Topping TP-10 The Tripath Amplifier

My F5 amplifier already sold last week. The buyer really happy with it. He said to me that the Cyrus amplifier he have could not even match in the term of sound quality to this F5.

For sure, he is not average audiophile. One of his speakers is using the Audio Note and most of his gear are vacuum tube based amplifier. His cables prices are certainly more than my F5 amplifier.

Not really surprise for me that the F5 amplifier designer is a master and nothing you could do more to make it even better.

Sadly now I don't have any amplifier in my system yet. The reason I sold it just because I cannot stand with the heat of class A amplifier. That is why, this Tripath amplifier will become my experimental project.

Building from nothing to something will take a longer time for me.

That is why, I took the shortcut by buying this new amplifier from the Topping TP-10 Mark 4.

It is a small amplifier using Tripath TA2024 IC.

Honestly, I loved the Tripath amplifier sound. Out of the box, Tripath sounds smooth on the mid-range, has darker background and good sound-stage that blended just like an expensive amplifier. Something that barely missing in this Tripath amplifier is the micro detail and the tone separation compares to the F5 amplifier. Perhaps by making some modification especially on the Tripath components upgrade, I can compare the sound quality of this Tripath amplifier to the F5 amplifier.

Short brief, for best sound possible, throw the SMPS power supply bundled from this tiny amplifier purchased. I building the new linear power supply in the aluminum case. This separate box between the power supply and the amplifier also make the noise even lower because of the interfere from the transformer doesn't catch to the amplifier it self.

I am using the Nichicon MUSE for this power supply capacitors. It is a high grade capacitor and the sound quality using them are very subjective. Although I am having a difficulty to hear any audible difference between high quality capacitors in the power supply circuit, but as long it is original from the reputable company, then I will use it without worries.

I also using this high performance voltage regulator IC from Linear Technology, LT1083CP.

The others components using here is the WIMA capacitor, Takman resisto and the diodes is Motorola MUR410.

Finished with the power supply, lets take a look to the amplifier itself.

Previously, I have did several modification to the circuit.

I had removed the C15, C16, C17, C18 and changing the C2 & C3 with the Elna Silmic capacitors.

The power supply filtering caps near the IC are also changed with the same brand. The cables are using silver coated cable and the RCA plugs s now using CMC brand.

By doing those upgrade, the sound quality are already improved a lot.

Later on, I put the 100k ohm resistor at the C15 & C16 position. Then I use small 10 nF Russian paper-in-oil capacitor at the C17 & C18 position.

After this components upgrade and if I compare this Tripath sound quality to the F5 amplifier before, I believe this Tripath amplifier is still hard to match with the F5 amplifier.

At the end, my conclusion for good amplifier is design really matters than components upgrades.

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