hi i built an amp6 six month ago and i did any mod that i could read in forums to improve the sound of this amp,well i like the sound coming out from this amp especially the details but i can only complain about the bass, i want to improve this part and i need help im a newbie.modification i did are : stiffener caps(10,000 uf caps),input filter(1.0uf obligatto caps) and still not happy with the bass, is there something i can add to this to give me some tight bass,im using 45va 15v IE transformer im not sure if this enough,speaker is infinity primus 150, philips cd713 modded. any suggestion?
http://hifiview.com/category/amplifier/
http://hifiview.com/category/amplifier/
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Hi.
I am baffled why you are not happy with the bass. I constructed an Amp6 basic yesterday, totally stock apart from the input caps which I changed to 4.7uF/50v Black Gate 'N' type ones.
I am stunned by the sound this thing makes, and that's just from running an iPod into the Amp6 into old Mission 760i speakers at present until I get it back from my parents house to my flat. Then I'll try it with my Naim CDI front end.
Have you tried out the amp with a different speaker / source (not sure how good that Philips CD is?)/ PSU? Just quickly check it with a cheap plug in PSU (kind used for monitors) and see if that makes any difference? I'm thinking the amp may not like the speakers.
Hope you get it sorted,
- John
I am baffled why you are not happy with the bass. I constructed an Amp6 basic yesterday, totally stock apart from the input caps which I changed to 4.7uF/50v Black Gate 'N' type ones.
I am stunned by the sound this thing makes, and that's just from running an iPod into the Amp6 into old Mission 760i speakers at present until I get it back from my parents house to my flat. Then I'll try it with my Naim CDI front end.
Have you tried out the amp with a different speaker / source (not sure how good that Philips CD is?)/ PSU? Just quickly check it with a cheap plug in PSU (kind used for monitors) and see if that makes any difference? I'm thinking the amp may not like the speakers.
Hope you get it sorted,
- John
Your input caps might be a little small. Did you get 3.3µF caps with the kit? Did you try them? Those film caps you're using probably sound better overall, but there's a chance that they're filtering your bass or distorting the phase of it.
hi thanks John & kristleifur for the posts... yeah maybe because of 1uf obligatto im using... i need a higher value like 2.2 or 3.3uf.But i red somewhere here in tha forums that if im using a bookshelf speaker i should use the value of 1.0uf for the input as advise by panomaniac...im really lost about this really! im using the stock panasonic fc before but dont like the sound of it so i change it.Using dvd player before and the philips cd713 is great improvement but the same lacking the bass.didnt tried to check it in different speaker coz this is only one i have. soon ill try the 2.2 or 4.7uf obligatto oil for this, what value do you recommend?
Anything from 2.2uF - 4.7uF should be fine. Just be aware when you turn on the amp the 'thump' noise will be louder with 4.7uF....
Let us know how you get on - I'm still grinning from the bass quality I am getting with mine!
Strange seeing that little circuit board providing music!!
Good luck,
- John
Strange seeing that little circuit board providing music!!
Good luck,
- John
A few questions:
My experience with the AMP6 and some other T-Amps is that the stiffener caps really do tighten up the bass, too tight for some people. Some small speakers need an amp that's a little "loose" to get satisfying bass.
Please let us know what you find and what your changes bring.
- Where did you connect the stiffener cap(s) and how many?
- Are your speakers 4 or 8 ohm?
- Have you tried another amp with your speakers that do give you the tight bass you want?
- Did the stock input caps give you the bass you want, even if you didn’t like the midrange?
My experience with the AMP6 and some other T-Amps is that the stiffener caps really do tighten up the bass, too tight for some people. Some small speakers need an amp that's a little "loose" to get satisfying bass.
Please let us know what you find and what your changes bring.
hi panomaniac thanx for your post.... stiffener caps(1pc.10,000uf LCR capacitor) connected under the pcb of c1819 (1800uf) my speaker is 8ohms load,never tried other amp but my friend have a nad c320bee with the same speaker and it gives a nice bass, the stock input caps have little bit less bass than the obligatto.
btw, maybe amp6 dont like this speaker infinity primus 150 88db sensitivity or maybe ill have to try a bigger amp like amp5 for this coz building a cabinet with fullrange speaker for amp6 is quite difficult to me and more expensive too.
I would also suggest 2.2uf input caps -- Tripath's recommended value I seem to remember.
I also have a Tripath 2020-based amp and this cap value, and have no complaints about the bass. Other solid state amps I have seem to have better bass on first listen, which initially sounds impressive, though on further listen I find the tripath to give tighter, better defined bass. I am inclined to think the Tripath may be more accurate, whereas my solid state amps (off-the shelf components) may have been designed to be more impressive. Perhaps that could explain why you hear such significant differences with the same speakers?
I am have tried the amp with 3 different speakers -- senisitivities of 85db, 90db and 96 db. With the 85db, it doesn't seem to grab the speaker. With 90db, it's borderline, but with the the 96dbs, it's fine.
Also never underestimate the influence of speaker positioning and room gain. It could also be that your speakers are positioned badly.
I've also experimented with stiffening caps. Started out with an Elna 'for audio' 10,000uf, then without, and now I'm happy with 3x 1000uf Elna Silmics. To my ears, the differences are subtle.
I'm now mostly using it with a battery. Have also tried it with an SMPS and linear supply, though I cannot seem to work out which one I prefer. The SMPS seems faster, the linear more relaxed and the battery has the lowest noise floor. But again, I found the differences to be subtle.
I also have a Tripath 2020-based amp and this cap value, and have no complaints about the bass. Other solid state amps I have seem to have better bass on first listen, which initially sounds impressive, though on further listen I find the tripath to give tighter, better defined bass. I am inclined to think the Tripath may be more accurate, whereas my solid state amps (off-the shelf components) may have been designed to be more impressive. Perhaps that could explain why you hear such significant differences with the same speakers?
I am have tried the amp with 3 different speakers -- senisitivities of 85db, 90db and 96 db. With the 85db, it doesn't seem to grab the speaker. With 90db, it's borderline, but with the the 96dbs, it's fine.
Also never underestimate the influence of speaker positioning and room gain. It could also be that your speakers are positioned badly.
I've also experimented with stiffening caps. Started out with an Elna 'for audio' 10,000uf, then without, and now I'm happy with 3x 1000uf Elna Silmics. To my ears, the differences are subtle.
I'm now mostly using it with a battery. Have also tried it with an SMPS and linear supply, though I cannot seem to work out which one I prefer. The SMPS seems faster, the linear more relaxed and the battery has the lowest noise floor. But again, I found the differences to be subtle.
hi ssmith.....well,i haven't tried to change the input caps with 2.2uf or 4.4uf obligatto it will take time coz ill have to order it again from hongkong(diyhifisupply).3x 1000uf Elna Silmics you used?thats interesting, i should try that and see in my spare time, quite busy now.
Can't you just buy a cheap 2.2uF first? That way if you then like the quality of the bass you can then go ahead and order the more expensive obligatto cap. Might save you some money if it makes no change. The you know the problem is elsewhere...
i tried to put back the stock panasonic fc 3.3uf and the bass improved, so ill go with the obligatto oil 4.7 this time and see...
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