Not really but i had a BA-3 with BA-2 output stage that had Toshibas. Now I have a balanced BA-3 preamp with fpq. Cannot really compare since it is not the same setup. The later sounds great but I do not now how it would sound with toshibas.
Sounding better is always a tricky bit... so, I'll steer away. However, in the BA-3 amp thread, Ozorfis published some measurements that I found compelling. In addition, one person that I trust very much has said that the Toshiba parts do in-fact contribute to a more pleasing experience when all other things (like P3/H2) remain equal.
FWIW, I sourced some Toshiba parts to replace my Fairchild parts to give them a try. I love the BA-3, so much that I can't really imagine it sounding any better, but we are DIYers after all.
tl;dr - I think if you can get a hold of the Toshibas at a price that is reasonable to you, then they are most likely worth it. I'll know soon enough.
FWIW, I sourced some Toshiba parts to replace my Fairchild parts to give them a try. I love the BA-3, so much that I can't really imagine it sounding any better, but we are DIYers after all.
tl;dr - I think if you can get a hold of the Toshibas at a price that is reasonable to you, then they are most likely worth it. I'll know soon enough.
No, there is droop because of the constant directivity horn, but the FIR correction compensates for it.
And as I look at how I implemented it, the L-Pad is next to the driver, after the cap. I think that might be an older XSIM version or maybe I didn't save the final. But the component values are the same (except the L-pad).
Yes. Any boosting is done after the convolution because convolution reduces the RMS level. So, boosting is less likely to result in hard digital clipping. Almost always I am far away from it.
Mine is with FQP FETs. Seems like Toshibas would be worth trying if you can find them. But no reason to hold back. FQPs are just fine. Nelson mentions them in his article and shows the adjustments needed when using them (mainly using 1k pots instead of 500R).
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Thanks for pointing that out! Additional pre-amp with higher voltage swing is out of scope for now. So in the end it is going to be Aleph J.
I agree with the simplicity of Aleph J. Don't we need matched output MOSFETs even for Aleph-J? Should the four IRFP240's of Aleph-J be matched?
^that is precisely the reason why I have always thought caps cannot possibly be audible. But BA-3 pre has changed that. My listening is not blind, but neither am I wedded to any particular cap or the most expensive one. In fact, so far, the most expensive one is at the bottom of the heap.
I'll just say this: I started with a Nichion audio grade electrolytic, but a Dayton film cap was a vast improvement over it. And others have been better too. The professional film caps, from Wima, Dayton, Vishay, and even the Russian FT-3, sound similar--very professional and "right." But the boutique ones have a sound, almost because they have to.
Anyway, this is a touchy subject and beside the point, which is that the BA-3 is really good and has been very revealing in my setup.
I'll just say this: I started with a Nichion audio grade electrolytic, but a Dayton film cap was a vast improvement over it. And others have been better too. The professional film caps, from Wima, Dayton, Vishay, and even the Russian FT-3, sound similar--very professional and "right." But the boutique ones have a sound, almost because they have to.
Anyway, this is a touchy subject and beside the point, which is that the BA-3 is really good and has been very revealing in my setup.
"Best" seems to be a tricky word. A nice, simple, and effective, way is to mimic the process described in this article. You can do it exactly as described or increase the voltage and current to closer reflect operating parameters for the amp you're building.
For FW amps, I use ~24V and ~0A33. It's been effective for me. Others will likely use different (and possibly even better) methods.
PassDiy
YMMV.
For FW amps, I use ~24V and ~0A33. It's been effective for me. Others will likely use different (and possibly even better) methods.
PassDiy
YMMV.
Interesting article!
My normal listening levels are rarely over 90 dBA for music. I could not actually measure background noise level in my room, because my SPL meter says it is approx 27dBA at night but the problem is that it is below its advertised lower threshold which is 32dBA. But I have been to a couple of recording studios that are eearily quiet. May be their background noise is in single digits dBA?
