2. amps-preamps
  3. 156499-2546

Who's Gone Topless?

The idea of this goes back decades. Amps and preamps (for the most part) are designed on chassis free breadboards, then voiced, THEN are packaged inside a chassis, which can be the weakest link to hearing what the designer intended. In most cases the chassis sidewalls and bottom are essential, but the top?


First off, beware that doing so will likely affect your mfg warranty, but, if you live in a pet-free, child-free home, then the benefits can more than offset concerns about something getting in that could harm the components. Case in point my Ric Schultz Class D EVS 1200, dual mono IcePower 120as2 modules. HOWEVER, unlike others using the same or similar modules, Ric then sprinkles many decades of modifying pixie dust all around them which are mounted inside an understated (sans bling) Italian sourced chassis.

When I ordered mine it was mandatory to purchase 2 Cubes ($200) which are to be butted up against each board, requiring the owner to remove the top. After doing so, I was anxious to put it in my rack so I could properly isolate it from bad vibes, when I should have listened with and without the Cubes and top.


Ric is also a proponent of weighing down components, but due to the unnecessarily large chassis, it barely fit in my rack, but I had a 5 pound divers belt lead weight that I squeezed in. Now, because RIc chose to put the mute toggles on the back I placed the amp on the first shelf from the rack's top (but out of sight out of mind: I never mute it when done listening), upon which was my CD player/Transport, which I raised up to provide ~ 2" of air space above the top of the 1200 and the bottom shelf of the player. Even though the rack is open on all sides with plenty of air space all around the rack, the amp ran warm

Fast Forward to yesterday. I was listening to Leonard Cohen Essential songs, mostly instrumentally sparse. I removed the weight; and found the music much more open sounding. Encouraged, I FINALLY removed the top. Honestly, I was not prepared for how HUGE doing so could be. It was like the music went from a confined space to an open air 3 dimensional venue. This is so amazing that I am going to get a handle on it via different music before removing the Cubes. Oh, and the amp is now cool as can be. 


So, if interested, stay tuned
tweak1

Showing 12 responses by glupson

glupson
7,842 posts
 
tweak1,
@glupson4 what was your experience placing a ac filter in place of the metal top plate?
I have no experience with that. I thought your reference to filter was to use it what it was designed for, in an air conditioning system.

However, now when I have general idea about it, how do you install it without whatever you need for instalation potentially affecting the sound? Some wood contraption? Plastic? Suspended from the ceiling with silk ropes? Why only the top plate? 
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"But that’s been about it, if for no other reason my place seems to attract a lot of dust, pollin,"
You lose nice machined cover relatively distanced from the parts and gain nice natural cover fully encapsulating every crease and curve of the parts. If talking about influence of covers on sound, that should account for something.

At the same time, some post earlier suggested air conditioning filter to make it all virtually dust-free. Which, in my experience, is a stretch bit too long.

If I had tube equipment, I would follow jetter's path, but for exactly the same reasons he took it. And would probably get annoyed by dust after a while.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
...I did.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"...my 65 year old ears with tinnitus could hear it."
Not related to this thread, but, over time, I noticed a number of members here mentioning their tinnitus. Is having above-average music equipment a risk for tinnitus? Overuse of sorts?
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"Dust in the Wind and by far one of the worst songs ever recorded or written."
And most irritating. Osibisa's Sunshine Day may take that title, though.

I heard about some study (at least that is how they described it) that found out the best way to get the irritating song that does not want to get out of your head out of your head. It is whistling Girl from Ipanema backwards.

glupson
7,842 posts
 
asvjerry,

"...to keep them from frying in summer heat due to the demands placed on them."
They will always heat up before being done, but isn't that the whole purpose? Does summer heat contribute that much that it would break?
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"...and you've had a group of people hear this as well?"
Voices? What voices?
glupson
7,842 posts
 
A piece of metal, or whatever, covering the amplifier is hardly the universe. But it may be, if we all just wish hard enough.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
theaudiotweak,

Then you must know that electric filter does not make a house virtually dust free.

Dust mites are another topic. They like to get warm in an amplifier. Once the cover is off, they just flock there.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"If you thought about installing a electrostatic filter system then you could have both a topless and better sounding audio system and a house that was virtually dust free."
You are aware that dust is not electricity in any way?
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"...biases and placebo have been understood in science for decades."
They have been noticed and accepted, but not all have been fully understood.

At the same time, if someone feels there is a huge improvement in whatever they do to their amplifier, more power to them. I would not want to clean all the dust that settles on what used to be covered. That dust may negatively influence the sound and negate all the improvements gained by removing the cover.

I still do not understand why a person simply would not buy a better piece of equipment to begin with. Who has time to unscrew the cover, store the cover, clean the dust, and maybe something else?

Do iPhones work better with different covers?
glupson
7,842 posts
 
Why do manufacturers put products out that are not good enough, but require someone to pay the price and do it her/himself? Why just not buy a better product from the start?

What does it mean...

"When I ordered mine it was mandatory to purchase 2 Cubes ($200) which are to be butted up against each board, requiring the owner to remove the top."?

Why would $400 not be included in the price and factory pre-installed? Who sells this? LEGO? IKEA?


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