gainclone vs Tube (all well built), we have always picked tube, but the T-amp was not far behind. The Gainclones always sounded muddy and closed in, no space. No bad, but not as good as the tube or Tripath. Tastes vary,
I do measure a rising treble response on my T-amp... but that occurs past 20kHz which even I could not hear. I don't know what's going on. If you find anything interesting with your measurements, I'd be very curious to learn about it.
I agree that T-amps are more lively than Gainclones. But I often wonder if it is the Gainclones that are more accurate for studio monitoring. The internals of the LM3875 is a more traditional linear design.
The truth of the matter is you cannot separate which T amp is "best" without considering what speaker it will be required to drive. Having said that there are superb T amps at various power levels, the Maedos Tristan being one, the Topping TP60 another. The power supplies and a clean source of power will also be very significant to performance. Until you get up to the levels of N-Core from Hypex, or class A tubes, or other top level amps, the better T amps represent the best sound for the $.
Hi Octavia, when you say the BEST SOUND, do you mean a pleasing sound ?? or a sound which is the closest, honest and brutal representation of the sound source ??
I'm actually looking for an amp which lets me hear all the engineering flaws of a track, instead of making everything sound pleasing, warm and sweet.
I am looking for an analytical amp , any tips please ?
What I meant by best (for me) is most revealing of the original recorded event. Not something euphonic but also not something etched and over emphasizing highs that one doesn't really experience either in concert or the recording studio (and yes I have some limited experience in both). Back to my earlier point - what speakers are you trying to drive? Case in point, I have Quad 63 electrostats in a stereo set up, Genesis in a home theater set up, AN12's in a FAST set up, (ok there are others but you get the point) each set of speakers have different amps with which they mate best. Like alot of things in life "context" is everything. Might help you get where you want to go if people knew 1.what speakers and 2. what budget. If you have a speaker that dips below 2ohms or has some other difficult load aspect your going to narrow the amp choice alot, but for speakers that have a more kindly load my guess if you can find a great T amp within the right power and price range that can work.
From unathourised production lines.. Dohh! IMO most are Fakes.
But then that shouldn't be a surprise when even Military Aircraft are being seriptitiously fitted with Fake chips.
Even recently saw a Ta 2020 with Gold plated pins.
Recently built a DIY point to point Ta2020 according the the Tripath datasheet.
Using a ..Known Genuine.. made in USA Chip.
Resultant sound is markedly better than the 'Korea' made ones.
IMO most impressions/reviews of the Goodness of the Tripath Amps are likely based on substandard chips
But then that shouldn't be a surprise when even Military Aircraft are being seriptitiously fitted with Fake chips.
Even recently saw a Ta 2020 with Gold plated pins.
Recently built a DIY point to point Ta2020 according the the Tripath datasheet.
Using a ..Known Genuine.. made in USA Chip.
Resultant sound is markedly better than the 'Korea' made ones.
IMO most impressions/reviews of the Goodness of the Tripath Amps are likely based on substandard chips
Who made that chip? AFAIK, Tripath was always a fabless company. Most of its chips were made in Korea. I suppose they still are, even tho the IP was bought a few years ago. Don't remember ever seeing a Made in USA Tripath chip.
Yeah.. yuck it up
Original Tripath chips had No country of origin label on them, neither does this one.
I had assumed it was US made.. my bad.
Bought on a whim, several (4/5?) years ago from a US supply house and in sealed Tripath packaging, I naively assumed it was genuine.
Fakes were not quite the disease they are currently.
Inarguably the sounds are clearly 'better' than my 'Korea' Ta chips.
Smoother treble/deeper bass as a start, dynamics seem improved as well, a pleasing sound actually.
Perhaps it's down to the using the Exact Tripath Datasheet circuit then?
Original Tripath chips had No country of origin label on them, neither does this one.
I had assumed it was US made.. my bad.
Bought on a whim, several (4/5?) years ago from a US supply house and in sealed Tripath packaging, I naively assumed it was genuine.
Fakes were not quite the disease they are currently.
Inarguably the sounds are clearly 'better' than my 'Korea' Ta chips.
Smoother treble/deeper bass as a start, dynamics seem improved as well, a pleasing sound actually.
Perhaps it's down to the using the Exact Tripath Datasheet circuit then?
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I've listened to the TA2020, TK2050 and TA2022 fairly extensively. I liked them all (for what they are anyway) but the 2022 was my favourite. Clean, very revealing with a great stereo image and good instrument separation. It was a bit cold and fatiguing though without a tube preamp. A good Mullard tube helped add warmth and life.
The Tripath TA2022 was a good chip 10 years ago. Is it not time to get off the nostalgia kick and move on ? Tripath chips are obsolete. Are they not ? Hypex has overpriced their best products to the point they are useless to anyone who actually listens to music. The highly praised Pioneer digital amplifiers use Icepower technology. The most interesting amplifier, the TBI Millenia MG3 actually uses a Texas Instruments TPA3100 chip which itself is a few years old. The just released Texas Instruments TPA3116D2, TPA3118D2, and TPA3130D2 should be exciting everyone. They just might the finest digital amplifier chips in the word today and also very affordable. More even newer designs will be coming out in the future no doubt.
No, but I have read dozens of statements of people who own TI Amps. I do actually own a Topping TP60. I think that it is a decent amplifier for the money but hardly state of the art. It also pales compared to my Odyssey Khartago. Interestingly, in my Texas Instruments readings, they are working on some higher power stereo amplifier chips than the brand new TPA3116D2, TPA3118D2, and TPA3130D2 chips released this last summer. Digital amplification is the future and vacuum tube manufacturing may experience the same fate as Kodak film by the end of the decade.
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