@georgehifi… every single thread around this topic you bring up Wilson Alexias. Every, single, one. You describe the load of the Alexia as a 1 ohm load etc etc, and basically anything but a bi-polar amp, namely a Gryphon, has little to no chance of driving them. Your assertion is based on a discussion you had with John Atkinson on the original Alexia tests where he showed the load just under 2 ohms at 80hz with a -45° phase angle. Challenging load, but not crazy, and it is the load as specified by Wilson. However, you mentioned another test (that you pull your figures from) as the “evil” load you ALWAYS mention. Perhaps you should go back and read that original article where John challenges and disproves this test and states why. You failed to answer that post in the article, yet you continue to drive the narrative. Overall, I could really careless, but others might look to this, not read the article and thus not buy or perhaps overlook the Alexia. Time to pick another whipping post speaker. BTW, my Alexias are driven with Pass XA60.5’s currently, and not until about 90db does the needle even begin to fluctuate showing the amp reaching into the AB realm. The amps cruise along running about 50°c and don’t even blink. The Alexia, at 90db efficiency do require a bit of grunt, but are not the near impossible load you assert.
Class A amps
I've read a few articles on class A amps but still don't have a good understanding of how it affects sound quality. I've even seen amps which can be swithced into class A mode or AB. Does anyone have experience with this type of unit? Does class A have a true audible advantage or can it be detected only by test instruments? If it is audible, in what resepects? Thanks, Rick M.
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Because they are a classic for a heavy load on the amp even though efficient, and have been documented and measured in many article’s with graphs just for you. And if your driving them with a Pass XA60.5 sure they’ll work, but I can guarantee you, that you have not heard them at their best. Because the owner of the Alexia’s had the XA160 (mosfet) and it sounded good but they were quickly replaced by the Gryphon Antillion (bi-polar) once he heard the difference. Don’t think there’s a chance that would happen, care to name the Class-D amp you think would better the Gryphon Antillion? Cheers George |
I submit the Legacy i.V4 Ultra for comparison to the Gryphon Antillion. The i.V4 Ultra is the best class D I have used, so that would be my choice. I know you consider Pass Labs products as well designed, as do I. Yet, 3 Pass Labs amps, including the $42K Pass XA200.8 Monos, and the First Watt J2, all were bested by the i.V4 Ultra. I discuss this in my review at Dagogo.com. All of those falling to the Legacy i.V4 Ultra would sufficiently falsify your statement, "A great designed class-A solid state cannot be bettered." Has anyone done this comparison (Legacy Audio i.V4 Ultra vs. Gryphon Antillion) in multiple systems? I would build approximately 8-12 systems to see how the amps would react across a spectrum of components and speaker genres. It’s not uncommon for an amp or other components such as pre, DAC, etc. to swap places to a degree, depending upon the ancillary components and cables used. It is quite possible that the comparison would end in a draw, where there were roughly equal appealing performance characteristics to each amp. No one knows apart form a comparison. "Don’t think there’s a chance..." Thank you for your opinion. Opinions apart from actual comparisons are not too important to me. :) |
I know you consider Pass Labs products as well designedYes they are, and that’s where it ends for me, much prefer the sound of Nelson’s Threshold amps he designed using bi-polar outputs. I don’t like the sound of Mosfet output amps, and that they don’t drive very low impedances as like the great bi-polars can, like Class-D also has diminishing performance well below 4ohms as well. I submit the Legacy i.V4 Ultra for comparison to the Gryphon Antillion. They’re just IcePower 1200 modules https://icepower.dk/buy/as-series/1200as1/ maybe with a couple of mods. Your a very game man putting up an IcePower 4ch Class-D ( 610 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 1,000 watts into 4 ohms peak current 38A😴) They never seem to show 2ohm specs for Class-D as it usually ***** itself A Gryphon Antillion https://gryphon-audio.dk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ANTILEON_1.jpg even though lower in 8ohm wattage nails the Icepower, (150 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 300w into 4ohm, 600w into 2ohm, and 1200 watts per channel into 1 ohm, 5000w!!!! peak per channel into 1/2ohm ohm peak current over 100amps)😵 a very game man indeed. "A "great designed" class-A solid state cannot be bettered." |
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