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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
verdantaudio's avatar
verdantaudio
1,500 posts
 

I was going to say the same about AGD.  I am also an AGD dealer.  They have to be heard.  They rival most MOSFET amps I have heard, including Class A amps. 

It is not the case that one GAN amp is the same as all the rest.  Each company seems to have its own sound signature.  Some do use the same boards from the same factory.  I know that AGD has a proprietary design and they are the only one at this time that is designed from scratch exclusively for audio applications.  

I know that doesn't necessarily make the AGDs better but it does absolutely show up in the sound signature.  They are not cheap but I have put them up against SS Class A and AB amps that are up to 2x the price and they hold their own.  

 

jjss49's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
jjss49
6,612 posts
 

have said this in numerous posts (see my informal review/evaluation from a year plus ago here when i bought them)

alberto’s agd amps are the real deal... absolutely tippity top tier sound, and superior to all other class d and gan based amps i have tried or heard to date, coupled with small light form factor and negligible heat output, a perfect ’summer amp’ for those living in 4 seasons climates ...(though i would qualify all this by saying that i essentially stopped auditioning these types of amps after getting the audions -- haven't heard ralph/atmasphere's amps, nor molas)

soix
9,632 posts
 

haven't heard ralph/atmasphere's amps


@jjss49  You took the words outta my mouth, and it’d be very interesting to hear a comparo between these two.  If I had the scratch I’d go with AGD just because the designer made his amps upgradeable, which is huge to me especially since GaN amps are in their relative infancy.  I believe Alberto has already introduced a meaningful upgrade, so case in point.  

arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,682 posts
 

I had an extended and very interesting conversation with Alberto at AGD a few weeks ago. The guy is extremely knowledgable, yet so humble it's unbelievable. His approach of doing in-house R&D and module design and production is commendable. Also, as some of you mentioned, the upgradeability of his designs makes a huge difference given the rapid pace of innovation in this particular area.

I decided to go a different route for now, but AGD Audion remains very high on my bucket list. Maybe next year.

soix
9,632 posts
 

AGD was tops on my list for an amp upgrade, but, alas, the budget just wasn’t there. Instead I went for full upgrades on my McCormack DNA-0.5 Rev A when it died because I knew I liked the sound qualities in the context of my particular system and tastes and knew I’d just be getting a lot more of the same for the relatively modest outlay of $2700.  But if I come into some $$$ AGD will be tops on my list as a potential end-game amp, assuming I’d ever let go of my fully-upgraded DNA-0.5, which is not a given by any stretch.

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