Charlize, my thoughts

[serengetiplains]

Hey Pano, I suspect adequate gains are had by a simple capacitor across the output of a SMPS ... and the better the quality the cap, the better the overall sound. I was interested to see if adding a bit of series inductance would rid the 12V rail of some of HF nasties, which I reason probably to some degree muck up the operation of the Tripath chip (almost in the manner of jitter). Your experience suggests I might be in for a surprise. We'll see just how robust this PS I've purchased is!

I'm also interested in experimenting with decently designed SMPSs on the theory that, if SM amplifiers (like the Tripath) can produce a certain magic unobtainable by other amplifier topologies, perhaps a SM power supply offers the same advantage? My Emm Labs gear uses SMPSs, and of course that gear sounds quite fine ... no obvious sonic limitation to their power supplies for sure.

Now, where did I put those silver mica capacitors?

 

[serengetiplains]

Hey, sounds quite good given everything but the coupling capacitors are new and require break-in. Now all I need are a second hard drive so I can rip cds into a lossless format, an upgraded audio card for my computer or perhaps a Squeezebox or an Empirical Audio jobbie, better capacitors in my speakers, a few teflon capacitors on the power supply .....

 

[audiotux]

........ and a few silver mica for shunting the elcos ! ............................

 

[serengetiplains]

Wow, one hour later and this little amplifier is beginning to sound very smooth and subjectively very enjoyable. Gives me an uncomfortable feeling that my main rig ($$) is already obsolete, the bright side being that the money I spent on that rig will not in any event be needed for future upgrades if this $100 amp is any sign.

 

[audiotux]

........i was only jocking , with such high quality parts
the sound can only be good !
nice that you are happy with the amp

Greetings from Germany

Jürgen

 

[kenscott30]

SMPS

List,

I am about to jump on this smps http://www.cosel.co.jp/en/products/lda/pe_lda75f.html from steve at http://www.apexjr.com/. I believe andrewbee purchased this, maybe he can chime in...Many of you have talked about using a cap to beef up the signal out of the power supply. What is the best way to hook it up to the charlize? Using plugs of some sort? Any photos out there?

Thanks,

Ken

 

[serengetiplains]

Ken, you might take a glance at this supply:

http://cgi.ebay.com/150W-12V-DC-Pow...itemZ7538242246QQcategoryZ50940QQcmdZViewItem

I don't know much about switchers, but the above shows better specs than the cosel and might be cheaper. It also looks, from what I can tell from the picture, to use decent parts. I bought one for my Charlize, but haven't received it yet, so can't otherwise report.

 

[serengetiplains]

Whoa, definitely not cheaper!

 

[serengetiplains]

Unless this little amp takes a sonic nosedive (I'd place money it sounds better in two weeks), my hard earned tube amp knowledge, not to mention the amps themselves, are toast.

 

[audiotux]

Hi Tom ,

what powersupply are you using now ?
is it a switcher ?

Enjoy the music


Jürgen

 

[Nuuk]

Unless this little amp takes a sonic nosedive (I'd place money it sounds better in two weeks), my hard earned tube amp knowledge, not to mention the amps themselves, are toast.

So long as you don't forget how to make a good valve pre to go with Charlize! 😉

 

[serengetiplains]

Good suggestion, Nuuk. I'd of course prefer a transformer volume control on a DHT pre etc ....

Jurgen, the unit is now wired to a Sorensen 60V/1A bench supply which I suspect is a linear supply given its weight.

 

[serengetiplains]

Semi-official results are in:

1411 kbps wav ---> cheapish Mac D/A converter ---> premium-part Charlize ---> Totem Mite

*no contest* beats on more than 50% of musical factors important to me

Emm Labs CDSD ---> Emm Labs DCC2 ---> silver-wire TVC ---> premium-part Viva 572B SET ---> premium-part Manger 109s.

 

[audiotux]

.....premium part Manger 109s ............
thats right Tom !
have you ever tried the Baßtuba from Horst Möller
www.hm-moreart.de ? the Manger as fullranger ?
Sorry could not resist !

Jürgen

 

[serengetiplains]

Jurgen, that's quite some selection of horns!

 

[audiotux]

yes thats right Tom ,
the Manger in the Basstuba-Horn , as Fullranger , without
any crossover , very cool !

Jürgen

 

[serengetiplains]

Say, has anyone an opinion on whether and by how much a UcD bests the Tripath version of class D?

 

[Andrewbee]

I am about to jump on this smps http://www.cosel.co.jp/en/products/lda/pe_lda75f.html from steve at http://www.apexjr.com/. I believe andrewbee purchased this, maybe he can chime in...

Yup, thats the one I got maybe a month ago by now and still have not tried it, neither have I tried Monica yet. Too much going on. Maybe this weekend?

Been working on my speakers but even then not a lot of time spent.
Back to work for me!

Andrew

 

[serengetiplains]

OK, this little amp smokes my other gear. It's a little, how to say, dry in the highest registers, or something (a bit flat, or something), and it lacks some of the harmonic overtones I'm used to hearing, but in almost every other regard is more involving than my SET---has the most beautiful purity of tone, for instance---and the SET it's replacing is an amp whose power supply capacitors are Mundorf silver + teflon capacitors *exclusively,* no small stuff.

 

[barfind]

OK, this little amp smokes my other gear. It's a little, how to say, dry in the highest registers, or something (a bit flat, or something), and it lacks some of the harmonic overtones I'm used to hearing, but in almost every other regard is more involving than my SET---has the most beautiful purity of tone, for instance---and the SET it's replacing is an amp whose power supply capacitors are Mundorf silver + teflon capacitors *exclusively,* no small stuff.

Hi Tom. Its amazing yes? I have about 70hrs on mine now. I dont miss tubes at all. It just keeps getting better. Everyone that hears this amp is just blowen away!

Nigel