Class D for a Tube Lover

Following up on my new(used) NAD M32. So far, it betters my last DAC/amp combo, the PS Audio DSD DAC + M700 monos. It does so many things right (insert a long string of audiophile descriptors here) and very few things wrong - in fact, nothing to my ears, yet. It is not *warm* but I agree with JA in Stereophile, "[...]what emerged as a consistent signature was a clean, clear quality of sound that stepped out of the music’s way[...]" and "Highly recommended." Purchased for $2450 used, and SafeandSound (a NAD authorized dealer) sometimes has refurbished ones available.

I will be another to recommend the obvious: tubed input stage, Class D output. Rogue and PS Audio do it, and I’m sure some others in what seems to be a growing trend. Or a Class A input, Class D output as an option. Just FYI, I bought the Musical Fidelity amp mentioned earlier and found it brighter than the Class D Teac A-H01 it was supposed to replace (tho the MF had very energetic sound, a nice amp). Just remember that your ears and preferences are yours alone, so maybe get some ideas from others and find the one that suits you. 

I do not have a great frame of reference for this but I added my new D-Sonic amp to my RAAL SR1a headphone system yesterday. The system is composed of the following gear, AudioMirror Tubadour III SE tube DAC | Benchmark HPA4 preamp | D-Sonic m3a-800s.

https://www.d-sonic.com/product/m3a-800s-stereo-amplifier/

I do not plan on using the D-Sonic on my floor standers since I do not have speaker wire that is long enough for a stereo amp (need monos).

However, with the SR1a, which is something that needs taming on the top end. The D-Sonic performed way better than my reference Benchmark AHB2 amp with the SR1a. If 100/100 means 0 fatigue, the AHB2 had 50/100 in the fatigue factor with the gear mentioned above, the D-Sonic was about 90/100. I am very impressed by this amp.

The D-Sonic is definitely a little warmer than the AHB2 which is what I wanted. The power and detail retrieval were exemplary, especially the power provided to the SR1a. On some albums with prominent percussion I thought the sound was more powerful than I have ever heard before on these albums (Signals and Distant Early Warning by RUSH)

For the SR1a system, I will be replacing the HPA4 with the warmer yet CODA 07x preamp and I think that will be the winning combo. The Benchmark gear stays with the floor stander, no fatigue with that speaker and the Benchmark.

Hi my friend! Don't by a used Class D amp. They are all made before the newest and best generation of Class D amps were developed. You can buy new for under $1400. If you catch a "sale" price, even less. The big deal is that Class D amps have finally come to fulfill the promise of the concept. The new generation are really a lot more like AM radio transmitters than a conventional audio amps. Once some fellows who understood UHF and radar gear turned their attention to audio, amazing things began to happen. Purifi Audio (Denmark) now produces an output module that is wining acclaim in other people's products. Starke Sound (USA) offers a complete, ready to go, four channel amp (perfect for two way speakers used with electronic crossovers) that is not tiny and cute, no chrome, no sculptured casework, uses a conventional power supply, is big and heavy, and sings like a bird. To me, the Purifi and the Starke sound nearly identical, and as good or better than anything I ever heard. If anything, the Starke may be very slightly sweeter on the top end. Very.

To paraphrase Meredith Wilson, either amp will, "Grab your woofers, grab your tweeters, in the arms of a dominating irresistible grip and deliver the clearest, cleanest music you have heard in your home." I admit that's a pretty outrageous paraphrase, but it gets the point across, without resorting to "techie" talk. It is the music we want to hear, isn't it?

What amazes me the most is how whatever speaker I drive with either amp, they sound very similar. I have about 12 sets of speakers in the house to play with (and a very tolerant wife), DIY and commercial (Shahanian, Wharfdale, Golden Ear, Spika, a couple more, bookshelfs & floorstanders, There is not a wide difference in "flavor" between them. The amps CONTROL the speaker. These amps are switching tiny bits of 100+ volt "juice" into the voice coils. No speaker can fail to respond to that! And the amps, through the use of large amounts of feedback (the Purifi module has only 13 db of gain), can detect and correct any errors the speaker makes almost instantaneously. The result is extremely low noise, extremely low distortion sound from whatever speakers you are using. Of course, quality matters; but these new Class D designs will get the most from any speaker connected to them. Read the reviews. Best of all, the Starke AD4.320 (four channels, bridgeable at the flip of a switch, phono & balanced inputs, sells for under $1400, brand new, delivered to your home. It's worth a try. The NAD M33 is about $5000.Easy choice? I am interested in the best sound for the money. Ah well, that’s all for now. Happy Listening.

The small and mighty AGD AUDION GaN monoblocks. They changed the way I look at class D. I could write at length about them but as a class A/SET lover, I hold them on the same hollowed ground. Never thought I’d be expressing that sentiment about class D...These are keepers.