Dayton DTA-100 T-amp -$49!!!!!!!

[Poultrygeist]

I paid $99 for this amp and thought it was a steal. Now you can pick up a blem for half that price.

I once drove a pair of $2,000 Aerial Acoustics with this amp and it more than proved up to the task. This puppy will embarrass some high dollar amps.

DTA-100 Class-T Digital Amplifier (B Stock)

[Robert-The-Rambler]

That would be a great PC two channel amp Bookshelf Speaker Combo and a headphone amp, too. I'll sleep on it.

[blackraven]

I just ordered on of these little amps. For that price I could not resist. I am going to try it in my bedroom system with my Monitor Audio S1's. I am probably going to buy this copy of the Beresford TC-7510 DAC to use instead of my Denon 1910 DVDP. MCM Custom Audio Toslink / Coax Digital Input to Line Level Output Converter | 50-7774 / TC-7510 (507774 TC7510) | MCM Custom Audio

I might order a second one for my son's system which consists of a Vintage 1977 Techics SU7600 integrated amp, Maverick DAC/Pre and PSB B6 speakers.

[blackraven]

Maybe I should have bought this Sure amp- http://www.sureelectronics.net/goods.php?id=1352

[harley .guy07]

I have seen this amp on sale in on PE's web site and thought man I could put a little system together in my living room for background music or when I am in the living room and don't need the bigger system while doing homework on my pc or other stuff. I bet it would have no problems powering a good pair of bookshelf monitors like the Dynaudio excite series or something like that and it would be a simple solution without the bulk of a integrated amp or receiver which I would not use 3/4 of the options on anyway.

[Poultrygeist]

blackraven,

I have the Sure board amp TK 2050 with the same Mean Well power supply and while it may have a slight sonic edge due to the beefier ps the tiny Dayton is much more convenient to use. Rated at 50 wpc into 8 ohms both are probably half that.

[Hyfi]

The headphone jack is always a nice option too.

So if they can sell amps for this price, why can't I find a cheap pre built, powerless or powered volume control easily?

[blackraven]

I hope the little refurbished amp does not have the channel inbalance like others have had. I would sure like to find a replacement volume pot for it as well as a 28v or 30v 5A 120watt wall wart up grade for it. Supposedly it can handle the extra power and there is some slight improvement in sound.

[Poultrygeist]

PE is great about sending replacements if an item is defective. I recently bought a volume control for the Sure TK 2050 and just got around to wiring it up today. Well it didn't work so I called their tech line and they said they would drop a replacement unit in the mail. They didn't even ask me to return the defective control. Amazing!

[Hyfi]

PE is great about sending replacements if an item is defective. I recently bought a volume control for the Sure TK 2050 and just got around to wiring it up today. Well it didn't work so I called their tech line and they said they would drop a replacement unit in the mail. They didn't even ask me to return the defective control. Amazing!

PE had a bad batch of Electro Harmonix AU and AXs a couple years ago. They sent me several bad ones and replacements. After the second bad replacements, the guy suggested I buy someplace else. They handled all the return and replacement shipping.

Now if they could only replace all the Radio Shack Stores with PEs........

[Poultrygeist]

Chinese tubes have never been known for their quality.

[harley .guy07]

Poultrygeist most things Chinese are not known for their quality it is mostly what you can get for the money. If tubes interest you and money is an object and as all of us know American,British, and German tube preamps and amps usually cost a whole lot more than we are talking about here and that is by a long shot so the Chinese do have a market in cheap to buy tube gear but the trade off is the reliability and warranty are questionable and usually they are knockoffs of earlier American or Japanese tube designs.

[Poultrygeist]

( Off topic ) harley, I totally disagree. Having owned four Chinese tube amps and one Chinese CD player I have found their quality to be very high with no reliability issues what so ever. Unfortunately vacuum tubes are just not their forte. Whether you realize it or not most high end audio gear is now made in China and they lead the world in audio design.

[blackraven]

Up date on the amp. I received the little Dayton amp today. They actually sent me the newer DTA-100A instead of the older DTA-100. The darn thing is small, the power supply is bigger and heavier than the amp.

I hooked it up to my son's system using his Maverick Tube DAC/Pre at first as the DAC alone and then as a Preamp-DAC along with his PSB B6 speakers. The sound in the first set up was suprisingly good. Bass was tight and deep and the sound had good air. Treble was improved as well as detail. Mid range depth was lacking though and the sound leaned to the bright side of neutral. Set up #2 using the Mavericks Preamp I turned the volume control all the way to the left on the amp and used the Mavericks volume pot to control the volume. The sound was markedly improved. It was smoother, warmer with more depth and air. Bass was deeper. It did really help the sound of the B6's treble which is a little rolled off to begin with. The Maverick Preamp really improved the sound. The only cons were that there was a little less resolution and that the gain on the preamp is set too low. I noticed this when I hooked up the Maverick to my Parasound. The volume is just not there. Another draw back to the amp is that distortion kicks in a little early when the volume is turned up 60% on the amps pot. The PSB's sensitivity is 90dB but I have read that they like a lot of power despite its sensitivity rating.

The amp is rated at 30wpc at <0.01% THD but I think that is being generous. But hey for $50 it's definitely worth the money if you want a compact system. It sure sound better than using a cheap AVR or 2ch amp. I will give another update once the amp has a few hours of burn in.

Oh and one last con. When I disconnected the right channel RCA plug from the unit, it pulled out the female connector from the back of the unit. Looks like you get what you pay for!

[Feanor]

... Set up #2 using the Mavericks Preamp I turned the volume control all the way to the left on the amp and used the Mavericks volume pot to control the volume. The sound was markedly improved. It was smoother, warmer with more depth and air. Bass was deeper. It did really help the sound of the B6's treble which is a little rolled off to begin with. The Maverick Preamp really improved the sound. The only cons were that there was a little less resolution ...

This is a demonstration of how tubes color the true sound. In as much as Maverick is only adding to, not replacing, any Dayton component, the addition would seem to be distortion. Whether this is an "improvement" is subjective.

"It was smoother, warmer with more depth and air." These are qualities commonly attributed to tubes, but I contend that they are artifacts.

[blackraven]

Feanor, I have no doubt that you are right about the artifacts that tubes impart. But the fact of the matter is what equipment does not impart its own signiture on the sound. It's all pretty much subjective, that is why we have so many choices of speakers, amps, etc.. For me the Maverick made the sound more pleasing with better bass, more refined treble and more depth to the midrange with adding more air. I find the combination of a good midrange and air very agreeable even though there is no air and transparency in live music.

[frenchmon]

I have seen this amp on sale in on PE's web site and thought man I could put a little system together in my living room for background music or when I am in the living room and don't need the bigger system while doing homework on my pc or other stuff. I bet it would have no problems powering a good pair of bookshelf monitors like the Dynaudio excite series or something like that and it would be a simple solution without the bulk of a integrated amp or receiver which I would not use 3/4 of the options on anyway.

When I was in college and had on music while doing home work, home work never got done. The only way to get it done was to have complete silence...

[Feanor]

Feanor, I have no doubt that you are right about the artifacts that tubes impart. But the fact of the matter is what equipment does not impart its own signiture on the sound. It's all pretty much subjective, that is why we have so many choices of speakers, amps, etc.. For me the Maverick made the sound more pleasing with better bass, more refined treble and more depth to the midrange with adding more air. I find the combination of a good midrange and air very agreeable even though there is no air and transparency in live music.

There is no criticism involved, at least not in your case, BR. We are certainly entitled to like what we like, and if we acknowledge that it is a preference then we are above reproach.

[blackraven]

There is no criticism involved, at least not in your case, BR. We are certainly entitled to like what we like, and if we acknowledge that it is a preference then we are above reproach.

I didnt take it as criticism, just stating my preferences as you said.

Now I can't wait to hear one of those Class D amp kits. I am going to need a model that will match the impedence of the little Maverick preamp because the gain is low. I think I read some where that the CDA would be a better match. I also read that the guys at Class D audio can make some custom adjustments for low gain preamps.

[Robert-The-Rambler]

I was wondering if anybody has both and what they thought. I am using a Lepai Tripath class T amp for gaming in my bedroom using a Kenwood VR 7070 as a pre amp and either an Asus Xonar DS or X-FI HD USB sound card.

I'm using Sony 5 1/4" bookshelf speakers with 87db sensitivity and I'm wondering how much better the Dayton DTA100a might be. I was playing Singularity last night and I was really impressed with the power output of the Lepai even though I know it is only about 8 watts per channel into 8ohm.

I know I missed out on the $49.99 deal but I'm thinking about the future here.

[Poultrygeist]

I had the Dayton Sonic Impact clone which power wise is probably equal to the Lepai. The DTA100 sounds better than the SI clone IMO and it's greater power gives more usable headroom.

I don't believe the Tripath amps sound like regular Class D amps. My Dayton, Sure, and Topping T-amps all sound tube like compared to my Class D Panasonic XR55 which is less warm, a tad sterile, and more solid state like.

T-amps are very popular with converts to high efficiency single driver full range speakers as they offer plenty of power and make the most of the great mids these speakers can deliver.

[blackraven]

From what I have read, the DTA-100 is supposed to sound much better than the Lepai. I would not exactly call the sound of the DTA tube. I actually found it to be on the bright side. While it does have some air and transparency, it is missing the midrange warmth that tubes give. When I connected the DTA to my Maverick Tube Pre/DAC it produced that nice tube sound.

Later today I am going to hook the DTA up to my Monitor Audio S1's and will see how it sounds without the Maverick pre.

[Poultrygeist]

My early edition DTA-100 is warm but not bright. The tripath signature is often defined by it's "tube like midrange".

6moons audio reviews: Sonic Impact Class-T amp

[blackraven]

It may be that my amp needs time to burn in from what I have read. I just hooked the amp up to my Denon 1910 DVD player and my Monitor Audio S1's. It still leans to the bright side of neutral but it has excellent air, treble and bass. Just keep in mind that my assessment of the sound is subjective and that I am comparing it to $4000 worth of Van Alstine tube DAC and Preamp as well as the $200 Maverick Tube Pre/DAC.

And I am not knocking the amp, its a great buy at $50 or $100. I don't think that you could do any better at that price. I don't think that any of the sub $500 2ch receivers, AVRs and integrated amps can compete with it for tight deep bass and airy sound.

[Feanor]

My early edition DTA-100 is warm but not bright. The tripath signature is often defined by it's "tube like midrange".

6moons audio reviews: Sonic Impact Class-T amp

Dunno; I had a Bel Canto eVo2 Tripath-based amp for a couple of years. There was nothing really tube-like about it, (though it was pretty good on its own terms).

I like my Class D Audio SDS amp which is based on an International Rectifier chip. It isn't tube-like either, but put a nice tube preamp ahead of it and many tube lovers might be very please with the result.