adamslim;184080 Wrote: > but don't expect miracles Depending on what I decide after a proper listen, I was probably suckered in by 'reviews like this' (http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/trends/ta10.html): "this $100 amp sounds better [snip] than the $10K+ single-ended triode pre and power amp combo...". These reviews sneak into your consciousness even if you're skeptical, as I tend to be since my first listening session in a hifi shop when I tried out some magazine's award winners and they were the worst equipment I heard that day.
I used to use a NAD amp (3020B) with output level LEDs, and I remember at normal listening I rarely lit the 1W LED, and had annoy the housemates to light the 5W light. No idea how accurate they were, and no doubt they weren't reflecting peak output, but that always gave me the impression that <5 Watts is all I typically used. Funny how my amp purchase has progressed :). I wanted to use the SB in the kitchen, so thought I'd get a SI-T-amp ($30)... Then looking for a power supply I ended up buying the TA-10.1 ($130)... Now having read about D and T-amps, I'm intrigued by the possibility of removing a step with the "digital amplifiers" - i.e. with the t-amp the SB converts digital to analog, the t-amp converts analog to an effectively digital bitstream, and converts that bitstream to an amplified analog output. But the "digital amps", like Panasonic's SA-XR line, convert the digital input to the bitstream all in the digital realm, and then convert that to the amplified analog output in one step. In principal, that's removing a lot of potential for distortion, and -some- people rave about them. I may have to stump up the $200 to try -that- out now, to see if I like it better than the Creek, or at least think it's worthwhile for the kitchen. Like you say - can't expect miracles, but it is genuinely new(ish) technology and it's not impossible that it represents a quantum leap, even if the Panasonic machines are covered in audiophile red flags. I may buy one from a major shop for curiosity and return it if I don't like it. Trouble with that is, with a 7.1 receiver in my living room, I might start thinking I need more than 2 speakers... Argh! :) -- jimmyfergus ------------------------------------------------------------------------ jimmyfergus's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=4323 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33112 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
