Well spotted, I've just had a look inside Jon Clancy's, do you mean the caps marked Cd1? if so these ones are blue polypropylene🙂
You can see them on the right hand side
You can see them on the right hand side
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
yes that are the ones indeed. You seem to have the version with the foil caps, the same and in one of mine. The other one has ceramic caps with are a lot smaller and are dark brown.
Can someone confirm this that the output signals are inverted. 6Moon has updated their review of the TA-10 http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/trends/ta10.html
the image of the instruments seemed to be somehow drifting and shifting. This is not readily audible if you are not listening with a specific purpose in mind. I didn't know what prompted me but I took out my polarity tester, reloaded the Restek with the polarity testing CD that came with the handheld tester and checked the pulsing signals coming through the Klipsch drivers. Then I realized that the output signals from the TA-10 were indeed inverted. I checked the Tripath website for T-2024 specs and confirmed that the IC indeed operates inverted. Just for experiment's sake, I reversed the speaker cable polarity and the Philips recording sounded perfect.
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/trends/ta10_3.html
the image of the instruments seemed to be somehow drifting and shifting. This is not readily audible if you are not listening with a specific purpose in mind. I didn't know what prompted me but I took out my polarity tester, reloaded the Restek with the polarity testing CD that came with the handheld tester and checked the pulsing signals coming through the Klipsch drivers. Then I realized that the output signals from the TA-10 were indeed inverted. I checked the Tripath website for T-2024 specs and confirmed that the IC indeed operates inverted. Just for experiment's sake, I reversed the speaker cable polarity and the Philips recording sounded perfect.
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/trends/ta10_3.html
Jumpin John said:
You do!
Throwing the big boys at it, are you? I love those Obb PIOs.
For anyone else wanting to try this, you can go to your local electrical supply and get "motor run" caps. They come in metal cans - they are very big, but cheap. Be sure that you get "Motor RUN" not Motor Start.
2uF should be the minimum if you run full range. I think that 5uF is a standard value. They make great crossover caps too.
If you like them, then get some of the Obbligato caps.
http://www.diyhifisupply.com/diyhs_ob_caps.htm
I think they are a good upgrade Robert, the sound stage is massive, with huge bass. The TA-10 is running my back-up Paradigm Reference studio 40's (92db) while one of my Energy Veritas2.2's is in the shop for a new woofer. The Energy's are more detailed and much better at imaging but are a bit of a load (dual voice coil woofer, 89db).They sounded great with the stock unit which came with unknown input caps. I'll have to reserve final judgement until the Energy's are up and running, but am impressed with the sound on the Paradigms. I'm planning to mount a wooden enclosure under the TA-10 to house the OBB's,and connect the caps to input with some teflon coated, shielded wire from a surplus store.
Pano, what do you think of the copper- case Obb's? I have a pair of 2.2uf but haven't tried them yet. How do they compare to the PIO's?
I've attached an image of the input caps that came with the unit, they look like Bennics, (black and yellow colour) but don't have a name printed on the case.
Pano, what do you think of the copper- case Obb's? I have a pair of 2.2uf but haven't tried them yet. How do they compare to the PIO's?
I've attached an image of the input caps that came with the unit, they look like Bennics, (black and yellow colour) but don't have a name printed on the case.
Attachments
Yes, those are the caps that now come in the TA-10s.
I suppose they are unmarked Bennic, but don't know.
The copper tube Obbligatos are very nice, too. And almost as big. Sound is very similar to the PIO, but the PIO have a such beautiful midrange. Just wonderful. I think the PIO may be a little "soft" for some tastes. But I love them.
I listen mostly to jazz and classical, as well as lounge music and crooners, so these PIO seem to bring out all the richness of the mids. Rock and roll might be better with a bit more edge and distortion - isn't that what rock is all about?
I suppose they are unmarked Bennic, but don't know.
The copper tube Obbligatos are very nice, too. And almost as big. Sound is very similar to the PIO, but the PIO have a such beautiful midrange. Just wonderful. I think the PIO may be a little "soft" for some tastes. But I love them.
I listen mostly to jazz and classical, as well as lounge music and crooners, so these PIO seem to bring out all the richness of the mids. Rock and roll might be better with a bit more edge and distortion - isn't that what rock is all about?
I agree, the PIO's create a lovely midrange that goes well with the Tripath sound. To my ear, the sound stage is wider as well.
I'll have to try the copper tube version when I have the time, but I'm enjoying the PIO's right now and am in no hurry to change.
I'll have to try the copper tube version when I have the time, but I'm enjoying the PIO's right now and am in no hurry to change.
Enjoy it.Anyone tried the Jensen paper in oil caps here ? I have four of the alu foil types lying around here but they are a little bit to big to fit in the case so I could safe myself a lot of trouble trying them. Whel in the end I always have to try them myself guess. The ones I have are 0,18uF, a bit on the small side but since I'm only plan on using the Trends from 120Hz/24 to 60db/oct (with my DEQX active crossover/preamp) anyhow I think it will be not such a bad choice. In my experience with tube amps I have always find that smaller values tend to sound a bit better, but that could have something to do with the overall worse damping factor of tube amps. All I know is that my Phy-HP's (wich are used as midrange only) don't like to be controlled by the amplifier too much, lower damping factor seems to sound better. With my smaller PHL/Focal combination it is the other way around. The PHL's like to be controlled by the amp, The Trends so far sound better on them but they lack quite a bit of power then. Power is not a problem with the Phy-HP though. Overall the Phy-Hp's sound better than the PHL's no matter what amps is used on them.
Today I have made some very cheap long interconnects out of reasonable good quality RG59 coax cable. Tomorrow I will give them a try so that the speaker wire can be as short as possible. I have got the feeling that the Trends amp does not like the 6 meter cat5 cable that I'm using. My other amps don't have any problems with it at all, in fact the cat5 cable has only about one third the capacitance than the Cable Talk cable iI was using before.
Anyways, I still want to give them a good try, I don't give up, the story continues.
Today I have made some very cheap long interconnects out of reasonable good quality RG59 coax cable. Tomorrow I will give them a try so that the speaker wire can be as short as possible. I have got the feeling that the Trends amp does not like the 6 meter cat5 cable that I'm using. My other amps don't have any problems with it at all, in fact the cat5 cable has only about one third the capacitance than the Cable Talk cable iI was using before.
Anyways, I still want to give them a good try, I don't give up, the story continues.
Well I did try the long interconnects today and guess what, things become only much worse than before, very shrill thin sounds, distortion galore. Switch it right back to the shorter (and better) interconnects with the long speaker cable. At the moment I have finally implemented the two amps into my active system, before I had only compared them full range at my other speaker or only as mid amp in my active system. Now it's running mids and highs in the active setup. All I can tell is that the highs are totally not comparable of what the 300B SET amps are capable off. This has nothing to do with taste but with abolute quality, everyone can hear it within two seconds, the SET's are crystal clear, wide open, very detailed and much more dynamic and realistic compared to the Trends, what a crap so far (sorry for my language).
Sjef said:
The Trends is a great little amp but remember they are cheap probably costing less than one of your SET's output transformers alone🙂
I think you'll struggle to get the sound of the SET's mids, I've heard plenty of flea powered SET amps and although they measure not that great the midrange sounds very nice.
Funny thing is I find both the Trends amp and Amp6 sound much better with my modified Squeezebox3's output, when using the SB3 I plug it straight into the amp so a pre isn't needed.
My Dac is better with the other amps using a passive pre where as the SB3 and no pre sounds better with both Tripath amps😀
t. do you use a volume control or attenuator with your modified squeezebox? I've got one and am affraid to get white noise trough my speakers....
robert1325 said:t. do you use a volume control or attenuator with your modified squeezebox? I've got one and am affraid to get white noise trough my speakers....
Hi Robert,
The SB3 goes straight into any of my amps input and I use the SB3's remote vol, no other attenuator or passive pot🙂
Just to note mine sounds much better than the stock unit, its also dead quiet, theres no white noise,hiss etc even when used with the UCD mono's.
If you have a standard SB3 with that wallwart PSU you may get a bit of noise, on the Slimdevices forum a few have advised not to plug the SB3 straight into the amp but I've had no problem trying it with several different type amps so far
Mine is modded by Boldercables, ( analog) I did once have White noise, Luckily I used the SB with an integrated 
So yours is cap coupled passive output stage?
I didn't like cap coupled passive output so I upgraded the internal active section, the internals are super regged etc, it drives the Amp6 and Trends really well.
I didn't like cap coupled passive output so I upgraded the internal active section, the internals are super regged etc, it drives the Amp6 and Trends really well.
Hi,
My Trends TA-10 arrived today ! 🙂
I've got some facts and a few questions to ask:
1) My TA-10 too has the unnamed input caps, I hope they are Bennics.
2) Can you please tell me something more about the film caps to use instead of the exixting ones (the caps marked Cd1), my TA-10 has the brown ceramic ones as previously reported.
3) What about the power supply ? What are you using, batteries or linear power supplies ?
4) Where the 'Stiffener cap' is ? Did somebody changed it ?
5) Did any of you modded it for a more noise-free signal path from the input connectors to the volume control ?
Many thanks
Alessandro Fogar
My Trends TA-10 arrived today ! 🙂
I've got some facts and a few questions to ask:
1) My TA-10 too has the unnamed input caps, I hope they are Bennics.
2) Can you please tell me something more about the film caps to use instead of the exixting ones (the caps marked Cd1), my TA-10 has the brown ceramic ones as previously reported.
3) What about the power supply ? What are you using, batteries or linear power supplies ?
4) Where the 'Stiffener cap' is ? Did somebody changed it ?
5) Did any of you modded it for a more noise-free signal path from the input connectors to the volume control ?
Many thanks
Alessandro Fogar
- Status
- Not open for further replies.