2. amps-preamps
  3. 142263-123175

Which Class D Amplifier? PS Audio, Ghent, Nord, Merrill or other???

I’m looking for a new amp & want Class D.

I’ve seen various brands mentioned, such as PS Audio, Ghent, Nord, Merrel to name a few, but I’ve not heard any of them.

Which company is producing the best sounding Class D?
Which models should I be looking to demo?


Thanks



singintheblues
tweak1
3,668 posts
 
select,

I live in USA and still have come bery close to buying Colins amps, though not able to make up my mind between the N series II or his ice amp, which he only sells as a stereo amp

Doing a ton of research, PS Audios M700s monos (using ice modules) have gotten fantastic reviews. As far as I can tell, unlike Colin’s, they have an input buffer stage, which not only should make them more flexible impedance matches,they are said to improve on the ice sound

Of course that’s speculative unless both are listened to side by side

M700s MSRP is $2995 the pair!
slimpikins5's avatar
slimpikins5
191 posts
 
From what I have heard, skip the ICE Module amps.... They are the harsh  ones on the upper frequencies.
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 

Hello George, an intriguing press release indeed... please let us know about any adopters of the high speed Peregrine/Murata Gan power conversion modules.


While proof shall remain forever in the proverbial pudding, keeping an open mind on the theoretical potential of such technical advances is definitely worth our audiophrenic attention.


Saluti, G.


erik_squires
16,130 posts
 
From what I have heard, skip the ICE Module amps.... They are the harsh ones on the upper frequencies.

I am using ICE 250 ASP with speakers using AMT drivers that are measurably flat past 20kHz.

Not a bit of harshness in them. They sound just like the Parasound A21s I had before.

Best,
E
guidocorona
4,298 posts
 

Hi slimpikins5, your concern of ICEpower-based amps sounding sub-musical has some merits, if mostly from a historical point of view....


Examples of such unsatisfying amps could be found easily in some older class D amps such as the Wyred4Sound that I have heard at RMAF until about five years ago (They might have changed since then), early Red Dragon 500, and stock Rowland M201 and M501 (that is without being connected to the optional PC-1 PFC external rectifier).


This however does not imply that all ICEpower based amps are inherently less than musical... In fact, even some now elderly amps that I have had in my system such as the Rowland M312 stereo and the Bel Canto REF1000M were authentic musical marvels, particularly for the time.


I have heard only good third party reports about recent ICEpower implementations... ’Tis worth keeping an open mind about ICEpoweer amps designed in the last three to four years. particularly if they are not simply boxes containing more or less basic ICEpower modules and little else.


ICEpower modules are very flexible... A manufacturer can use them all by themselves to create an entry level amp, or can use them as building blocks in the design of amps of any increasing level of sophistication.


Saluti, Guido



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