Thinking of replacing my Bat spaceheater with class D, real world thoughts please


Ok so I know there are already lots of threads on class D both negative and positive

As I have had a very positive result with replacing the ss amps in my ht rig with a single tiny Nuforce class D amp I was tempted to look into the same for my stereo rig.

This is a little more difficult as my present amp is a BAT VK600SE, 120LB of muscle and heat.

Now I am in love with my present sound but still am very curious if class D could do anything for me as it certainly did in the ht rig although those ss amps were not in the BAT league to start with.

So I would like to hear from people who have actually gone this route, replaced their expensive, heavy, power consuming amps with tiny little cold running boxes and what their results were.

Was it uplifting, about the same or make you wish you had never heard of class D!

128x128uberwaltz
Uberwaltz - 

I've been using one of the earlier Ice powered D-Sonic amps for around 5 years now and I couldn't be happier with it.  

My main interest initially was that I needed something with enough power that I could use to push my Nautilus 800s that wouldn't require a second mortgage and would actually fit in my listening room.

Since I use my system for both music and home theater, I ended up going with a 7 channel unit with 2 amps driving each of the 800s.  The modules are the 1000ASPs and are rated (by owner Dennis Deacon) at 575W/8ohm and 1000W/4ohm and stable down to 2ohms easily.

Only other option that I had considered to get the same power delivery in a non Class D design were 4 Classe CA-M600 monos.  With the D-Sonic, I'm getting seven channels in a unit that's smaller than a single M600 - It actually fits in my standard rack.

I would say that what impresses me most about the D-Sonic (and good class D amps in general) is that at any volume level there's such immediate modulation that you can have a conversation with someone next to you in a normal speaking voice.  It's very dynamic and very clean.

Some great class A-A/B amps that I've heard on the same speakers (including the Classe) were also very good but I prefer the Class D D-Sonic sound personally.  The heavyweight monos that double output at load can give a lot of slam to be sure, but unlike the Class D their sonic signature often varies depending on volume unlike the Class D which sounds exactly the same at any volume level.  Perhaps it's a matter of simply just having so much immediate current delivery on tap.

Given that you're considering D Sonic, I would have a chat with Dennis and see what he has to say.  I was recently in touch with him, and he's very enthusiastic about his newer offerings and will gladly custom configure any setup that you may want or need and he also has a great return policy to reduce risk factor.

Take care

Greg

Thank you Greg, just the sort of info I was looking for
Obviously as Erik also wisely states it is all in the ear of the beholder but a nod in the right direction is always welcome.
And yes the sound of the BAT does change a fair bit depending on volume, it almost seems to have stages where it changes character and life.
I would say it is at its best at what I call mid volume, enough to feel the bass in  my chair and the wife to demand I shut the door...lol
Down low for late at night it definitely lacks some of the previous energy I hear at a higher level.
I was recommended to dsonic when i was upgrading the ht rig but along came a superb deal on a new nuforce 8 channel and processor and have never looked back on that system!
I auditioned the ICEpower amps I currently have side by side with Parasound A23's. The A23's are biased quite hot, about first 20 watts are class-A.

Blindfolded with my current speakers, I simply could not tell them apart.Actually, I couldn't tell them apart even when I knew which amp was which!! :)

Around the same time I got to hear uber-pricey solid state class A gear. I also could not tell they were better, but that was in an entirely different system.

So I replaced my pair of A23's for multiple ICEPower ASP monoblocks and have never ever regretted it.

Best,

E
uberwaltz
Thinking of replacing my Bat BAT VK600SE spaceheater with class D, real world thoughts please

http://www.openaudio.co.kr/cdn/item/20080506/VK-600SE-2.jpg

Whatever, do not sell/trade the BAT VK600SE which is a magnificent amp, before living with Class-D for a while, they maybe fine in a in a high processing HT system, but when it comes down to hi-end hi-rez stereo without visuals to fool your ears, you may find things change.

I’ve worked on modified and listen to a few Nuforce 9SE v3’s and while cute and powerful for their size, don’t come within coo’ee of my similar amps to the the VK600se, on a hi-end stereo system.

And yes the sound of the BAT does change a fair bit depending on volume

And this could be your pre,, and not the Bat doing this.

Cheers George
The BAT's a great amp. I had (and still do actually) a BAT VK500SE which continues to give solid performance. I did hear and compare amps from W4S, Nuforce and Digital Amp Co in my rig, all of which have strengths but it took a pair of Spectron monos to convince me to move to Class D finally over the BAT. I think you'll find that Class D amps have as much variability in them as Class A, AB amps etc, it's all about the implementation so you have to really hear for yourself.  Agree with George above -- you are unlikely to determine what works best with a quick listen so proceed slowly, ideally with good home audition opportunities.  That's my journey, and you wanted those experiences, hope it helps.