Digital Amps vs Solid State Amps

Is that the same Sinclair who was involved in early computers?
'X-10'.....Hmmmm wasn't that revived by BSR with the home remote thing?
Was Sinclair involved with that TOO?

Magfan - I remember in late 70's Timex/Sinclair computer with BASIC interpreter and keypad with direct commands. Whole thing was running on Z80 Zilog processor. It had 1kB of RAM but you could extend it with external plug in module. I played fascinating game of table tennis on that thing for many hours.

I'm thinkin' thats the one. My friend built one from a kit.
It was really small......certainly smaller than cigar box size.

The same guy later helped CLOSE Zilog up in Idaho after working there for over a decade. They closed maybe 4 or 5 years ago, tops.
I've worked in semiconductor processing as far back as when Western Digital made its own silicon. The first 'floppy' I ever saw was dinner plate size....8"

Hi,

I've owned the Pass XA 100.5 mono amps for a little over a year, but recently sold them. I've also owned H2O Audio class D amps for a long time, and am currently using H2O mono amps to drive my Avalon speakers. So, I have compared both these amps directly with my speakers and have also listened to both amps extensively with the Magico V2 speakers. The verdict? They are both great when set up within the right system.

I think both the Pass and the H2O amps sound wonderful but in different ways, and my preference comes down to system matching. The Pass XA.5 amps have a full, warm sound with a glorious midrange and very smooth high frequencies, and sounded beautiful with the Avalons. However, the Pass amps don't have the control in the low end that class D amps generally exhibit.

The H2O mono amps don't flesh out the midrange as much as the Pass amps do, but they are still wonderfully liquid sounding through the midrange. They can be amazingly good sounding in the right system. I preferred them to the Pass when mated with the Magico V2.

Alan

Hello Alan,

While I myself own class D amplifiers (Spectron) and enjoy them immensely (with carerfully matched associate equipment) I absolutely diagree with your statement:

"...the Pass amps don't have the control in the low end that class D amps generally exhibit. "

What you observed is simply power matching of amplifier to the speakers it must drive (and control). If you would try Pass XA 200.5 or their more power power amp (if exists) you would write exactly opposite.