Audio Horizons TP 2.0 Preamplifier

Hello all. Just thought I would chime in here and ask a few questions. I'm in the process of having my TD 3.0 upgraded with the Clarity MR caps as we speak. Just waiting on Joe and Victor to finalize the source and pricing.

Question 1: What impact will this upgrade have at the DAC level without an AH preamp? I'm assuming it will be much better then my current configuration which is still quite nice. There are four caps in the dac as opposed to two in the preamp.

Question 2. Currently using a Bel Canto PRE3.
Would there be added synergy with a AH preamp with the powersuppy and Clarity cap upgrades?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Charlie

Hi Sherod

Thanks for your input. Still waiting on pricing for the Clarity-Vishay upgrade on the DAC. I guess the free trial would be the way to go. Just wondering if it would make any sense to evaluate the preamp without the Clarity cap upgrade given the fact that the dac would have these better components further upstream? Your thoughts.

Charlie

Hey Sherod:

Just got word from Victor:

"We have finalized the price of the Clarity-Vishay upgrade for the TD 3.0. This upgrade includes 4 Clarity MR caps, 8 Vishay resistors. With it we also do a Harmonic alignment, which requires a few more parts to align and adds an extra layer of smoothness and coherence to the sound. It is a very definite step up in performance quality."

Moving forward with this upgrade. It will will be a few weeks yet but parts are on the way. Keep you posted if you are interested.

Cheers

Charlie

Thanks for the welcome. I would not be in a position to take advantage of this new technology if were not for you and the other folks on this thread. I'm relatively new to this high-end audio but look forward to participating and sharing impressions where I can. Thanks again to all.

Hey Guys:
Well I finally got my AH DAC 3.0 back. The upgrade took much longer than I expected. Been playing it non-stop this weekend and want to give my initial impressions. As I indicated in earlier posts this is the Clarity-Vishay upgrade with harmonic alignment. The same one some of you are looking to apply to you AH preamps. This is not a review! I would never attempt to do that with my level of knowledge so please bear with me on this.

Just a few background notes:

I purchased the dac used from Grannyring about a year ago. My goal was to add some tube warmth and body to my all solid state system. My speakers are somewhat bright and forward sounding and my listening room amplifies these problems. Seemed like a good fit after chatting at length with Bill. The dac had upgraded, warmer sounding tubs so I went for it. The stock unit met my goals and expectations and then some. Just to nitpick a little I always thought the presentation was a little odd or different.

So right out of the gate I could tell the sound was much smoother and refined. There appears to be a film or haze that has been lifted and clear, detailed, wonderful music has emerged. The thing I like best is you can enjoy these new attributes at much lower listening volumes. Also, that presentation issue is a thing of the past. Perfect balance! From what you all are saying the best has yet to come keeping in mind I only have about 10 hrs of break-in time so far.

I’ll report back in a few weeks.

Charlie

Yes indeed Bill. Likein this upgrade a lot. Just over 20hrs on it and I would already rate it as very, very positive! I can already verify two things that have been said in previous posts.

Cedar's post where he talks with Joseph about harmonic alignment is pretty much right on. The issue I mentioned earlier about presentation was not articulated correctly. What I was trying to say was instruments seemed a bit over emphasized compared to voices. This condition varied depending on recordings but it was noticeable to me. It is now a thing of the past.

Sherod’s comments about this upgrade being a “no-brainer “is also right on. Detail and clarity is just outstanding already. It gives the illusion of better musical dynamics simply by hearing more and being presented in a smoother and more refined way.

Sand on my amps??? Have you had a few too many this weekend? lol

Cedar:

I do have more results. My upgrade consists of caps, resistors and the harmonic alignment that you spoke of in an earlier post. There is no chip or power supply upgrade available (for their DAC) to the best of my knowledge.

I have a solid 100 hours of break-in time under my belt. There simply is no comparison of the unit now vs. when I first reported in at 20 hours. This upgrade is really very significant. I’m happy with the overall results but there are a few aspects of the upgrade that have not bore fruit as of yet.

Quick summary:

1. Clarity and detail is just stunning.
2. Dynamics are improved and continuing to get better.
3. Overall sound seems bright and a bit thin.
4. Bass is nowhere near what I was hoping for but is slowly seeping out.

I have confirmed that the Clarity MR caps take lots of time to break in. In fact I suspect it will take another 100 hours to really get an ideal of the final result. Other components and my room could be at the root of issues 3 & 4. I did find it interesting that the Clarity MR caps did not work out so well in my new preamp. Had to go back to the Mundorf Supreme caps. With that said I cannot be sure that the bulk of the DAC improvements are the results MR caps or the combination of them with Vishay resistors and harmonic alignment. I’ll report back at the 200 hour mark.

Charlie

Sounding absolutely wonderful and keeps getting better. I've got a solid 200 hours on it now. All kinds of changes occur between 125 and 200hrs. It's really fun to experience. That brightness in the highs is fading away and the sound stage has got deeper and wider. Voices sound like real people. Bass continues to improve but at very small increments.

I think you said that I can expect more improvements up to 300 hrs. Is that correct? This will probably be my last report since I'm introducing a new preamp tomorrow. All I can say is this is by far the best improvement in sound I have ever experienced - upgrade or new components alike. Thanks to all again for turning me on to the MR's!

Hi Sherod

Giving the TRL Dude a try. I just got it today. I pulled the trigger on the DAC upgrade and Dude purchase at the same time. Finally just got the Dude. Both companies took forever to deliver but as you know I'm very happy with the DAC upgrade.

I can't say much yet about the TRL Dude other than thisbut I can say this. After only 7 hours the bass is already better than my Bel Canto Pre3 that it replaced. I can also sense the ease at which it play's at higher volumes. In other words the sound gets bigger not just louder. Way to early to comment otherwise.

I may have an issue with the right channel and the darn thing did not come with feet! Don't know what that's all about but it does not make me happy. Out of town all next week so catch up with you later.

Charlie

Hi Sherod:

The Dude is going through its second break in milestone and I'm replacing a defective tube. Give me a little more time and I'll fill you in.

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