Time to buy a class D amp?
Will some new class D amplifiers outperforming the current ones appear soon
(the newest ones i know were released a few years ago)?
Class D amps attract me as I consider them the most ecological ones with obvious non-auditionable benefits.
I have no doubts that they posses the maximum ratio performance/sound quality among the amplifiers of all classes.
At the same time, the sound quality the class D amplifiers that I have auditioned produce, although is quite good,
but not yet ideal (for my taste).
I use PS Audio Stellar S300 amp with PS audio Gain Cell pre/DAC with Thiel CS 3.6 speakers in one of my systems.
The sound is ok (deep bass, clear soundstage) but not perfect (a bit bright and somehow dry, lacking warmness which might be more or less ok for rock but not for jazz music).
I wonder if there are softer sounding class D amps with the same or better details and resolution. Considering two reasonable (as to the budget) choices for test, Red Dragon S500 and Digital Audio Company's
Cherry 2 (or Maraschino monoblocks), did anybody compare these two?
If I may just a thought to keep in mind. The newer Low Mass amps give remarkable performance, but as with all things sometimes (most of the time) changes require system changes as a whole. Converting from higher mass to lower is a big change. For one thing a growth in soundstage that can easily double and more, when system setup is done correctly. enjoy Michael |
Ralph Karsten of Atmosphere was granted a patent on Class D architecture, https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=10469042&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnp... |
I did not understand what kind of patent is this as class D amps are widely used for already more than a decade. Meanwhile, I have some class D updates and can share my first (still superficial) impressions on a class D Cherry MEGAschino amp (a demo stereo version). I got it recently from Tommy O from DAC (Digital Audio Company) together with a (demo) DAC SHV 2 with volume control. Let me note that MEGAschino is not a typical representative of class D: it is quite heavy (about 20 kilos), not as small, it does get hot (not extremely hot) and costs a few times more than an average class D amp. So nice characteristics of a class D amp are not present in this amp, which is based on a module designed by the same company (DAC). At the same time, it gives a detailed, clear non-wax and non-frozen music reproduction. I can even say that the sound quality is more alive and detailed than that of may class AB amps, a surprise for me. Roughly, it sounds like a good solid state class A amp while gets less hot and is still less heavy. Again, these are my first impressions that might be completed or/and altered later. At the same time, i am not impressed with DAC SHV 2 (about $1500 new). It has a single digital input. As a (passive) preamplifier, it was not so efficient with MEGA -- the sound had no dynamics. As a DAC, it is slightly better than PS Audio Gain Cell (slightly more soundstage and definition), but Gain Cell costs the same and is also a real preamplifier (with enough number of digital inputs, several line inputs, coaxial, optical, USB etc). Currently I use $650 Nuprime HPA 9 headphone amp with MEGA as a preamplifier, with very positive results (although HPA 9 is class A). My desire to stay in class D is not (yet) fulfilled. Though in terms of ratio performance/price MEGAschino may not beat other class D amps, in absolute terms, it is a very good sounding amplifier. I hope I will stay with it in my main system. |
