View Full Version : Bantam / Amptastic vs traditional amplifiers
I'm in the market for an amplifier and have been fairly set on finding a good Exposure, NVA or even a Croft integrated if budget allows.
However over the last few weeks I keep hearing about the Bantam Gold/Mono and it's got me wondering in terms if sound quality where do these fairly low cost digital amplifiers sit when compared to transparent amplifiers like Exposure or NVA?
Would for example a set of Bantam Mono with a Tisbury Pre, powered by a battery be anywhere near the quality of an old Exposure?
I'm not looking for power/watts, I'm looking for a 'nothing added, nothing taken away' type of amplifier.
Would love to hear people's thoughts and any other options I should consider?
rubber duck
05-04-2014, 12:42
There is quite a bit on the Bantam and T amps here and elsewhere so you may want to read up. If you don't need the power, and given that your JPWs should be easy to drive, it would be silly not to try these. Certainly they are cheap enough to buy and try, and in the case of the Bantam, I think they come with a money back guarantee. I have no doubt that even a basic Muse T amp would outperform an old Exposure.
What I suggest is go to someone who has a Bantam amp and bring over your amp and let your ears be a judge
I used to have a SAC Glowmaster and a Music First pre (and tried plenty of good actives too) in my system I prefer the cheap Bantam Gold with Battery but hear for yourself as taste and systems varies
Really interesting to hear more evidence that the bantam punches well above its weight. I've been looking at spending about £350 on either an exposure or NVA but this is really making me rethink my plan of action. One thing I would need to work out is a suitable pre that has 4 inputs and ideally a remote.
Although the remote isn't a must especially as I've been looking at NVA AP50.
People seem to rave about Exposure so I'm still surprised that the Bantam can even come close let alone potentially offer better sound quality.
All I can add James is that these little chip amps offer the sort of transparency I've not heard from any other amp I've had the privilege to listen to. I am currently running an Amptastic Mini-T into a pair of ART Skibo's and this combo can put a mile wide smile on my face. I'm currently listening to Sticky Fingers from The Rolling Stones and the resulting sound is truly magical.
Yeah I haven't even got into looking at the difference between the Bantam and the Amptastic yet, getting lost in all the info on powering them with battery and the many benefits etc.
Think there is just part of me that can't believe that these little, inexpensive amps can offer as much as a big traditional amp...I remember reading about Hypex based amplifiers last year but haven't seen much about them since.
Yeah I haven't even got into looking at the difference between the Bantam and the Amptastic yet, getting lost in all the info on powering them with battery and the many benefits etc.
Think there is just part of me that can't believe that these little, inexpensive amps can offer as much as a big traditional amp...I remember reading about Hypex based amplifiers last year but haven't seen much about them since.
The only way to know for sure is to try one in your system. I've not heard a Bantam Gold myself but those with ears I trust tell me that they offer a significant performance upgrade over a Mini-T and as a result, and when funds allow, I will acquire one ;)
mr sneff
05-04-2014, 14:44
The Bantam Gold is a nice little amp and I could live with it fairly happily, but, in my system at least, I much prefer the sound of my Tisbury/Quad 303.
Years of cocking about with god knows how many amplifers - integrateds and pre power combos - when if I'd known then what I know now I would just go straight for what I now have which is a high quality passive pre feeding a high current power amp. Will cost you a bit more than £350 but you will never have to change amplification again. If you really want 'nothing added, nothing taken away' this is an avenue worthy of exploration.
Very interesting. A good friend has both a NVA AP10p and an NVA A80 setup and they just sound excellent, no hiss just clean sound. If only I had the money buy and try and box swap all over the place but I don't so trying to narrow down the options with research and feedback from others, thanks to everyone who's helped so far. If only Gromit would sell me his Exposure lol
I'd throw £350 at a 2nd hand pair of speakers then come back to the amp later.
istari_knight
05-04-2014, 21:25
Wildcard: Denon PMA-250. Dirt cheap & sound great but not much in the way of ownership pride :D
A mk1 equalled an XV Super in my system, I know synergy plays a huge role but it really is a special amp.
Could be worth a play to see if it suits you for the £30 odd quid it'll cost ?
had both nva and hypex... not much difference between the hypex ucd180hg and the nva amps imho .. both very good .. hypex less fussy and dead silent... just my 2 cts.. both best with passive pre's afaikh .. (hypex is "class D" not "digital")
jandl100
06-04-2014, 07:13
If it were my £350 in your position, I'd spend £100 on an Amptastic Mini-1 and £250 on new music. :) ... or maybe spend another £100 of it on some Q-Acoustics 2010i speakers like Richard 'Gromit' has got. :thumbsup:
imho, the Mini-1 will give any of the amps mentioned here more than a run for their money for sheer transparency and in-the-room presence and realism.
It's like the Mini-T (which is a great amp, imo) but with extra power and headroom in the bass.
I did a review here http://hifipig.com/amptastic-mini-1-amplifier/
But then I've been an Amptastic fanboy for a long time! :eyebrows:
OP has 2 sets of speakers already and no amp so why are people recommending he gets more speakers? Plus he has Goodmans Magisters - 3 way with 15 inch bass drivers. Okay they may need bringing up to speed, they may not but even so they are going to be a lot better than some little budget 2-way. I like Istari's suggestion, Denon PMA250 - must be the original version though, the later marks are veiled by comparison, I don't know why.
Actually I need to update my signature, I've still got the JPW but my main speakers will be some Loth-X BS1
jandl100
06-04-2014, 10:08
Aha - right - I just looked at the siggie and saw JPW.
I still stand by the Amptastic Mini-1 reccie, though. ;)
wee tee cee
07-04-2014, 09:55
I run battery powered temple monos and mini ts in conjunction with a tissie. both combos I preferred to a croft power amp. likewise I have a couple of berhinger a 500s and kel84 monoblocks both are good in theyre own right but the t amps offer the least coloured open sound by some margin. You really have to hear the amps in youre room/speakers and music.
Is there any AOS members near you that could help?
pitadavespa
07-04-2014, 18:13
I run battery powered temple monos and mini ts in conjunction with a tissie. both combos I preferred to a croft power amp. likewise I have a couple of berhinger a 500s and kel84 monoblocks both are good in theyre own right but the t amps offer the least coloured open sound by some margin. You really have to hear the amps in youre room/speakers and music.
Is there any AOS members near you that could help?
Hi wee tee cee,
Do you ran the temple monos AND the mini ts at the same time?
Ones for the bass and the others for the treble?
Is that it?
Thanks,
Luis
the amptastic looks like a tuned version of the SMSL type of amps you can find on eBay.. if you have 350 to spend i would get a hypex which seems to be a much more robust choice than those tiny T amps which are also class d amps in reality but will clip quite easily and are definately not comparble with nva kit
Well all I can say as a very contented owner of an Amptastic Mini-T is that from my experience they need careful matching and don't expect to pop the knob up too far, or they can clip. BUT, get the right speakers and the sound per pound is exceptional. I have one for near field listening at my PC and they are perfect.
I have tried a Mini-T with the following;
Celestion 5 - very good pairing.
Celestion DL6 - not so good, dull and lifeless.
Harbeth SHL5 - definitely not a match made in heaven. The Harbeths sounded muffled, bass was missing and vocals and piano (a good test) were unnatural. The magical Harbeth mid-range was absent with a Mini-T.
Q Acoustics 2010i - probably the best pairing, extremely musical.
I use one everyday now with my Celestion 5's, fed from an HRT Music Streamer II+ DAC and only baulked at buying the 2010i's, as the difference is marginal and I intend on buying some Harbeth P3ESR's for near field listening with my QUAD 405-2, so the 2010i's would only have been a temporary purchase, so not worth the outlay - I bought the Celestion 5's from eBay for 14 quid and with the above DAC, playing FLAC files from JRiver it sounds way better than it ought to.
Pair them well and they are a very good buy and you can upgrade the PSU for improved performance.
Aren't the hypex based amps bloody expensive though?
yes but 350 pounds should be ok for 2 ucd180hg modules and a power supply.. you will have to assemble it though ;-)
i'd say it is closer to the nva than any t amp will ever be,... especially at higher volumes..
but i must admit that for the low price (and at lowish volumes) t amps are quite astonishing
Interesting. I've looked at Hypex in the past but the NC400 was expensive, the UCD180 is reasonable. I've just emailed Hypex a load of questions...
hi, did ya get any feedback from the people @ hypex ?
They did, very helpful. From further investigation though I've decided to hold back on going down the Hypex route until I could afford a decent NC400 setup.
good choice.. i'm selling my 180's to do the same .. they sound great but i need a little more power to drive the kefs
(hypex is "class D" not "digital")
Yeah, a little annoying (in a pedantic way) that people call Class-D digital - it's analogue! D doesn't stand for Digital any more than A in Class-A stands for Analogue or B in Class-B stands for Broken (I guess AB meaning Broken Analogue with a little poetic licence?)
Nelson Pass explained it briefly in the interview with him, linked on this forum somewhere.
They did, very helpful. From further investigation though I've decided to hold back on going down the Hypex route until I could afford a decent NC400 setup.
Save up and keep an eye out on DIY website classifieds or all the ebays (multi-country). Saw a pair of nCore 400 with 600 PSUs in a good quality case for about £1000 which isn't too bad considering new cost, was on Italian Ebay/diyaudio.com . Seems to be the ball park for people who have already moved on from their nCores.
Would love to try a set..
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