I'd suggest you send your messages to cs@suppomodel.com, that's the email address that worked for me.
It's more than likely a communication issue, I don't think they've gone under bigjppop. 😉
G'day guys.
I received my Suppo EL84 in the mail yesterday.
Here's a link to a rather lengthy review I wrote on the unit over at Stereo.net for those of you who might be interested:
Review: Suppo GV-3 EL84 ($220 delivered)
I received my Suppo EL84 in the mail yesterday.
Here's a link to a rather lengthy review I wrote on the unit over at Stereo.net for those of you who might be interested:
Review: Suppo GV-3 EL84 ($220 delivered)
Bosk,
Very nice review. I know what you mean about the T-amp's edginess. Actually, a good cure is to use the T-amp as a power amp and a tube preamp. For a single box alternative though, the Suppo does fine as long as one can modify and upgrade the amp.
Very nice review. I know what you mean about the T-amp's edginess. Actually, a good cure is to use the T-amp as a power amp and a tube preamp. For a single box alternative though, the Suppo does fine as long as one can modify and upgrade the amp.
Cheers rhing. 🙂
Indeed, I've never been able to completely get rid of the Tripath's edginess. I've tried just about every mod possible on various T-amps and it's always there. Even running them from an SLA battery with a capacitor bank doesn't cure it.
I had considered buying a valve preamp as you said, or even a valve buffer like the cheap ones you see on eBay just to take the hard edge off. Now that I have the Suppo I'll be using the Tripath in my modest home theater system so I may still go down that path in future.
But for now, my efforts will be spent improving the Suppo and seeing how much performance I can eek out of it. My only concern is that money soebt doing so could yield a poor return if the amp is being held back by it's output transformers, which I have no way to compare against modestly priced alternatives like the Edcors I've read about.
I will start by replacing the (rather dodgy) volume pot with an eBay stepped attenuator and go from there, taking notes of the improvements with each mod I perform.
Indeed, I've never been able to completely get rid of the Tripath's edginess. I've tried just about every mod possible on various T-amps and it's always there. Even running them from an SLA battery with a capacitor bank doesn't cure it.
I had considered buying a valve preamp as you said, or even a valve buffer like the cheap ones you see on eBay just to take the hard edge off. Now that I have the Suppo I'll be using the Tripath in my modest home theater system so I may still go down that path in future.
But for now, my efforts will be spent improving the Suppo and seeing how much performance I can eek out of it. My only concern is that money soebt doing so could yield a poor return if the amp is being held back by it's output transformers, which I have no way to compare against modestly priced alternatives like the Edcors I've read about.
I will start by replacing the (rather dodgy) volume pot with an eBay stepped attenuator and go from there, taking notes of the improvements with each mod I perform.
Since my volume pot was faulty from the start, I immediately replaced it with a Panasonic EVJ audio taper pot. After a week, I installed an SMD stepped attenuator from eBay seller Gigaworks. That's been working great. As for coupling caps, I like Auricaps a lot; they should work well with this amp. I bought some Ampohm Tin foil, paper in oil caps to use in mine, but I wonder if Auricaps are a better choice.
Is your Arjen Helder TA2020 amp a MkII or a MkIII version? The reason why I ask is that the newer MkIII version uses a different, and supposedly better, inductor on the output filter which should smooth out that edginess in your Class T amp. I am planning on getting one for use during the warm weather months.
Is your Arjen Helder TA2020 amp a MkII or a MkIII version? The reason why I ask is that the newer MkIII version uses a different, and supposedly better, inductor on the output filter which should smooth out that edginess in your Class T amp. I am planning on getting one for use during the warm weather months.
Did you happen to notice much improvement going from the Panasonic pot to the stepped attenuator?
Regarding coupling caps I can state that the AmpOhm caps I'm using in my Tripath amp are my favourite so far. I've tried Russian PIOs, Mundorf Supremes and copper Obbligatos in that position but the AmpOhms trump them all in my view.
That said, they are MONSTER caps - truly enormous, even compared to the Russian military caps I've owned.
Are you sure that the AmpOhms you have will fit inside the Suppo amp? Reason I ask is because there's very little room between the board & top plate.
I also agree that Auricaps may be a better choice in the Suppo. I'm yet to try them myself (have read both good & mixed reviews on them) but they have a reputation for being rather balanced & neutral. The AmpOhms on the other hand may lend the amp a little too much richness.
My feeling is that Teflon caps (be they Russian or V-caps) might be the best choice of all, as I feel this amp lacks a certain sparkle in the highs, at least it does in it's stock form.
I believe mine is the TA2020 MKII version. Doesn't the MKIII version use the TA20204 chip instead?
The TA2020 is incidentally my preferred Tripath chip after having owned a couple of amps of each type.
Regarding inductors in the output filter, Arjen himself maintained that the iron core versions his amps used were the best type available. However, I've read several reports from Audiophiles who feel that air core inductors deliver an 'airier presentation'. At one stage I was considering winding my own and shielding them with copper foil as air cores are especially prone to picking up RFI I believe. That's yet another project I've never got around to completing! 😀
Anyway, great talking with you rhing.
I have been listening and comparing a stock version to a modified one for about a month, primarily playing with different tubes and capacitors (the easy stuff). My favorite combination is the Gold Lion el84 driven by some RCA 6cg7 clear tops with Russian FT1 teflon coupling caps. IMHO russian 6n1p-ev sound better than stock, but the clear tops are amazing in that amp. I am not sure if I like the older RCA 6cg7 black plates better than the clear tops, in this amp. More listening required. I am hoping to redo the PS this weekend.
Hi - just got mine. For a quick fix and protection, can I put an inline fuse inside the amp in line off the power connector? 120v version - what size fuse should I get?
Thanks,
Jeff
Thanks,
Jeff
GV-2 still out of stock.
- What are the chances, and who has the connections with Suppo, to actually get a Suppo rep or engineer active in this forum and thread?
- Still waiting for an expert to post a definitive list of bullet line step-by-step improvements, mods, fixes. and parts list that should be done right out of the box. The general ideas by you all so far have been great, and tube rolling is subjective, but it's all still so general and random.
- The folks at Jolida, and dealers who sell Jolida absolutely hate this company and amp stating IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Sure this is threatened hype and market competition, but they are 75% right.
- What are the chances, and who has the connections with Suppo, to actually get a Suppo rep or engineer active in this forum and thread?
- Still waiting for an expert to post a definitive list of bullet line step-by-step improvements, mods, fixes. and parts list that should be done right out of the box. The general ideas by you all so far have been great, and tube rolling is subjective, but it's all still so general and random.
- The folks at Jolida, and dealers who sell Jolida absolutely hate this company and amp stating IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. Sure this is threatened hype and market competition, but they are 75% right.
I don't know about EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, that sounds a little EXTREME to me 🙂
It seems when it comes to safety the only concern is a fuse (which someone here said Suppo will fix in the next production run).
Now, a "bullet line step-by-step" list would be nice to have, but most of that stuff has been posted in this thread. Some people are advocating switching it to triode mode, some like a new volume pot, some think the caps could be upgraded, etc. If you really wanted a bullet list, I'm sure you could cut and paste it from this and the other thread here and put it together fairly easily. Now, that being said, if you feel thoughts on tube rolling are subjective don't read the HUGE threads on why this $200 cap is better than that $100 cap; all mods/tweaks/upgrades/etc are VERY subjective. It's going to be pretty tough to find measurable things you could post.
Anyway, it would be nice to hear from Suppo here and I know they have posted once or twice in the past but its been awhile.
I like to share this diagram from Keith Brindley's book "Starting Electronics Construction: Techniques, Equipment and Projects" (P. 172, Newnes, 2005) whenever anyone asks about proper connections for AC power:
How you implement it is entirely up to you. Instead of an AC power cable attached to the chassis with a cable clamp as shown in the diagram, the Suppo has an IEC inlet connector. As for the fuse, you can start with 500mA. I have had no problems with 2A. I also included Keith Brindley's note on the use of a double-pole switch for safety purposes.
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Hi jims,
It sounds like the RCA clear top 6CG7/6FQ7s are a good choice for driver tubes. I tried a pair of Sylvania gray plate 6CG7s, and they sound good, but nothing like the RCA clear tops along with the new production Genalex Gold Lion EL84 reissues. In either case, both 6CG7/6FQ7s sounded better than the Russian 6N1P-EVs. I am curious what you have planned for modding the power supply--replacing the rectifier, or revamping the entire power supply circuit?
What are the chances, and who has the connections with Jolida, to actually get a Jolida rep or engineer active in any forum and thread?
A Suppo founder (Joe) was on the forum earlier if you look.
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Thanks for posting that diagram rhing. Which brings me to another point, I noticed my Suppo doesnt physically ground the Earth prong of the IEC inlet to the chassis as is commonly suggested in safety articles and is the usual practice I've followed in the past.
Instead the Earth prong on the IEC inlet is connected directly to the board itself.
Should a connection be made to the chassis before being routed on to the board for safety reasons, or would this prevent the amp from functioning somehow?
I dont know about you all down under, but in the USA active means currently participating on a regular 'active' and interactive basis.
This isnt the Jolida thread; this is the Suppo amp thread. Jolida doesnt have top participate in a competitor's thread and active support.
Note that I said "ANY" forum. If you can point out a Jolida employee on the forum, I am quite happy to acknowledge the fact.
Personally, I don't care either way.
I put a Reliance AmWatt in line with the power cord which
showed .9 amp and 98 watts. So I guess I should add 25%?
Reliance Amwatt Appliance Load Tester | Voltage Testers | Northern Tool + Equipment
Jeff
showed .9 amp and 98 watts. So I guess I should add 25%?
Reliance Amwatt Appliance Load Tester | Voltage Testers | Northern Tool + Equipment
Jeff
Here's a decent mod article for Chinese EL34's. Should apply to the Suppo's also.
http://www.audioxpress.com/magsdirx/ax/addenda/media/blencowe2996.pdf
http://www.audioxpress.com/magsdirx/ax/addenda/media/blencowe2996.pdf
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