power and class t
So here is a link to a Fenice 100...
http://www.s3shop.it/
lots of nice pics of the board where it says...
2x 90 w class t.
nice heat sink.
So who wants to order one and build and let us know how that one compares to UcD180s?
So here is a link to a Fenice 100...
http://www.s3shop.it/
lots of nice pics of the board where it says...
2x 90 w class t.
nice heat sink.
So who wants to order one and build and let us know how that one compares to UcD180s?
open question...
For me part of the class t magic is the diminutive size.
How can something that small be SO good.
Could someone guestimate what the size of an amp built out of the Fenice100 would be?
If it is 90w x 2 that means the battery driven portion would be gone? Line power only?
What power supply would one use?
Does that mean one wouldn't need as efficient speaker for this one?
Panomaniac have you seen this board yet?
Thanks in advance.
PS I plan on using Brines Audio FT1600s with my Octpus amp. I hope they will work well together.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts out there.
For me part of the class t magic is the diminutive size.
How can something that small be SO good.
Could someone guestimate what the size of an amp built out of the Fenice100 would be?
If it is 90w x 2 that means the battery driven portion would be gone? Line power only?
What power supply would one use?
Does that mean one wouldn't need as efficient speaker for this one?
Panomaniac have you seen this board yet?
Thanks in advance.
PS I plan on using Brines Audio FT1600s with my Octpus amp. I hope they will work well together.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts out there.
Is there any prices for the Fenice? I may be interested in comparing it against my UCD180 once its totally finished
Re: open question...
It's new to me. S3 is the manufacturer of the Fenice boards, where I buy mine. But they didn't tell me about this one. Maybe not ready for sale, yet
Looks a lot like an AMP5. Don't know the price, but I'll ask.
jfieb said:
It's new to me. S3 is the manufacturer of the Fenice boards, where I buy mine. But they didn't tell me about this one. Maybe not ready for sale, yet
Looks a lot like an AMP5. Don't know the price, but I'll ask.
What's the point of this discussion? Everyone knows that all amps sound the same.
I'm very soon going to build a UcD400 and compare it with my AMP5 (premium parts, dual mono). The AMP5 will be one hell of an amp to beat, in fact I can't imagine how any amp can possibly sound better, but we'll see....
I'm very soon going to build a UcD400 and compare it with my AMP5 (premium parts, dual mono). The AMP5 will be one hell of an amp to beat, in fact I can't imagine how any amp can possibly sound better, but we'll see....
cotdt said:
That's true of course. And there are some rather famous double blind tests that "prove" as much. 😀 Publised in print and on Usnet.
But I've heard amps that sounded so different in tests that it made me laugh and go check to see if the same CD was still playing. Go figure...
I just finished my UcD400 and used some nicer foil inductors for my AMP5 (Tripath 100WPC). My AMP5 is directly coupled to my preamp and has no input or output capacitors. But as soon as my UcD400 was finished, for some odd reason my AMP5 blew up and shot 3-foot high blue flames all over the place. But I will fix it and the UcD400 and AMP5 will battle to the death. Stay tuned.
OK, here is my comparison between AMP5 and UcD400:
The AMP5 is bridged dual mono, 80,000uF of capacitors for each power supply section. It's coupled to my preamp so no input capacitors, and no output capacitors either. I used bigger inductors for the output filters. Sounds better this way. And cheaper overall than capacitor rolling.
UcD400 is stock, with that expensive power supply option supplying both boards.
They both sound very good and it's very hard to hear any difference at all. Both are much better than the solid state amps that I've heard. Perhaps why other Tripath amps underperform in the treble is due to not enough power, I don't know. The treble can be clipping at even low average output and it can't even be noticed since the peaks are so narrow. But maybe I'm wrong and it's some other reason, anyway my AMP5 doesn't have this problem and the treble is very good. Overall the AMP5 is slightly more laid back sounding than the UcD400. It's a matter of preference basically. Soon I'll also be modding the UcD400, it'll be similar simple mods as done for my AMP5.
The AMP5 is bridged dual mono, 80,000uF of capacitors for each power supply section. It's coupled to my preamp so no input capacitors, and no output capacitors either. I used bigger inductors for the output filters. Sounds better this way. And cheaper overall than capacitor rolling.
UcD400 is stock, with that expensive power supply option supplying both boards.
They both sound very good and it's very hard to hear any difference at all. Both are much better than the solid state amps that I've heard. Perhaps why other Tripath amps underperform in the treble is due to not enough power, I don't know. The treble can be clipping at even low average output and it can't even be noticed since the peaks are so narrow. But maybe I'm wrong and it's some other reason, anyway my AMP5 doesn't have this problem and the treble is very good. Overall the AMP5 is slightly more laid back sounding than the UcD400. It's a matter of preference basically. Soon I'll also be modding the UcD400, it'll be similar simple mods as done for my AMP5.
Thanks for that report, cotdt. Coool! 😀
Always nice to read this kind of report. Interesting to read that you dint find much difference in the sound. The topologies of these amps are different enough to make you think they ought to sound different. At least, that's what we've been told.
Good to know that you've worked out the treble. I find that the output inductors seem to have a fair amount of influence on the treble. Perhaps your new inductors have helped ( as well as no clipping).
A few questions for you, though:
1) You say that you are not using an input cap on the AMP5. I suppose that your preamp has a cap on the output? If not, how is it dealing with the 2.5V bias? Are you seeing any DC offset? Seems like running capless could be tricky.
2) You also say no output cap. What do you mean by this? Are you talking about the small cap that goes across the speaker terminals?
3) You are running the AMP5 in bridged mode. Do you have two AMP5s? Or are are you limiting your tests to mono?
4) Why the need for all that power? Are your speakers low sensitivity, or do you just like it extra loud? How close to clipping do you think you are?
Sorry for all the questions, but inquiring minds want to know!
Always nice to read this kind of report. Interesting to read that you dint find much difference in the sound. The topologies of these amps are different enough to make you think they ought to sound different. At least, that's what we've been told.
Good to know that you've worked out the treble. I find that the output inductors seem to have a fair amount of influence on the treble. Perhaps your new inductors have helped ( as well as no clipping).
A few questions for you, though:
1) You say that you are not using an input cap on the AMP5. I suppose that your preamp has a cap on the output? If not, how is it dealing with the 2.5V bias? Are you seeing any DC offset? Seems like running capless could be tricky.
2) You also say no output cap. What do you mean by this? Are you talking about the small cap that goes across the speaker terminals?
3) You are running the AMP5 in bridged mode. Do you have two AMP5s? Or are are you limiting your tests to mono?
4) Why the need for all that power? Are your speakers low sensitivity, or do you just like it extra loud? How close to clipping do you think you are?
Sorry for all the questions, but inquiring minds want to know!
I also find the output inductors to influence the treble so I used Jantzen air foil ones. They do make 11uH. I also have this unsubstantiated theory about having a ton of extra headroom wattage to get best results, but i don't really know much about amps yet. the treble on the Tripath is different from the UcD, it's more laid back. Somehow I think the Tripath sounds more tube-like, but I dunno. It's subtle. The UcD power supply alone costed more than my AMP5. Hmmm... but the UcD is better at powering headphones than the Tripath it seems. Here the difference is dramatic.
I'm using two AMP5's bridged, out of my headphone amp. They seem to like headphone amps than over my sound card.
I don't know how to answer your questions panomaniac, I don't know anything about amps. I just know that whatever I did works. And I need a lot of power since I find myself more sensitive to frequency extremes at higher volume listening, and I want to make sure that the treble doesn't clip. I've read that treble needs more peak power than bass so maybe extra headroom wattage helps. Hence the extra capacitors and oversized toroid for the Tripath.
You should try the UcD pano. they are very cool little modules, and no blowing up. i've breathed too much toxic fumes while assembling my AMP5 and having 3-foot blue flames fly into my face one too many times.
I'm using two AMP5's bridged, out of my headphone amp. They seem to like headphone amps than over my sound card.
I don't know how to answer your questions panomaniac, I don't know anything about amps. I just know that whatever I did works. And I need a lot of power since I find myself more sensitive to frequency extremes at higher volume listening, and I want to make sure that the treble doesn't clip. I've read that treble needs more peak power than bass so maybe extra headroom wattage helps. Hence the extra capacitors and oversized toroid for the Tripath.
You should try the UcD pano. they are very cool little modules, and no blowing up. i've breathed too much toxic fumes while assembling my AMP5 and having 3-foot blue flames fly into my face one too many times.
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