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A great article on Class D/switching amps

The latest edition of The Absolute Sound has, in my opinion, the best overall perspective and evaluation of the eight most regarded class D switching amps on the market today.

The article contains an explanation of the technology, an interview with a couple of the most important designers, the individual reviews and finally a round table discussion regarding these amps.

I believe any of you GON members who might be considering auditioning a class D switching amp would want to review this piece regarding their different sonic signatures.

I had the pleasure of listening to the Kharma MP150 which the panel picked as being on top of the "heap" compared to Audio Research 300.2,Channel Island Audio D-200, Nuforce Reference 9 Special Edition, Red Dragon Audio Leviathan Signature, Jeff Roland Design Group 201, Cary Audio Design A 306,and finally the Spectron Musician III.

Each amp had at least two different reviewers with different systems evaluate them and then compare their experiences. This was a well done piece and if you read it I believe you find it both educational and helpful to understand what these amps are all about.
teajay
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drubin
3,274 posts
 
The overall tone was more negative toward these amps than I expected, but that
owes mainly to the comments of WG and JV. JV inhabits an audio ivory tower
and I think his perspective on these modestly priced products may be a bit
compromised. As for WG, I don't know, I've never been able to fathom his
perspective. The Kharma is his reference amp, but he dislikes the rest of them
and was outright brutal about the Nuforce. I got the impression Robert Harley
was scrambling to keep things from going too negative given that Class D is a
pretty big movement (understatement) in the market they cover.

That said, I do commend them for the comprehensiveness of the article.

Which Class D technology is the Kharma based on?
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macrojack
1,303 posts
 
I've alternated between Class D and low powered tube amps for about 3 years now and I intervened with a Pass Aleph 30. The Rowland 201 was very good but the amp I use currently is the best that I have ever heard. It is the Red Wine Audio Signature 30. It puts forth 30 watts per channel of Tripath power and operates off battery power. You get no noise and a very stiff current. Somehow, the designer, Vinnie Rossi manages to make this amplifier mimic the sound and character of a very good single ended triode. And somehow it missed out on the TAS article. I don't read TAS so I wouldn't know if he advertises with them. Does he?
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macrojack
1,303 posts
 
That's right, Tvad. The Sig 30 provides a very convincing argument for switching to high efficiency speakers. I've seen numerous testimonials now saying it may be the best SS amp available. And at $1400 for a single input integrated, it has to be the best overall value on the amplifier market.
Consider Reference 3a or Zu Druid as good speaker choices.
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