Erik, accuracy means smooth, clarity, period. That is the real thing. Luxman SS or most other tubes sound buttery because they roll off HF. They subtract information. That is not desirable for musicians like me who want to hear as much musical content at all frequencies as possible.
What going fully Class D has taught me.
Over the past year I’ve been working on a project to transform my main L and R 2-way speakers to active 3 way by adding a woofer tower with a 3-channel plate amp underneath. This project is finally completed. My Luxman integrated now sits dark and disconnected.
The plate amps are made by Hypex, though I have previously used ICEpower based amps as well.
What I can confidently say is that the old Class D memes have no reason to exist anymore. I can also say I miss my Luxman sound for music.
I’ve done this swap before. I went from Parasound to ICEpower to Luxman, and while I really liked the Luxman sound I was still compelled to attempt a new speaker / amp project. Many of my objectives have been met. Very low distortion, high dynamic range, excellent off-axis response and seamless integration. It sounds very transparent, and realistic for movies. The low distortion makes high volume listening deceptive. You don't realize how loud it is because there's absolutely no distortion. Some of t
What am I missing? The liquid smooth midrange, buttery treble of the Luxman, which was the main reason I went from Class-D to it in the first place. What I don’t have is all the normal tropes that used to float around here about how bad Class D sounds. It doesn’t, it actually sounds really good. What I need now is a juicy smooth two preamp with HT bypass.
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@Viber6 - While I can understand your complaints about tube systems rolling off HF, that's not supported by the measurements of Luxman SS.
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I kind of did the same thing, but with a Yamaha integrated. My DAC is a Bel Canto e1x fed into the A-S2200, then the Class D bug hit and I was about to buy the e1x amp, but decided to try one of the Hypex Nilai DIY kits the Stereo 500. The Nilai has fantastic bass and absolutely no distortion, I let it run for a week and hoped the highs and the mids would get better. After a week I popped the Yamaha back in and the glorious mids and highs were back, The Nilai seemed dark compared to the integrated. The Nilai seemed to roll off the HF and for a guy that can't hear over 12kHz that surprised me. |
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I own four Class D systems. I live in the desert so waste heat from audio equipment adds to my HVAC bill. Digital based amps are also vastly more space efficient. The technology is mature. Plus there is nexus between DC amp draw and bass that digital meets easily. I am sensitive to smells also so hot Class AB circuit boards would prevent me from sniffing my wine. |
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