Hey Pete LOL!!!! Man you have to hear this with a 12 volt SLA battery power supply and all the unnecessary parts removed. I will have to bring up the Clari T Amp sometimes so you can really get your mind blowed! You don't have to convince me..I already know! By the way Vinnie is adding two subwoofer outputs to mine. I should have it back by Wednesday of next week. Good Listening! |
Tell us more of your impressions.
What speakers are you using with it?
How does it compare with the other digital amps like the Panasonic XR-25 and XR-45?
Do you really think it is better than your Vecteur, or is it just the unbelievability of it being good for such low bucks that is overwhelming you? That's a critical assessment. If it really is better, then this has to be the "buy of the century", for $39. I'm thinking of making an HT setup out of these amps, with efficient single drivers all around, and a sub.
Yes, you read that right. Me, "Mr. Single Ended Triode" is thinking about trying these. I like good "bang for the buck" stuff, and it seems like these would be cool for an HT setup, and possibly allow me a venue for digital listening to my CD's again, as well as my HT. |
If you like the liquidity of triodes, you need to check out the ClariT. Think of it as a tough inner-city SET, wearing leather, but obviously in touch with its female side. To be honest, the ClariT, now fully burned in, makes tube topology inadequate for my listening. Speaker control from hell. What battery power does for attack transients has to be heard to be understood. Realistic, not overstated, exaggerated, overhanging, bloated bass. Once your ears become accustomed to this sound and this level of Control, for me, there is NO going back. |
You are hearing a properly designed PWM amp. Nothing more nothing less. I know because I own one (PWM amp, different brand) for two months now. As you move up on the ladder (I am referring to the Rowlands, ICE H2O, ARC, Channel Island, Hypex UcD, Bel Canto, eAR, Carver,etc. except Panasonic or JVC, etc. which IMO sound nasty), the sonic performance will overwhelmingly surprise you. I do not know why, but my PWM amp gets better as I logged more time to it.
The "wave" reached the shore. But more are coming!
Congratulations! |
Amandarae...An audiophile upgrade of the very respectable CarverPro ZR amps will hit the street in a few months. |
A prelude to the "Big Kahuna"!!!
As I said, they already landed. I am a "convert" and I am not ashamed of it at all. Been to big full blown Class A SS, tubes, SET's, and now PWM. The journey is great, if you find a pot of gold in the end.
Thanks for the tip! Made me re-structure/re-consider my audio budget for the year.
regards |
Amandarae,
I have audtioned several of the above mentioned audiophool units; battery juice is something Entirely different, trust me. The First Watt is the most important, and when this thing is harnessed to compatible, read: >95db speaks, it gets pretty special. And Very, very different. Then you add battery powered, non-OS DAC, and different still. Your equation of Mo Money = Mo Betta is wrong here. |
Dmason,
I am surprised! You are just speculating I suppose. All I am trying to say is that power supply , as all other amps, is the most important thing. As you audition the amps I mentioned, the more refined and sophisticated the power supply design is. I have an MLTL (95dB) Fostex based speaker. I have a concrete idea what it sounds in my system. I also have a 300B (8 watts) amp,where I can relate the synergy of both.
As to the first Watt, I agree. But what makes this first Watt? Current multiplied by the impedance squared. The current comes from the power supply, always. From my reading, PWM module is a valve that decreases or increases the modulation of the current pulse in a particular time domain. It does not amplify any signal.
Auditioning the amps will give you a glimpse of what you should be expecting as you plan to incorporate it to your system. It does not give you the entire picture at all. Until you own it, work on the balance, and have it for some time, then you can only be sure if the amp is right for you.
As to Mo Money = Mo Betta, I do not know about that. Only fools will say such a thing in a public forum since you are only asking for trouble. Forgive me, but I read and re-read my previous post. Nowhere did I made such an outrageous claim nor such "equation" as you put it. |
39 bucks... man, that is cheap enough even ol slappy can get into it.
And not only can slappy get into it, slappy just ordered one. At this price, why the hell not?
IT BETTER BE GOOD! THAT WAS MY BEER MONEY FOR THIS AFTERNOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
I've played around with the Sonic Impact with just double AA batteries. It sounds better than the respected JVC RX-F10 digital to me. |
Amandarae,
Sorry if I ruffled your feathers, I am just so over people making sweeping generalizations where $$ issues in terms of kwality, are supposed to be a key factor. In what? "Ultimate" enjoyment? I think the phrase "up the ladder," understandably brought on my spate, as in, "here we go again. Unfortunately you got swept up. Good to see some grounding, pardon the pun! You're on my side.
Having said that, Vinnie's little creation makes a joke out of ALOT of what is out there. |
Dmason,
I am with you. My previous post was not meant to alienate you, nor depend the choices I made for my amp. Quality commands price nowadays. But Vinnies amp is an exception! No hoopla, no "mine is an expensive model than yours, therefore better" BS, no "emperors clothes" thingy! Just the truth that the amp sounds great.
regards |
twl,
The speakers I am using are some MB Quart QLSP44XL and a cheap Sony DVD Player of yesteryear. I bought the MB Quarts of of Ubid.com about four years ago for about $200 brand new. It's a strange speaker. I emailed MB Quart about them and they've never heard of them. They have all German writing. I opened up the back and looked at the drivers and crossover. I was amazed at what I saw, huge inductors and poly caps mounted on a shock padded board. The drivers are German with heavy magnets and quality baskets. They are MTM floorstanders and about 90db with a titanium tweeter.
The Sonic Impact sounded great with them. They go pretty darn loud and disappear. With the Vecteur I have to use a DAC to smooth out the highs on these speakers but the SI makes them fatigue free with gobbs of resolution. The bass...it just blows me away. I have an expensive push pull tube system upstairs and I would rather hear this cheapo basement setup any day.
Pete |
Amandarae,
I don't think D was trying to offend you.
He's referring to your comment "As you move up on the ladder (I am referring to the Rowlands, ICE H2O, ARC, Channel Island, Hypex UcD, Bel Canto, eAR, Carver,etc.), the sonic performance will overwhelmingly surprise you".
His point was the ClariT is already up the ladder.With the proper speakers..spending more before hearing it ..might be a mistake. Relax
I think we are all together on this technology.
Glad to see welcome another audiophile to the dark side!
Slappy ..man your are a nut!!!LOL |
Dmason, Amandarae
Good to see you are friends again, now you just need to seal the deal with a hug! |
Slappy are you sure you haven't already spent that money on Beer? Looks like my other response posted later than what I expected. |
Gmood1,
Point well taken!
regards |
Slappy,
Don't get me started. When I was a kid playing in a rock band, I had to make do wiring the wondrous triode amp in my Hammond organ into the Altec A7's we used as a PA system, to listen to practice tapes and albums. Little did I know that I had stumbled into what many here would consider "destination" sound. I know what "real music" sounds like, unlike many audiophiles. This I believe is the distinction between audiophile, and music lover.
What I have learned from the ClariT amp is that AC-based power is an absolute enemy of sonics, unless you do an awful lot to ameliorate its evil. Stray AC will ALWAYS leak into the system, whose topology is unusually susceptible to hash, unless, it is run on pure, unadulterated DC, ie, a battery. A/B'd recently with the BC eVo, we all preferred the ClariT. And by a wide margin...Batteries. Deluxe, clean, hash free power, and a fabulous source of musically nutritious current. I believe Sealed Lead Acid 12 volt batteries are an absolute boon to audio. To wit: soon I will be off the National Electrical Grid for good, as I have found a battery operable CD transport to complete the concept. Battery amplification, source and transport. No noise floor considerations. No need for power conditioning. No noise folks. You have to hear it to understand.
I also plan on a custom high efficiency 12 or 15 inch/CD horn rig of about 100db, possibly using TAD drivers, if they can substantiate their primo price tags. The point is, Vinnie's amp is already perched pretty near the top of your ladder, and many people will overlook it based on price. Sad. Girard knows of what I speak. |
Gmood1,
I definantly would like to hear your Clari T. Come on up anytime.
I heard that Sonic Impact is coming out with a version 2 of the T amp. It should be out this summer.
Pete |
Ok, this might be a dumb question, but battery-powered... Man that sounds like a lot of dough to keep it running. What about rechargeables? Get the same quality out of them?
The speaks i have now are somewhat efficient, Jmlabs, 92db. I was looking at Aride's HE speaker kits which are 95db and only 300 for the parts. What are some manufacturers that make good but inexpencive +95db effecient speakers?
I think this will be a real fun project system. I have a decent spare DVD-A player which i think sounds pretty good. Maybe i will get a tube-pre kit or something to top it all off. |
Slappy,
I owned the Adire HE10.1 for a month. I returned them. I didn't think they sounded that great.
I'm hearing alot of talk about the Omega Super 3's. I haven't heard them though.
Pete |
|
Slappy I'm not sure what you are referring too.But all the equipment Dmason speaks of uses batteries that are rechargeable. You just flip a switch when your not using them,so they can recharge. The ClariT last quite a while. I have ran it 5 and 6 hours playing music and movies with no problems. I've also left it on all day while I was at work..maybe 10 to 12 hours or so without playing music( it uses a very small amount of power with no signal).It was still ready to play when I returned. Just charge it for an hour or so and it is ready to go.Some still don't understand just how efficient this little integrated amp is. If these were used as monoblocks, you could run them for 12 hours or more straight playing music at realistic levels with absolutely no problems on efficient speakers.
The Sonic Impact may sound better using a wall wart of some kind.Depending on your listening taste the Omegas speakers are a good place to look.If you want pounding bass you will need a sub though. This type of speaker is made to give you natural midrange and highs. A nice sealed sub can be the foundation. The fact you can run two active subs(left and right channels) off this little amplifier is amazing! If you ever decide to move up to the ClariT. Request the subwoofer outs so you don't have to send it back in like I did. |
Gmood1 thanks for the info! 499 sounds like a steal on this, i think i will check out the omegas.
Pete, Diddnt like the HE10.1's huh? thanks for that info! will look at the omegas |
Slappy a steal? If you played your cards right with the proper front end and speakers.You will feel as though you robbed a bank! Some may think I'm nuts..but you can pair this integrated up with some seriously high quality speakers and front end. The ClariT would not be out of place.
Imagine this..running a pair of highly sensitive speakers with an active subwoofer under each one!This would allow the ClariT to run free.At the same time have everything dialed in to be seamless.The ClariT would be in the center and in charge.
That is my dream!
To see the look on peoples faces as they try to figure out, how can an amplifier that fits in one hand make so much music! |
Just got my Omega Loudspeakers Super 3s today. I've been listening for about 5 hours now powered by my sonic impact t-amp with a walwart 12v, 500mA and in my humble opinion, it sounds as good or better than my previous Proac D15s powered by Atma-Sphere M60 MII monoblocks. Without the heat output of those Atma-Spheres. The bass with the Sonic Impact sounds deeper although its rated to go only 53H. I'm using 47 labs OTA speaker cables which I kept even after selling the Proacs and Atma-Sphere. They are really really good, and it doesn't hurt that they fit perfectly into the Sonic Impact speaker receptacles. High $$$ rigs should beware. That is just my humble opinion. |
Apparently Soundsgood1 it's quite a few folks humble opinion! The Omega Super 3s are really nice speakers. If you only have 5 hours on them..you haven't heard them yet. It will take a minimum of 100 hrs to break in those drivers.They will continue to get better well past 200 hrs.
BE AWARE ..Once you become accustom to not hearing crossovers and the phasing problems some speakers produce with crossovers.
You will forever be ruined ! Give it a couple of weeks of listening..go to one of your local shops and listen to some of the highly touted brands out there. You will instantly hear what I'm talking about. Dr.Mason told me the same thing..he wasn't mistaken!
Enjoy your new found discover.That is about the saying "the more you spend the better" it can sometimes be a cruel joke!
Happy Listening! |
Soundsgood1 and Gmood1, are you two related? Same last name :-). Anyway, I'm with you on the Omega Super 3's. I've had them for 9 months now and thoroughly enjoy them. Still have my planars too, but I think this single driver stuff will be more than a fad or flavor of the week. In my home office,(12x14), this speaker clearly beat out a $2500 & $5000 pair of monitors. I remember liking them new, and they do get better after they loosen up. I'm now experimenting with SET's to go with them. So far I love the 2A3 and 45 tubes. So much fun experimenting. I'm so glad this level of sound can be had for so little money. Bless Louis Chochos and Terry Cain to name a few. |
Onemug you are a comedian! We are 1st cousins though:-)
The first time I heard the Omega 3s I was taken back!
I had a hard time accepting what those 4.5 inch cones can do. We tried a 3.5 wpc Orchid ASL on them.It was ok but they really needed more power.What's the power ratings on your SETs? |
Gmood, 3.5 wpc on my Fi 2a3 monos. They can use 45's if I change the rectifier tubes but then only 1.5 to 2 wpc. No Led Zeppelin there. They sound real good on my 130 wpc push pull too, so I know what you mean by more power. It makes the speakers sound much bigger. Have fun. |
Heh, i got my Sonic Impact T amp this weekend. have not had a chance to hook it up to some quality speakers but....
I got a free pair of speakers with it. 2 collapsable cardboard speakers that have some kind of an exciter glued to the inside that makes the cardboard into a speaker.
i got those set up and laughed my ass off. Not really audiophile quality, but damn amusing. Good for camping trips. |
That's hillarious Slappy LOL LOL LOL!!!!!
Man you need to send me some of whatever your smokin :-) |
Come on guys . Let me in on your secret. From where can i buy this NOW ?? All are sold out !
|
Please forgive the stupid question but if you are going to run one or two subs off this thing, you need a preamp. Correct? |
Plinko are you talking about the Sonic Impact or the ClariT ?
The ClariT can be ordered with left and right subwoofer outputs. It also comes with a volume control, no preamp is necessary. If you use a Sonic Impact you need a separate preamp, if you plan on using subs. Dilly some people are ordering the SI's from target. It maybe 2 months before you get it . The demand seems high on these little units.
Looks like Slappys found a place that has them . Hopefully he will chime in. |
Hi Gmood1, I checked partsexpress.com. they indicate a couple of weeks wait time in case anyone is curious. you know what though, I'm still going to have to do more research cause I'm just not convinced. its hard to believe actually. I'm not doubting anyone's integrity here though. do you know if there is a wait on the modded ones? |
Plinko the last batch Vinnie made 25 units. The ClariTs have been selling like hotcakes. He may have some left out of this batch I'm not sure. Yeah... I know it's tough to believe.
Think about this for a moment. If this product isn't doing what is stated. Why would the designer offer a 30 day money back guarantee? As far as I know none have been returned. His company just came to be less than two months ago. His product is already up for a review from a major audiophile publisher. He is a one man operation and doesn't have a big money corporation funding him. This should at least give you some indication this isn't a joke.
Dr.Mason turned me on to this unit. He is a musician as well as a physician ,who builds his own speakers! Why would he not just go out and buy himself a $10,000 tube amplifier to run his speakers?
I would think because he has already been down that road. He as well as I are not into flashy names and shiney products that do nothing but look good on a shelf. This is where you separate someone who loves music and someone that's in it just to impress the Jones's.
You have to decide which one you are.If you ever get a chance to hear the ClariT. You will wonder where has this type of technology been all of your life! The ones that feel better spending more to ease their minds so be it.
I've said this before ..to bypass this unit because it doesn't cost enough is a serious mistake. If your speakers aren't sensitive enough, it is understandable to look else where.
As fast as this technology is moving. In less than a year even the ones that need more power will have it in larger battery powered versions. I'm sure it's only a matter of time.
Good Luck to You! |
It's the real deal. With my Fostex 206E project speakers, the brilliant life and color of music makes me smile and cry. It is beautiful. My 206's aren't perfect, but with simpler music, this combination is the best I've heard.
Oh yeah, for $750. |
Glad to see the ClariT and the 206E bring you closer to the music Miklorsmith. I know where your coming from because I'm using the same combo :-)
Just a quick update..Louis (owner of Omega loudspeakers) got a chance to hear the ClariT up against his $2000 Solid State 50 wpc reference amplifier last night. He ordered a ClariT..I suspect the ClariT will be replacing the 50 wpc amplifier. LOL |
