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Competitive class D amp suggestions

I have been Class D fun since a few years ago when i bought my first class D amp. I like the concept, in general, and all the attractive features of this class of amplifiers. I tried 4 different ones, currently i  stayed with one of them that i consider to be the best among all four amps. I do enjoy and like it. At the same time,  my 5 watts SET amplifier (with more than 100 times higher distortion according to the specs) gives more natural and (surprisingly) notably cleaner sound (THD of the class D amp is 0.001). The soundstage  of the class D amp is not so bad but that of the tube one is still better.   

I remain attracted by class D amps though. 

Any fresh suggestions on reasonably priced class D amps (i mean excluding  non-reasonably priced class D amps, e.g., Merrill amplifiers)?

Any comments on non-reasonably priced class D amps are also welcome (so far i was not able to audition many class D amps and am curious if there are some which could really compete with Class A). 

128x128niodari
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 

Wow!  Obvious omissions here are the Orchard amps and AGD.

Orchard, AGD, and Atmasphere is the point where really interesting class D begins.

 

fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,582 posts
 

Orchard?
 

 

testrun
231 posts
 

I run a pair of AGD Audions with a Rogue RP7 pre feeding Joseph Audio Perspectives.  Very happy with sound quality, lack of heat and size of monos.  

niodari's avatar
niodari OP
300 posts
 

Thanks for the suggestions, indeed. It is a hard task to choose an amp without auditioning it. But since i decided to try another class D amp, it may take time and more efforts to come to decision. For example, I still have no clear idea yet on the sonic differences  between Purifi and GAN based amps, roughly (was not able to audition any of such amps).  I will check the other suggested options, but so far, I have no clarity. Would be helpful if you could be more specific on which features of the amp(s) you suggest you like or dislike. 

My first class D amp was PS Audio Stellar S300. I was really surprised how one can get that good sound for $1.5k.  I enjoyed it, it sound the best on live recordings, i like its compact size, the weight and it works completely cool even does not get warm. It is not an ideal class D amp for me, i think it lacks a bit mid-low frequencies. Exaggerating too mach, it sounds a bit like a megaphone, but it gives quite deep low and clear  high frequencies. My next class D selections were still not  ideal. The class D amp i am using now is Cherry Megaschino, the one I like the most among ones I had. It is not so traditional class D amp though because of its considerable weight, also it gets quite hot (hotter than my 200 watts integrated class AB McIntosh). But I think Megaschino is a better sounding amp, it somehow sounds more realistic and complete. Although the sound is somewhat clear and natural, compared to mu SET amp, exaggerating again, its reproduction is still a bit "dirty".  

As to the speakers, I use 3 pairs of Thiel speakers in different systems, CS6 in the main system with the 5.5. watts SET integrated, the bookshelf MCS1s with a Thiel subwoofer (that I currently use with the Megaschino) and CS3.6s. All of them are excellent speakers, I even never though to replace them. 

 

avanti1960
1,471 posts
 

Just heard the Rose Audio integrated- GaN class D 400 wpc.  Very nice.  

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