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Post by John on Sept 10, 2014 20:06:57 GMT
I had the Bantam in my system for awhile now
Over the last few months I been going through growing pains with my system.
The Bantam a really good amp for the money and due to the 96db speaker efficiency I have preferred it to a some amps costing a lot more money.
Recently Tony lent me a amp he built that has taken the sound a lot more further I started to get back warmth and more detail. I am now on the quest for that next system change and still a bit uncertain where to go.
Brian has kindly lent me his Amptastic Mini 1 to play around and to be honest the first time I heard it I had mixed feelings but this proved to be due to a interconnect cable that seemed to add harshness the higher volume went which at the time I was thinking was clipping of the amp.
After changing the cable back to a simple Belkin pure issue solved.
I would describe the Bantam Gold with the extra gain setting I like to use as on the cold side of neutral. The Amptastic has more warmth than the gold and detail. I also notice I had to lower the bass volume on my active bass set up as the bass was initially over powering the system
I am now waiting for Amptastic to come back to me about going active with their amps as they cannot be used as mono blocks but hoping they be ok powering the mids and treble individuly using a HD mini DSP and still open to the idea of direct digital as would simplify the system
Bottom line the amp works really well with sensitive speakers and even manages to keep a old headbanger happy
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Post by brian2957 on Sept 10, 2014 20:20:15 GMT
Nice one John , thanks for the review . The Amptastic Mini-1 is quite a special little amp isn't it . Glad you like it .  I hope you can configure it to suit your needs. |
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Paul
Rank: Trio
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Post by Paul on Sept 10, 2014 21:48:28 GMT
It's quite handy that it can be used as a power amp, bypassing the volume pot. Anyone tried this?
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Post by John on Sept 11, 2014 4:59:30 GMT
Yes I am using it with its pre bypassed I not tried it with its own pre
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Post by John on Sept 11, 2014 5:51:13 GMT
The amp is more mature than the original and has a lot more grunt Does not quite have the same transparency but a lot better balanced than the original
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Post by jandl100 on Sept 11, 2014 6:44:51 GMT
I like the Mini-1 and am a big fan of the original Mini-T as well.
Side by side comparison chez-Jerry the only difference I could hear was a lot more headroom and heft in the mid- and deep-bass from the Mini-1.
To me they sounded pretty much identical in terms of transparency (which is excellent, btw!).
I did reviews of both amps for the Hifi Pig webzine.
Despite the superb transparency and openness, compared to other excellent amps there is a slight lack of rez - rapid repeated transients tend to blur together a bit, plucked instrument runs, for example. But hey, most amps do that! - nothing's perfect.
To me they sound like real music in a way that no other amp I have heard anywhere near the price does.
For £100, they are a genuine bargain, imho, and happily drive my 84dB/W but easy-to-drive speakers to very loud levels. Regardless of price, the Mini-1 would be an amp I could live with for the long term, it's that good. |
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Post by John on Sept 11, 2014 13:15:52 GMT
Yes agree get a wee bit congested with complex material I find that with more compressed music, with Tony's amp there is enough resolution to cut through that but a very different beast of a digital amp
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Post by tony on Sept 11, 2014 19:26:19 GMT
I had a couple of lads over the other day who listened to my set up with two original mini ts running on each speaker. I run short speaker cables with the amps velcroed to my speakers. They both preferred the mini ts with different wires---but for the reason alluded to in that it was a more holistic sound....dare I say it-less hi fi.
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Post by John on Sept 11, 2014 19:43:24 GMT
What its down is bring back a bit of warmth in my system. Due to using the high gain on the Bantam Gold it was just sounding cold and tiring. Now no such issues
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Post by speedysteve on Sept 18, 2014 16:27:35 GMT
I'd like to know how the Bantam compares with other cheaper T-amps?
I moved on to small EL84 SET amps for my upper channels but hanker after the efficiency of chip amps and always wondered how the Bantam sounds in comparison...
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Post by brian2957 on Sept 18, 2014 17:01:20 GMT
The Bantam Gold should give you a very audible improvement over cheaper amps. However , if I were you I would check out the Amptastic Mini-1 also . I've owned both and the Amptastic stayed in my system .
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Post by John on Sept 18, 2014 17:09:01 GMT
It compares really well I tried quite a few and up until having Tony C digital amp which is a one of project was the best digital amp I have had in my system
I do prefer the new Mini 1 to the Bantam Gold (Brian recently lent me) better bass warmth and detail.
The Mini 1 did not work in a friends system using 12p Markaudio Alpairs in a Open Baffle set up
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Post by John on Oct 3, 2014 19:48:10 GMT
Got 2 Mini 1 now but just using the 1 till I decide which way to via DSP. Hopefully that will become clear after Saturday
The biggest surprise is I prefer them through the power supply than the battery with the Bantam it was the other way around. I am not missing the Bantam as I said just to cold for my ears now and now enjoying the balance again
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Post by brian2957 on Oct 3, 2014 19:51:46 GMT
That's interesting John . Which PSU are you using ?
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Post by ChrisB on Oct 3, 2014 19:54:30 GMT
Now there's absolute proof that there are no absolutes!
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Post by John on Oct 3, 2014 20:00:16 GMT
Just the standard PSU but feeding from a dedicated mains supply with a good lead I try it with a ordinary lead at the weekend
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Post by John on Oct 3, 2014 20:02:31 GMT
Now there's absolute proof that there are no absolutes! Yes agree Whenever I make changes I do see what works best as you never can tell |
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Post by brian2957 on Oct 3, 2014 21:01:24 GMT
Cheers John .
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Post by John on Oct 8, 2014 17:41:14 GMT
Just wanted to do a quick update The amp been in my system for about a week now and really enjoying listening to music. In my system I much prefer it over the Bantam Gold has more detail, bass and much needed warmth to my system
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Post by gazjam on Jan 2, 2015 19:13:04 GMT
Using the Amptastic Mini-1 as a temp amp until my new valve beastie is built.
The Mini-1 has surprised me how good it sounds with my Eddingdale speakers.
They are easy to drive being very efficient, but even that said, they are a very open window to what the wee digital amp is capable of.
Lose a bit on the low end in terms of heft, but it's not bad, not bad at all...the top end is very clear and incisive but with an almost valve like feeling of realism about it.
Amazing wee box, very impressed with it.
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I hope you can configure it to suit your needs.
