Interessant. Jeg har hatt alle disse T/D ampene. Og jeg har hatt Pass Labs XA30.5.
TPA3116 som beskrives er hørbart dårligere enn 3255!!
https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/comments/2t2uwm
Hi Everyone,
I've been curious about Tripath and similar amps for a long time - hard to believe they are as good as some claim for $20-60 bucks.
In short - best audio purchase in years - and I buy a ton of stuff.
I
ended up keeping the SMSL SA-60 using the new TI TPA3116 chip. I compared this to a few tripath/2020 amps in an Acuhorn ($5K) single driver system fed by a PS Audio DS DAC ($6K). This one is clearly better in every way than the older tripath ones.
I also compared it to my beloved Pass Labs XA 30.5 amp, which costs about 100x. It get's surprising close in most ways. The SMSL isn't quite as dynamic, but is just as pure and tube-like. I use it daily - no warm-up time and runs cool. I still like some of my other amps better, but this is better than anything I've heard for less than $2,500. Really - can't believe it.
Compared to a couple tube amps - 845 and a Jadis KT90, it is still very close. Not quite as warm in the midrange and the imaging isn't quite as perfect - but really good and better than some cheap tube amps like Yaqin I've owned in the past.
These speakers are 98db efficient, so they don't need more than a few watts - so don't really need the extra power over Tripath - but it does have much stronger dynamics.
I wish there was a version without volume control or Loudness feature - or at least an easy way to defeat each completely. Still sounds great - but I imagine it could be even better without those in the signal path. Also - the RCA connectors are too close together - I can't use my typical Cardas interconnects. Same with the speaker posts - can only use fairly small wires - Wireworld Eclipse didn't come close to fitting. But these issues won't matter to most buyers - can't ask for more for $60 bucks.
Do note that these only work well for me with very easy to drive speakers (8 Ohm, 98db, no dips). If using with low efficiency speakers these little amps aren't nearly as good - just don't have the current for low impedance.
A few more comparisons - just to show what a unique amp this is:
Parasound A21 - not close in almost any way - this amp is going on ebay. I've been meaning to sell it for a while - so this was no surprise.
Odyssey Stratos Plus - This is a better amp - and has some magic due to its ultra-high bandwidth platform. The Odyssey also sounds rather warm, has tons of power, and great detail/separation - but the SA60 is still slightly better in most ways for very easy-to-drive speakers. I'd give the SA60 the nod - but it was close. For hard to drive speakers the Odyssey was better in most ways.
Wyred4sound mAMPs - Closest battle of all the cheaper amps (sub $2,500) I tried - these are pretty amazing little monos. Not as tube like as the SA-60, but really dynamic and still fairly warm. These put out almost 500 watts into 4 Ohms - so have tons of power. I've had these for a year now and use them whenever I don't plan to listen long at home so don't want to warm up my Jadis JA80 tube amps. Overall - these are better than the SA-60.
Lastly - my highly modified Jadis JA80s - which I will take to my grave. These are simply the best amps I've ever heard at any price. One of the very few tube amps that have the current to power any type of speaker. Better in every way than the SA-60, but for $24K pre mods they should be.
Also - I tried this little guy at home. For my home speakers, which are notoriously difficult 4 Ohm nominal (dips to 2.5 Ohms in bass), 85db, high phase angles throughout, Vienna Acoustic The Kiss' - this little amp couldn't cut it except at very low volume. It could play loud enough - but all the magic was gone and it sounded more closed in and not dynamic. System matching clearly is important with these small amps.
Separately - I really need to start selling gear...
Fortell mer
www.xkitz.com
Det var noe kjent..
Toksisk Analog Do?
