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.
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@atmasphere Thank you for your post. |
@atmasphere (Ralph) As always your explanations and insight are most appreciated and welcome. I agree with your “no accounting for taste “ as this is true. Be it audio components/music genre/food or automobiles etc. as human beings, We like what we like. 😊 Thus the multitude of choices available in our lives, Charles |
I find the class D to be more transparent in my system compared to my tube amps; less coloration also due to lower distortion. At the same time I don't find them harsh, a classic sin of solid state amps in general. I can play them all day and not get tired of them. Now let's say you are a tube amp producer. You face a variety of problems. Right now a major one is availability. If you're not going to get in trouble with the law (due to sanctions against Russia), you're probably using Chinese or JJ tubes if you're using new tubes. Another one is the industry is tending towards 4 Ohms as the default speaker impedance rather than 8; I see this as a bad thing since all amps make greater distortion into lower impedances, and with many its enough to be heard (audiophiles use 'fat' 'muddy' and other similar expressions for this). But 4 Ohms is a thing regardless of what I think. Its now possible to build a solid state amp that is as relaxed as a good tube amp, not lacking detail or depth (and maybe more). Since brightness and harshness of solid state is what has kept tube amp producers in business for the last 60 years, and also because tube amplifier power is more expensive, how long will tubes be a viable option in audio? IMO while it will still be a while (owing largely to highly variable results designers got out of class D over the last 20 years having poisoned the well at first) tubes will continue for a while, but even chip-based class D amps that might only be $75.00 are now giving serious tube amps a run for the money! If I were an amplifier manufacturer that had not got the class D thing figured out, right now I would be worried. The market will be shrinking for tube power products- even in the guitar world. I know a lot of cheap class D guitar amps are so much junk but they aren't all that way, and most guitarists these days rely on their effect pedals for their 'sound'. The guitar market is a lot larger than the high end audio market for tube use- they drive a lot of what is available for high end as a result. If you lose the guitar market, that will be very nearly the end of tubes.
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