2. amps-preamps
  3. 165466-4741

Class D for a Tube Lover

First, I'm sure this has been asked many times but searching the subject wasn't too helpful to me.

So apologies in advance.

I enjoy tubed electronics and class A amps, which tend to be a bit warm.  My current Cary 805s warm my small (12x16) music room even in the cool/cold of winter.  I've got other amps that don't produce much heat, but am looking for something that produces no heat.  Living in a home with no central AC the room gets uncomfortably hot during the summer months.

So...I'd like to try some Class D amps.  Stereo or mono is just fine.  And my speakers aren't difficult to drive so I don't need a thousand watts.  But if that thousand watt amp sounds great, I'm not adverse to that, either.

I'd like to keep the price under 2k used.  

Please help.

Thanks.


128x128audiodwebe
rh67
307 posts
 
Class D sounds good but is good good enough? If your a critical listener most of what is out there is not going to make you happy. Paul of PS Audio has several videos about class D and he said more than once that he likes the sound of his AB amps over his class D amps, use this to give you an idea of what you might experience.

I have heard class D that is outstanding but it is not in your budget.

My best advice is do not buy until you hear.
henry201
144 posts
 
Anything with the Purifi 1ET400A will get you as close as you can get.
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
I use both. Valves in the cooler months with class ds doing bass duty. Then in the summer I change to a LOT cooler running class ds for the monitors. I use a Cary V12r and Mac C2500 for a front end with tone control.. With tone control, you'll get what you want, without it.. I'd doubt it..

I use Nord NC500 with Sparco 2590s OpAmps and rev d buffers.
Purifi is all the rage, To tell the truth, My NC500 are pretty tough to beat..
I'd like to give Nords ET400A a run with Nord buffers though.. The 9 NC500 modules I have, I've NEVER had a problem.. Sound wise.. pretty friggin good, for the 4 months a year I use them.. BUT they are not valve amps.. They don't sound like valve amps either..

Lot of Mac and a few Cary's in my gear chain..

Regards
audiodwebe's avatar
audiodwebe OP
212 posts
 
Thank you, everyone.

I’ve not heard of Ralph Karsten or Nord but will look them up. Will also check out the PS Audio amp. I’ve got a few PS Audio products and like them very much.  
dorkwad
539 posts
 
I have Nuforce Reference 9 V3 SE mono amps w/ TDSS level 3 upgrades.  The Ref 9's I bought used for $1400 for the pair about 5 years ago.  Liked them so much I had TDSS do it's upgrades which made very good amps a into super amps and more stable.  They have bettered very expensive amps in every system I've compared them to at friends houses or at a dealers.  Obviously the standard Ref 9's are well within your budget and if you wanted to at a later time, you could go the route I did.

Bob
More to discover