Class T-amps

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Hi Ali,

Do you still have your Hlly TAMP-90? What mods have you done to your Hlly, if any?

I've done a few to my TP60 lately, and I'm looking for new ideas.

Thanks in advance!

[Ali Tait]

Hi Alex,
No,I sold it to another forum member.I didn't do any mods as I liked the sound.What mods have you done to yours?

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Hi Ali,

As you already know, I removed the volume pot in favor of digital volume control.

Remember our short discussion about replace the input capacitors with more "exotic" ones? Well, that didn't happen due to space constraints. The only Mundorf that fits is the 0.33uf variety. Not good.

Fortunately, I found a great alternative - the MKP2000.

They aren't the best caps around, but pretty damn close when VFM is factored in. These caps are balanced, neutral, and sound clean without being analytical. I like the "MKP2000" because they can be used practically everywhere, and it's actually OKAY do so without adding too much color or breaking the bank.

I feel that the MKP2000s are significantly better than the stock Epcos MKPs as input capacitors (even without any burn in). The vocals are much improved, and the low end sounds more "solid" than stock.

After listening to the modded amp for a while, I couldn't help but wonder what other mods can be done (with the absence of the schematic). So I opened up the amp again and took a careful look. To my dismay, the chassis wires and internal connectors seemed rather shoddy. Definitely room for improvement. I removed the stock wires and connectors, and soldered in Mundorf 1.5mm silver/gold (PCB to speaker terminal) and Belden silver plated copper wires (input 1 RCA jacks to PCB).

The sonic improvement was significant, even more so than the input capacitor mod. The sound of my TP60 has become noticeably more musical, tonally balanced, and detailed. Not what I expected, but I like pleasant surprises!

I think the TP60 is a great VFM amp in stock form, and a serious contender as a main system amplifier after eliminating its biggest weaknesses.

[Ali Tait]

Sounds a worthwhile mod.How about swapping the rectifier bridge for some hexfreds? Not sure how much of an improvement it'll be,but worth a try given the low cost I'd say.

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Thanks for the suggestion Ali.

I'll let my amp burn in for a while before I try out any new mods though. I want to be a bit more scientific this time

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Still waiting for the arrival of my BII and Legato, my fingers got itchy...



Yep, I replaced the stock IEC inlet with a fancy rhodium plated Furutech. The picture shows only one side of it, but I'm too lazy to reopen the case, we all know what one looks like

Initial impressions are rather favorable.
Cons: minor reduction in bass, slightly thinner and cooler sound.
Pros: better imaging, separation, slightly better dynamics, and deeper soundstage. Performance sounds a bit more "lively" than before. Interesting

Is the mod worth it? To my ears, yes. Some may feel reluctant to invest 1/5 of the retail price on a "cheapo" amp, but I think it's worth trying out.

[goraman]

little dot also makes Class T amps.

[Ali Tait]

Still waiting for the arrival of my BII and Legato, my fingers got itchy...



Yep, I replaced the stock IEC inlet with a fancy rhodium plated Furutech. The picture shows only one side of it, but I'm too lazy to reopen the case, we all know what one looks like

Initial impressions are rather favorable.
Cons: minor reduction in bass, slightly thinner and cooler sound.
Pros: better imaging, separation, slightly better dynamics, and deeper soundstage. Performance sounds a bit more "lively" than before. Interesting

Is the mod worth it? To my ears, yes. Some may feel reluctant to invest 1/5 of the retail price on a "cheapo" amp, but I think it's worth trying out.

Cool,nice one Alex.

[squeezethatbuffalo]

little dot also makes Class T amps.

I never knew! How does it sound?

[squeezethatbuffalo]

Cool,nice one Alex.

Thanks Ali!

I know I'm not doing anything drastic or special here, but I have very little knowledge regarding T-Amps, so it's best to play safe. I'm hoping that the T60 gains enough popularity so that REAL modders will start threads like this to help out newbies like me

However, I'm not saying that the aforementioned mods aren't worthwhile. Quite the contrary. Though the quality of Chinese audio (and the electric components inside) have improved over the years, I found that the companies tend to cut costs by using low ("industrial" to be fair) quality accessories and wiring. Upgrading them with decent audiophile may bring noticeable improvement! At least that's what my ears think

Oh, and I'm thinking about performing a well known yet somewhat controversial mod; bypassing rectifier diodes with small value (probably going to use MKP2000 0.01uf) capacitors. Has anyone tried it on an amp? What are your thoughts?