High end Class D amps?
As a relative newbie can you help me learn by explaining your response in a little more detail? Generally I find Class-D don’t do well below 4ohms, not even the mighty 55kg Technics SE-R1’s. Class-D wattage instead of doubling for each halving of impedance load actually gets goes backwards when they see 2ohms and worse if there is any - phase angle involved, because they can’t deliver the current like a good bi-polar linear Class-a or a/b amp can. EG: Gyphon’s etc. That’s why you always see linear amps driving speakers that present loads in the bass where current is needed down to 2ohm or even less with - phase angles like the Wilson Alexia 0.9ohm etc I have a Hypex NC500 monoblocks 340w-8ohm 600w-4ohm, similar to Bel Canto Ref M600 mono’s, but with bigger linear supplies, not smp. They sound good on some Raven tweeter’ed 2 ways I have here that are 4-6ohm benign load. But put the same amps on my big ML esl’s and they don’t do it at all sonically they go thin and loud. My less powerfull linear Class-A/B mono’s 180w-8ohm 360w-4ohm 700w-2ohm sound much better. Go louder, sound bigger with body, richer, tighter and far easier to listen to, with a huge walk in sound stage where the ESL speakers just disappear, the Class-D’s sound loud also, but like they are being fired at you from a point source and being squeezed out at you. But hey don’t sweat it, you’ve got Maggies, and Class-D likes that load, get some used BelCanto Ref M600 monoblocks they should suit them well. https://www.stereophile.com/content/bel-canto-eone-ref600m-power-amplifier Cheers George |
Class D for Bass is the Best. For Upper Bass/Midrange/Treble. I run Orchard Audio STARKRIMSON Amplifers for those sections and an ICE Power AS-1000 Class D Amp for the Bass Drivers (one inside each KEF 105/3 cabinet). All fed from a BAT VK-50SE. The best of both worlds ! Sometimes for fun, I'll run my McIntosh MC50's on the Upper Bass/Midrange/Treble. The difference in SQ is minimal between the Mac and the STARKRIMSON even though the Orchard Audio amp peaks at 300W@4 Ω whereas the McIntosh peaks out at only 70W@4Ω. The McIntosh's however are way more reliable whereas the STARKRIMSON Amplifiers have self destructed both in my system and at a friends house. Such a beautiful sounding Amplifier in such a small package. Add some Voltage Overload Protection on the DC in, and Speaker Short Circuit Protection on the output and you will have a World Class Amplifier that the majors should worry about. |
tvad:"
@noble100, what module is used in the D-Sonic amps? Do you know? I went to the site, and did a quick internet search and could not fine the info. Apparently in the top of the line model it’s not an ICE module." Hello tvad, My D-Sonic M3-600-M monoblocks are over 6 years old now and are their previous model. Mine use Abletec/Anaview class D modules. Their latest M3a-600-M monoblocks are the same price but use Pascal Pro2 modules, that have switch mode power supplies incorporated into the module. I believe these are the same modules that Rowland utilizes in their Continuum S2 integrated amp. D-Sonic's owner, Dennis Deacon, told me when the M3a-600-M monos first came out that he thought the Pascal Pro2 modules subtly outperformed the Abletec/Anaview modules in my M3-600-M amps. I know D-Sonic's top of the line monoblocks have gone through several upgrades and corresponding model number changes over the past about 6 years since I've been aware of them; from the M2-1500-M to the M3-1500-M to the current M3a-1500-M models. Sorry, I'm not certain about the specific modules they used in each but I do believe they haven't used Ice modules in their top of the line monos for at least 6 years, if ever. I'm fairly certain, however, that Dennis Deacon would give you the details if you called and asked him: 800-862-7998. Later, Tim |
