John
26-01-2011, 08:08
Lately I been luckly enough to have a few amps to play with. My set up is a bit different to most here active in the bass and passive in the mid treble region. its a set up that gives me lots of speed is clean seductive and capable of kicking me in the guts with its dynamics and scale.
Mini T
This is a cracking little amp. It has similar qualities to main set up in that it is fast, has lots of detail, good bass. I was just blown away about how such a cheap amp could sound so good. I think this is the kind of amp most people here will love it will challenge amps costing 10 to 30 times its price. Its not for me. It lacks a bit of resolution in my system it just does not rock hard enough, also sometimes in places lacks a bit of space. I been overly critical as my taste in music is quite complex in nature( remember I am compairing this with a 60 watt valve amp that really delevers in this area).
The Chamalion 1400s This has everything the Mini t amp plus the extra resolution of my power amp,compairing it with the Glowmaster it just lacks a bit of harmonic texture to notes. The best way I can describe the difference is the Chamalion is more anytical while the glowmaster draws me deeper into into the music, instruments sound a bit more real. (thanks to Tim of MAD for lending me this fab amp)
The next amp I tried is a NAD 3130 I bought of ebay for £30 . As a amplifier its nothing special, the Mini T easily outperforms it. My intial experience was using it as a phonostage with a Pioneer 518 direct drive turntable, it just did not work for me and very nearly sold the amp without trying it just as preamp. Using it only as a preamp it has added extra resolution to my system. It was like when I heard Marco system; the area his system outperformed mine was its abilty to rock, but now using a £30 NAD as preamp it rocks just as hard as Marco system does. This is the unit that is staying in my system, it just increases the synergy of the system and boy does it make the music fun and perhaps a wee bit scary due to its sense of scale and resolution.
Mini T
This is a cracking little amp. It has similar qualities to main set up in that it is fast, has lots of detail, good bass. I was just blown away about how such a cheap amp could sound so good. I think this is the kind of amp most people here will love it will challenge amps costing 10 to 30 times its price. Its not for me. It lacks a bit of resolution in my system it just does not rock hard enough, also sometimes in places lacks a bit of space. I been overly critical as my taste in music is quite complex in nature( remember I am compairing this with a 60 watt valve amp that really delevers in this area).
The Chamalion 1400s This has everything the Mini t amp plus the extra resolution of my power amp,compairing it with the Glowmaster it just lacks a bit of harmonic texture to notes. The best way I can describe the difference is the Chamalion is more anytical while the glowmaster draws me deeper into into the music, instruments sound a bit more real. (thanks to Tim of MAD for lending me this fab amp)
The next amp I tried is a NAD 3130 I bought of ebay for £30 . As a amplifier its nothing special, the Mini T easily outperforms it. My intial experience was using it as a phonostage with a Pioneer 518 direct drive turntable, it just did not work for me and very nearly sold the amp without trying it just as preamp. Using it only as a preamp it has added extra resolution to my system. It was like when I heard Marco system; the area his system outperformed mine was its abilty to rock, but now using a £30 NAD as preamp it rocks just as hard as Marco system does. This is the unit that is staying in my system, it just increases the synergy of the system and boy does it make the music fun and perhaps a wee bit scary due to its sense of scale and resolution.