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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
jimbennet
193 posts
 

 

aimosphere quote is TOTALLY BOGUS! Distortion is 1% at full power out. Spec is at bottom of page. His quote below.

atmasphere’s avatar

atmasphere

12,294 posts

 

"@jimbennet If you think it sounds as good or measures as well you’re fooling yourself. Look up the specs on the chip it uses and you’ll see: 10% THD at full power. From Texas Instruments data sheet on the TPA3255".

Spec:

Total Output Power at 1%THD+N

– 260-W Stereo into 4 Ωin BTL Configuration

– 150-W Stereo into 8 Ωin BTL Configuration

– 480-W Mono into 2 Ωin PBTL Configuration

Ya, it does sound good! What is the bad news is he has never heard the amp and the Muses02 op-amp upgrade increases performance. Disgusting post folks as he never heard the amp...

erik_squires
17,543 posts
 

@jimbennet - 

Two things, one, your tone really is not conducive to friendly updates and constructive replies.  Second, let me quote directly from the TPA 3255-Q1 data  sheet: 

 

TPA3255-Q1 is a high performance class-D power
amplifier that enables true premium sound quality
with class-D efficiency. It features an advanced
integrated feedback design and proprietary high-
speed gate driver error correction (PurePath™ Ultra-
HD). This technology allows ultra low distortion
across the audio band and superior audio quality.
The device is operated in AD-mode, and can drive up
to 2 x 315 W into 4-Ω load at 10% THD 

kerrybh
676 posts
 

For those interested, I recommend a video just posted on YouTube by Audioholic concerning How Class D works and the current state of its progress. His videos are generally instructive, and I think anyone interested in Class D would find it worthwhile. His conclusions might challenge some of our stereotypes, but that's a good thing. 

devinplombier
1,657 posts
 

@jimbennet 

@atmasphere 

@erik_squires 

All of you guys are selectively quoting facts in an attempt to mislead one another.

Here is what the TPA3255 datasheet actually says:

Power output per channel

RL = 4 Ω, 10% THD+N 315 W

RL = 4 Ω, 1% THD+N 255 W

RL = 8 Ω, 10% THD+N 180 W

RL = 8 Ω, 1% THD+N 150 W

So, all your dueling quotes were correct. And all were taken out of context in an attempt to win a dumb argument that never existed in the first place, although to be fair @jimbennet only claimed 60wpc when he first brought up the amp, and that appears well within the chip’s capabilities, at low distortion.

TPA3255’s THD+N is only .006% @ 1 kHz @  1W https://www.ti.com/product/TPA3255-Q1

At least Texas Instruments (the maker of the $12 TPA3255) know what they’re talking about.

 

erik_squires
17,543 posts
 

All of you guys are selectively quoting facts in an attempt to mislead one another.

@devinplombier - See, here I was trying to steer this conversation into a more constructive form that gentlemen would recognize.  Accusing me of attempting to mislead anyone has no fact behind it, rude and inflammatory without reason for it. 

I'm sure you could have pointed out the same data without attributing a deliberate attempt to mislead anyone.  

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