CLASS D MONO AMPS buy ATMASPHERE MUSIC SYSTEMS

People, forget about Hypex, Purifi, et al.

The obvious point of comparison/competition here is the AGD Tempo di Gan.

Consider this.

Atmasphere: proprietary GaNFET module, 100W into 8, 200W into 4, $5400.

AGD: proprietary GaNFET module, 100W into 8, 200W into 4, $5500.

If anybody could get both amps in the same room at the same time, then they would really have my attention.

People, forget about Hypex, Purifi, et al.
 

Why? They are the current state of the art in class d amplification.

@kuribo From the website -

The Class D amp has the same kind of distortion signature {as tube amps}, but at a much lower level.

This, to me, is reasonably unambiguous. From what I understand of Hypex and Purifi (and others, of course) amplifiers, they make no such claim about harmonics. I suspect measurements may confirm this. I’d bet on it.

No, Hypex and Purifi are more concerned with producing a wire with gain, free from any coloration, tube like or otherwise. Their measurements bear this out as the harmonics, etc., are buried below audibility. If the maker of this amp provides similar measurements, we can make that assessment.

@twoleftears  That AGD price is for the stereo unit.    The Atmasphere are monos.

The AGD monos (Audion in satin)  are $7500. 

But even then, one coould speculate.....The question is how much of the difference in price is due to the bling factor and other stuff - the AGD bloke reckons somewhere that the cost associated with sticking a small city into the KT88 tubes is significant..  I'm not surprised.

Compare the pics, if you may, at you leisure.

@kuribo If the maker of this amp provides similar measurements, we can make that assessment.

But Ralph specifically says that his amp does have 2nd and 3rd harmonics at some level..

If I’m interested in buying a car that is grey, I don’t even think to bother the dude who is selling a red car for details about it.  That’s just me. I can’t speak for we.

But if I did wish to ask about why the red car is so much better than a dull grey car, I would do so politely and with due respect for the red's superiority.

Here are the facts that Kuribo/ASR miss.

1. No amp has ever passed straight wire bypass testing.

2. All Purifi amps sound different.....based on their input stages, power supplies, wires used, connectors used, damping ,etc. etc.........yet, they will all measure about the same.....with all these different parts and execution.  So, if you can change and improve the sound of an amp without affecting its distortion measurements.....this actually proves that measurements by themselves are really not that important to really KNOWING what an amp sounds like.

3. No one who has listened to a bunch of serious amps has ever declared a Purifi based amp is the best amp in the world.

4. The Benchmark amp also measures like ASR people want.  It has its own sound (improved by using audiophile fuse in it) and again, no one would say it is state of the art that has listened to many high priced serious amps.  On Jay's thread right now there is a guy who just listened to 4 different amps and the Benchmark was not the best.

5. Discrete op amps do not generally measure quite as good as integrated circuit op amps.  VTV sells a version of their Purifi based amp that you can interchange various op amps on its input....including integrated circuit ones.  The discrete ones just plain sound better and each brand of discrete op amp sounds different from every other one.

6. Static standard distortion measurements do NOT tell you how transparent (like a striaght wire with gain) an amp is.  This fact alone does not resonate with measurement obsessed people.  The only way to know how transparent an amp is......is to listen to it.  Listening rules....measurements are just a mild indicator of something....nothing else.

Here is another factoid.  You cannot change anyones addiction by stating truth.  In order to stop your addiction, you have to admit you are addicted......the ego does not like to be WRONG.  I am sure Kuribo will fire back with his usual response.  We have played this game before.

The dance of truth versus ignorance is an eternal dance.  On every level there is truth......and on some level eveything is true.  So, hopefully, we can speak our truth in peace without making someone else wrong.  People are beautiful.....but sometimes we think and act out of alignment with our beauty.  This is called "being human"......However, we are also divine and can re-align with our beauty at any moment......we make the call.....every breath we take can be filled with joy or whatever else you choose.....choose wisely my friends.

The mind is a "make wrong machine"........the heart is a "make beautiful kissy thang"

I send you all big wet kisses.