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What is your favorite Class D amp?

Moving to a new home with a smaller dedicated listening room has caused me to rethink my entire system.  I have always been a fan of EL34 tube amps and presently have a Primaluna HP (4 tubes per channel), but the size and heat make this a bit more difficult in my new set up.  So I have been thinking about going with a smaller, less hot class D amp.  But being a tube guy, I have never seriously looked into or listen to these amps.

so what is your favorite class D amp?  New or used, in the 5k range, but could go up to 10k.  Preamp is a Conrad Johnson ET-7.  Speaker will be in the monitor/mini-monitor class (so I don’t need high power for a smallish room) but have not made my final decision on speakers as the amp/speaker synergy makes this kind of a joint decision.

I purposely asked for “favorite” to be a bit more open in your relies.

thanks, Bill

meiatflask
marco1's avatar
marco1
705 posts
 

I use tube power amps during the cooler/colder months of the year but during the summer it just gets too hot for too many tubes in my small listening room.  One of my tube amps is the Atma-Sphere S30.  I also use an Atma-Sphere tube preamp, so a logical progression (at least in my mind) was using the Atma-Sphere Class D mono blocks during the summer  Depending upon who you talk to the AS Class D amps sound just like tubes.  I wouldn’t go that far but the Class D amps do sound very similar to the S30.  If you do go Class D, a big part of the equation is a tube preamp.  I also have an EL34 tube amp so knowing what type of sound you like, I think something similar to my Class D setup could satisfy your heat dilemma.

bluorion
522 posts
 

I've owned Bel Canto which were really good---lots of good clean power. No heat and small footprint. Let us know what you get.

goleksiak
75 posts
 

I'm very happy with my AGD Duets.

helomech
2,001 posts
 

As Class D goes, the best I have tried is the Axxess Forté 1 integrated. Its distortion is second order dominant, therefore it does sound similar to some tube prducts. That said, I still prefer good ol’ class A and tubes to any of the many class D amps I’ve owned. I am doubtful any existing class D product can emulate that “lit from within” midrange you get from a good EL34 amp. 

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