Trends TA-10.1 optnions/input

larryrx7, i have no good explanation why an upgraded amp that gives a clean 6 wpc before distortion (at 8 ohms) shoots up can sound so good with your speakers. the upgrade gives larger tank caps but the same value input caps, albeit auricap. listening to the stock amp was serious cognitive dissonance for me. now that i've upgraded i don't question it anymore. i recall from my days in the military if an instructor couldn't answer a question as to how something worked it was written off to "PFM" (pure f*@#ing magic). my trends has some serious PFM.

I think the 6moons review mentioned successful results with 89db 8ohm JM Labs (and lab tests usually show JM Labs products to have inflated efficiency ratings). The tank caps in the Mardis amp *might* make a difference, but the specs on the Tripath website lead me to believe that you can't do much to improve the output power without switching out the chip.

Is it more likely that Spendor rate their speakers conservatively to ensure adequate amp power?... I always had them down as hard to drive too!

With the unmodded amp the difference between 90dbs and 96dbs was so striking that I personally wouldn't advise buying the TA-10.1 if you ONLY have hard load speakers... but as always, experimenting can prove magical!!

Well I have found out a very important aspect of the Trend..I just got off of the power grid and am using a 12 volt storage battery. I picked up the unit at Advance auto for 59 dollars and the difference it makes with this amp is jaw dropping. The tightness and depth of the bass increased at least 30% And the tactile sensation and presence also took a large jump. A layer or two of veiling also disappeared. So I guess the power supply quality is of prime importance with these amps. Has anybody discovered this or other tweaks with this amp?

Right, I am getting a battery!

Larryrx7, can you give a more detailed description of the type of battery you are using?... model number, which DC power cable you are using to feed the amp etc etc.

It is a battery jumper pack that can be bought at any auto parts store under different brands. The one I got has two cigarette lighter type jacks on it. The dc cable came from Radio Shack and cost about 30 dollars or so. It will support from 2 to 12volts and is switchable. Make sure you switch it to 12 volts or the amp will just sit there with the led on and thats it. It took me a while to notice the thumb switch and move it from 2 to 12v, then all was well and great music flowed.The difference is stunning and takes this amp up a couple notches to be sure. I am thinking of getting another one and biamping my spendors. I use a Red Wine Audio modded squeezebox 2 running into a citypulse dac.