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Time to buy a class D amp?


Will some new class D amplifiers outperforming the current ones appear soon

(the newest ones i know were released a  few years ago)?

Class D amps attract me as I consider them the most ecological ones with obvious non-auditionable benefits.

I have no doubts that they posses the maximum ratio performance/sound quality among the amplifiers of all classes.

At the same time, the sound quality the class D amplifiers that I have auditioned produce, although is quite good,

but not yet ideal (for my taste).


I use PS Audio Stellar S300 amp with PS audio Gain Cell pre/DAC with Thiel CS 3.6 speakers in one of my systems.

The sound is ok (deep bass, clear soundstage) but not perfect (a bit bright and somehow dry, lacking warmness which might be more or less ok for rock but not for jazz music).

I wonder if there are softer sounding class D amps with the same or better details and resolution. Considering two reasonable (as to the budget) choices for test, Red Dragon S500 and Digital Audio Company's

Cherry  2 (or Maraschino monoblocks), did anybody compare these two?



128x128niodari
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
It’s not hifi yet but getting closer.
👍,
Getting closer with development using GaN Tech, but the top one so far SE-R1 or similar is not affordable yet.

Cheers George


georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
How can you say "It’s not hifi yet"
Because they still have two important problems to improve on, phase shift and dead time. Which the above GaN equipped SE-R1 addresses, but it's not for the common man to afford.

Cheers George
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,341 posts
 
LOL....not hifi..... 

Tell all the reviewers including Stereophile that have done positive reviews of various Class D amps that.  Not to mention the users like me.

I get it.  We're all obsessed with something.  Some are obsessed with Class D not being perfect like pretty much everything else (yet).  To each their own.
sthlm78's avatar
sthlm78
156 posts
 
@atmasphere  I always enjoying reading your posts 👍🏻✌🏻👌🏻
everest_audio
285 posts
 
Class D is in prime time. Some companies like Bel Canto and Aavik, as just two examples, are putting out superb Class D. I just had a customer upgrade from a couple Simaudio pieces (certainly not inexpensive) to a Bel Canto Black EX integrated amplifier. He was in a situation in a new house where he needed something that didn't produce as much heat. I said he should try out the Bel Canto Black EX. When I brought one over to try, he was hoping it would get close to sounding as good. In my mind, I was quite sure the Bel Canto would sound better. He was thrilled to find out that he found the Bel Canto to sound superior.
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