Class D is just Dandy!

Hi @jrunr

Regulator or not, the question is whether they all share a transformer, that's where the money/size/weight is.

If I were designing them, I'd stick to 1 power supply model, and add or remove amp modules as necessary.

Best,

E

E,

Do yo think there would be sonic differences between the modules?

@jrunr

I would listen to them. :)

Bridging is a tricky thing, possibly involving slightly more circuitry at the front end, and possibly lower damping factor (Higher impedance). How much is audible? Is a higher 8 ohm power rating going to help you drive speakers better? (unlikely)

The real question for me would be whether you need 500 Watts / Channel. :) The basic 200W/ch models are overkill for almost everyone. In a modest configuration (< 8 channels) you could have a lot of reserve power.

Depending on the costs involved, you might also want to play with the 400 W/Ch nCore kits available from Hypex. I’m not sure how they compare to the ATI multi-channel amps.

Best,

E

It's also important to say, differences are not better or worse necessarily. Maybe two amps sound different. Is one better or worse, is it worth caring about? Are you trying to make your ears more sensitive or enjoy music and movies more? :)

We get all confused in our goals (Me too!) so it's important to be clear. Audiophiles too often think the next different thing is "better" when it's not. I think even John Coltrane was guilty of this, and would make endless takes until someone told him "You can't play it any better, just different."

Best,

E

Erik, as many others have said, thanks for starting this thread. I've found it extremely informative and quite entertaining. I'm new to the Class D amplifiers but love them because of their sound and ability to run cool which is perfect for the tight fitting cabinet that I have.

By pure chance thetwo integrated amps I've home auditioned were Class D: the Rogue Sphinx and the Peachtree Nova 125 SE. I was interchanging the two in my system which includes Kef ls50s and an old Onix XVD-88 CD player. The sound from both was phenomenal, but different from each other. Instrument representation seemed very accurate and vocals were gorgeous. Of course my descriptions should be taken with a grain of salt since I'm not an audiophile by any means. Both amps in my room sounded great but each portrayed music with their own distinct signatures that definitely made me curious to try some others. 

Given this does anyone have suggestions for a nice Class D integrated that they like?  Price range would be in the neighborhood of the Rogue and Peachtree ~$1500.