Class T Amps - Experiences

[thesurfingalien]

I did not want to hijack the Class D topic, but I am wondering if any of you can share experiences with the Class T amp variant...

 

I have not heard of many commercial available amps (Higher-End brands) that make use of the Tripath solution. Which is understandable as Tripath went belly-up some years ago.

 

However, production of the Tripath IC's has apparently been picked up by other companies (Chinese, I guess) and the market for DIY-products, either for self-solder (or assembled) kits and small desktop ready-build amps seems to be flourishing.

 

On various DIY sites one can read quite a few rather positive reviews of Class T amps, but also quite a few negative ones.

 

From what I have seen, the positive reviews usually come from people who have been spending much time in soldering and putting together a nice housing for their amp. With all due respect I must say that some bias might be working there; I have yet to find any review of self made stuff where the owner comes to the conclusion "Sounds like sh*t".

 

On the other hand, most negative reviews include a comparison it to the reviewer's own (non Class T) amp that costs some 20+ times more. There could also be bias working there, as in "There is no way this cheap thing can be as good as my "

 

 

After the long intro I would be much interested in experiences, either DIY or finished products, with Class T amps.

 

 

EDIT:

 

The reason I am asking is that I am very much interested in making my current loudspeakers active. I also want to do all filtering digital (my E-MU is a nice match for that). I am pretty much looking at amp modules based on Tripath, not so much finished products.

 

Right now I am using a Naim NAP150 amp with NAC112 pre, and while they are doing a good job, I doubt that I will actually be able to successfully ABX them and a t-amp.

 

Thanks in advance!

Peter

 

 

 

 

[blueixus]

I have one of these, for a while they were a 'hot thing'. I have a feeling Red Wine Audio modded it up into a 'killer amp'.

 

It's regular job is to run the rear speakers in my home cinema system.

 

However, recently, it did have to fill in for my Masterclass Sugden Class A Power Amp which I use in my main system and it performed very well.

 

Very smooth and cultured, clearly comparing it to a £4000 piece of equipment, as you say, is unfair but none the less I was extremely impressed.

 

I am sure there are good and bad Class T's out there but in my mind it clearly has the potential perform very well and to offer excellent value for money.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mick The Kraken]

I ditched my tube integrated for a Red Wine Audio Signature 30 and am really happy with it. The sound it produces through the Lores is, in my opinion, very natural. Piano sounds like piano; guitar like guitar; bass like bass, etc.

 

With some recordings of Glenn Gould, for example, the piano sounds like it's in the room. And I mean right there in front of you. It's a pretty neat thing to witness.

 

The texture and presence of the bass and piano on Milcho Leviev's and Dave Holland's Up & Down is truly palpable. Too cool.

 

Electronic music, typically having a broad frequency range, is completely represented; the 30Hz-30kHz range of the Lores is fully taken of advantage of. The Detroit Escalator Co.'s Black Buildings and Spacetime Continuum's Emit Ecaps, both of which contain tracks that dig deep, have the Lores moving some serious air, and with authority. Whoa.

 

Whatever Vinnie has done with the TK2051 chip, along with the dead silent background, thanks to battery power, equates to an output with genuine heft and realism. I'm hooked.

 

[JeffH]

I have a Virtue Audio One.2 Amplifier I am using for my desktop system. It is great.

 

[Hawkbilly]

I also have one of Vinnie's amps (LFP-V Signature 30.2). Absolutely top knotch. Having a battery powered amp also helps avoid any noise from switching power supplies from computers bleeding back into your system if they're on the same circuit. I'd love to own his DAC as well, but that'll have to wait.

 

Should note as well, Vinnie's implimentation actually combines Class D with a Tripath chip. Class D power is very efficient (necessary for battery power) and the design works very well.

 

[Mick The Kraken]

Well, I have to say that the Weiss DAC2 I just purchased goes extremely well with the Sig30. I don't want to be all dramatic or anything, but this is probably the first time I've experienced fidelity of this level. The signal path is just so simple and uncluttered: one source, a very high quality DAC, and a single input, battery powered digital amp with gain. No more tube coloration (distortion) or screwing around with vinyl, for that matter... Why did I not do this ages ago?