)Hi, Dan, actually, my concern is about Elex, and I got it yesterday, which is quite a powerful amplifer even with a thin body. I opened the enclosure and found that the output transistors are Sanken A1186/C2837, smaller than A1216/C2922, but they also sound very musical. I think the latter ones are used in Elicit, a 70w/c on 8 ohm amplifer 
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PS. , the components in Elex are not bad, Alps 27 (blue plastic case) pot and Alps switch, audio-grade capacitors and resistors, and the most exciting one is the transformer, which was produced by the factory supplying to Naim amp.
.PS. , the components in Elex are not bad, Alps 27 (blue plastic case) pot and Alps switch, audio-grade capacitors and resistors, and the most exciting one is the transformer, which was produced by the factory supplying to Naim amp.
Now when you say it, I also tought that Elex used some other transistor than the SA1216/SC2922 pair.
Hmm, maybe I looked in the wrong schematics?
I know that Elicit use the SA1216/SC2922 pair, (and the same printed circuit board as the Elex!).
The only big difference between Elex and Elicit is 1 vs 2 powersupply trafo, 20.000uF vs 88.000uF and as you say other output transistors.
Elex has one little capacitor in the signal path, 1uF, right before or after the volumepot.
I guess you can make Elex sound better if you exchange it with a better one. That`s the only place I can remember any "bad" parts in the signal path.
I`m not sure if Elicit have this cap?
I think maybe Elicit has a DC servo instead?
I don`t have the schematics in front of me, so this is from my memory...
Elex sounds great, it`s weird to hear such a cheap and small amplifier sound that good. I used to get the comment "Is that the amplifier, it looks like a toy"...
Hmm, maybe I looked in the wrong schematics?
I know that Elicit use the SA1216/SC2922 pair, (and the same printed circuit board as the Elex!).
The only big difference between Elex and Elicit is 1 vs 2 powersupply trafo, 20.000uF vs 88.000uF and as you say other output transistors.
Elex has one little capacitor in the signal path, 1uF, right before or after the volumepot.
I guess you can make Elex sound better if you exchange it with a better one. That`s the only place I can remember any "bad" parts in the signal path.
I`m not sure if Elicit have this cap?
I think maybe Elicit has a DC servo instead?
I don`t have the schematics in front of me, so this is from my memory...
Elex sounds great, it`s weird to hear such a cheap and small amplifier sound that good. I used to get the comment "Is that the amplifier, it looks like a toy"...
Thanks, Dan.
I am trying to figure out the topology of the circuit of Elex, but find that it uses some one not often seen.
You mentioned you might have the schematic of Elicit, could you email one to me?
Also, I notice that the coupling capacitors are film type, not very bad, but the input stage ues 4 TL071's, not very hi-end opamp, so I'm gonna replace them with op627, which is a high-graded opamp. I am expecting the surprise.
I am trying to figure out the topology of the circuit of Elex, but find that it uses some one not often seen.
You mentioned you might have the schematic of Elicit, could you email one to me?
Also, I notice that the coupling capacitors are film type, not very bad, but the input stage ues 4 TL071's, not very hi-end opamp, so I'm gonna replace them with op627, which is a high-graded opamp. I am expecting the surprise.
When I opened up my brother's Elex (great amp, eh? I love the good and warm middle and nice rounded highs!) to look out for possible upgrades, I was really surpriced by the avarage good component quality.
The only thing I was really surpriced over was the "sanwa" electrolytics widely used in the amp. I have only before seen these caps in cheap radios and video-players and they are as far as I know not audio grade... (and yet the amp sounds terrific). (same types are used in the Planet, and we substituted the two outputcaps with SANYO OS-CON audio caps with great results!)
A funny thing; I spotted that the Elex obiously uses the same PCB as the Elicit because there are room for a second Transformer and also 2 extra PSU caps and rectifiers etc. So my brother contacted our local distributor and managed to get hold of an extra Elex trafo for a very nice price of 58$ !!! So now we will be upgrading to dual mono as soon as the frafo arrives in the mail!!
Other upgrades will possibly involve:
- Input cap. change to a better type, or complete removal.
- Emitter reisistors of outputstage (cheap WW) to better (Caddocks?).
- Sub. the "sanwa" caps to better types at selected places. (PSU decoupling and feedback loop etc.)
- Faster rectifier diodes.
- maybe elevate the bias current a little bit when we have installed the second transformer. (around 25-30mA I think it is now).
The regulator for the Pre-section is also pretty interesting.
is Rega still using IC opamps for the front-end of their amplifier circuits? my Brio uses cheap TL072 as well. but i will admit it sounds surprisingly good even with this "handicap." after extensive mods (bypassing all input switching and TL072 "preamp" stage, parts swaps, added filter capacitance), it became a very musical amp indeed... trounced a $1000 Arcam amp in a comparison test some years ago.
be careful substituting opamps for the amplifier section. you can get some serious DC problems if you don't use a low input offset (FET input) amp. also some opamps will oscillate in this circuit. i remember that some of the better ICs (forget exactly which) did NOT work in my Brio, for either DC or oscillation reasons. i wound up sticking to the AD712, which is not very high-end (basically a glorified TL072) but it sounded appreciably better than the stock chip. the AD8620 would probably be a good choice if it doesn't oscillate, tho u would need a Browndog SMD-DIP adapter.
be careful substituting opamps for the amplifier section. you can get some serious DC problems if you don't use a low input offset (FET input) amp. also some opamps will oscillate in this circuit. i remember that some of the better ICs (forget exactly which) did NOT work in my Brio, for either DC or oscillation reasons. i wound up sticking to the AD712, which is not very high-end (basically a glorified TL072) but it sounded appreciably better than the stock chip. the AD8620 would probably be a good choice if it doesn't oscillate, tho u would need a Browndog SMD-DIP adapter.
I checked the circuits of this amp, and found that :
1),those four TL071's serve as DC servo for the regulators, so they are not in the signal path, fortunately.
And the TL072 is a buffer for tape out, so anyone who attempts to play with bi-amp can replace this amp with opa627 directly. There won't be any problem with that cause I compared those two opamps' datasheets.
2) The input coupling caps and other film-type ones in Elex are mad by Evox-rifa, and the coupling caps are MMK series, which are designed for bypassing and signal coupling, so this part should be hi-fi design. Maybe I will paralled some WIMA or ERO film caps to those coupling caps to listen to the effects later on. All the electricity caps are made by "sanhwa" , a Korean company, and I've got no idea of why they used such cheap caps. I think I will replace them all with elna silmic, or rubycon black gate caps. Sanyo OS-con is also a good idea for the caps used as PS decoupling and signal bypassing.
3) The PS filter cpas are nichicon 10000uf/50v X 2, LK series, but those are not audio-grade caps. I bouhgt several Sprague 53D 13000uf/63v axial cpas and will replace the nichicon. Two WIMA or ERO film cpas will help while paralleled with the PS cpas, I believe.
4) The out stage transistors are Sanken A1186/C2837. I have couples of Sanken A1215/C2921, more rugged and powerful than the original ones. Maybe this replacement will improve the dynamic of the Elex.
Any suggestion for my mod plan?
1),those four TL071's serve as DC servo for the regulators, so they are not in the signal path, fortunately.
And the TL072 is a buffer for tape out, so anyone who attempts to play with bi-amp can replace this amp with opa627 directly. There won't be any problem with that cause I compared those two opamps' datasheets.2) The input coupling caps and other film-type ones in Elex are mad by Evox-rifa, and the coupling caps are MMK series, which are designed for bypassing and signal coupling, so this part should be hi-fi design. Maybe I will paralled some WIMA or ERO film caps to those coupling caps to listen to the effects later on. All the electricity caps are made by "sanhwa" , a Korean company, and I've got no idea of why they used such cheap caps. I think I will replace them all with elna silmic, or rubycon black gate caps. Sanyo OS-con is also a good idea for the caps used as PS decoupling and signal bypassing.
3) The PS filter cpas are nichicon 10000uf/50v X 2, LK series, but those are not audio-grade caps. I bouhgt several Sprague 53D 13000uf/63v axial cpas and will replace the nichicon. Two WIMA or ERO film cpas will help while paralleled with the PS cpas, I believe.
4) The out stage transistors are Sanken A1186/C2837. I have couples of Sanken A1215/C2921, more rugged and powerful than the original ones. Maybe this replacement will improve the dynamic of the Elex.
Any suggestion for my mod plan?
Hello everybody!
I owned a Rega Elex before my current Elicit. The Elex sounds powerfull but is limited for my tastes in the extreme frequency range. The Elicit is by far better, so upgrade an Elex close to Elicit stage seems to be a good idea as the printed board would be the same in this two amps.
Just one word about the Evox 1 µF film cap on the vertical board: it is effectively an input capacitor, placed before the ALPS potentiometer. The Elicit is not DC coupled by any way, except for the speaker outputs.
As far as I could conjecture after having modified my Rega Planet by replacing the Samwha caps of the power supply and output by Panasonic FC, standard BG for local analogue PSU decoupling, Sanyo OS-CON SG for local digital PSU decoupling and 10 µF MKP+ 82nf MKS in the output, exchange the Samwha standard grade SG cap by better quality units should improved the sound!
Another note about the circuit design: if the Elex really have the same topology throughout as the Elicit, it is a complete symmetrical, discrete and dual mono design (included the phono stage). The power amp use differential four transistors input stage fed by local current regulator through red LED, common base voltage amplifier and a single ended push pull of bipolar devices. The phono amp is mostly of the same kind. Phono amps, input stages and voltage amplifiers have separate symmetrical regulated tracking PSU.
As I understand, the greatest differences beetwen Elex and Elicit are two completly separate main PSUs (2xcustom LCR 22000µF for the ouput and 2xSamwha SG 1000µF for the pre each) and Sanken 2SA1216/2SC2922 for the latter.
By.
I owned a Rega Elex before my current Elicit. The Elex sounds powerfull but is limited for my tastes in the extreme frequency range. The Elicit is by far better, so upgrade an Elex close to Elicit stage seems to be a good idea as the printed board would be the same in this two amps.
Just one word about the Evox 1 µF film cap on the vertical board: it is effectively an input capacitor, placed before the ALPS potentiometer. The Elicit is not DC coupled by any way, except for the speaker outputs.
As far as I could conjecture after having modified my Rega Planet by replacing the Samwha caps of the power supply and output by Panasonic FC, standard BG for local analogue PSU decoupling, Sanyo OS-CON SG for local digital PSU decoupling and 10 µF MKP+ 82nf MKS in the output, exchange the Samwha standard grade SG cap by better quality units should improved the sound!
Another note about the circuit design: if the Elex really have the same topology throughout as the Elicit, it is a complete symmetrical, discrete and dual mono design (included the phono stage). The power amp use differential four transistors input stage fed by local current regulator through red LED, common base voltage amplifier and a single ended push pull of bipolar devices. The phono amp is mostly of the same kind. Phono amps, input stages and voltage amplifiers have separate symmetrical regulated tracking PSU.
As I understand, the greatest differences beetwen Elex and Elicit are two completly separate main PSUs (2xcustom LCR 22000µF for the ouput and 2xSamwha SG 1000µF for the pre each) and Sanken 2SA1216/2SC2922 for the latter.
By.
