Looking For Class D Candidates

[Mister Pig]

So I use a pair of JBL 4367 speakers and have them working with a pair of Classe Omega monoblocks and Trinov Amethyst preamp. With the JBL I really don't need 500 wpc but do need some current to control those woofers. And the Classe take up a whole lot of real estate in my living room.

I wonder what my options are for Class D amplification. I do value harmonic texture and layering immensely, I have not heard that in many Class D amps from the past. Seems there is a lot of positive talk about the GAN Fet based amplifiers. Anyone have experiences they would like to share?

 

[tima]

Review: Atma-Sphere Class D Amplifiers

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/atma-sphere-class-d-amplifiers/ Comments welcome.

www.whatsbestforum.com

 

[rob]

So I use a pair of JBL 4367 speakers and have them working with a pair of Classe Omega monoblocks and Trinov Amethyst preamp. With the JBL I really don't need 500 wpc but do need some current to control those woofers. And the Classe take up a whole lot of real estate in my living room.

I wonder what my options are for Class D amplification. I do value harmonic texture and layering immensely, I have not heard that in many Class D amps from the past. Seems there is a lot of positive talk about the GAN Fet based amplifiers. Anyone have experiences they would like to share?

Nice speaker!

 

[delm]

I will recommend an Atma-Sphere "Class D" mono pair. I heard my pair connected to custom JBLs, 15" driver and horn, yesterday. I use them with Quad ESL 63 (USA monitor version) and am not looking for any else.

 

[DetroitVinylRob]

I had Atma D-class running field-coiled Classic Audio T-3s with very good results. Compared to my Atma OTL tube amps they performed very similar but a tad different. Remarkably close

 

[Holmz]

So I use a pair of JBL 4367 speakers and have them working with a pair of Classe Omega monoblocks and Trinov Amethyst preamp. With the JBL I really don't need 500 wpc but do need some current to control those woofers. And the Classe take up a whole lot of real estate in my living room.

I wonder what my options are for Class D amplification. I do value harmonic texture and layering immensely, I have not heard that in many Class D amps from the past. Seems there is a lot of positive talk about the GAN Fet based amplifiers. Anyone have experiences they would like to share?

You have all the derivatives of Purifi and Hypex, with examples in the US, Europe and the antipodes.
I just got a second hand example of those, but trying out the Atmasphere makes a lot of sense.
(I might just use one for a centre channel.)

I think they (atmasphere) offers a multi week home demo, so it is not like there is a great risk.

I have heard some people talk about a lack of sparkle with the amps.
And inside of the review in post #2, it somewhat hints at that.
But I totally ‘agree with’/support, Ralph’s hypothesis that 2nd and 3rd harmonics can mask the higher order ones.

Some systems can have a quietness to the sound that belies the actual SPL that is being measured. To some that is a lack of fatigue, to others it may be viewed as a lack of sparkle.
However I sort of like when my ears are not bleeding with resolving power and shrillness..

 

[Kofi Baffour]

So I use a pair of JBL 4367 speakers and have them working with a pair of Classe Omega monoblocks and Trinov Amethyst preamp. With the JBL I really don't need 500 wpc but do need some current to control those woofers. And the Classe take up a whole lot of real estate in my living room.

I wonder what my options are for Class D amplification. I do value harmonic texture and layering immensely, I have not heard that in many Class D amps from the past. Seems there is a lot of positive talk about the GAN Fet based amplifiers. Anyone have experiences they would like to share?

a pair of monoblocks from Purifi's range. Look at the Premium Eigentakt Purifi 1ET9040BA from either Buckeye or Apollon

 

[Holmz]

a pair of monoblocks from Purifi's range. Look at the Premium Eigentakt Purifi 1ET9040BA from either Buckeye or Apollon

And in the antipodes maybe March Audio.
In Europe I think it is Nord, or maybe VTV?

Back to the OP…

… Seems there is a lot of positive talk about the GAN Fet based amplifiers…

Which is steering us toward Atmasphere.

Maybe @Atmasphere should weight in?

 

[TurboTK]

Soo-eee Mister Pig! I'd like to share a few things here; feel free to ignore as you will

I do have quite a bit of personal experience with really good sounding power amp design by now. That said, of the several things that generally kind of hold class D back is, many designs use a generic (more or less) SMPS PSU. I really wish that was sufficient to get the best audio results, but unfortunately the audible reality is that it simply isn't. If it was, believe me we'd all be using it as it has a lot of other very significant advantages. To the lynch mob who want to rail about the above statements, my only response is, please first try it for yourself and find out. In your favorite amplifier deign try both an audio SMPS and a good linear PSU, then report back and share your own findings.

I have a Nuprime Evolution STA here right now and like it a lot. It uses a dual mono linear PSU basically, which is a good thing IME. There are other important aspects as well of course but, considering the price especially I really don't know how you would beat it in the class D world. The sound has a lot of pleasing audio meat on the bone so to speak and is clear and transparent and quite good overall. It also switches at a higher than usual freq and it uses Muses devices where appropriate which is also a very good thing IME. Speaking from personal experience, you might consider that as well:

https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/evolution-sta/

Thanks, TEK

 

[Holmz]

Soo-eee Mister Pig! I'd like to share a few things here; feel free to ignore as you will

I do have quite a bit of personal experience with really good sounding power amp design by now. That said, of the several things that generally kind of hold class D back is, many designs use a generic (more or less) SMPS PSU. I really wish that was sufficient to get the best audio results, but unfortunately the audible reality is that it simply isn't. If it was, believe me we'd all be using it as it has a lot of other very significant advantages. To the lynch mob who want to rail about the above statements, my only response is, please first try it for yourself and find out. In your favorite amplifier deign try both an audio SMPS and a good linear PSU, then report back and share your own findings.

I have a Nuprime Evolution STA here right now and like it a lot. It uses a dual mono linear PSU basically, which is a good thing IME. There are other important aspects as well of course but, considering the price especially I really don't know how you would beat it in the class D world. The sound has a lot of pleasing audio meat on the bone so to speak and is clear and transparent and quite good overall. It also switches at a higher than usual freq and it uses Muses devices where appropriate which is also a very good thing IME. Speaking from personal experience, you might consider that as well:

https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/evolution-sta/

Thanks, TEK

I can see in a low feedback design how we are essentially listening to the power supply.
But in a high feedback design like a Class-D is that as much of an issue?

 

[Republicoftexas69]

a pair of monoblocks from Purifi's range. Look at the Premium Eigentakt Purifi 1ET9040BA from either Buckeye or Apollon

Purifis are nice, I have both Purifi as well as GaNfets in my home. Like them both...

 

[Anton D]

Pardon my impending blasphemy...

Those JBLs are quite sensitive, 94dB.

I like Nelson Pass' idea that mostly we listen to the first watt an amplifier puits out more than we listen to anyof the other watts.

With your sensitivity, make this a game.

Check out one (or more) of those almost free amps from SMSL, Fosi, Aiyima...all essentially cost free.

See how their first watt sounds. With your speakers' sensitivity, you will loads of headroom, as well.

If you don't dig 'em, gift 'em. Like I said, in the realm of Hi Fi these are cost free. Amps from all 3 add up to less than a bottle of many wines.

I'm not saying these are end game toys, just fun playthings for 'seeing' what you think.

Our audiophile club does shoot outs and an 80 dollar SMSL amp was preferred over some surprising competition in one weekend of madness.

Apologies for my high end heresy. Not saying these babies will usurp the throne, but it gives a good reference.

Can I keep my audiophile card?

 

[Ron Resnick]

I think anyone interested in a Class D amplifier should start with Ralph's Atma-Sphere Class D amps. Any decades-long tube amplifier manufacturer who risks torpedoing his OTL tube amplifier business by railing against SET amplifiers specifically and to some extent by implication tube amplifiers in general to promote his Class D amps must be onto something.

 

[Ron Resnick]

This may come as a shock to some -- it certainly came as a shock to me -- but I am prepared to recommend a Class D amplifier. I listened over the weekend for several hours to Laiv Class D GanFET amps. These things are $4,500 a pair, about the size of a container of Pepperidge Farm cookies and weigh only a few pounds.

Don and I went to Jim Yager's house. Jim has the giant PBN M777 loudspeakers, ARC REF 10 line stage and Soul Note phono/optical, Acoustic Signature Montana turntable and DS Audio optical cartridge.

Jim feels and Don feels that these tiny Class D amps are the best amplifiers Jim has had in his system, beating vintage Mark Levinson, ARC amps, Jadis JA30s, Luxman, Canary and Lamm hybrids.

I am reserving my judgment until I get a direct comparison with the Lamm hybrids, which heretofore are my favorites in Jim's system. But I agree with them that these very inexpensive, tiny amps sound inexplicably good.

 

[Alsatian]

The AGD amps are also worth checking out.

Disclosure: I own the AGD Duets.

 

[Kingrex]

This may come as a shock to some -- it certainly came as a shock to me -- but I am prepared to recommend a Class D amplifier. I listened over the weekend for several hours to Laiv Class D GanFET amps. These things are $5,400 a pair, about the size of a container of Pepperidge Farm cookies and weigh only a few pounds.

Don and I went to Jim Yager's house. Jim has the giant PBN M777 loudspeakers, ARC REF 10 line stage, Soul Note phono/optical, Acoustic Signature Montana turntable and DS Audio optical cartridge.

Jim feels and Don feels that these tiny Class D amps are the best amplifiers Jim has had in his system, beating vintage Mark Levinson, ARC amps, Jadis JA30s, Luxman, Canary and Lamm hybrids.

I am reserving my judgment until I get a direct comparison with the Lamm hybrids, which heretofore are my favorites in Jim's system. But I agree with them that these cheap, tiny amps sound inexplicably good.

Wow. Big endorsement.

 

[Holmz]

Pardon my impending blasphemy...

Those JBLs are quite sensitive, 94dB.

I like Nelson Pass' idea that mostly we listen to the first watt an amplifier puits out more than we listen to anyof the other watts.

With your sensitivity, make this a game.

Check out one (or more) of those almost free amps from SMSL, Fosi, Aiyima...all essentially cost free.

See how their first watt sounds. With your speakers' sensitivity, you will loads of headroom, as well.

If you don't dig 'em, gift 'em. Like I said, in the realm of Hi Fi these are cost free. Amps from all 3 add up to less than a bottle of many wines.

I'm not saying these are end game toys, just fun playthings for 'seeing' what you think.

Our audiophile club does shoot outs and an 80 dollar SMSL amp was preferred over some surprising competition in one weekend of madness.

Apologies for my high end heresy. Not saying these babies will usurp the throne, but it gives a good reference.

Can I keep my audiophile card?

Correct.
I got a topping as well as an AIYAMA via Amazon.

The Topping hissed out of the box like a basket of snakes at a Pentecostal revival.
But the AIYAMA sounded pretty good.
Certainly $70 good.
And well worth it to get a system running.
Amazon got the Topping back in a return box.

I still having it powering some surround channels.

Ralph’s amps were on the radar, but there is about 20dB$ of a difference between the $70 AIYAMA and those amps.
I might move it out to the garage/shed once I get a shelf set up.

 

[Tuckers]

Here is a review of the Atma-Spheres by Greg Weaver. I'm very happy he did this review!

I've owned the Atma-Spheres for a couple of years now. And I've also had a classic Purifi amp as well. I have very efficient 98db speakers. Both amps sounded great with them, and were dead quiet. Among the quietest amps I've had. They also did harmonics and tonality well. The Atma-Sphere does very wide fairly deep soundstaging. I am not an ultimate judge of layering though, you'd have to ask someone else about that. I love them though.

My system components had moved up quite a few rungs of performance since I got them, and the Class Ds have scaled right along with them. I've not felt they are holding back my system in any way.

However, I do really want to try these LAIV Class D amps too!

 

[Ron Resnick]

I've owned the Atma-Spheres for a couple of years now. And I've also had a classic Purifi amp as well. I have very efficient 98db speakers. Both amps sounded great with them, and were dead quiet. Among the quietest amps I've had. They also did harmonics and tonality well. The Atma-Sphere does very wide fairly deep soundstaging. I am not an ultimate judge of layering though, you'd have to ask someone else about that. I love them though.

My system components had moved up quite a few rungs of performance since I got them, and the Class Ds have scaled right along with them. I've not felt they are holding back my system in any way.

However, I do really want to try these LAIV Class D amps too!

Hi John!

I didn't realize you had these!

To which tube amps have you compared them directly in your own system?

 

[DasguteOhr]

Electron audio ion mono amps tube inputstage e88cc 250 watts 8ohms/ 500watts 4ohms class d
Exsample video