Tube Pre/ Class D Amp - Who has done it?
Open forum for those who have actually tried this. Really curious to know who has been happy, or maybe unhappy, with a tube preamp driving a Class D amplifier?
Of course, tube pre with a solid state amp is a classic pairing for hard to drive speakers, especially ESL's. This is a little different. I'm really curious to know what pres and Class D amps have had great synergy.
@lwin - I'm getting 3 way plate amps made by Hypex. I'll be removing the passive crossovers and re-working them with the built in DSP capabilities. It's not a straight conversion. In addition to a white-paper redesign of the crossover I'm adding 2x 10" subwoofers to each speaker. |
I've been using my LS7 tubed pre with a Classe D two channel amp for years and I genuinely love the combination. I've tried a couple of beefy A/B amps but the Classe seems to sound better at moderate volume, which is where most of my listening is done. When I do want to crank it up, no problems there either. |
I have been using various combinations of tube pre / Class D amps over the last 7 or so years. Rogue RP-7 (really nice for the cost), ARC Ref 6SE (hard/aggressive), currently Backert Labs Rhythm now upgraded to v1.4. Amps - LSA Voyager GAN 300 (just OK), Bel Canto Ref1000 monos (rolled off HF), currently AGD Tempo upgraded to the current version. The shimmer, finesse, and depth of detail and imaging of the Maggie/AGD/Rhythm without any sharpness is quite addictive. I got a pair of LRS+ a few months ago (yes, I use a sub) and while the AGD drives them pretty well I thought I would try a higher powered amp because of their inefficiency. So I tried a pair of Orchard Starkrimson Ultra Premium LPS mono blocks. They definitely had the juice to drive them but I didn't perceive an actual improvement in sound, so I returned them. I gotta say Leo is a great guy and was very helpful. So I just ordered a Bryston 3B3. Reviews say it is extremely smooth and detailed, against a black background, with significant power reserves. And supposedly has great synergy with Maggies. If it works as reviewed I will be leaving the Class D camp. If not it will be going back and I will be sticking with my AGD. That has been my journey in amplification over the last maybe 7 years. |
I was using an Icon Audio LA4 MKII SIG. with a Hypex Nilai for the last few months. It's pretty good for the money. I used some overly "warm" DIY preamps with other class D modules in the past that were kinda cool with certain music. I found the Nilai to be fine with solid state as well. I've enjoyed messing with Class D the last couple years but I'm taking a break from it. |
