@tubeguy80 DIY Audio Forum, will offer up extended info from builders on these Amp Designs, Bruno Putzey is a point of reference.
Could Class D really be that good?
I've heard statements praising modern class D amplifiers all the time but was sort of hesitant to try. Lately, one particular model caught my eye, the Fosi V3, which costs sub $100 but is praised for having refined sound like class A/B. To fulfill my curiosity, I quickly ordered one and tried it with my Burchardt S400II and Wharfedale Linton speakers. Basically, this is a neutral sounding amp but, to my surprise, the sound is clean, open, airy, with full mids, wide soundstage, good imaging/separation, with nearly null traces of the edginess, dryness, or lean sound that traditional class D amplifiers have. The background is just as quiet as my current systems. The core is the TPA 3255 chip from TI and comes with a 32v, 5A power block, which is supposed to deliver approximately 65 watts per channel (into 8 ohms). It drives the S400II/Linton without any hesitation, as well as my 130-watt-per-channel high-current Parasound A23. Very impressive.
Measurement is not everything. However, according to the lab test results, when operated under 10-60 watts, the distortion level (THD) is below 0.003%, better than a lot of high-end (price) gears. I am going to build around it for my fourth system with upgraded op-amp and LPS. I believe it will outperform my current mid-end (price) amplifiers.
I know, I know, quite a few Audiogoners' systems are above $100k, and mentioning this kind of little giant that costs a fraction could be rather embarrassing. But I thought this is just like gold digging with a lot of surprises and fun. Don't you think?
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I’ve really grown to like class d, and I’ve certainly noticed how different modules bring a differing palate of sound to your speakers. They can be neutral as heck, or, like the older ICEpower modules, have tons of slam. Having said that, has anyone tried to contact Red Dragon audio? I’ve sent the guy several emails, and no response. Are they going out of business? I was interested in one of their amps, because based on the reviews I’ve read, they seem to have the sound signature that I like from class d. |
I can't speak on the newer chip amps but I purchased a Hypex Nilai recently. To me it is a step above the Ucd & Ncore's I tried briefly in the past. I purchased the DIY model and feel it is a great amp for the money. Subjectively speaking of the class D modules i had tried in the past I found them to be a hair dry..touch analytical & 2 dimensional at times. For the low noise, transparency, power & size I still think the Ncore is a good amp.. especially when you consider the price. If I was still into Surround/Multi speaker movie systems I would be all about Hypex/Purifi modules. I tried an Elac Alchemy amplifier built around the older Ucd modules and felt that Class D amp was good for the money. Definitely better than just the basic older Ucd module but I still felt the top end wasn't as good as say a good class AB. Still a solid amp for the money in my opinion, I used a pair of them for almost a year. Anyway, the Nilai is definitely an improvement in my opinion. It's hard to describe an amplifier but I just find it smoother & groovier than D's I've tried in the past. I've only used it for a few weeks now but I can't find any faults in it. If Class D is able to improve upon this and keep it at these low costs I think that is a win for a lot of audiophiles. I definitely welcome more builders designing amplifiers around these new modules.. especially this Nilai. |
Agreed. But I want to emphasize, with the low 2nd HD found in these Purifi / Hypex class D, you won’t be able to have distortion signature comparable to a tube amp and possibly produce the tube-like smooth sound. Let me give you an example of sound color signatures built in the Smsl Su-8. The 2nd, 3rd and other higher order spikes in the standard setting (upper left) are insignificant (-120dB, similar to Purifi / Hypex. Users could elect the "Tube 1-3" sound signatures to experience the emulated tube sound, where you could find the 2nd-order HD boosted to -90dB in Tube 1 (light) setting and -70dB in Tube 3 (strong) setting. That tells me the 2nd order HD needs to have high enough ’dominant’ spike (relative to 3rd & higher-order) to exhibit the tube-like smooth sound.
Here is the FFT plot for a real good tube amp, McIntosh 40, which confirms with the above. But, interestingly, Mc40 actually has slightly higher non-dominant 3rd hd.
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