Class D
Helllo, My experience with the Mola Mola Kalugas is far better than others here. They replaced my Classe CA-2300 and the dynamics, bass and overall resolution improved markedly. They were better with an old Audionet Preamp, and they continue to shine with the Mola Mola Makua preamp with internal DAC. They drive large and inefficient Revel Salon 2's. and totally control them, with louder, clearer and more dynamic bass than before. This 'LIFESTYLE' system, as it has been described has pros and cons vs a system with large class A/AB monoblocks. No, it is not as good overall as a great preamp with synergy to matching great A / AB mono amps. But it does sound great. And it is small, beautiful, cool to the touch, and fits in very well in an 'upstairs family room'. My basement system is better. I would like to compare a really nice A/AB integrated upstairs one day, because that is really from the esthetic view a more apples to apples comparison. But I would still need a DAC, which in the Makua (Tambaqui DAC) is amazing. I have heard other class D amps, Apollon, Benchmark and NAD, and they were not nearly as nice as the Mola Mola Makuas, both in power, dynamics and resolution. The Mola Mola's used price is similar to that of a new pair of Benchmarks. Finally, what strikes me as odd is that many describe or compare Class D as a whole, as if all class D amps are the same. Just like Class A/AB right??? It is the implementation of technology which makes a product shine or not. Just my thoughts... Ken |
Mola Mola Kalugas No, it is not as good overall as a great A / AB mono amps. But it does sound great. And it is small, beautiful, cool to the touch, and fits in very well in an 'upstairs family room'. And it is small, beautiful, cool to the touch, and fits in very well in an 'upstairs family room'. My basement system is better.Correct, they are a compromise, as they stand. They still need "two problems" addressed I mention, one Technics have done with 1.5mhz switching frequency in the SE-R1 1: They have to correct the phase integrity through the upper-mids/highs (up to 70 degrees out of phase) https://ibb.co/vvwzGV5 because of the (switching frequency and it's output filter) WITHOUT resorting to "musicality destroying" gobs of global negative feedback to repair, as some have tried. 2: And the other is "current ability" to "resemble" doubling of wattage as frequency halves from 8 to 4 to 2 and hopefully maybe 1ohm, so they're not "current starved". Unlike the classic larger A A/B models Krell, ML, A’gostino, Gryphon ect ect are capable of doing all day and yawn at it. I can't see this happening with Class-D until future output stages/devices are re-design (maybe with even bi-polar dveices). And then hope the SMP's are up to powering it all, with no current limitations also, if not then back to better big bulky no noise linear power supplies like I use with my Hypex NC400 (BelCanto Ref 600m) monoblocks. Time will tell, if they can ever match todays "classic hi-end linear amps", that also took ages to get where they are, from the early days of horrible germanium transistors amplifiers that tried to take over from tubes. Cheers George |
