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
@bigkidz Yes, it would be better to say "I've heard many class D amps".  I liked class D from the beginning and in 2008 posted a list of class D makers (today likely much longer).  There are over 50 companies on this list and most of them make more than one model:

Acoustic Reality http://www.acoustic-reality.com/
eAR202, etc (ICEPower)

Aivin http://www.aivin.com.cn/
DT300 (http://www.aivin.com.cn/files/english/products/proweb/DT300.htm) (Tripath)

Analog Research Technology http://www.analogresearch-technology.com/

AudioArt (NL) http://www.audioart.nl/
Van Medevoort MA240 (Hypex UcD)

Audiodigit http://www.audiodigit.com/
MC 8x100 (Tripath)

AudioResearch http://www.audioresearch.com/
150.2, 300.2, 150M (Tripath)

AV123 http://www.av123.com/
X-Empower, xAmp (prelaunch (http://av123forum.com/showthread.php?threadid=10683))
(Philips class-D?)

B&O http://www.icepower.bang-olufsen.com/sw1067.asp
(ICEPower)

BelCanto http://www.belcantodesign.com/products.html
Evo (Tripath) eOne (ICEPower)

Bertram http://www.audiokabel.dk/eng-main.htm
(ICEPower)

Carver http://www.carverusa.com/
300.2, 700.2, 1200.2

Cary Audio http://www.caryaudio.com/
A 306 power amplifier (http://www.caryaudio.com/products/designer/a306.html)

Channel Islands Audio http://www.ciaudio.com/
D100, D200 (Hypex UcD)

Chapter Audio http://www.chapteraudio.co.uk/
Couplet Power Amp (proprietary WMP class-D)

D-Sonic http://www.d-sonic.net/
Magnum (http://www.d-sonic.net/) (ICEPower)

DIYCable http://www.diycable.com/
Exodus (http://www.diycable.com/main/default.php?cPath=140) (Hypex UcD)

Egosys http://www.egosys.co.jp/
Audiotrak DrAMP (http://www.audiotrak.net/drAMP.htm) (Tripath)

Elan http://www.elanhomesystems.com/
D1200, D1600 (12 and 16 channel power amps, Tripath)

Electronic Visionary Systems http://www.tweakaudio.com/
EVS-2 (http://www.tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Amp_page.html) (ICEPower)

Flying Mole http://www.flyingmoleelectronics.com/
(proprietary class-D)

Gilmore Audio http://www.glacieraudio.com/
Raven, Raptor, Dragonfly (http://www.glacieraudio.com/new%20Glacier%20Audio%20Site/Products%20folder/Gilmore/Gilmore-amps.htm) m/ch (looks like ICE)

Halcro http://www.halcro.com/logic/home.asp
Lyrus

H2O Audio http://www.iceh2oaudio.com/
M250, M500 (ICEpower)

Integra /Onkyo http://www.integrahometheater.com/
DTA 9.4 (http://www.integrahometheater.com/model.cfm?class=Separates&m=DTA-9.4&p=i) 7x120W 8Ω

Jeff Rowland http://www.jeffrowland.com/
(ICEPower)

Jjaz Audio http://www.jjaz.dk/
(ICEPower)

Kharma http://www.kharma.com/
MP150 (http://www.kharma.com/frame.htm?products/matrix/mp150.htm)

LC Audio http://www.lcaudio.com/
Predator SE (http://www.lcaudio.com/index.php?page=37) (ZapPulse)

Marantz http://www.marantz.jp
Opsodis ES-150 (http://www.marantz.jp/ce/products/hometheater/opsodis/es150/index.html) (D2Audio) 2ch virtual surround

Medius [DK] http://www.medius.cc/
A II, A III (http://www.medius.cc/index2.asp?target=products&subtarget=amplifiers&view=amplifiers)

MG Audiolabs http://www.mglaudiolabs.com/
Symphony (http://www.mglaudiolabs.com/products/symphony.htm) (Hypex UcD)

Midgard Audio http://www.midgardaudio.no/www/
(ICEPower)

MindCraft (NL) http://www.mindcraft.nl/
Media Amp One (http://www.mindcraft.nl/mediaampone.htm) (Hypex UcD)

Murano-Audio (TW) http://www.murano-audio.com/
P500, P1000 (ICEPower)

NHT http://nhthifi.com/
Power2 (http://nhthifi.com/2006/products/s/power2.html), Power5 (http://nhthifi.com/2006/products/s/power5.html) (ICEpower)

Nuforce http://www.nuforce.com/
Ref 8, Ref 8b, Ref 9 (nPhysics proprietary class-D)

NuVo Technologies http://www.nuvotechnologies.com/
NV-P2100 (http://www.nuvotechnologies.com/prozone/nv_p2100.htm)

Onkyo http://www.onkyo.com/
A-1VL, A-9755, A-9555 (http://www.eu.onkyo.com/indices/index_com_en_53538.html) (?)

PSAudio http://www.psaudio.com/
GCA, GCMC (ICEPower)

Red Dragon Audio http://www.reddragonaudio.com/
(ICEpower)

RedWineAudio http://www.redwineaudio.com/
Clari-T, Lotus (Tripath)

Rotel http://www.rotel.com/
1077 (7x100), 1092 (2x500) (ICEPower)

Sharp http://www.sharpusa.com/
SM-SX1, SM-SX100

Sonneteer http://freespace.virgin.net/sonneteer.audio/bronte.html
Brontë (Tripath)

Sony http://www.sony.com/
TA-DA9000ES, TA-FA1200ES (http://www.stoneaudio.co.uk/stoneaudio/products/details.asp?product=2439) (S-Master)

Spectron http://www.spectronav.com/
Musician, Troubador (int amp w digital inputs)

TactAudio/Lyngford http://www.tactaudio.dk/ http://www.lyngford.com/
Millennium & others (Equibit)

TEAC Esoteric http://teac.co.jp/av/esoteric/
AZ-1 pre-main (translated (http://babel.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=ja_en&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.teac.co.j...)

ThetaDigital http://www.thetadigital.com/
Virtu PowerDAC (http://www.thetadigital.com/press-release/virtu-09-06.htm) (Zetex class-Z)

UniwaveTek http://www.uniwavetek.com/
Anaco II

Yamaha http://www.yamaha.com/
MX-D1
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I've had the Audions for two years now. They drive my Acoustats 2+2 with ease. Very quick transients. Very clean sounding. Love them. Just had the "tubes" upgraded. I recommend them. 
bigkidz

The manner in which i post is not the message here, your reading but you really are not. Your really not interested in the amps but feel the need to comment so you post ridiculous rantings that has nothing to do with said product. I post when i know something about a product otherwise i keep my mouth shut. I have no desire or the need to post, i post when i have something that is beneficial to others or possibly could be.

You mention that you build class A amps how is that relevant to this tread? Many here know my background, is it relevant to this tread? No, it is not.

This tread is about the AGD Audion it`s not about me.
@johnnieshouse

I loved/hated my time with my 2+2s: the hate part because ~20 years ago, while the servo amps sounded much better than the SS interfaces, they were unstable. Long after I sold them, someone figured out how to stabilize them

Would love to hear them with the AGDs