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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
sidog1460's avatar
sidog1460
79 posts
 

I was able to try out a pair of Merrill Veritas amps which sell for around $3500-$6000 on resale market depending on condition and add on’s. I compared it to a tube amp that cost $17k and although I preferred the tube amp, the Veritas have it a run for it money. Very transparent, powerful and musical but compared to the tube amp too sterile. Definitely made me want to checkout the higher end Merrill amps.

llatpohf
3 posts
 

The PS Audio Stellar S300 is a fantastic amplifier.

j-wall's avatar
j-wall
395 posts
 

I literally sold my Primaluna Dialogue Premium mono blocks and went to Atmosphere monoblocks due to heat in a small upstairs bedroom. Definitely a move in the right direction and sound is amazing. Don't think I could ask for transparency, detail.and very slight warmth in any other way. Heat is eliminated and I leave them on most the time. Fantastic amps, spend the money. 

soix
11,233 posts
 

I had both of these amplifiers. I preferred the AGD, which to my taste had a more natural sound. It’s good to remember that all of these impressions are quite subjective!

@peter_s  Can you elaborate more on the differences between the two amps?  Which AGD amps did/do you have?  Thanks for thoughts. 

peter_s
1,439 posts
 

@soix I had, and still have, the Audions. at the time, they had the MKII amplifier modules in them, and now they have the MKIII. I remember feeling like the audions were more delicate and nuanced, whereas the AS had a bit more of a brute force sound. I also did not like the fact that my AS amplifiers had a mechanical transformer hum. But that is not a sound quality thing.

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