Chip amps, not spoken about much, except on the diy sites.


I will try and make this a reasonable amount of reading for you all, while keeping it real. I also feel blessed, that the speakers I live with and enjoy so much, can be driven with any amp on the planet.......I consider myself an ampoholic, and in the last 5 years or so, I have been listening and evaluating all of my treasured amps to determine what I will not listen to anymore ( this after buying my 1st Nuforce STA200 ). 15 months ago, I came across an ad here for a Dalaudio Retro 4780, and contacted the seller through email ( what a super member, being a pleasant and easy transaction, on so many levels ). I was intrigued, for a few reasons. 1st, all this talk about class D; 2nd, I have not seen many chip amps for sale by owners ( except diy ); 3rd, I had 1st hand experience with the " Gainclone " amp and it’s Humpty power supply in ’98 /’99 ( I believe that was the time ). 4th, as my amp collection was getting smaller, I was experiencing an emptiness within me. Many reasons for that, with covid being one. 5th, wanted to try something new. 6th, and of course, all of the online and yt reviewers, whom I will not discuss, because of politics. So, after I received the chip amp, and living with it for a few weeks, it went back into my inventory, replaced with another. So, returning home after spending a nice VsD with my gf, I connected the Dal again ( all the while, I did my complete chassis damping thing to it, as it needed it badly ), and it has been playing in my main rig, since then. My thoughts................... Holy Mama ! More to come. Enjoy ! MrD.

mrdecibel

Chip amps, not spoken about much, except on the diy sites.

This is because in most cases they don't have the power to drive all loudspeakers. 25 or 50 watts into 8 ohms doesn't always get the job done. 

russ69, there is also very many high powered chip amps out there too.  The only high powered one I heard was from Channel Islands and it was very good.

 

Mostly, I feel that these chip amps really benefit from a tube preamp in front of it.

Interesting amplifier, ASR only got 23 watts at 8 ohms.  Less than half its rated power, and only midfield on their spread of different amps and SINAD.  Can't meet specs yet recommended?

Are not chip amps sort of gong the other way as far as reducing the amount of component in the signal chain? I'm saying this as a chip usually has hundreds of components on it even thought they are very small. 

Its an interesting question a friend and I were discussing, when we were thinking about them as a potential DYI build. 

Glenn:

Think some designers were aiming @ reducing the length of the signal path up to the point @ which it feeds to the speaker outputs.

Even the location of the volume pot(s) and switches were taken into account.

DeKay