Welborne

Like you, my amp search for Klipschon and La Scala is over after I have stumbled across the Wiener tpa3118 class d. I am even selling my all Tango-stuffed built in Japan Vt25 se amp and a few other tube amps.

But that's the problem of most ribbons even something like Raal. Horses for courses...

Sorry for double posting, something wrong with the cookies

Where do you find $145/each?

Where do you find $145/each?

Sensitivity too low I guess. Only 92db

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

Thanks, I am actually eyeing on this G1 too. They have 102db in sensitivity though, do u think it will work?

Thanks! I myself also already a B&C DE120 with a PRV tractrix horn. I cant say I am not happy. But everytime I read the Lampizator and Romy the Cat blogs where Raal ribbons were mentioned I couldnt shake the word out of my head. Just curiosity had gotten the better of me.

Raal, Aurum Cantus G3, Raven, etc etc

My mistake.,Yes its Wiener Tpa3118. The chips 3116,3116d2,3118,3118d2 etc are indeed the same chip inside in different packaging and thermal solution. Please by all means explore and I want to see how you feel about them. I won't say they sound like tube and when I say that it means I do not use tube as necessarily a reference standard for "good sound". The Wiener tpa3118 has something unique in its sonic presentation that makes it a wonderful pairing with Klipschorn/La Scala. In the past many people described Tripath as having a sound between SS and DHT, but I think a well executed tpa3118 deserves that crown even more. You may like it, or you may not be as enthusiatic as I am with them, but they are really worthy of "having a closer look"

This is the board I am enjoying. It has two micro dip switch on board for setting switching frequency from 400kHz to maximum 1.2mlion Hz, choose between BD/SPW modulation. Gain can be configured too.

I am one that have eargasm from using a 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 Tk2051 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 just because the amp is so cheap!), 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 I thinknis configured to switch only around 400-500khz), 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 iUsbpower---> iFi iPurifier ----> iFi iLink DDC---> spdif ---> 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.

Thanks. Its useful information. The previous owner whom I bought this from is a collector of Scott stuff and he has been using this unit regularly before he found a mint 340. He powers it up without variac for years I believe. But I do understand what Craig means. One dump question: the rectifier 5ar4 is supposed to be a slow rise indirectly heated rectifier (compared to directly heated one say 5r4gy...) that also provides some protection against sudden high voltage rush when power on? From my experience the 5ar4 takes about 10 seconds or more to rise to the operating voltage.. Oh it's an imported/ebayed 110v unit and we use these on a step down from 220v.

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.