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possibly the best of tubes and solid state


moray james

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http://www.susan-parker.co.uk/zeus.htm

there is a long thread on this design at diy audio dot com

I would also suggest another superb amplifier design worth investigation is the John Lindsay-Hood ten watt class A SS amplifer also a VERY long thread on this as DIY Audio dot com this is one of those designs in which there is very much more than meets the eye.

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what's the concern? Given the simplicity of the design exclude the input and output transformers and the power supply there are only seven components in the amplifier, two mosfets two zeners and three resistors as I may have mentioned elsewhere the transformers are not inexpensive to buy nor are the heat sinks as this is a class A design.. .

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Have you heard or seen one Moray?  Looks pretty neat but it doesn't take much to impress me.

No I have not seen or heard one but have chatted with a couple of builders. It is such a clean simple no caps in the path design and with xformers in and out it has to be a stellar sounding design. I am ready to put my money down when I have it to give a pair a try. Everyone that I have talked to about it has been impressed. Even Nelson Pass was interested (for what that is worth).

For those who want a smaller less expensive design up graded Quad 405/606 are an impressive design with both feedforward and feedback and they are efficient and don't need a lot of heat sink. Look also at the Luxman L68a is the blueprint on how to design a modern sota mosfet amplifier with a great fet front end ( I use this in my current amp). They got the cascode right the first time a lot of years ahead of Hawksworth.

Edited by moray james
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Moray-

What did you ever do with that Jensen coax I sent you? Did it ever make it into a Karlson coupler?

 

Not to hi-jack your thread, but if the topic is simple (inexpensive) but excellent DIY amplification, chip amps are worth a look and listen.

 

I was first attracted to the SQ:cost value of a Lepai TA2020, which led me to TDA7297, which led me to TPA3116. This interesting journey into high SQ at low dollar investments was prompted by this forum's "rhing." IMO, the TDA727, available for less than $10, is the bargain winner. That said, I'm awaiting a TPA3118 "Wiener" board through a group buy at DIYAudio forum. Including everything (case, knobs, switch, etc.) I will have less than $100 invested in a balanced/differential inputs amp to be driven by my Pono player in balanced mode. Feedback from rhing and others whose opinions I respect suggest that for less than $100 I'll be able to assemble an amp that will rival SOTA amps costing thousands of dollars.

If interested, start by visiting the following:

 

Chip amps in general: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/144613-chip-amps-almost-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know/page-5?hl=tda7297#entry1664366

 

TDA7297: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/231988-what-heck-its-less-than-lunch.html

 

TPA3116: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/group-buys/276508-wiener-group-buy-2-stereo-pbtl-editions-available.html

 

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Moray-

 

What did you ever do with that Jensen coax I sent you?  Did it ever make it into a Karlson coupler?

 

Not to hi-jack your thread, but if the topic is simple (inexpensive) but excellent DIY amplification, chip amps are worth a look.

 

I was first  attracted to the SQ:cost value of a Lepai TA2020, which led me to TDA7297, which led me to TPA3116.  This interesting journey into high SQ at low dollar investments was prompted by this forum's "rhing."  IMO, the TDA727, available for less than $10, is the bargain winner.  That said, I'm awaiting a TPA3116 "Wiener" board through a group buy at DIYAudio forum.  Including everything (case, knobs, switch, etc.) I will have less than $100 invested in a balanced/differential inputs amp  to be driven by my Pono player in balanced mode.  Feedback from rhing and others whose opinions I respect suggest that for less than $100 I'll be able to assemble an amp that will rival SOTA amps costing thousands of dollars.

 

If interested, start by visiting the following:

 

Chip amps in general: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/144613-chip-amps-almost-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know/page-5?hl=tda7297#entry1664366

 

TDA7297: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/chip-amps/231988-what-heck-its-less-than-lunch.html

 

TPA3116: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/group-buys/276508-wiener-group-buy-2-stereo-pbtl-editions-available.html

My good friends son uses the Jensen in a K15 cab at home in his basement as his guitar practice speaker He jams down there with his buds it sounds good. I agree that chip amps are easy to build but are complex inside. Have listened to some nice ones years back. Can't beat the cost of those.

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  • 6 months later...

I am one that have eargasm from using tpa3116 (Wiener) with both of my La Scala and Klipschorn. I have a D3a-vcap-300B/6c33c single ended zero feedback tube amplifiers, a Scott 399 receiver, an El84 single ended amplifier. To my ears the tpa3116 bested them all. But not all tpa3116-based amp sound the same just like not all 300B amps sound the same. I came from Charlize 2 (Tripath 2020, Virtue Audio Tp2051 and recently someone let me borrow the Wiener tpa3116 he group-purchased.

The moment I flipped on the tpa3116 it only needed no more than a few songs to know this his the sound I have been chasing for! It has a tube warmth and euphony of a 6c33c single ended, the bass of a class ab SS amp and the treble delicacy of a DHT triode that is closer to a vt25/71a than a 300B, if you can use your imagination. I powered my tpa3116 with 13v Kingsrex linear psu (very important! Dont ever think about using a cheapo smps), I set the switching frequency to 1.2mHz in BD modulation. ** setting it to 1.2mHz is crucial. Any setting below 600khz only make it sound "just okay, nothing too special". At 1.2mHz switching frequency, ready for a treat. I also tried a Chinese SMSL SA36pro class based on the same tpa3116 chip, which sounded decent but lacked quite a dosage of delicacy and refinement especially in the treble departebt when compared to the Wiener Tpa3116. Difference isn't subtle.

Source is Squeezebox Touch w/ Welborne Labs linear psu---> iFi iLink---> iFi iUsbpower---> ifi Purifier----> Thorsten Loesch hot-rodded Satch 1541aS2 non-oversampling dac with 12ay7 tube output----> Django TVC passive pre (with S&B tx transformers).

Basically..for weeks now I could not shake the impressive sound of the tpa3116 off my head. All my tube amps have been on silent display.

Edited by Welborne
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  • 1 month later...

Anyone here also tried the Wiener tpa3118 by Gmarsh on diyaudio?

 

Yes. Dealing with Gmarsh is a pleasure.  I've barely had time to experience the full potential of my "Wiener," but my tube rolling days are over.  When I get the time to put the Wiener in a case and put it fully through its paces, I'll report back to this forum.

 

Yes, I'm aware of the double entendre possibilities in the prior paragraph.

 

I believe this forum's rhing also has a "Wiener," possibly several.

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  • 5 months later...
On April 18, 2016 at 0:54 AM, Welborne said:

Anyone here also tried the Wiener tpa3118 by Gmarsh on diyaudio?

Hi All,

 

It's been a while since I last posted on this forum. I moved across the country for a new career opportunity and the move and changes had me out of audio for a bit since the end of 2015. Now that everything has settled in, I am back to the fun of listening to music and building and rebuilding audio gear. I have finally commissioned my gmarsh (from diyAudio.com) Weiner PBTL (i.e., mono) amps. Instead of using CineMag CMLI-15/15B input transformers to convert unbalanced to balanced inputs to feed the Weiner's TPA3118 amplifier chips' differential inputs, I chose to use vintage Altec/Peerless 15335A bridging transformers with the same specifications as the CineMag CMLI-15/15B transformers. I've also been trying different settings with the adjustable amplifiers and I've currently set the switching frequency to 1.2MHz in BD mode with a gain of 20dB.

 

The gmarsh-designed Weiner BTL (stereo) and PBTL (mono) TPA3118 Class D amps are very well designed and built with quality components. Even though I can work with small SMD components, I purchased semi-completed amp modules to save time. I have both versions, and I have to say the the PBTL amps with the Altec/Peerless 15335A input transformers sound incredibly good. Since I have not had the time to swap input transformers, I cannot clearly attribute the improvements over the Weiner stereo amp to the transformers, but I am using the same modified Astron RS-12A linear regulated power supply for both. 

 

To my ears, the Weiner PBTL dual mono amps provide better driver control of my Crites-upgraded Forte IIs giving me better separation, extended and better defined bass response, greater midrange presence and a smoother treble. The improvements are not readily obvious, but I can hear them and the dual mono amp just seems to offer a warmer, more musically engaging presentation. 

 

gmarsh's Weiner Class D amps are only offered through limited group buys at diyAudio.com. Even though these amps cost more than the Chinese manufactured TPA3116 and TPA3118 amps sold online, these amps are tested and represent the "best in class" in terms of build quality and circuit design. One doesn't have to replace components to improve the performance, because the best components are already used. 

 

I am in the process of renewing a McIntosh MC240 tube amp and I expect to have the power supply components updated this coming weekend. To compare the Weiner Class D amps to the likes of an MC240 tube amp driving Klipsch Heritage speakers seems a bit one-sided, but it really isn't. These Class D amps may not best the MC240, but they are not that far behind. I should mention that my system is comprised of an Audio Research PH5 phono stage and Audio Research LS7 line stage. These tube preamps really work well with any amplifiers in my collection. 

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14 hours ago, rhing said:

It really depends on the output impedance of your Pono player and the input impedance of the gmarsh Weiner amplifier (based on input capacitance, gain, etc.). Can you provide this information? 

 

Perhaps, but it will take time and further investigation.

 

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