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Power Amplifier - Maximum Resolution & Detail!

I am assuming some of you have experienced the following.... All else being the same in the chain, you replaced a power amplifier and started hearing more resolution and detail, perhaps a lil more in a track that you have heard a thousand times.

Ime, the higher you go up in price doesn't necessarily guarantee that you could experience the above mentioned. It seems to come down to the nitty gritty of the circuits under consideration, i.e., the black art of power delivery and analog circuit design.

What is a power amp you may have experimented with that provided the maximum detail and resolution at any price? (Not just perceived changes in tonal balance, etc).

I am hoping to shortlist a power amp based on some suggestions here for a future purchase.

 

P.S. If you are an ASR type of guy who thinks all power amps sound the same, this may not the right thread for you, I suppose...

deep_333
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,308 posts
 

I am on the same page as @atmasphere regarding Class D amps opening up new possibilities. I have had a Hypex ncore based amp for a few years that cost-effectively broke new ground in regards to detail as well as other aspects of good sound compared to my prior recent amps.

Currently I am in early process of trying a newly available Class D amp that uses GaN transistors. GaN has physical properties that open up new possibilities in regards to Class D performance overall. Early results with this amp have been very positive. Most detailed, dynamic and musical with no fatigue. The sound seems to literally light up the room! I’ve never used that analogy before. Stay tuned!

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,841 posts
 

@mapman 

Because GANFETs have no leads on them and are quite small, they allow for reduced noise from the amplifier module. This is really important; its not good enough IME/IMO to just be able to meet European Union radiation directives (required for the CE mark) or similar; the amp really should be quite a bit quieter than that so switching noise doesn't mess with other equipment in any way. If the GANFET amp is done properly it can be so quiet that class A or AB amps actually radiate more noise.

zuesman
188 posts
 

drbay,

I just purchased the SIM audio 861 amplifier all I could say is wow I listened to the Burmeister 216 and 218 which are 50 and $70,000 Canadian and the same audio 861 sounds better the background details those little fine details you can hear a lot clearer with the sim audio 861 and it's only 22,000 US or 29,000 Canadian, the MDCA circuitry that Sim has developed is a real game changer it's going to piss off a lot of companies that make real expensive amplifiers.

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