New Class D amplifiers

I’m a tube head and never warmed to many Class D amps. But, as time went on and I heard more Class D offerings that and began to find them sonically appealing.

About a year ago, I bought a "summer amp" to substitute in for my tube amps during the heat of the summer. I tried a Ken Ishiwata voiced Marantz reference Ruby integrated. It sounds as good as several of my tube amps, and better than a few well known names. It doesn’t beat my 48 watt SET 805 Class A amp, but it’s really, really, good. I hate to list the tube amps that the Marantz beat in my system.

I think the key to Class D is voicing by the designer. I’ve tried several other Class D amps that sounded a bit too dry and lacked warmth and life.

@wrm57, I just sold my Pass XA30.8 after purchasing the AtmaSphere Monos.  I like a few things better with each amp, and more than not I find they sounded pretty similar.  Of all the other SS amps I've tried against my Pass amps I find the AtmaSphere the closest in terms of smoothness, warmth, and lack of fatigue.

In the end, two 14 pound boxes and zero heat swayed the decision...  Packaging and shipping the Pass (106 pounds boxed and that is the baby of the family) was not fun :)

@ddafoe , glad you found the Atmas to your taste. No doubt your back and energy bill will be as happy as your ears. Smooth and warm are the characteristics I most recall from my brief time with them, which left me wanting more air and sparkle. But that’s my ears, my system, of course.

I'm in the Hypex and Purifi camp, Bruno Putzeys is a wizard.  I have the March Audio P502 and it's been a high wattage wonder in driving my inefficient Maggies and Vandies.  Wonderful detail and clarity, and driving bass to get the toes tapping and the emotions rolling.  Dead silent, no noise whatsoever.  March has gone all Purifi, can't go wrong there, currently I would get the P422 stereo power amp.  Love the compact chassis, build quality and efficiency.  IME separates are nicer than an integrated, just got the Topping Pre90 not too long ago and that's all the pre you'll ever need, wonderful relay-based volume control, a bargain, and the drive of all balanced connections is great.  Alternatives to March are Audiophonics and VTV, who offer Hypex and Purifi based amps.

 I most recall from my brief time with them, which left me wanting more air and sparkle. But that’s my ears, my system, of course.

@wrm57, yea that is one of the differences I heard between the AtmaSphere and the XA30.8.   I found the Pass to offer a little more detail/resolution, or at least present things in a more forward way compared to the AtmaSphere.   In the high frequencies I did find my Pass offered more 'sparkle' and maybe more finesse in the small details overall.   With a handful of other amps I've compared with either a X250.8 or XA30.8 it was always the other amps offering a little more detail over the Pass, so its strange for me to hear a solid state amp that presents a more laid back presentation than the Pass.   AtmaSphere does specialize in tube amps after all :) 

I switched between both amps a few times and its not like the general details are missing, its just they are more detailed and noticeable with the Pass, where the AtmaSphere seems to paint the overall sound with a wider brush and maybe has a little more color/fullness (think meat-on-the-bones) sound.    My speakers are pretty detailed and not forgiving at all so I can live with the few rows back sound.   

I found the AtmaSphere to offer a blacker background, way better bass, and excellent imaging, along with a very similar sound signature to the Pass.

Being the Pass is now $7100 I think the AtmaSphere Monos like most good amps I've compared to the XA30.8 (some more and some less expensive) are all in the same league, its just more personal taste/system matching.   At this point to my ears at least, it is no longer the Class A design just beats the Class D design, its more of a what sound signature and attributes am I looking for...   Compared to my first Class D amp I tried back in the early 2000s, that is a big step forward as the XA30.8 is great sounding amp!