Gold Note of Italy has GaN mono blocks also that are quite spectacular and have sound quality that rivals the boutique builders and will save you $1 to 3k. PA-10s are well reviewed and received. Search the pages in this forum.
Gallium Nitride GaN Class D Amplifiers
In my recent research for a possible upgrade to my current amp (Benchmark (AHB2) I was reading about the new higher end design for Class D. I'm very interested in learning more about these new GaN(Gallium Nitride) designs. Three companies are offering some very well reviewed products and they are not going crazy with Watts per channel:
Orchard Audio offers a 250 watt Amp
AGD a 100 watt
Atmos-Phere also a 100 watt
What's interesting is while Orchard is a new company AGD and Atmos-Phere have been around a while producing high end Tube amps. In almost every review it is noted how these newer designs sound like Class A or Tubes with all the benefits of Solid State. One reviewer couldn't go back to his tube amps after extended listening to the Orchard. No wonder AGD and Atmos-Phere are getting into this technology. It's very exciting as these amps are highly efficient turning over 90% of the power they draw into sound compared to about 78% with A/B designs and I believe even significantly lower for Class A. They run cool and usually weigh between 10-28lbs. I plan to do more investigation. Small size and light weight with decent power is very attractive. There are also mono block offerings for more power if needed. These are not cheap Class D products. They are well designed and constructed.
Orchard Audio's base model is around $2700and their Dual mono version with larger power supplies is $5500.
Both AGD and Atoms-Phere are $5000
Mono blocks for each are about twice the cost.
Has anyone had any experience, demos, etc ., with these types of GaN Class D amps?
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@bhvf I've heard a lot of class D amps that were light in the bass. I have a hypothesis as yet unproven which is that many designers think that since the amp is so efficient that they don't have to have a beefy power supply. IME a beefy power supply is pretty important since the amp's current draw can vary quite a lot and the supply must be able to handle it with no worries. @izjjzi The 'sound' of any amplifier has more to do with its distortion signature than anything else. If you know this then you also know as a designer to keep the distortion spectra (which is very measurable) as benign as possible. If you get all the parameters right class D will have just as much impact in the bass as any other amplifier class. GaNFETs are not any more 'accurate' as they are switching devices. The design and how well its executed is what is important.
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No experience with Orchard or AGD, but I owned a pair of Atma-Sphere M-60s for a number of years, fully upgraded to 3.3 including V-Caps. After procuring a pair of the Atma Class Ds, the M-60s were sold and I've never looked back. The Class Ds are smoother in the top end, have better control of the bass, and are equal in the midrange, all of which is high praise as the M-60s sound great. I don't at all miss the heat output or the 24 tube anxiety of the M-60s; the Class Ds never even get warm, and I can leave them on all the time. Speakers are Zu Druid V, which I've driven with 2 watts but sound way better with 50, regardless of room size. |
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