So I'm confused about the little Nuprime ST10 amp (which has gotten rave reviews btw). Its output is rated at 150wpc at 8 Ohms and the same at 4 Ohms(??). Plus it has a toroidal transformer. Does that make it a hybrid of sorts?
High end Class D amps?
Just an observation and a question. Are there 'high end' Class D amps out there that are just as good as Class A, A/B amps? I realize that's a sensitive question to some and I mean no disrespect---but whenever I see others' hifi systems on social media, all of the amps are A or A/B. There's always Pass, McIntosh, Moon, Luxman, Accuphase, etc. Where are the Class Ds? For folks out there that want more power for less efficient speakers and can't afford the uber expensive Class As, A/Bs, what is there to choose from that's close to those brands? Thanks
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madavido The problem with Putzy's quote is that many aspiring a'philes cannot afford class A $$$$$, not just the initial purchase, but also the cost of electricity to run it, and cool it, especially if the owner lives in a warm climate, as I do. Way back when (some 25 years ago) I owned a Kinergetics KBA 75 (all class A), which was amazing, and the only amp of many I tried that could grab a hold of my Genesis Vs and make them play properly. Sadly I blew it up changing power cords without letting the caps discharge Next, consider most rooms are far from ideal as listening rooms, meaning playback is compromised from the get go. My most recent Ds were Audio Alchemy DPA-1, PS Audio M700s; both sounded quite good, but lacked the drive my large room requires. The back wall (behind me) from my listening position is 3 sided floor to ceiling glass ~ 15ft away, so zero back wall reinforcement My EVS1200 (~1200 wpc in 4 ohms) does a great job of conveying all the musical ques to my Emerald Physics 3.4s, though over the weekend I reinserted my 2 SVS powered subs which helped considerably to fill the space with a decent SPL hth |
@bluorion I recommend you google a few basics on Class D amps. First of all, the D does not stand for digital; A, B, and C, were all already taken, so it was simply the next letter in the alphabet. A class D amplification circuit has a different topology/operation from the others. Simplifying a lot, you'll find that many of the amps for sale contain three basic elements, an input buffer, the amp proper, and a power supply. There's a lot of mix and match with these three elements. There are different kinds of input buffer, and even ones that incorporate a tube. There are different amp modules, from Purifi, Hypex, IcePower and several others. There are switching-mode power supplies and linear power supplies; a subset of linear power supplies is those that employ toroidal transformers. Some makers allow you to "assemble" your own amp on their website selecting from the available alternatives. From here it gets a lot more complicated. There are some genuine digital amps (not that many), and the next big thing will likely be GaN amplification. All of these terms are googleable. |
My baseline was a six year old McIntosh MA-7900 which was lovely and warm, in addition to being easy on the eyes. My speakers were B&W 804Ds -- pretty mainstream... That said, I’m in a new home office and while generously proportioned, I need an amp with a much smaller footprint. Engaging the folks at Boenicke in Basel for advice, Sven responded directly and suggested that, if patient, I could be an early adopter and trial the new P1 amp (Class D). I’m running his W5SE+ speakers (ridiculously expensive) and sold on their standards of excellence, so I waited... Now being a month into enjoying the setup, I’m enormously pleased. I’ll next upgrade my W5’s to Boenicke’s W8SE+ floor standers (on a swing base). The W8’s footprint in relation to the W5’s on stands is only modestly larger, but the added volume delivers what can only be heard to be believed. https://boenicke-audio.ch/products/electronics/p1/ https://boenicke-audio.ch/products/loudspeakers/w5/ https://boenicke-audio.ch/products/loudspeakers/w8/ |
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