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AGD Audion GaN Class D In The House

During the last decade i have managed to try in my home 95% of the Class D amps offered to the public these include the so called break thru offerings of the last year or two. While there has been progress the class D signature remained and this included what was lacking in class D amplification.

When i heard about AGD i thought here we go again because i had been there and done that so many times with class D but the GaN tech had me intrigued so i bought a pair of the Audion amps, i thought i would give class D one more go.

I received the amps two days ago and have about twelve hours of listening. From the first minute onwards these amps had my full attention. There is no connection between this class D amp and class D i have heard in the pass no connection what so ever. Forget classes A, A/B, D or whatever this is just an excellent sounding amp, it delivers music that belongs at the upper levels of Hi End audio reproduction.

It`s only been a couple of days of listening but i`m so taken back at the quality of sound i just had to share. I will add more the more i listen, good or bad.
rh67
ricevs
1,543 posts
 
Tweak 1,
How can you say that it is coming to a close when he has promised a shipping date about 7 times and never met it. I do expect the "Waiting for Godot" amp to be released some day.....but already we have had an 18 month wait since you first said you were getting one soon. The odds that he will deliver on his newest date are very, very low. But, it will happen......some day.....maybe this year. I don’t know why you keep posting about it.......it has never been real. When someone has one in their hands then it is real.

Here is a new GaN amp that is real.....just released. 200 watts a channel....and $699. Buy one now! Enjoy now!
https://premium-audio.com/mini-gan-5-balanced-power-amplifier.html
I am sure its not in the same sonic class as the AGD......but it is one tenth the cost and could be the best amp for the buck.
rh67 OP
307 posts
 
Just a quick update. 

These amps continue to impress, huge holographic soundstage with proper scale, performers are proper size and not 4 ft. high but full scale. Lot's of air in the highs with proper separation, excellent tone from top to bottom. 

Without spending mega bucks this is one of the best amps i have heard so far. I will keep updating as time goes by.
tmcclintock
35 posts
 
I've just done a 14 day trial period of AGD Audions, with every intention of returning them if they weren't a significant improvement and good value over my existing amps.  I even appreciated the Pelican case as making for an easy and safe return.  Well, that's not happening as I'm definitely keeping these.  They're easily the best I've had in my system.  Just makes me wonder how the Vivaces sound.
ricevs
1,543 posts
 
Really would be great if you guys did a blow by blow.  What amps did you have before and how are these better/different?  I will take information overload any day over not much said............"one of the best amps"......."the best I've had"........means very little without more info.  Thanks.
rh67 OP
307 posts
 
@ricevs

I could write a small book on my audio adventures but here is a small introduction.

Built amplifiers during the late 60`s and beyond, early 70's worked with Grateful Dead building speakers for what is now called The Wall Of Sound, mid 70's hooked up with Marco Karpodines designing building and selling the Delphi Imager speaker later to be called simply The Imager speaker, during this time Bendini gave us amps that we modified to our own specs that had our own face plates, we brought in some of the first Goldmund TT's some with Imager logo, helped with the listening of the first Infinity speaker along with the development of the Infinity amp, friends from the Skunk Works developed the Lazarus amps had a small part in that, ect. ect.

My real job was working for the Federal Govt. and in the early 90's i had to bail from Marco Karpodines and the audio industry because my job required more of my time, i could no longer do both so i stuck with what offered me a retirement and medical benefits.

After my retirement 17 yrs. ago i started going to Audio shows again, i started to meet people that remembered me and before i knew it i was evaluating equipment for manufactures and several importers, not for money i did this because i enjoyed it, i did this for some European company's that did not even have a market base here in the US along with many well know manufactures. I did this up until about 7 years ago as it got to the point where it started to feel like a job and most of what was sent to me during the latter period were DAC's and streamers.

During the end of my evaluation period i was introduced to class D most being from European manufactures, i heard potential but too many boxes were left unchecked, to be honest i cannot count how many variants of class D i evaluated. I continued on my own to investigate the latest of class D, buying with my own money or having in home trials offered by some manufactures, the in home trial was how i was introduced to the AGD Audions and i bought them because they fulfilled the promise. They are some of the best sounding amps i have heard period.

Direct comparisons Pass Labs XA25, First Watt SIT 3, Wavac 300B, Boulder, Diablo 300, LM 805ia.

There is 40 years in 6 paragraphs.
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