While both the TACT and Bel Canto are "digital amps", the newer pieces from Jeff Rowland are not. Jeff does use a very sophisticated switching power supply in his latest designs, but the amplifier section are linear designs. The advantages that can be gained from a digital amplifier (class D or PWM) are a reduction in thermal requirements, improved efficiency, and fault tolerance. This could result in a lower priced amplifier (for a given power capability) with decent performance (perhaps nearly as good as a really good linear design). The down side is the potential of RFI and excessive HF energy. Kevin Halverson |
Just look how many people you see reselling their digital amps (not very many ).I think that speaks for itself. |
Moonshyn, you don't see anyone reselling their digital amps because virtually no one has bought one. |
I've got one coming for in home demo to try.I'll let you guys know the results.The Bel Canto that is. |
Phill,I think the thousands of happy Spectron owners would disagree with you.These amps have other manufacturers scrambling to produce a simmilar amp.Moonshyn. |
Moonshyn, you obviously don't know much about sales of high end gear if you think Spectron sold in the thousands. BTW, I've heard the Spectron and it is junk, suitable only for those with a tin ear or those who prefer artificiality. There are suckers like you born every minute. |
GeeWhiz Phill!You really hurt my feelings.Suckers and tin ears? How did you become such a qualified expert and golden ear? You must own some very expensive equipment from Radio Shack to be able to give such good advice.Or maybe you even work there since you know so much about high end sales;) |
Moonshyn, you tin eared fool. Quit while you're behind. You're obviously too stupid to know that your Spectron equipment is junk and that you're an idiot. You should thank me for telling you...and I'm sorry that you lost your job at Radio Shack. |
Got my Bel Canto EVO today my first impressions are very favorable. To the extent I maybe ready to sell my Pass Labs& my BC 2's. They have only been playing for 12 hrs.!! The manual says that 40 hrs. are the most noticeable,but require about 200 all together. These amps are going to revolutionize amps the way we know them. |
I own the Bel Canto also. See my review (1st entered in Audioreview.com). I have had mega buck tube and solid state amps in my system but none of them do all things right like the EVo. Transparency, neutrality, frequency extention, dynamics, and soundstaging are up there with the best but the price is less, it doesn't get hot, and it fits in most stereo racks. Philefreak, what preamp are you using? Did you try the Presence Delux? Thanks |
hi (sy)phill(is) - ewe say: "BTW, I've heard the Spectron and it is junk, suitable only for those with a tin ear or those who prefer artificiality. There are suckers like you born every minute." yust cuz *ewe* don't like something, doesn't *necessarily* categorize it as "junk". believe it or not, some people ackshully prefer different things (& not yust in audio). again, yust cuz *ewe* don't like something, doesn't *necessarily* categorize someone who does, as having tin ears. as far as artificiality, *anyone* who likes the sound of *any* electronic audio equipment likes artificiality - there's no getting around it - it comes w/the territory - *none* of it is *real*. if yer *really* against artificiality, yust sell *all* yer artificial-sounding electronic equipment & stick w/live music. even those wonderful-sounding avantgarde acoustics horns of your are artificial-sounding. re: yer statement that there's a sucker born every minute, everyone reading this thread knows, w/o a doubt, which one of us on *this* list it is! regards, doug |
Sedond, mind your own business. Too bad you can't afford the Avantgardes. Loser. |
sy-phill-is - if it's on this forum, then it's my business - this is a public forum, in case ewe dint notice. re: my being able to afford (or not) *anything*, when's the last time ewe czeched my bank account? i *do* know this about the avantgarde acoustics, tho: they may sound nice, but they are artificial - as someone on this forum said previously: "There are suckers like you born every minute." too bad ewe never have anything constructive to say, all the time ewe waste here. |
Sedond, "bank account?" Bank accounts are for 10 year olds! BWAHAHAHAHA! Obviously you have no money. Loser. |
(sy)phill(ys), i dont have the avantgarde trios in my house cuz they're *ugly* - how 'bout ewe? only can afford the duo's, eh? BWAHAHAHAHA! obviously, ewe have no life. pity. regards, doug |
I'm at 90 hrs. now with the Bel Canto. One thing about this amp I'm not sure I like is it is exremely revealing,if you play a cd that's just a hair less than perfect this amp ruthlessly brings it to your attention. Maybe that will change as break in continues, I hope so, as this is a real world and not all cds are audiophile quality.A little more forgiving please. |
hi philefreak. got a vinyl set-up? i'd be curious how your reaction would be to it w/the bel-canto. seems a *lot* of equipment needs to be made to sound *less real*, w/digital playback... doug |
Sedond, I don't do vinyl. But have been considering it. Do you think that vinyl is a better match w/ a revealing amp such as the Bel Canto EVo? This thing is very accurate,allmost to the point of overly analytical, very dynamic and forward. Maybe they would work better w/ hungry speakers. My Talon's are 90.5 db. |
I have read good reviews about the Tact amp. Does anyone have experience with them? For Mikeg and Philefreak, have either of you tried (or use) ferrite clamps, power conditioners, etc. to reduce RF intereference? Kevin points out these are "down-sides" with a digital design. I don't pretend to know anything about the design of a digital amp and I'm sure the manufacturer has adressed RFI and HF energy issues but without good interconnects and power cables/supply you can re-introduce RFI into the system. It seems like these "tweaks" may be more important with a digital design (over linear)? Perhaps the RFI is generated internally in the amp that these "tweaks" won't help? Kevin, maybe you can't/won't answer this, but what is your favorite digital amp? Thanks guys (the ones who actually contributed something to this thread) for your feedback! While I'm not in the market for an amp now, I like the concept of a digital amp very much! |
hi philefreak, i tink vinyl is better w/*everything*! ;~) but, it seems to me that vinyl would be especially better w/an amp (or *any* component) that is especially analytical. not sure how a less efficient speaker would help, unless it's known that a particular amp sounds better when driven harder. regards, doug |
Treyhoss, when you look inside the Bel Canto, they used a ferrite choke just prior to the transformers (wire is wrapped around the cylinder shaped choke). All of my cables are shielded (Nirvana, Siltech, Powersnakes). I also have 2 dedicated ac lines and use the PS Audio P300 to power the EVo and SACD. I really don't have an RFI problem. The EVo is under review and is being called the "amp of the __" |
