Class T-amps

[electric beach]

Just aquired a Virtue Audio Sensation M451 T-amp and to my ears this amp has for me redefined what is possible from reasonably priced amplification- this is EASILY the best amplifier l have had at home (and l have had a few l can tell you), if anybody wants a more in depth review l will do one, it is certainly worthy of it, for me it is agame changer

Hi Andy,

I would be interested to hear more of your direct comparison to our hero. I use it with an £800 active preamp and consider this lifts it into a different plane though. In what areas has the Virtue amp rocked your world?

[Tarzan]

Hi Andy,

I would be interested to hear more of your direct comparison to our hero. I use it with an £800 active preamp and consider this lifts it into a different plane though. In what areas has the Virtue amp rocked your world?

Hi Steve, we could set something up, l was gong to listen to your Mini-T with your horns a while ago, so l will consult my diary, but am a bit busy at the moment, but as a taster, The Sensation has around 35wpc, and has bass that is full, supple, really well controlled and really drives along, wide open midrange, multiple inputs, remote control, clean as a whistle tone, and a musicality that is quite a revalation, having watched Aussie Pink Floyd on Friday evening, l am revisiting thier later catalogue ( Division Bell, The Wall) and l am hearing them in a completely new light with this amplifier, l feel it is definately a giant killer, it sounds as clean as a Lavardin, boogies like a Naim, witha full 3D sound of a valve amp- l love this amp!- Oh and this is the basic model, which can be upgraded slowly- battery pack is next

[electric beach]

Hi Steve, we could set something up, l was gong to listen to your Mini-T with your horns a while ago, so l will consult my diary, but am a bit busy at the moment, but as a taster, The Sensation has around 35wpc, and has bass that is full, supple, really well controlled and really drives along, wide open midrange, multiple inputs, remote control, clean as a whistle tone, and a musicality that is quite a revalation, having watched Aussie Pink Floyd on Friday evening, l am revisiting thier later catalogue ( Division Bell, The Wall) and l am hearing them in a completely new light with this amplifier, l feel it is definately a giant killer, it sounds as clean as a Lavardin, boogies like a Naim, witha full 3D sound of a valve amp- l love this amp!- Oh and this is the basic model, which can be upgraded slowly- battery pack is next

Cheers Andy, thanks for that.

It remains an open invitation, you're welcome anytime.

I for one am not at all surprised at the potential of Tripath chips with a bit of love thrown at them

[Tarzan]

Steve,Loved the sound of T-amps the first time l heard the Mini-T l knew l had found the way to amplifier bliss and has rekindled my love of music,l own 3 different T- amps now, they all sound different but all very good.

[wee tee cee]

Steve,
If memory serves you had some temple audio mono blocks in your system for a while, I would love to hear your take on things when you have heard the amp. I run four monos with a musical fidelity m1 hpa pre to great effect but the addition of another T amp is always on the cards....
Regards Tony.

[alexm84]

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.

Can anyone that has modified their TP60 give me a link of where to buy the capacitors in the post above or something else they'd recommend for me to use?

[Ali Tait]

Try here - http://www.hificollective.co.uk/comp...laritycap.html

Choose whatever fits your budget.

[alexm84]

Try here - http://www.hificollective.co.uk/comp...laritycap.html

Choose whatever fits your budget.

Thanks,

Is there also somewhere i can learn easily about selecting caps? Do i just go something with the same uF and V rating or is there a magical art to selecting them?

[Tarzan]

Thanks,

Is there also somewhere i can learn easily about selecting caps? Do i just go something with the same uF and V rating or is there a magical art to selecting them?

The chap at Hificollective is very helpful indeed- forget his name though......

[alexm84]

Cool, i'll have a look at the caps in there and send him an email. Cheers