2. amps-preamps
  3. 179461-14697

Atma-Sphere Class D… Amazing

Today I picked up my Atma-Sphere Class D Amps. These aren’t broken in yet. And they are simply amazing. I’ve listen to a lot of High End Class D. Some that cost many times what Atma-Sphere Class D costs. I wasn’t a fan of any of them. But these amps are amazing. I really expected to hate them. So my expectations were low. The Details are of what I’ve never heard from any other amps. They are extremely neutral. To say the realism is is extremely good is a gross understatement. They are so transparent it’s scary. These amps just grab you and suck you into the music. After I live with them some and get them broken in. And do some comparisons to some other high end Amps Solid State, Tubes and Class D’s, also in other systems I’ll do a more comprehensive review. But for now, these are simply amazing amps.. Congrats to Ralph and his team. You guys nailed on these.

 

 

128x128pstores
pstores's avatar
pstores OP
190 posts
 

 

All Bel Canto made from 2012 on. 
A few of the current higher end Peachtree. 
Purifi, Crown, NAD, Hegal and 7 others I don’t remember which. All were the top tier of their offerings. Most 2020 and newer. 2021 was a big listening year. 

Other Amps I’ve owned or had in my system. Most I have owned and sold off. Only Amp I have kept is the Atma-Sphere MA-1. M-60 and S-30 were great. But why keep them when I have an MA-1. 

Pass Labs XA30.8. Xa60.8, X 250.5, McIntosh MC 452, MC462, MC275, MC250, MC225, Atma-Sphere MA-1, M-60, S-30, Quicksilver M60, silver 88, Dynaco St-70, Dynaco SCA-35, NAD forgot which one, Van Alstine, Adcom GFA 565, 545 and 535, Onkyo, Marantz, Pioneer, Coincendence Frankenstein, and another Coincidence,  Spectral, Accuphase, Luxman, and various ARC Ref Series and not. A few samples of Rogue Audio also. I am sure there is quite a few I have missed. I’ve been fortunate to own or borrow many many Amps. Some of these Ralph rehabbed for me. 
 

In short the Atma-Sphere Class D amps are simply amazing.  In my system I prefer my Fully Optioned MA-1’s over all other amps I’ve owned or had in my system. Although I do really like the Pass XA series as well. 



 
 
audioman58

2,752 posts

 

You did not mention what amps you had before, And cost  $2-3k ?

ozzy's avatar
ozzy
7,486 posts
 

Thanks for the extra photos.

Any plans for a higher power mono amps in the future?

ozzy

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,841 posts
 

Any plans for a higher power mono amps in the future?

Yes.

3.  Amp designers would state their objective… straight wire with gain….low distortion with 2nd harmonic dominant….low distortion with 3rd harmonic dominant …etc….. I think Ralph has said this describes his amp  

A 'straight wire with gain' is better described by our tube amps since they don't double power as the load impedance is halved, which is in keeping with how a 'straight wire with gain' would behave :)

Our goal was as low distortion as possible. What distortion we get tends to the the 2nd and 3rd.

snapsc
676 posts
 

thanks ralph....I suspect that this is part of the explanation as to why your amps sound so good.

follow up question regarding a higher powered class d amp...would this be of much benefit to people running speakers with 90db+ sensitivity and listening below 85db?

williamdc
50 posts
 

It would be nice to be able to see photos of the interior of the monoblocks, as @ricevs has requested.

If only to make sure there is not a Purifi module in there. :)

More to discover