Amptastic Mini-1, tripath mini T amp

[Deleted member 160668]

I'm very late to the party as these have been around for a while, but I picked up an Amptastic Mini-1 mini Tripath amp. I looked at it today and it looks very well made and there are some excellent reviews and comments about them.

When I get all my kit out I'll have a good play with it. The plan is to use it to set up a reasonably decent but very small bedroom system, with a CCA and se DB1's or small QA's.

But before I do this I will put it on place instead of my Sugden. The worlds greatest mismatch, that thing on the end of my speakers. But I've read a review on hifipig (edited to add link below) where someone does something similar, so it will be interesting to see how it stands up and how well it drives them. They are 90db efficient and an easy load.

If nothing else, for the money it costs apparently they shoot miles beyond their price point in performance, so the sound per pound is, apparently, excellent.

Does anyone else have one of these?

Ps - I'll update this thread, eventually when I have my house and kit back.

Amptastic Mini-1 Amplifier | Hifi Pig

Hifi Review of the British made Amptastic Mini-1 Amplifier

www.hifipig.com

 

[Gray]

It certainly looks nice, will be interesting to read what you think of it.
(I've bought a few of the Lepy 2020 and quite like them.
I think they're based on the same chip as your one - but they don't look as nice, looking more like they're built down to the low (£20 ish price) with spring clip terminals etc).

 

[Deleted member 160668]

It certainly looks nice, will be interesting to read what you think of it.
(I've bought a few of the Lepy 2020 and quite like them.
I think they're based on the same chip as your one - but they don't look as nice, looking more like they're built down to the low (£20 ish price) with spring clip terminals etc).

I've just googled the Lepy. For £27, it's crazy you can buy an amplifier for that price, even if it isn't the last word in 'hifi'. For a bedroom/kitchen/kids room etc. that's all most people would need.

To mix it up a bit, I've also just gone and bought a SMSL-SA50 which was going 2nd hand for £30 delivered. I don't think this one will be anywhere near the quality of the Amptastic but it will be fun to have a listen. I think this one will go into the kids room when I've had my play.

There is now light at the end of the tunnel and we move back into our house in a few weeks. Therefore, I'll get to set all my kit up within the next couple of months and play my tunes, and also with these tiny new toys!

I've also added a link to the Amptastic info for any interested folks.

I'll update this thread soon once I've had a play.

 

[Gray]

Couldn't resist swapping the wall brackets for amps on a pair of Kef bookshelves.
Each gets a channel paired to its inputs for
cost-effective biamping.

I paid £20 each, that price includes a 3A PSU......stupidly decent sound for the money.

 

[Deleted member 160668]

Couldn't resist swapping the wall brackets for amps on a pair of Kef bookshelves.
Each gets a channel paired to its inputs for
cost-effective biamping.

I paid £20 each, that price includes a 3A PSU......stupidly decent sound for the money.
View attachment 3542

Homemade passive speaker pimping. I love it 👍.

A neat and effective solution to small space issues. He shoots, he scores! Love it!

But does it sound decent? I'm super curious how these little badboy amps sound and can't wait to get one centre stage in the living room. The "it's small so must be poo" initial thought I think will be instantly thrown away when I turn it on...

Reading the hifipig review previous to the one I've bought the guy hooked that up to £18k speakers, which is bonkers.

 

[Gray]

Reading the hifipig review previous to the one I've bought the guy hooked that up to £18k speakers, which is bonkers.

Yes, I saw that he thought it could take on amps at 5- 50 times the price.
No doubt many would question that - but I do think blind testing could prove interesting for some expensive amp owners.
Perhaps your comparison with class A might bring a bit of perspective on the actual quality.
I will read with interest.....

 

[gasolin]

Tripath TA2020-020 chispet go for something like the sabaj a10

Sabaj A10a Desktop Digital Power Amplifier Class D AMP freeshipping - HiFi-express

Brand Name: Sabaj Certification: CE Origin: CN(Origin) Maximum Power Per Channel: 80W Model Number: A10a Package: Yes Channels: 2.1 best from Sabaj - HiFi-express

hifi-express.com

View: https://youtu.be/vPQY4h8lJ-0

 

[Deleted member 160668]

I don't think this guy has ever heard any good kit. Very inexperienced imo.

Edit: to clarify I meant the video, not you Gasolin. I'd already seen this before I bought it. But just didn't respect what he was saying as I don't think he's heard a spectrum of kit to compare to imo. I could be wrong of course.

 

[gasolin]

ï have the q acoustics and with my Fosi audio BT20A they are pretty loud and at the same time sounds good

 

[Deleted member 160668]

Yes, I saw that he thought it could take on amps at 5- 50 times the price.
No doubt many would question that - but I do think blind testing could prove interesting for some expensive amp owners.
Perhaps your comparison with class A might bring a bit of perspective on the actual quality.
I will read with interest.....

Sugden A21 Sig Vs £130 amp. On paper it should be not even be close, at all. But the reviewer is someone on the Wam, who I know has very good kit...

My ART's will show up everything on the amp. I'm not expecting the world as its intended location is my bedroom. But I'm also quietly excited what £130 can do (I've also seen some serious praise eslewhere too.).

We'll see. Good, bad or indifferent, I'll feed back my experience when I get to give it a spin.

 

[gasolin]

7 year old video, you have to compare the amp to what you could get in 2015

 

[Deleted member 160668]

7 year old video, you have to compare the amp to what you could get in 2015

No I don't. Good kit then is still good kit now. As an example my A21 Sig (same spec sold then and currently) will spank many current offerings and there's nothing 'newer' I want to replace it with...

I will consider it as a £130 component.

 

[suburbansky]

The Amptastic seems to have been discontinued a while ago already...

 

[gasolin]

tripath amp, does anmy makes those amps, chips anymore with the infineon 1270 chips ?

 

[Deleted member 160668]

The Amptastic seems to have been discontinued a while ago already...

Yes. There's a few (the very last 4 I think) remaining for sale from Amptastic, new on eBay. I bought it from here.

 

[suburbansky]

Yes. There's a few (the very last 4 I think) remaining for sale from Amptastic, new on eBay. I bought it from here.

I'm not getting any results from Amptastic's eBay page...

EDIT: Found the page you mentioned... Uk shipping only - Bummer.

 

[Deleted member 160668]

I got to have a listen to this yesterday. Albeit a very short listen (only two songs), not in my room, or on my kit, and therefore not one I can really draw many conclusions from.

It got hooked into a very nice setup, with cables that cost more than it does, and onto the end of some decent (and pretty efficient) speakers.

It's tiny and so it would be easy to assume it's going to be rubbish.. but it's not.. it sounds far far better than it has a right to for the cash.

There was a nice musical presentation, a decent bass and pretty good separation of detail and instruments. Next up a valve amp got connected and the same song played and the valve amp was considerably better - but that's not unexpected and is not a fair comparison.

My overall thought was that for the cash, and what it is and its intended use is, it's a bargain and sounds pretty respectable indeed.

I'll add some proper thoughts when I can get a play with it set up in my room, with my kit and music so can listen properly.

 

[Gray]

...and so ridiculous that cables can cost more.

 

[Wander]

ï have the q acoustics and with my Fosi audio BT20A they are pretty loud and at the same time sounds good

what speakers do you use?

 

[gasolin]

Q Acoustics 2010i

 

[Deleted member 160668]

Finally setting all my kit back up today, hoorah!

I've decided to have a little play with this first and have been listening for the last couple of hours. It's actually very decent indeed and makes a complete mockery of what a £100 odd piece of equipment should sound like.

There is lots of detail and texture to the sound and good separation, with a decent enough soundstage. It lacks the deepest bass note and is a bit hot in the treble. But overall for its price, this is an absolute marvel. I am very impressed.

I'm testing it in the living room:
Amptastic > Cambridge 851N > ART Alnico 8 Signature speakers, using very decent I/C's and S/C's.

This little box of tricks is surrounded by kit eons above its price point, yet sounds actually really really good. I am extremely surprised at how good it is actually.

How did you get on with yours @suburbansky ?