Yes...but very close to D is what is mentioned in the technical details. Maybe amp designers in this form can throw more clarity. I also had a Class D amp with the same power rating at that time, and the D easily triumphed the T in dynamics..
Allo Volt+D (Class D) Power Amp: My impressions and experiments
- Thread starter raghupb
- Start date
I think saying Class T any more is a waste of time. In reality Class T was a just a variation of Class D, wherein Tripathi used a proprietary switching methodology. Tripathi used multiple techniques that were new then. He used a internal clock to introduce a higher Delta-Sigma modulator. He then took feed back from the switching node (and thereby indirectly from the source) rather than from the filtered output. That way he was able to match the PWM to the audio input and offer amplification gain where the audio signal needed it.
The higher order loop enabled him to offer much higher gain in audio frequencies that were not possible before.
Class T is actually not a class. It is just a registered trademark. Around 2007, Class T offered such a noticeable difference and costs advantage that it became a class by itself.
Current Class D have all these incorporated and more. Today's PWM is so fast that they can easily cover 0Hz to 100kHz. The advantages offered by Tripathi's methodology have all be incorporated one way or the other in a standard class D today. When Cirrus Logic bought out Tripathi's Class T, they simply implemented the technologies in their main line Class D, and dumped Class T. Other manufacturers followed incorporating their own version of Tripathi's technologies.
Today, I feel, if anyone offers you Class T, he is only fooling you. Today's Class D is far ahead of the 2007 Class T in terms of technologies used for amplification.
The higher order loop enabled him to offer much higher gain in audio frequencies that were not possible before.
Class T is actually not a class. It is just a registered trademark. Around 2007, Class T offered such a noticeable difference and costs advantage that it became a class by itself.
Current Class D have all these incorporated and more. Today's PWM is so fast that they can easily cover 0Hz to 100kHz. The advantages offered by Tripathi's methodology have all be incorporated one way or the other in a standard class D today. When Cirrus Logic bought out Tripathi's Class T, they simply implemented the technologies in their main line Class D, and dumped Class T. Other manufacturers followed incorporating their own version of Tripathi's technologies.
Today, I feel, if anyone offers you Class T, he is only fooling you. Today's Class D is far ahead of the 2007 Class T in terms of technologies used for amplification.
.... Continued from here
Day 5 Update
Day 4 was spent with Combo 6 playing out. Also had FM @anirudhchandrashekar over as a second pair of ears.
Even he felt, the Volt+D gets a lot of things right and a few things wrong.
Then we decided we were being way too anal about an 8K amp with volume control.
Also the system where this was plugged in is hardly a starter rig.
Mismatch of DAC and speakers from a purely price point of view.
Earlier a friend asked me to try the tube pre in the mix. I laughed about it and then thought, why not.
I have the Lyrita DHT and have had to deal with its high gain character.
So this afternoon hooked it up and took it for a drive.
Combo 7: Digione --> Parasound 200Pre (DAC) --> Lyrita DHT (tube preamp) --> Allo Volt+D (power amp) --> KEF R300
This little amp has a 20dB gain setting as I mentioned in original post.
All the previous expts were done with 26dB gain on Volt+D.
For this pair up, flipped a couple of switches to make it 20dB gain. Also turned the stepped attenuator to max.
Volume control was through Lyrita DHT tube preamp.
And ....
The brightness is still there but to a lesser extent. The bass and mids/vocals were elevated.
Actually for "un-busy" music like a few instruments only and no heavy bass, the presentation was quite pleasant.
When there was bass/drums I think the amp was feeling overwhelmed.
Bass was kinda sounded boomy/muddy/loose sometimes. Also on some tracks I felt the pace/timing was off a bit.
Weird chain of components, but I'm glad I tried out this experiment.
Combo 8: Digione --> Parasound 200Pre (DAC) --> Allo Volt+D (power amp) --> B&W DM303
When listening out Combo 5, I had summarily dismissed the B&W DM303 because they did not sound lively enough.
So decided to give it another short but with a tweak upstream.
Earlier the streamer/DAC was CCA; now the player(streamer)/DAC is separate.
Also content wise, lossless. This combo sounded much better when playing out FLACs/WAVs.
Spotify was the culprit here? Dunno, really.
The detail was not as much as what could be heard on KEFs, but harshness/shrillness was gone.
So was the low end, that made me push the speakers closer to the wall.
This way they get some support from the wall behind. After a few positioning experiments got bass to be fuller.
Also no toe-in to MLP; just straight up orientation.
This is a much more relaxed sounding setup. In fact it is playing in the background as I type.
Does not call attention to itself. It has clarity and separation.
These speakers do not image like the KEFs. The presentation is more diffused.
So as a rig, this one is more likely a typical pairing, in case one opts to try Allo Volt+D.
B&W speakers do vocals quite well, that British/BBC-ish "sound" signature.
Tried this combo with Allo Volt+D at both 20dB and 26dB gain setting.
26dB was better sounding compared to 20dB setting.
Recap & Conclusion
It is an 8K INR amp with a volume control (two bottles of Amrut Whiskey)
Too much whiskey neat, will give you a hangover/headache.
Similarly if Volt+D is mixed with bright sounding speakers, listening fatigue set in soon enough.
Love the small footprint and simplicity.
It has 2 gain settings; both of which work well enough.
The terminals are of good quality. They could have been placed better.
Inserting and removing RCAs is a bit of bother when banana plugs in place at speaker terminals.
Would be nice to have an On/Off toggle switch.
The stepped attenuator takes bit practice to get comfortable with.
I feel that as a starter rig component you will get a lot for the money paid.
Perfect for hostel room, paying guest room, bedroom/second setup.
Heck if your main amp has gone for service or you are in between amps, use it as a standby amp.
Pair it with neutral to bright speakers and presentation is lively.
Pair it with neutral to warm speakers and presentation is relaxing.
Power output wise, I was surprised that it could drive the KEF R300 without any hassle.
In all the experimentation I think the power draw was somewhere in the range of 10-15 Watts per channel.
Wonder how this would be with Allo Boss Player. A full NW-streamer/player/DAC/Amp for under 17K.
That's definitely hard to beat. Price and footprint wise. Just add a pair of speakers.
In summary, as Matt Damon in The Martian says,
Allo has scienced the s**t out of this product. ASR states measurements are quite good.
In future they have to put love into it and work on the voicing. Try to nail the art of sound reproduction.
Volt+D is like an enthusiastic puppy that wants to please, just that it can get a bit excited doing so
I enjoyed this experience. This is the first time I'm talking about a component I don't own.
Who knows I may gift one to a relative or a friend. Festivals are around the corner.
Did I mention, I had to pinch my self a few times ...
So long folks ....
Cheers,
Raghu
Day 5 Update
Day 4 was spent with Combo 6 playing out. Also had FM @anirudhchandrashekar over as a second pair of ears.
Even he felt, the Volt+D gets a lot of things right and a few things wrong.
Then we decided we were being way too anal about an 8K amp with volume control.
Also the system where this was plugged in is hardly a starter rig.
Mismatch of DAC and speakers from a purely price point of view.
Earlier a friend asked me to try the tube pre in the mix. I laughed about it and then thought, why not.
I have the Lyrita DHT and have had to deal with its high gain character.
So this afternoon hooked it up and took it for a drive.
Combo 7: Digione --> Parasound 200Pre (DAC) --> Lyrita DHT (tube preamp) --> Allo Volt+D (power amp) --> KEF R300
This little amp has a 20dB gain setting as I mentioned in original post.
All the previous expts were done with 26dB gain on Volt+D.
For this pair up, flipped a couple of switches to make it 20dB gain. Also turned the stepped attenuator to max.
Volume control was through Lyrita DHT tube preamp.
And ....
The brightness is still there but to a lesser extent. The bass and mids/vocals were elevated.
Actually for "un-busy" music like a few instruments only and no heavy bass, the presentation was quite pleasant.
When there was bass/drums I think the amp was feeling overwhelmed.
Bass was kinda sounded boomy/muddy/loose sometimes. Also on some tracks I felt the pace/timing was off a bit.
Weird chain of components, but I'm glad I tried out this experiment.
Combo 8: Digione --> Parasound 200Pre (DAC) --> Allo Volt+D (power amp) --> B&W DM303
When listening out Combo 5, I had summarily dismissed the B&W DM303 because they did not sound lively enough.
So decided to give it another short but with a tweak upstream.
Earlier the streamer/DAC was CCA; now the player(streamer)/DAC is separate.
Also content wise, lossless. This combo sounded much better when playing out FLACs/WAVs.
Spotify was the culprit here? Dunno, really.
The detail was not as much as what could be heard on KEFs, but harshness/shrillness was gone.
So was the low end, that made me push the speakers closer to the wall.
This way they get some support from the wall behind. After a few positioning experiments got bass to be fuller.
Also no toe-in to MLP; just straight up orientation.
This is a much more relaxed sounding setup. In fact it is playing in the background as I type.
Does not call attention to itself. It has clarity and separation.
These speakers do not image like the KEFs. The presentation is more diffused.
So as a rig, this one is more likely a typical pairing, in case one opts to try Allo Volt+D.
B&W speakers do vocals quite well, that British/BBC-ish "sound" signature.
Tried this combo with Allo Volt+D at both 20dB and 26dB gain setting.
26dB was better sounding compared to 20dB setting.
Recap & Conclusion
It is an 8K INR amp with a volume control (two bottles of Amrut Whiskey)
Too much whiskey neat, will give you a hangover/headache.
Similarly if Volt+D is mixed with bright sounding speakers, listening fatigue set in soon enough.
Love the small footprint and simplicity.
It has 2 gain settings; both of which work well enough.
The terminals are of good quality. They could have been placed better.
Inserting and removing RCAs is a bit of bother when banana plugs in place at speaker terminals.
Would be nice to have an On/Off toggle switch.
The stepped attenuator takes bit practice to get comfortable with.
I feel that as a starter rig component you will get a lot for the money paid.
Perfect for hostel room, paying guest room, bedroom/second setup.
Heck if your main amp has gone for service or you are in between amps, use it as a standby amp.
Pair it with neutral to bright speakers and presentation is lively.
Pair it with neutral to warm speakers and presentation is relaxing.
Power output wise, I was surprised that it could drive the KEF R300 without any hassle.
In all the experimentation I think the power draw was somewhere in the range of 10-15 Watts per channel.
Wonder how this would be with Allo Boss Player. A full NW-streamer/player/DAC/Amp for under 17K.
That's definitely hard to beat. Price and footprint wise. Just add a pair of speakers.
In summary, as Matt Damon in The Martian says,
Allo has scienced the s**t out of this product. ASR states measurements are quite good.
In future they have to put love into it and work on the voicing. Try to nail the art of sound reproduction.
Volt+D is like an enthusiastic puppy that wants to please, just that it can get a bit excited doing so
I enjoyed this experience. This is the first time I'm talking about a component I don't own.
Who knows I may gift one to a relative or a friend. Festivals are around the corner.
Did I mention, I had to pinch my self a few times ...
So long folks ....
Cheers,
Raghu
Last edited:
Post Script (and pics)
In the excitement to try Volt+D as a regular amp on bookshelf speakers, I completely forgot another set of speakers at home.
The Monitor Audio Radius 45.
So I set these up in place of the bookshelf speakers (actually on top of them)
Combo 8: Digione --> Parasound 200Pre (DAC) --> Allo Volt+D (power amp) --> MA Radius 45
Surprisingly this sounded clean. The bass is completely off, because these pups an only do 120 Hz and up.
Played this out for about 30 mins. MA R45 is bright due to its size.
Combo 9: Spotify on Laptop --> Modi2 (USB) --> Allo Volt+D --> MA Radius 45
I setup a desktop config on a 32 inch writing desk for near field listening.
At low volume, all drawbacks like brightness, etc were forgotten or forgiven.
And controlling volume is just an elbow away.
At last I found a perfect application for the amp with the components available at home.
Great stereo separation, clear and clean sound. Loved the cute "tuk-tuk" sound of drum passages
Perfect for unobtrusive music playing in the background while studying or working or browsing or pondering.
Pics:
Volt+D Unit (better pics online)
Volt+D - KEF
Volt+D - B&W
Volt+D - MA
Volt+D - MA (desktop)
That's it for the post script
Cheers,
Raghu
In the excitement to try Volt+D as a regular amp on bookshelf speakers, I completely forgot another set of speakers at home.
The Monitor Audio Radius 45.
So I set these up in place of the bookshelf speakers (actually on top of them)
Combo 8: Digione --> Parasound 200Pre (DAC) --> Allo Volt+D (power amp) --> MA Radius 45
Surprisingly this sounded clean. The bass is completely off, because these pups an only do 120 Hz and up.
Played this out for about 30 mins. MA R45 is bright due to its size.
Combo 9: Spotify on Laptop --> Modi2 (USB) --> Allo Volt+D --> MA Radius 45
I setup a desktop config on a 32 inch writing desk for near field listening.
At low volume, all drawbacks like brightness, etc were forgotten or forgiven.
And controlling volume is just an elbow away.
At last I found a perfect application for the amp with the components available at home.
Great stereo separation, clear and clean sound. Loved the cute "tuk-tuk" sound of drum passages
Perfect for unobtrusive music playing in the background while studying or working or browsing or pondering.
Pics:
Volt+D Unit (better pics online)
Volt+D - KEF
Volt+D - B&W
Volt+D - MA
Volt+D - MA (desktop)
That's it for the post script
Cheers,
Raghu
Last edited:
anirudhchandrashekar
Active Member
I can safely say that this is the most comprehensive first impressions chain of tests done by @raghupb. Always a pleasure associating with him and I agree with every point he has penned down.
When you think about it, me and Raghu knew that we might be a little critical of this cute amp, hence we had to dial back ourselves and give it a listen from a fresh perspective. Pair with a neutral or a warm sounding speaker and this might very well work without breaking the bank.
There are times when we think about putting down big money to begin in this hobby with a goal to get good clean power and sound. Allo is proving this otherwise. The unit offers very clean power and does what it says and it does it moderately well.
With the detailed insights that @raghupb has penned down, I agree with every single point. At this price, truly I have no cons that I'd want to talk about. Good power, clean sound, small footprint!
This set of experiments with Allo definitely makes me want to look deeper into their other products and see what they have to offer.
All in all, a classic little amp which I absolutely love the look of (very contemporary!) and the sound is good for the budget in my books.
Cheers.
When you think about it, me and Raghu knew that we might be a little critical of this cute amp, hence we had to dial back ourselves and give it a listen from a fresh perspective. Pair with a neutral or a warm sounding speaker and this might very well work without breaking the bank.
There are times when we think about putting down big money to begin in this hobby with a goal to get good clean power and sound. Allo is proving this otherwise. The unit offers very clean power and does what it says and it does it moderately well.
With the detailed insights that @raghupb has penned down, I agree with every single point. At this price, truly I have no cons that I'd want to talk about. Good power, clean sound, small footprint!
This set of experiments with Allo definitely makes me want to look deeper into their other products and see what they have to offer.
All in all, a classic little amp which I absolutely love the look of (very contemporary!) and the sound is good for the budget in my books.
Cheers.
keith_correa
Well-Known Member
OK, so I have been looking up my family tree and I find that my great, great grandfather's mother's aunt and your great, great, great grandmother's niece were the same. That relates us. Also, from today, I'm willing to befriend you too. Welcome to the family.
Now, my address is....
And Keith happens to be my twin brotherOK, so I have been looking up my family tree and I find that my great, great grandfather's mother's aunt and your great, great, great grandmother's niece were the same. That relates us. Also, from today, I'm willing to befriend you too. Welcome to the family.
Now, my address is....
This is too far for him to remember. On the other hand, I'm a friend's of Raghu's kid's father..OK, so I have been looking up my family tree and I find that my great, great grandfather's mother's aunt and your great, great, great grandmother's niece were the same. That relates us. Also, from today, I'm willing to befriend you too. Welcome to the family.
Now, my address is....
I can put in a word on behalf of whoever sends me sweets as a part of the festivals in which Raghu will be gifting this amp. And my address is ...
Oh super. Did you try using your old Sub with these?Post Script (and pics)
In the excitement to try Volt+D as a regular amp on bookshelf speakers, I completely forgot another set of speakers at home.
The Monitor Audio Radius 45.
So I set these up in place of the bookshelf speakers (actually on top of them)
Combo 8: Digione --> Parasound 200Pre (DAC) --> Allo Volt+D (power amp) --> MA Radius 45
Surprisingly this sounded clean. The bass is completely off, because these pups an only do 120 Hz and up.
Played this out for about 30 mins. MA R45 is bright due to its size.
Combo 9: Spotify on Laptop --> Modi2 (USB) --> Allo Volt+D --> MA Radius 45
I setup a desktop config on a 32 inch writing desk for near field listening.
At low volume, all drawbacks like brightness, etc were forgotten or forgiven.
And controlling volume is just an elbow away.
At last I found a perfect application for the amp with the components available at home.
Great stereo separation, clear and clean sound. Loved the cute "tuk-tuk" sound of drum passages
Perfect for unobtrusive music playing in the background while studying or working or browsing or pondering.
Pics:
Volt+D Unit (better pics online)
View attachment 49281
Volt+D - KEF
View attachment 49282
Volt+D - B&W
View attachment 49283
Volt+D - MA
View attachment 49284
Volt+D - MA (desktop)
View attachment 49285
That's it for the post script
Cheers,
Raghu
MaSh
No. This is one thing I intentionally left out from all experiments.
Wanted to check out the amp on its own. How does it hold its ground.
Cheers,
Raghu
Nope. It was a loaner/borrowed unit so decided to keep it all "stock" components.
I guess with a 24V PS, the "juice" would have been there.
But the only practical, real world benefit would have been a lower setting on volume control (fewer up steps).
The KEFs were happy with the attenuator at anywhere between 12-18 clicks.
My guess, that would be 10-15 WPC. More power, more headroom, etc, etc ....
But that's not what I was evaluating.
The basic premise of all my experimentation was limited to this.
Here is this budget amp:
- What can it do?
- How much can I push it?
- What does it get right?
- What are the limitations?
- How does it pair with other stuff?
- How far can it go out of its comfort zone?
Cheers,
Raghu
If destiny had been skewed differently, and I had gotten busy and naughty earlier in my life ....This is too far for him to remember. On the other hand, I'm a friend's of Raghu's kid's father..
I can put in a word on behalf of whoever sends me sweets as a part of the festivals in which Raghu will be gifting this amp. And my address is ...
Some of you guys I've met from the forum would probably have been my kid's friends
Cheers,
Raghu
Berlyassocial
Active Member
I was reading in another forum about the Allo volt+d and there it says 24volt ps and tube pre makes a considerable difference in sound quality. Also if you are using preamp with volt+d, disconnect the stepped attenuator from the board and interconnect outer leads and leave the middle one as it is. This raises the input impedence to 60k ohms which is perfect for preamp pairing.
Other than that can some one recommend a 24v 5a low noise powersupply to use with volt+d
See here to know how to remove stepped attenuator
audiophilestyle.com
Other than that can some one recommend a 24v 5a low noise powersupply to use with volt+d
See here to know how to remove stepped attenuator
VOLT+D class D amp , dual mono 2x 60W
audiophilestyle.com
I used to run the first ver of allo amp before. Does this ver also run without hiss at low volume.?Day 3.5 Update
Last evening I decided to bring Volt+D into a chain that I have been listening to for a month or so.
This allows for playing out music from HDD (lossless files) and use SPDIF transport on COAX.
Also the Parasound NC200Pre DAC comes into play. This is a Burr-Brown PCM1798 implementation.
I feel it has been implemented well; plays quite out nicely.
Combo 6: Allo Digione (SPDIF/Coax) --> Parasound NC200Pre (DAC) --> Allo Volt+D (Pwr/Vol) --> KEF R300
Remember I said that CCA + Volt+D was still sparkly (Combo 4a).
This became a bit better controlled and sounded "right".
The bass response also improved a wee bit (pace and timing wise).
I would attribute this to SPDIF+DAC combo.
With Spotify+CCA DAC, sometimes the music felt a bit hurried; with Digione+Parasound not so much.
The rise and decay of notes were better, and there was sharpness in guitar licks and drums.
I promised myself to hear out a wide variety of music, but lost the plot somewhere.
Turned out to be a blues, RnB, Prog-rock session.
Blues music and vocals bring out certain characteristics of a system.
The guttural singing with raw string work is hardly melody.
Anyways, few numbers I enjoyed were:
Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode): electronic music, sharp notes and transition, vocal echoes
I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston): this woman could sing and hold a note, those high notes were very clean sounding
Remainder The Black Dog (Steven Wilson): clean notes at the beginning and fantastic build-up
Old Love (Eric Clapton): heard both 24-Nights and MTV Unplugged versions
House Of The Rising Sun (Bob Dylan): early record, just Dylan and a guitar
Loan Me A Dime (Boz Scaggs/Duane Allman): melodious vocals by Scaggs, great string work by Allman
Try A Little Tenderness (Otis Redding): Otis has fun in this number
Buying New Soul (Porcupine Tree): Had to Spotify (don't have a decent recording) could not experience out the expansiveness and textures
Listened to many tracks by John Lee Hooker, Albert King, BB King, Muddy Waters, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Roy Orbison
Basically, my go to guys for blues, RnB. The mischief in John Lee Hooker's talking was nicely rendered
Managed to play out The Final Cut and Wish You Were Here, full albums.
It was late into the night, so low volume listening. Pretty decent experience.
On some tracks, I did a quick back to back A-B comparison with Volt+D vs Parasound 275v2.
Volt+D has a bit of that hurry too. So it's not just the DAC.
If coupled with a DAC like that of CCA, the issue can add up? I dunno.
Not a big issue, but one can notice it if attentive.
But hey, I had to pinch myself a few times saying "It's an 8K amp"
More to come ....
Cheers,
Raghu
shekharmenon
Member
This thread here (https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/41484-voltd-class-d-amp-dual-mono-2x-60w/) says the biggest improvements you can get from Volt+D is to be had by moving to a 24v power source. Does any one have any experience that goes for/against this? Planning to buy a volt+d with 19v power source. Wanted to check if there is a case to be made to go for higher voltage power source. Thanks.
Source is likely spotify -> bluetooth receiver -> rca to the Volt
Source is likely spotify -> bluetooth receiver -> rca to the Volt
I bought the Allo stepped attenuator yesterday and saw this post today. Was wondering if it was a correct decision to do so. Hope my attenuator is not as stiff as yours to turn. I will be using them for my diy pre-amplifier project. I have read else where that the stiffness in the control is due to the improper knob and by changing the knob you can get rid of the stifness. Not sure how far is this true anyways.
I have used the ver1 of volt. Is it possible to to do a dual mono power amp version of volt+ and bridge each of the modules?Preface
This post is a starter for my impressions on Allo Volt+D. It is not a review; I'm not qualified to do one.
It is simply a bunch of thoughts that I can string through and hope it comes out cohesive.
I've been interested in Class D amps. They hold great promise for the future.
Nominal Class D amps are all around us. Mobiles, TVs, soundbars, BT speakers.
In a way they are like Decepticons living amongst us.
The last I heard really good Class D was a few years ago, maybe 2015.
They sounded really good, but they were from NAD. So really expensive.
Over the ensuing years I've heard some more but nothing perked my ears.
@venkatcr's thread and a few queries about starter amps, cost effective ones has made me a bit curious.
So over the last week or so, I pinged some friends who have friends.
One person had this unit; the Allo Volt+D. So I borrowed it for a few days.
Intend to take it for a spin in various combinations with what I have at home.
Price and Build/Looks
What does it cost? What is it? What does it do? Who is it for?
Will try to answer these questions the best as I can.
The amp unit itself retails at about 7500 INR. You can buy a PS brick that will add about 800 INR to the amp cost.
Or one can use a laptop PS that meets the spec. The prices are inclusive of GST.
I think all shipments are from Bangalore, including worldwide.
So yeah, even though it is a European brand, it's a Make-In-India venture. Nice
It is a power amp with a 24-step attenuator that acts as a volume control.
It is fed by a pair or RCA input (L/R) and has a pair of speaker terminals (L/R).
The unit does not have an on/off switch, but there is a mute toggle switch.
There is no pot but instead it is fitted with a stepped attenuator (24 clicks).
Some say that these are better than cheap pots. Maybe so, maybe not.
I found it takes a bit of getting used to. The knob is hard to turn.
There is a noticeable difference in loudness/bass/detail when going up or down.
There are gain switches at the bottom. 20dB and 26dB setting.
I chose 26dB because 20dB made me dial the volume beyond 18 clicks.
20dB may work for high sensitivity speakers, 93+. Mine are all 86-88 dB.
The unit comes in a clear acryclic case. Same as other Allo products.
You can see every thing inside. Nothing hidden.
The footprint is 10" x 7" x 2.5" incl terminals. Very lightweight and slides easily.
I am still not convinced about it looks wise, but it does the job.
The PS that comes with it is a 19V 3.15A brick; like the ones for a laptop.
The terminals look to be of decent quality. Nice shiny stuff (gold plated? maybe)
The speaker terminals are proper binding posts, although short.
Meaning a full size banana plug will fit snug but the pin will not go in completely.
Bare wire connections are possible too. Seems like it can take up to 12AWG.
The rest of the post (or multiple posts) will be about who is it for and what combination I tried.
Starter Rigs
A lot of queries come about when one wants to get into this hobby (or madness) of stereo systems.
Let's say:
- an uncle of yours has a pair of BS speakers that he's will give you for free
- or you saw a good deal on the forum for small-ish monitors (say under 15K)
- or you see a decent deal on HiFiMart (they have some very decent speakers in the 10-25K range)
How does one go about it. Enter the Volt+D.
Combo 1: Mobile Phone --> Volt+D --> MA Radius 45/KEF R300
Tried this with a 3.5 to 2-RCA connection. Not convinced. It sounds very weak.
May be the aux out on mobile is not line level.
Combo 2: BT receiver --> Volt+D --> MA Radius 45/KEF R300
Again 3.5 to 2-RCA connection. Spotify streaming and transfer to BT Rxr.
Not convincing again. Possibly same reason not enough line level and BT quality.
Combo 3: CCA (opt) --> Schiit Modi2 (DAC) --> Volt+D --> KEF R300
Decided to play only on R300. Too lazy to do speaker swap.
Spotify streaming on mobile and cast to CCA. Phone/CCA volume at max.
Now I got it singing. The volume was between 14-18 clicks depending on track being played.
It sounded way too bright for my liking, but bass and vocals were very good.
Punchy, tight bass with strong vocals (both male, female and multiple singers).
Very good instrument separation. Every note was there, but it felt a bit too tingly to my ears/taste.
Music was articulate, but ear fatigue set in after 10-15 mins.
Some folks like this presentation, I don't.
I guess its because:
- CCA (opt) + Modi is pretty sparkly
- Volt+D just lays it all out there
- KEFs just blame the chain (they gave this to me scenario)
Combo 4a: CCA (analog) --> Volt+D --> KEF R300
Aha!! This chain sounds way better than combo 3. Got to hand it to the little CCA puck.
It has a decent DAC for its price point. The volume was between 14-18 clicks depending on track being played.
The HF presence and sparkliness is still there but it is definitely more enjoyable.
I could train my ears and mind to other areas of music, vocals and instruments.
The amount of detail that this combo fleshes out and renders was kinda surprising.
The amp is Class D bright, but in a good way.
The low end is good, full and punchy, never lean sounding. Vocals are bold & raw, yet nuanced.
I noticed a few new things in familiar tracks in the up top frequency region.
Some of the song set used today (stuff I am familiar with):
Hit The Road Jack (Ray Charles): Female chorus + male vocals; good track for channel level/separation check
Hotel California - MTV Live (Eagles): Intro is something that builds slowly; good kick drum
Famous Blue Raincoat (Lenny Cohen): Male vocals; deep nuanced voice
I Put A Spell On You (Nina Simone): Female vocals; sibilance check track; big band
Keith Don't Go (Nils Lofgren): this is very difficult for most systems; either great or very busy
Nine Cats (Porcupine Tree): Inherently sibilant track, tingly music, double beat kick drums
World A Music (Ini Kamoze): Reggae beat; interesting echo in vocals
Smoke On The Water (Deep Purple): Opening guitar lick, drums + high-hat
Enter Sandman (Metallica): Strong base guitar and drums; noisy lead guitaring too
Sossity (Jethro Tull): Ian Anderson actually tapping the tambourine to his thigh and up above
Rock'n Roll (Led Zepp): Bonham's drums, Plant's vocal, Page on guitar; just a lovely rocking track
Who Are You (The Who): Keith Moon's parallel universe on the drums, a nice guitar lick in the middle
Behind Blue Eyes (The Who): Daltry's strong raspy vocals
Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen): What can I say about this; rock/opera/scale
Trains (Porcupine Tree): just a fantastic track for quiet and loud passages
Blackest Eyes (Porcupine Tree): the opening guitars; there are quite a few of them actually
... and more
Tomorrow I'll listen to a bit more of combo 4a but with old Hindi music
If interested, stay tuned ...
Cheers,
Raghu
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