Battery powered t amps [Archive] - The Art of Sound Forum

wee tee cee

01-10-2013, 16:06

Tarzan

01-10-2013, 16:12

Andy,
I'm flabbergasted at the performance.......I run a balanced mains transformer but what I'm hearing is just ridiculous. My dac runs off a wee camcorder battery with the bike battery powering the mono blocks I am completely off the grid. Just silly the Improvement it has brung to what I thought of as a well resolved system. Might try again with the DAC and run the lot off a car battery.......suspect my original wiring was at fault.

Used crimps to get going initially......dived out and bought some block connector and an inline switch/replacement 3 amp auto fuse that I blew....this really has made me rethink things.
Bang for buck.....WOW!!!!

Tony, really glad it is working out for you, T- amps done properly have to be one of the best VFM products in all of Audiodom, my tweaked Sensation with a few internal mods and battery PSU would comfortably see off any amps l have had at home ever- and l have had some £££££ ones here, and the great thing is you can carry on and on tweaking them- spread the love.

wee tee cee

01-10-2013, 16:21

Andy......absolutely!

Quite a few of the troops run bantums/bantum golds......what an upgrade!

Tarzan

01-10-2013, 16:31

Heard good things about the Bantams, l am really surprised that more folk do not run T-amps, especially as you can carry tweaking them, l have four T-amps, and each one shares the same common trait of extreme musicality, glass clear transparency,would love to hear a Mini-T on batteries, that would be fun!

wee tee cee

01-10-2013, 17:04

my son bi-amps with a couple running a battery powered non up sampling DAC.......really looking forward to buying a couple of the new ones when they are launched......as you rightly say t amps are fabulous.

Tarzan

01-10-2013, 17:34

l believe that some some people are running their Kit off Red Wine Black lightning Battery PSU ( LIFEP04 batteries) and are reporting even higher gains in performance over SLA batteries, and you can run multiple components too;) The Red Wines are expensive but people seem to buying them:eek:

wee tee cee

01-10-2013, 19:37

lead acid for me till I get ma head round the major changes sonically.....bang for buck!

Gazjam

01-10-2013, 21:10

lead acid...cosmic man!

The Grand Wazoo

01-10-2013, 21:19

Don't you mean heavy, man?

wee tee cee

02-10-2013, 04:48

Aye OK, I've been piling on the beef for a while !!!!!!

Having read quite a bit about the light weight li-po batteries for bikes, in the real world -Winter cold cranking owners experiences don't marry with the claims. I run a high compression litre v twin that goes through a battery every couple of years.......different story with a 600 or even 1000cc multi. The Battery used in the latest generation fire blade is the same as the one in they're 125!!!!!

Stan, will try and get another lead to me which will be plumbed in to run the DAC.

Will borrow back one of my mini t amps from my son and give that a whirl today......

StanleyB

02-10-2013, 05:34

Aye OK, I've been piling on the beef for a while !!!!!!
Followed by an influx of opponents who have been stabbing their knives in it :). If this was politics, then the BM would have been called Ralph :D.

Tarzan

02-10-2013, 05:38

Tony, the Tripath story started for me when l had a Veritas P400 digital power amp( l believe that was a Tripath chip), until that broke and was unrepairable- what an amp! l must say it was then it is was Jerry's posts on the Mini-T that peeked my interest on Tripath amps again, and for me he was spot on, in my small room driving my Harbs the combo was incredible, and all down hill from there!

wee tee cee

02-10-2013, 06:42

Will give it a whirl with Spendors later in the day, my next door neighbour is really good with me but I try not to take the piss by playing too early/late or loud. Thats what the cans are for......

StanleyB

02-10-2013, 07:52

I have had great success with Yuasa 12V batteries. I noticed a couple left on eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111176519623?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649) that are ridiculously priced for what they are. The seller must have forgotten the 1 at the front of his listed price.

wee tee cee

02-10-2013, 08:47

honda buy them in bulk and sell for half the price ktm or battery outlets do.......

Plumbed in a mini t and used the other battery spur for the BM.....very nice indeed.

John

02-10-2013, 14:48

I going to give it a go just ordered one of the batteries at that price has to be worth a try

Nigel

02-10-2013, 15:55

Stan / Ladies & Gents,

To re-charge these type of batteries is a special charger required, or would an ordinary car battery charger do the job? Also, what type of connectors are required for the best fit?

Cheers,

Nigel

StanleyB

02-10-2013, 16:33

The charger I used is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230717838833?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

You need some spade connectors attached to a 2.1mm DC lead to fit to the battery after the battery is charged up.

I dumped all my stuff in the shed in various boxes so I can't get hold of them offhand to take pics. But I'll give it a go this weekend.

wee tee cee

02-10-2013, 21:57

The bike battery I use is a ytz14s yuasa which is virtually brand new. The old batteries I tried were over volting and not holding a charge, since putting the new battery in no problems with powering BM MK2/TEMPLE MONOS/Bantum/mini t -so far the mono blocks have been by far and away the clear leaders sonically a palpable 3d sound stage and a silence to the system I have never achieved before.

With another lead I will hard wire the DAC/ mono blocks to a new car battery installed in the cellar bellow my listening room.......occasional trickle charge should see it good for a few years.

Croft 7 power amp going up for sale any interested parties PM me please, prior to me placing it in private exhibitions those with post history get first crack.

StanleyB

03-10-2013, 05:18

That's a major and brave decision to sell the Croft. Your new system configuration must be on a completely different level now.

I have used my T-amp with batteries, but I packed the lot away to make space for my test equipment. I have an interesting battery pack however. Shall try to dig it up from the shed.

wee tee cee

03-10-2013, 06:00

I have four temple mono blocks/bantum and 2 DIY valve mono blocks......My son sat and had a good listen to the battery power set up in comparison with the mini ts he bi-amps with his 19 year old years gave it an emphatic thumbs up and asked If i could help him set one up.

The temptation to go off the grid and reap the rewards sonically is overwhelming. I have a balanced mains transformer and good quality shielded cable throughout but the battery has made the Temples monos sing.

The Croft is a lovely amp and only wants for a good home......plus I have my eye on another pair of Spendors that need a good home my son and me can demo both in my room and i can choose the pair i prefer.

Method in my madness!!!!

wee tee cee

03-10-2013, 14:51

Received the third DC power from Stan (many thanks again)......
I wired two DC leads into a bit of connector block, one feeding the BM MK2 the other The Temple audio mono block, plumbed through the floor with some esoteric 2 core cable (black and decker power cord) .

The RHS temple mono is wired the same way-battery lead with 3 amp inline car fuse on positive/power rocker switch on negative.......not too wise to try and put power plugs in with the monos running wide open.

All connected up-switch power on battery-lovely!! All three running off a bike battery driving spendors hard as you like......magic.

Nigel

03-10-2013, 15:00

I see you are using a fuse with the battery as a safety precaution. Is this necessary?

StanleyB

03-10-2013, 15:33

I see you are using a fuse with the battery as a safety precaution. Is this necessary?
Do you know how much current a battery can spit out if short circuited?

John

03-10-2013, 15:39

How often is the recharge with the motorcycle batteries
So best to use 3amp fuses or 5?

wee tee cee

03-10-2013, 15:43

A blade auto fuse costs next to nothing a....... DAC or AMP!!!!, just isn't worth risking for a couple of quid, rocker switch ( no led) on the other side lets you swap out t amps without resorting to battery connector bolts.

I initially tried a couple of old batteries I had lying around, they were dodgy voltage wise not worth cooking something.

As Stan says get it wrong with a battery with any kind of cold cranking current range to boast about and you can easily weld a screw driver with one slip......no to good for delicate circuits methinks....

Most auto stores have a revolving rack with electrical bits and bobs for pennies.

Nigel

03-10-2013, 16:01

Cheers Stan / Tony,

Never thought. Fuse is essential then.

StanleyB

03-10-2013, 16:13

I got a couple of old skool rocker switches if anyone is thinking of trying out what Tony has done.

http://www.homehifi.co.uk/aos/sw.jpg

Tony, I think you should take some pics and put them here for interested parties to get an idea of how the wiring could be arranged.

John

03-10-2013, 16:28

yes great idea Stan pics would help

wee tee cee

03-10-2013, 16:56

feck Im a computer daftee....John or Stan, If you Pm me an e mail address I can take photos and if you don't mind posting them up! Can provide an explanation of what's what and costing.
My son has just bought an old hot hatch I will inherit the car battery and plumb that in for more grunt.....couple of battery terminal clamps wont break the bank! (all the bloody parts me and his mum have bought and ordered to give him a fighting chance may just well)!

wee tee cee

03-10-2013, 17:22

Pictures taken in anticipation of some help posting up, will try to explain the different steps and useful info of what and where to buy.

twickers

03-10-2013, 17:38

Be interested to see how to wire it all up correctly and safely. I've got an Amptastic Mini-t i'd like to try with a battery set-up.

DaveK

03-10-2013, 17:38

Hi Tiny TC ;) ,
I know little about electricity but I have 3 Mini-T amps and I have 3 or 4 old (but still working) computer UPSs. I had a thought of using their Yuasa batteries to power the Mini-Ts and wondered whether the 12v charger that Stan linked to could safely have it's output split to charge up these three batteries in parallel to keep them topped up - any ideas?
Then I had further thoughts: if I understand how these UPS work, in simple terms, they first convert the mains AC to 12v DC and then, when the mains power fails, they automatically reverse that process and supply 240v AC to the computers for a fairly limited time. If my understanding is correct, do you think it would be possible to remove from the equation the re-conversion of 12v DC to 240v AC and just run the 12v DC battery supply to the Mini-Ts? If so it would make life so much simpler in that the UPS would remove any possibility of over-charging the batteries as that is how they are meant to operate, that is, permanently connected to the mains and keeping the batteries fully charged. The simple act of switching off the mains or removing the mains plug from the wall socket would be enough to trigger the 12v DC supply and remove any connection with the mains, thereby removing any 'noise' that any connection to the mains might introduce.
So, is there anything in my thoughts or is it just impossible?
TIA,
Dave.

wee tee cee

03-10-2013, 19:37

feck....sent some pictures to John via E mail.....I aint no battery guru!!!!! BUT.... by virtue of Stan providing me with leads its not beyond the abilities of anyone who can cut back a cable/ cut termination blocks/go to a car store and screw bits together...

Check your psu as long as its center positive and 12v the most relevant factor is that the battery can power things enough.....The small battery pack that ran the BM just fine was great with a standard Bantum but wouldn't even fire up the mono blocks or minit ts.

Give me a bit of time and by tomorrow night I should have a big fook off car battery in place of the bike battery.......chargers mmmm my thoughts are floating towards a couple of window sucker solar trickle chargers....eco hi fi !!!!

Tarzan

03-10-2013, 19:48

:popcorn::eek:

John

03-10-2013, 19:59

Sorry folks laptop not uploading to photobucket:doh:

John

03-10-2013, 20:25

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower001.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower001.jpg.html)
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower005.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower005.jpg.html)
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower004.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower004.jpg.html)
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower003.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower003.jpg.html)
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower002.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower002.jpg.html)
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower001.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower001.jpg.html)
Posted on beghalf of Tony

bobbasrah

03-10-2013, 20:31

Love the jar of spare fuses in the back Tony.....

wee tee cee

03-10-2013, 20:35

does that remotely help anyone regards the battery end of things.......car spade 3amp fuse holder on positve/basic two post rocker switch in negative.
use basic electrical block connectors at each stage depending on how many spurs/sources you are running.

2.1mm centre positive lead ( built like co ax outer wires are neg/centre that is insulated positive .......strip them back and bundle them into blocks making sure the y stay apart....depending on your requirements any good quality two core power cable ( black and decker as used by quad for static demos) will do!!!

Nigel

03-10-2013, 23:52

Yes, thanks for posting. I'm currently using the Maplin power supply with the Bantam Gold. I've ordered the battery and charger Stan recommended earlier in the thread to see how that compares. I prefer the Maplin supply over the standard smps but also think you loose a touch of the warmth in the process. It becomes a leaner animal. I understand that there are more expensive linear power supplies out there costing more than the amp itself that probably offer better performance. Will be interesting to read how you find the car battery.

wee tee cee

04-10-2013, 05:38

Glad it made some kind of sense......Thanks to John for bolstering my lowly computer skills.

StanleyB

04-10-2013, 06:10

This is a quick reminder that I got a couple of toggle switches that can be used between a battery and the Bushmaster to switch ON/OFF the power.

http://www.homehifi.co.uk/aos/sw.jpg

wee tee cee

04-10-2013, 06:11

Love the jar of spare fuses in the back Tony..... Did you notice the wee antique mustard tin......house was halted building as WW2 broke out, when we moved in they're was a treasure trove of old tins/jars with screws brackets and bits and bobs......lovely.

wee tee cee

04-10-2013, 06:26

Additional topside photos sent to John.....If they need explanation I will post up regards any queries Im able to answer.

StanleyB

04-10-2013, 07:23

If so it would make life so much simpler in that the UPS would remove any possibility of over-charging the batteries as that is how they are meant to operate, that is, permanently connected to the mains and keeping the batteries fully charged. The simple act of switching off the mains or removing the mains plug from the wall socket would be enough to trigger the 12v DC supply and remove any connection with the mains, thereby removing any 'noise' that any connection to the mains might introduce.
I am talking with someone about helping me to design such an item.

John

04-10-2013, 14:01

Some more pictures from Tony
http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower008-1.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower008-1.jpg.html)

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower006.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower006.jpg.html)

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower005.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower005.jpg.html)

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u327/Johnj_013/tampbatterypower004.jpg (http://s516.photobucket.com/user/Johnj_013/media/tampbatterypower004.jpg.html)

Ninanina

05-10-2013, 04:27

I'm glad I read this thread as I've ordered a Yuasa battery, for use with the Bantam Gold, and I hadn't even thought about putting a switch in-line.....phew :doh:

I'll order one in now, or maybe Maplins tomorrow

Ninanina

05-10-2013, 04:47

Is it ok to put the inline fuse and on/off switch on the same positive lead?

Nigel

05-10-2013, 05:54

Also, does it have to be an auto type fuse? Couldn't an ordinary household fused switch be used?

Firebottle

05-10-2013, 06:19

Yes you can fit the switch and fuse in the positive lead, this would be normal practice.
Household fused switch is OK, just so long as there is a fuse in line.

:cool: Alan

wee tee cee

05-10-2013, 06:27

fuse types are not important as long as you start low 2-3 amps to make sure you have a safety net for DAC/AMP.

In relation to the switch I honestly don't know I just did it that way as neg is always grounded and removed first/last in automotive applications.
Changed a car battery in my sons car yesterday and was very concious of the sparking when fumbling to attach the neg terminal....a simple rocker type switch ( no led-no added noise in theory).

A two blade one is just fine....

Lidl quite often do crimping sets full of components and crimping pliers for a few quid......everything else is connector block which is more secure reliable and reusable a couple of quid buys a strip of a dozen. Lets you attach multiple sources without issues.

My car battery is on hold as the one in my sons car was completely shagged. £40 quid buys me peace of mind.

DaveK

05-10-2013, 09:02

I am talking with someone about helping me to design such an item.

Hi Stan,
Can I ask if, without compromising your commercial prospects of course, would it be possible for you to give me a brief indication, by PM or email, some idea of how this goes. The intention is for me to try to do something similar with the UPSs that I have. I understand if your answer is a blunt "No" ;) .
TIA,
Dave.

StanleyB

05-10-2013, 15:05

Hi Stan,
Can I ask if, without compromising your commercial prospects of course, would it be possible for you to give me a brief indication, by PM or email, some idea of how this goes. The intention is for me to try to do something similar with the UPSs that I have. I understand if your answer is a blunt "No" ;) .
TIA,
Dave.
Hi Dave, DC mains comes in one end and out the other. In between there is a comparator circuit to check if the battery is charged and if the DAC is drawing current.

John

17-10-2013, 05:42

Just a further update I am totally blown away by the difference in my system its like I now get late night listening all the time. The sense of dynamics even at lower volumes is really noticble. I totally recommend this to anyone using the Bantam

Tarzan

17-10-2013, 07:25

Do you know how much current a battery can spit out if short circuited?

l do as l have just shorted my leads out on my battery PSU:doh:- long story my own fault-there is a lot of current....... missing my battery PSU, but should be back with me today.:D

brian2957

17-10-2013, 09:19

Anyone using a car battery yet . I am intending to use one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-Battery-Type-Manufacturers-Warranty/dp/B002TLMU1A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382001375&sr=8-1&keywords=bosch+car+battery . Just got to sneak it past SWMBO and hide it down the back of the rack :eyebrows: Just wondered if it would be suitable to use with the Bushmaster 2 ( Stan ? ) and the Temple Audio Bantam Gold.

Gazjam

17-10-2013, 18:32

I'm telling the Mrs on you Brian.
(Yes, that's the kinda guy I am)

John

17-10-2013, 18:47

Should work no issues Brian. Just put a fuse in

brian2957

17-10-2013, 21:59

I'm telling the Mrs on you Brian.
(Yes, that's the kinda guy I am)

She thinks it's for the car :ner:

brian2957

17-10-2013, 22:02

Should work no issues Brian. Just put a fuse in

Thanks John , I'll probably try this with a fuse and a switch in circuit.

wee tee cee

24-10-2013, 14:57

Plumbed in a big car battery today....incremental improvement in all aspects of the sound. Both the temple mono blocks and the BM 2 seem to benefit from the extra grunt the big battery can deliver.

John

24-10-2013, 15:50

Cheers for the update I think I be getting a lithium 12v battery then as has plenty of grunt but not so heavy

John

24-10-2013, 15:55

If I go down the 12v Lithium battery will it need a special charger?

wee tee cee

25-10-2013, 06:37

The lite weight bike batteries do and it aint cheap. Did notice the other night that during a wee get together the troops preferred the sound of a lithium battery pack as opposed to the lead acid bike battery powering a DAC!
The wee battery pack doesn't have the guts to power a temple gold-no problem with an original bantum.

wee tee cee

25-10-2013, 12:33

Brian and Gary advised me that utilising speaker cable to wire up all the DC stuff would potentially lower the impedance of the whole system. Well.....Brian had gave me three 2.1mm centre positive plugs-it would have been rude not to have given it a go.

Black rhodium speaker cable pressed into service...... another incremental improvement across the board. The system is playing at the same level but two notches down on the pre.

Gazjam

25-10-2013, 16:54

told ya! :)

rectorydp

25-10-2013, 17:04

Tony - Sorry to jump into the thread but I have the Temple Audio Monoblocks on my shortlist to go with a Tisbury and ESL-63s. I have also been considering a Croft 7 power. I get the impression that you favour the Temple Audio above the Croft but only when powered by battery. Is that correct? I don't have many easy options for auditioning the amps so I would have to purchase and see what I think. I recognise that we are just talking about personal opinion but any guidance on what to expect and the best configuration would be appreciated.

wee tee cee

25-10-2013, 17:44

David,
Not a problem-Lawrence (Loseaminute) did a great post on my system on a Naim thread his take on the Croft vs the Temple monos was on the mains so probably more relevant. The temple monos let you impedance match to the speaker you are using. I have a pair velcroed to to the 63s and my spendor sp1s using very short jumper length tq black. The Croft is an excellent amp but probably better matched with one of Glens pre-amps.
System synergy/room/ears- all the combos let you really enjoy music.
Horses for courses-all great music makers.

Hope that non committal response helps......its really down to personal taste and what works in your room and lets you get the most enjoyment out of your music.
My Croft has went to a member with a Croft pre-I am glad it went to a good home.

wee tee cee

25-10-2013, 17:48

told ya! :)Aye......smarty pants.
If Brian wires the whole shebang with half decent wires the result could be very interesting.

Thanks for the gentle nudge......any need for some black and decker power cord?

Gazjam

25-10-2013, 18:32

I can think of 12 uses for it, none of it hifi related.

wee tee cee

25-10-2013, 19:17

with these ferrero roches you spoil us........

brian2957

25-10-2013, 20:12

Just made up the cables tonight gents . Stripped out some Van Damme 2.5mm cables and fitted an 3a fuse on the +tive wire and a switch on the -ve wire . Just checked it with my continuity tester and all is well . All I need now is a car battery :D What battery are you using Tony ? Wheres ma sweeties BTW ?

wee tee cee

25-10-2013, 20:35

big fook off shitter I took out the wee fellas hot hatch.....doent look too clever but measures up fine.

brian2957

25-10-2013, 20:41

What's your impression of the car battery powered system tonight buddy . Still an improvement ?

rectorydp

25-10-2013, 21:47

Thanks for the response Tony. I can see that losenotaminute liked the Croft best when you were running the TA monoblocks off the mains. I am particularly interested to understand how much they improved with batteries as you indicate that they surpassed the Croft. I don't have a problem with running off batteries myself (indeed I quite like the idea particularly as I often purchase new batteries for my stack of UPS's!) but I am just a little concerned at how they handle the ESL63s. I would like to hope that they are a great combination but the Quads can be a bit of challenge as you know (although I am not sure that they are quite as difficult as is sometimes suggested). Do you have any problems with the ESLs when you are running the monoblocks on batteries? I know I am going to have to listen myself but it is helpful to get some reassurance that it is worth going down a particular path. It is highly unlikely that I will be able to compare the two without purchasing them and you have the closest setup to mine that I have come across. Any thoughts are welcomed especially if they stay in line with your thread title :)

wee tee cee

25-10-2013, 22:11

for the 63s I run the purple impedance with the yellow phono output on the temples...flap yer trousers at 12 o clock...my system/room/ears.

rectorydp

25-10-2013, 22:33

for the 63s I run the purple impedance with the yellow phono output on the temples...flap yer trousers at 12 o clock...my system/room/ears.

Sounds good! Is yellow the high or low level input?

wee tee cee

26-10-2013, 07:50

high....t amps and valves don't seem to have a problem with the 63s. My original bantum can drive them powered by a cam corder battery pack.

wee tee cee

26-10-2013, 07:55

What's your impression of the car battery powered system tonight buddy . Still an improvement ?Had a mate round for a few hours- he was pleasantly surprised. Played half a dozen of his tunes then let him work out what was going on system wise....it was sounding as good as I have heard it.
Are you going to run the server on batteries ?

brian2957

26-10-2013, 08:30

I'm not sure mate . I'll need to speak to Gary about it . My take on it is that the server needs a steady 12v supply . I think the battery output can be quite erratic (with no regulation ). I'm a bit worried that I may do some damage . I'll try and get a battery today or tomorrow and see how the Bushmaster and Bantam Gold perform .

wee tee cee

26-10-2013, 08:56

Aye....never good when the magic smoke appears.

John

26-10-2013, 12:09

Should make a good difference I have the Bushmaster and Gold running off the battery and very happy with the sonic benefits

brian2957

26-10-2013, 16:48

Hi John , sorry I've forgotten :) What battery are you using and how long do you get before needing a recharge ?

John

26-10-2013, 17:09

I use the motornike battery linked earlier in the thread so about 40 to 50 hours I guess before recharge but will move to lithium at some point

brian2957

26-10-2013, 17:30

Bliddy hell , that's good John . I've just ordered one of these : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bosch-Battery-Type-Manufacturers-Warranty/dp/B005XVTW0A/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1382808575&sr=1-3&keywords=bosch+car+battery . On the basis of what your battery achieves I'm expecting a couple of months without a charge :lol:

wee tee cee

26-10-2013, 17:46

Had a wee search on e bay....lithium ion batteries in standard size cases/ can be charged with a normal charger/quicker recharge/ more charge cycles/saves abou a kilo-about the price of a good interconnect. Might even try it in the hi fi!!!!
was aware the other night the difference the battery pack had in comparison with the lead acid bike battery on the DAC......food for thought!

StanleyB

26-10-2013, 19:03

The Bushmaster uses just 60mA of current in normal use, which is a trivial amount. I deliberately designed it to be super efficient so that it can be used with a laptop away from the mains.

brian2957

30-10-2013, 12:38

OK chaps , following Tonys ( wee tee cee ) visit to mines the other week I've taken the plunge and plugged my Bushmaster MK2 and my Temple Audio Bantam Gold into one of these :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bosch-S4-Car-Battery-Type-063-4-Year-Guarantee-/400508624559?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item5d402c9eaf

Firstly I plugged them in separately , leaving the other still plugged into the mains. The Bushmaster plugged into the 12V battery was a significant improvement in SQ . Well worth the effort IMO . Then I plugged the Bushmaster back into the mains and the Bantam into the battery . Again an improvement , but not so pronounced as the Bushmaster / battery power . Although well worth investigating if you're using a Bantam Gold amp.
Lastly I plugged both the Bushmaster and the Bantam into the battery and was rewarded with a substantial jump in SQ with a much lower noise floor . Bass is slightly deeper , but much tighter and much more textured . In fact it's just more musical. The mid is more expressive and voices in particular sound much more in the room . The top end sounds much sweeter and more natural , all in all much easier on the ear . All this with what I perceive as increased dynamics. Strangely , I am using less volume to get to a level which satisfies me .
I must point out here that I'm using a decent power setup already consisting of a Power Inspired AG500 and a Maplins regulated PSU for the Bantam Gold , so the level of improvement I got using the 12V battery came as a bit of a surprise .
All I need to do now is find a place to hide it as I told SWMBO that the car needed a new battery :eyebrows:

wee tee cee

30-10-2013, 17:11

Brian,
Relieved it worked out for you.....they're is always a niggling doubt it just you!
Noise floor reduction has really let me heard stuff on tracks ive never heard before-almost like different versions of tunes. Takes a wee while to tune in to the changes. Likewise when I followed your advice regards cabling I had to drop down a couple of notches on the pre for the same level.
Mind and switch power off at the battery before changing leads or the autostore guy will see you coming and have fuses on the counter before the door has shut.

Enjoy yer tunes.

brian2957

30-10-2013, 17:34

Aye mate , it does take a bit of adjusting to , not used to SQ without the accompanying mains hash. I'm also hearing things on well known tracks I haven't heard before . Just had a very pleasant afternoon revisiting lots of my old tunes . Re the fuses , funnily enough a pack of 10 spare 3A fuses came through the letterbox this morning :)

wee tee cee

30-10-2013, 17:51

did a bit of ham fisted cable swapping last night-----raided the bike for a 10 amp just to get up and running again......really should leave things alone (canny help it)

John

02-11-2013, 21:58

For those wanting a decent voltage charger if you lucky your local ALDI might have the Auto XS Battery chargerThis has auto cut off and has a voltage reader for just under £15 http://www.aldiwarranty.co.uk/pdf/1817.pdf
I heard a Bantam mono blocked on some open baffle Bastanis wowwwwwwwwww another step up took this up to the very best systems I have ever heard regardless of costs

brian2957

02-11-2013, 22:09

Thanks for the tip John , there's one near my work so I'll have a look tomorrow . I'm listening to my battery powered Bantam Gold as I write this and absolutely luvvin it . A pair of the monoblocks may be on the cards when funds become available .

John

03-11-2013, 11:55

You might have to try a few as I think quite a few people have bought them
Just tried the Salvation for the first time. I never heard my system with so much resolution. Its scary but in a good way

brian2957

03-11-2013, 13:14

Sorry john whats the salvation again. I need to pay more attention sometimes :rolleyes:

Sent from my GT-S5830 using Tapatalk 2

John

03-11-2013, 15:31

Trans Fi Salvation TT
Last few months I been concentrating on everything else apart from the tt just got her up and running again For me no matter how far I push digital vinyl still has more resolution

Clive

03-11-2013, 21:41

Actually to be totally accurate the amps were not monoblocks, they were stereo amps bi-amping the OBs.

I'm about to try this and hopefully will compare to monoblocks non-biamped soon.

John

04-11-2013, 06:07

Took things up another level in sense of resolution

wee tee cee

04-11-2013, 09:35

Maplin is selling a solar battery charger for £10.....will give it a go and see if it does the business.

Clive

04-11-2013, 09:51

Maplin is selling a solar battery charger for £10.....will give it a go and see if it does the business.
Given that my chargers very rarely do any more than trickle charge it may work. The only concern is that I've seen comments that low powered chargers can't fully charge batteries over about 4Ah. The way chargers work is to use high current up to something around 12V and from then on they switch into trickle. It is likely that the that trickle current output is very low for a solar charger. The Maplin one I have is really only suitable for keeping a battery topped up while it's not it in use.

wee tee cee

04-11-2013, 11:46

I will see how I get on. The BM hardly draws any power, dont know what the temple monos use. Will see if it works.

brian2957

04-11-2013, 13:06

I've been using my Bushmaster 2 and my Bantam Gold plugged into the car battery for app. 70 hours now and it's still reading 12.7v on my meter . I'll give it a charge soon and see how long it takes to fully charge up.

John

23-11-2013, 14:17

Tried one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-9800mAh-Lithium-ion-Super-Rechargeable-Battery-Pack-EU-Charger-UK04-/171132647668?pt=UK_ConsumerElectronics_Batteries_S M&hash=item27d84cf8f4 on the Bantam works well Beats my 12 bike battery

Nigel

23-11-2013, 16:28

Pity you can't get an equivalent with 15v dc output.

Wonder if this would be even better than the Yuasa SLA's?

matt2007

25-11-2013, 15:42

John

25-11-2013, 16:00

nope

matt2007

25-11-2013, 16:13

Thanks

wee tee cee

16-01-2014, 18:33

Lidl has battery chargers for £13 at the moment, got one tonight......heads up for the lead acid troops!!!!

John

27-01-2014, 19:39

Now using a 12ah battery with the Bantam and a 9800mah battery power pack with the Bushmaster best combination yet to my system

wee tee cee

01-03-2014, 02:32

big car battery feeding the bm2 and two temple monos gives me the best results....plumbed in a big solar battery charger designed for a large car battery-give it a mains charge once a fortnight. Have ventured back to the mains a few time but it aint no contest!!!!
The big car battery is my preferred on the cans by some margin....

John

01-03-2014, 04:40

I think the bigger capacity batteries are better

wee tee cee

01-03-2014, 17:53

going from the bike battery to a big car battery the most noticeable difference is bass slam or to use a technical term......more oumph!!!

Alp

22-03-2014, 18:50

going from the bike battery to a big car battery the most noticeable difference is bass slam or to use a technical term......more oumph!!!
I have just received 4 Temple Monoblocks which sound very nice but I would like to eventually power them by battery, as I do my BM2 and Touch. The standard PSU's provide 18V so I was wondering how the bike/car batteries work with just 12V. Can someone shed some light on this? I have ordered a couple of 20000mAh Lithium batteries which have a 19V/3.5A output to see how they sound. You can find them here (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20000mAh-External-Battery-Power-Bank-For-iPhone-5-4-3GS-3-Laptops-Tablets-/281254052768).

Clive

22-03-2014, 18:54

John

22-03-2014, 18:56

Should work well with the Monos but agree with Clive might be to much for the Monos

Alp

22-03-2014, 19:15

You just get less max power with 12V. Take care with 19V, the 18V Mono power supplies are very close to the max volts the chip with take. The output stage of the chip is rated for use between 9V and 18V.
I thought that might be the case. Even with 4 of them, the power is on the low-side for my speakers (at least on the lowest gain setting) so 12V is probably not for me. Thanks for the warning on the upper voltage limit.

Clive

22-03-2014, 19:27

Alastair, hopefully you're not mixing up input sensitivity with output power...you'll only get more power with 18V if your preamp can provide enough signal at the Monos inputs.

Ninanina

22-03-2014, 23:01

I still have a Yuasa battery if anyone wants it... I used it with the Bantam Gold amp

I'm not convinced it is working as it should, though it is brand new. I only want the postage cost if anyone wants it

Alp

23-03-2014, 20:41

Alastair, hopefully you're not mixing up input sensitivity with output power...you'll only get more power with 18V if your preamp can provide enough signal at the Monos inputs.
Hi Clive, my pre-amp is powered so I think that's not an issue. I have a passive BTE pre-amp on order and that will just pass-through (via the pot) whatever the BM2 outputs and it will need to drive 4 monos, so I might notice something then. With the stock 18V PSU's on the "blue" gain setting its plenty loud enough and sounds very good. I'd just like to hear it with a battery, which made such a difference with the BM2.

John

23-03-2014, 20:49

Why not chat to John at Temple Audio see what he says

Alp

23-03-2014, 22:17

Why not chat to John at Temple Audio see what he says
I sent him an e-mail a few days ago... waiting for a reply. I try again during the week.

John

23-03-2014, 22:57

Sometimes he takes a while to respond but he will get back to you

Alp

28-03-2014, 08:31

John Clayton from Temple Audio did come back to be the 19V batteries. This is his response

"19V should be fine with our amps. They are rated to work at 18V but we have built in a margin for error for the power supply voltage. It should be fine all day long at 20v without any loss of performance or reliability.

Im tempted to say go for the 16v because the voltage might float up a bit higher than that when the battery is fully charged.
But the key thing is that it doesnt go above 20v. And you can always use diodes to drop the voltage back down if you really need to."

I think I will try a battery that supports 16V and 19V and see what the output voltage really is when fully charged and then decide which to use.

wee tee cee

01-04-2014, 15:49

Plumbed in two mini t mk1 last night running them off the big car battery with the BM2. Running one channel on each amp to power 63s, they sound marvellous IMHO. Dont go as loud as a pair of temple mono blocks but loud enough and sound very sweet....imaging and sound stage particularly good.

Alp

03-04-2014, 07:59

Following John Clayton's advice I decided to try powering one of my Temple Monoblocks with my Ankaka battery which can output 5V/12V/16V/19V. I first tried 12V. Since the amp was one of four, I could not really judge any improvement in sound quality but it was not noticably quieter than the right channel powered by the standard PSU. As soon as I tried it with 16V there was a loud buzzing and I promptly disconnected. Just to check, the same happened with one of the other amps.

When I measured the voltage from the battery the 12V output was rock steady (11.4V, not fully charged), while the 16V (14.4-14.9V) and 19V (18.4-18.8V) were fluctuating rapidly. After a further e-mail with John, he thinks the battery must have some circuitry to boost the nominal 12V to 16V and 19V. The fluctuation comes from this and this noise feeds into the audio. So for now, it looks like I will have to stick with 12V unless I can find a native 16V Lithium battery (I have just ordered a pair of Anker 12V Pro2 20000mah batteries to try).

technobear

05-04-2014, 09:57

John

05-04-2014, 10:05

No issues around car battery voltages with the Bantam Gold can cope with 15v

Ali Tait

05-04-2014, 12:22

The Gold will take up to 18v John.

John

05-04-2014, 13:07

Thought that was the Mono's

Alp

05-04-2014, 13:19

All of these lithium rechargable packs use DC-DC converters of some kind and of varying levels of efficacy. That's why they have on/off switches - they are still using power even when your device is turned off.

Lithium Ion cells put out something like a nominal 3.7V so there are no combinations that give 9V or 12V or 19V for that matter.

5 x 3.7V is 18.5V so if you could buy 5 single cell lithium ion cells and use them in series, you would not need any kind of converter/regulator to drive the bantam monos.

A fully charged lead acid battery can hit 13.8V so best to check with your 12V device manufacturer before using or buy a regulator.

Thanks, I did not know the Li Ion cell voltage was 3.7V.

The Anker batteries arrived this morning but despite outputing 12V they do not even wake-up the monos. Many people have reported problems with these for the BM2 because it was not drawing enough current so they shut off after a few minutes but they do not even come on and I would also have thought the monos would draw more than the BM2, even if just powered on. I also noticed in the instructions that the 12V output is only 1.5A, which is anyway probably too low for the monos, so I will return them.

wee tee cee

05-04-2014, 18:01

I have a camcorder battery pack that Stan recommended for the BM it will happily power an original bantum but wont even light up the monos or for that matter a mini t.

Ali Tait

05-04-2014, 19:04

Thought that was the Mono's

The stereo also, I used a 17v Linear supply before I got the battery.

John

05-04-2014, 19:18

Cheers

Clive

05-04-2014, 19:20

The monos and bantam gold are both good for 18V. John at Temple says they seem to be ok up to 20V though this is pushing it so I wouldn't advocate over 18V long-term. The monos differ from the bantam gold in that the two channels on the chip are paralleled and there's only one input channel. Aside from a few other details they are very similar in their implementation.

Alp

01-05-2014, 20:10

After failing with the Anker Pro2 Batteries on my four Temple Audio Monos, I returned the Ankers and bought one of these (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intocircuit-PC26000-Multi-Voltage-Smartphone-Thunderbolt/dp/B00AV4M1LQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398974266&sr=8-1&keywords=26000mah). It looks like a bigger version of the Anker but I can happily power two monos (with a splitter cable). Works at 12V and also works happily at 16V without the buzzing I experienced when I tried that with my Ankaka battery.

So far sounds promising; bass goes very deep (bi-amping I can either power bass or treble or LR with the one battery). Not yet listened to it properly powering the treble.

There is a catch though. I bought the last one and they are now on 1 - 2 months delivery...:(

StanleyB

01-05-2014, 22:42

I shall have to order one of them to try out.

Alp

02-05-2014, 07:40

Stan, I have not yet tried it with my BM2, but easy to do and will report back on the appropriate BM2 thread.

StanleyB

02-05-2014, 09:41

I shall look out for that.

nat8808

02-05-2014, 13:05

Pah, did someone mention 12Ah? And the battery above is only 2.6Ah?

What is it with these lilly-livered people?

I used a 37Ah battery when I had a Bantam!

It was free too - from some theatre Genie (a raising platform for reaching lights etc) - and came fully charged and didn't drop more than 0.1V over a month's light use of the Bantam, never even charged it up.

They are often thrown out from similar battery powered scissor lifts etc because they don't hold charge enough suitable for such current intensive applications but are absolutely fine for hifi use. Just make sure you install an inline fuse (as you should even with a smaller battery) - I used a car lighter plug with built in fuse (scrap - a thrown out in-car phone charger) in a cheap car 12V socket.

You can also trickle-charge them with a solar cell, so very eco-friendly!

dave2010

15-06-2014, 04:11

2.6 Ah does sound rather a low figure, but if it works ...

At this level, one ought to be able to get a battery power pack at 12V made up from a Maplin 10 x battery box for £1.69, plus 10 low discharge rechargeables, plus a power cable and switch. Total cost around or under £10 (if one already has the rechargeable batteries) - or use alkaline batteries. That might not run for very long though. If disposable alkaline batteries are used, the voltage would rise up to 15V. I don't know how long alkaline batteries would last - but £5 from Maplin can often buy 25 standard AAs, so £2 worth of batteries might drive kit for a few hours.

The table on this page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechargeable_battery shows that the energy density per unit weight or per unit volume with NiMH batteries is at least as good as lead acid batteries. Against that, to get the equivalent of a 37Ah car battery would probably cost at least £100, using 10 or more battery boxes, but as I said at the top - if the devices can be reasonably driven by low Ah power packs then why not. Recharging could be a pain though, if the power requirements put a significant drain on such small battery packs.

Lithium ion batteries, such as those use in hybrid cars and laptop computers, have significantly better energy density figures, but the batteries are more expensive.

The table also shows that alkaline batteries have higher energy density values, but there is a trade off between single use and multiple use batteries which for economic reasons should favour rechargeable batteries.

Some of the available battery power units clearly seem to use DC-DC devices, which will effectively convert DC to high frequency AC and back again - and may reintroduce the very problems which the whole battery powered approach is attempting to avoid. Simply using the batteries without any fancy electronics should avoid any issues of that kind.

If solar chargers can be used to maintain power levels - which is certainly possible for car batteries - then arguably this approach is eco-friendly. However, charging batteries from the mains is almost certainly not eco friendly, as the charge-discharge cycle is not efficient for almost all batteries. I've not got specific figures, but I suspect at best it's 50%.

I also wondered if very large capacitors could do the same thing - charge them up from the mains, then disconnect, and run appropriate devices. Some car audio systems use pretty huge capacitors - not quite sure why exactly - but 2 Farad units are possible - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Face-CAP2-1-Farad-Capacitor/dp/B008N54730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402805055&sr=8-1&keywords=farad+capacitor
I am not quite sure what advantage using a capacitor in car audio provides, rather than simply taking power directly from the car battery. I'm guessing it allows higher peak current flows, which for some audio applications is helfpul.

Regarding eco issues again, this page shows that using capacitors for power storage can never be more than 50% efficient - http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/capeng.html - for more details see http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/capeng2.html#c1

dave2010

15-06-2014, 21:42

Given that it seems that some around here have been getting through fuses as though they might be going out of fashion :doh:, would it also make sense for the power circuit to include a diode or two at the power plug end to ensure that the polarity doesn't (under most normal circumstances) cause damage if it accidentally gets reversed when experimenting by plugging or unplugging the wires? :)

NOTE: I'm not responsible if you try this and put the diodes in the wrong way round. On second thoughts may be better not to bother.

brian2957

15-06-2014, 22:00

I put a switch into the circuit with on/off clearly marked . :)

wee tee cee

03-12-2014, 06:15

Just had a chat with John Clayton from Temple audio....looks like some exciting battery solutions on the horizon...

Tarzan

03-12-2014, 19:17

Just had a chat with John Clayton from Temple audio....looks like some exciting battery solutions on the horizon...

They will sound spectacular.:popcorn:

wee tee cee

03-12-2014, 20:55

The new amp looks very impressive and should appeal to more conventional hi-fi users. I have used four Temple mono blocks on all my main speakers for a number of years in conjunction with active and passive pre amps. I have settled on them as the most flexible and sonically satisfying amp that has been in my set ups.
The original bantum still does things sonically that if push came to shove, I could live with and recommend to others.

Nigel

29-01-2015, 16:30

wee tee cee

18-03-2015, 12:44

Dont know to be honest. I tried a small camcorder battery pack and it was OK. Moved to a motorcycle battery which to my ears gave more oomph and attack.
I finally settled on a big car battery as it lasts for ages and to my ears has a bit more refinement and attack.

Small but noticeable differences. From time to time I will plumb an amp into the mains but going back to a battery set up is noticeably cleaner and quieter IMHO.

agk

27-04-2015, 15:05

Just hooked the Amptastic up to an 075 car battery. Midway through the first disc and so far it may have bought some benefits. Can't quite put my finger on specifics yet but I shall report.
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb151/taxiboy69/Mobile%20Uploads/IMAG0178_zpslnvjfgun.jpg

agk

27-04-2015, 15:35

Yup. This works. A definite loss in overall volume easily sorted by an extra degree or two on the knob but certainly an improvement all round otherwise.

agk

29-04-2015, 08:10

Still enjoying this very much. I may make http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/solar-powered-12v-24w-battery-trickle-charger-n59fu my next addition.

wee tee cee

29-04-2015, 18:17

Andrew,
Glad you are hearing the benefits of battery. The lowering of the noise floor is quite strange initially. I find going back to the mains now just highlights how much sonic hash we normalise. My mains is pretty good with a balanced mains box and good cabling but just cant hold a candle to being off the grid.

Try to maintain charging of the battery as it can subtly soften as the voltage drops.A camper van solar charger leaves me giving thing a proper charge about once a fortnight...Enjoy!!!

Gazjam

29-04-2015, 20:09

Tony, your still alive!!!!

Audio Advent

30-04-2015, 16:04

Taking it as a given that the 12v battery one uses can provide enough current output, in order that the Bantam operates correctly. Would I be correct in thinking the Ah size simply equates with how long the battery lasts rather than the bigger the Ah, the better it will sound?

Look at the charts on this page: http://www.yuasaeurope.com/en-gb/industrial/products/np/ it looks like a few things change.

You get higher maximum discharge current rating which you will probably never reach with a T-amp anyway, even on the smallest (starts at 4A moving to 500A on the largest! ) - these are much higher ratings than the wall wart you will have been given with the amp. More noticable though is probably the internal impedance which goes down the larger the battery (I guess because of more surface area on the plates). I bet that would be the thing to make a difference if any.

One thing to be aware of though - look at the short circuit currents!! For the 2.8Ah battery you have 84 Amps .. The 7Ah battery 210A.. Someone said they have a 37Ah battery? Short circuit current of that is 500A !! If people don't use in line fuses with these things, they are playing with fire IMHO.

wee tee cee

30-04-2015, 17:19

Tony, your still alive!!!!

As alive as working shifts let you be!!!

You got yer amps up and running yet?

wee tee cee

30-04-2015, 17:26

Gazjam

30-04-2015, 19:40

As alive as working shifts let you be!!!
You got yer amps up and running yet?

Got the Preamp back from hospital in Denmark and its up and running...nice.
Still running Brian's mini-1 with his linear psu as a poweramp into my Pre.

No eta on the valve amp, its cool as knew it would take time.
You cant rush perfection!

Will summon the Troops when she's up and running. :)

wee tee cee

01-05-2015, 05:09

Got the Preamp back from hospital in Denmark and its up and running...nice.
Still running Brian's mini-1 with his linear psu as a poweramp into my Pre.

No eta on the valve amp, its cool as knew it would take time.
You cant rush perfection!

Will summon the Troops when she's up and running. :)

Majik!!!!!

Audio Advent

02-05-2015, 19:55

I use a 56ah car battery.....small in line car fuse rated at 3 amps does the trick. Also a good idea to install an inline switch to isolate the battery when swapping out equipment.

Powers four temple mono blocks/capella/caiman nae bother.

A 3Amp max current for 4 40W T-amps like that is good to know :thumbsup: Wonder what it actually draws with average listening levels to work out how large a battery is need for sensible listening times without much of a voltage drop.

Anyone know what the internal impedence of the battery will do to the sound? I guess a few PSU caps in line might change that anyway..

wee tee cee

03-05-2015, 01:35

My car batteries live in the cellar bellow my listening room, in the winter due to less light charging the panel and the reduced temperatures the battery needs more frequent mains charging.

If the summer ever arrives then things improve....well worth trying.

My headphone rig is off the mains and really benefits-it lasts for weeks on end. Once the voltage gets really low the capella wont play ball....the caiman still soldiers on headphone wise.

A year and a half off the mains-never looked back.

Audio Advent

03-05-2015, 17:07

If the summer ever arrives then things improve....well worth trying.

Huh?? Oh, you're in Glasgow... good luck! Been very nice and sunny down in London this past month (sunny again today).. sorry.

My headphone rig is off the mains and really benefits-it lasts for weeks on end. Once the voltage gets really low the capella wont play ball....the caiman still soldiers on headphone wise.

A year and a half off the mains-never looked back.

wee tee cee

04-05-2015, 11:03

Rain,hail,snow and high winds in the last week....defrosting the car in May!!!!

agk

08-05-2015, 10:29

I've six spare dc plugs for the Amptastic should anyone want any. Just post here and I will bung an envelope in the mail.

brian2957

08-05-2015, 11:47

You have PM Andrew .:)

agk

08-05-2015, 14:28

Three left.

wee tee cee

08-05-2015, 19:23

You have PM Andrew .:)You dusting the stoor off the big car battery?

brian2957

08-05-2015, 20:39

Yup going to make up leads and give it a try again :)

Gazjam

08-05-2015, 21:05

Worth a punt!

brian2957

08-05-2015, 21:08

Aye we'll see mate . Only problem is there's a bit of work involved in making up leads etc .

Gazjam

08-05-2015, 21:12

always worth trying.
Know how much you hate making up leads...:eyebrows:

brian2957

08-05-2015, 21:14

Correct amigo :eyebrows:

Audio Advent

08-05-2015, 22:07

Aye we'll see mate . Only problem is there's a bit of work involved in making up leads etc .

Not if you cut existing ones off broken or unused wall warts from old routers etc.. make sure the plug is correct and snip as close to the wallwart as need be (unless you want fancy cabling). Can't imagine cables will effect DC voltage that much.

walpurgis

08-05-2015, 22:11

Charity shops and boot sales are a great source for wall warts. I keep them intact unless I need the lead. You never know what you might need one for.

Firebottle

09-05-2015, 06:01

Three left.

PM incoming

dave2010

16-05-2015, 11:35

Interesting to see the continuing discussion of batteries round here. I very recently tried one thing - which was a failure - but not with an amplifier. Our LIDL recently had some 5200mah power packs on offer - around £10 - so I wondered what could be done with those - and indeed if there's any point in having one of them.

I now have one, and have been testing it out, and it does have potential uses - most of them fairly mundane. It is capable of charging up various devices, such as iPod Touch, iPod Classic, and some recent smartphones - such as Sony and Nokia models. There are some devices which it doesn't seem to like - such as some Bluetooth headphones and a Sony Smartwatch2. It will charge up some MiFi units, and will also power a USB LED light, which is potentially useful for reading some of our utility meters.

Looking at the spec it seems that although it delivers an output of 5V that internally it's got a 3.7V Lithium Ion battery, so it most likely has to use some form of DC/DC inverter - probably with many of the same issues that switch mode PSUs have for mains units - and could cause interference. Out of curiosity I tried driving a FiiO D3 DAC with it, and initially it sounded impressive, but with less than a minute an absolute show stopper of a problem emerges - it drops out about every 15-20 seconds, so is not at all suitable.

I have seen mention in this forum of some Anker units which are apparently capable of driving some Beresford kit - they are more expensive - and I wonder if they are simply batteries, or whether they also have switch mode inverters internally.

I do have one of the Maplin trickle charge PV units - but I've not tried it with any battery for audio purposes.

So to summarise - don't bother with the LIDL power banks for audio purposes, but they can be quite useful for other things. I am still interested in the longer term in trying out battery powered systems.

wee tee cee

16-05-2015, 12:03

Dave,
If you can try a lead acid battery-a big car battery is best but a bike battery will suffice. They are tried and tested and are dead easy to maintain and charge. I run my whole system off one DAC/ACTIVE PRE/4 X TEMPLE MONO BLOCKS. You get really noticeable improvements lowering the noise floor.

wee tee cee

15-10-2018, 13:20

Thread resuscitation for anyone looking to go off grid with 12v stuff.

I just took my Innous zen mk2 off grid encouraged by Stan....noticeable improvement over the supplied switching supply.

Stans new Dorado will be taking up duties shortly...its not designed for this application but im keen to give it a go.

missed the postie today so will hopefully get it plumbed in tomorrow....fingers crossed it works and works well!!

Alp

15-10-2018, 16:52

Like you I run my Temple Audio mono blocks (x4) but using LiFePO4 batteries. I already have Stan's Dorado PSU which is very good and am looking forward to further improvements once I have had the SEG modded for 15V.

From what I understand the Dorado is for low current duties only (i.e. e.g. DACs, pre-amps etc.). It would be great to have something like it for the RPI3 (5V) and the Monoblocks (I run mine at 12V) and Stan has hinted he looking at higher current versions. Let us know how you get on...

wee tee cee

15-10-2018, 18:09

will do Alistair......

Sherwood

15-10-2018, 18:35

I was an early adopter of Tripath amps, but by accident rather than design. I was working in Bangladesh and on leave on a West Coast driving holiday. On a trip to the Virgin Mega store in L.A. I came across this item on sale.

https://www.parts-express.com/sonic-impact-soundpax-portable-audio-system--300-954

I had not heard of T-class amplification at the time but wanted something I could play music on whilst travelling. This was so cheap it was worth taking a risk on. It comprised an amplifier that could be powered by battery or by mains (walwart) and a pair of folding speakers using NXT technology (audio exciters in fact, similar to the type used on several larger panel speakers).

It was no risk at all as it sounded fantastic. The amplifier turned out to be the famous Sonic Impact Tripath which those in the know will tell you kick started the vogue for low power digital amplification. Although the speakers had very little bass they were incredibly revealing with enough volume to fill a decent sized hotel room.

I still have the amp and recently fitted 8 AA nicads into the battery compartment and used it to play back music from my Sony HD walkman. I was not disappointed. Excellent sound from a tiny device.

Geoff