Atma-Sphere Class D… Amazing

One more question for @Atmasphere. I have Kimber 12tc speaker cables which have an unusually high capacitance - (Cp) : 494 pF / meter. I have read of people having issues using this cable with certain amps (Ayre, for instance). Any concerns with the Class D monos?

Waiting for a pair of A-S Class D’s to arrive and very excited. Any suggestions on preamps? Ideally an analog preamp with dac or an integrated solution combining analog, Roon Ready streamer and dac. Please don’t recommend the Eversolo A-8 :)

I currently have an Auralic Aries G1.1 streamer (no dac), Bel Canto DAC2.8 dac/pre and Ref501S. I look forward to evaluating whether the A-S are a significant step up and how much. Running Totem Forest Signature speakers.

@atmasphere, thank you. My current Bel Canto is a balanced preamp/dac. I’m just hoping to lose one more box by way of the Auralic streamer, since I’m replacing a single stereo amp with two of your monos. Real estate being a premium and all that. I am considering a Bryston BR-20 but balking at the cost a little bit.

I also want to add that one of the main reasons I decided to try out your offering is because of your openness, clarity and obvious expertise on this and various other forums. I have never seen a manufacturer engage in quite so refreshing a manner with seemingly limitless patience and without a trace of defensiveness. I decided to buy a new pair from an authorized dealer as a mark of appreciation, even though there is a used pair for sale currently on another website.

I have been a member at AudioGon since 1999 or thereabouts and it has been years since I have engaged in these forums - you inspired me to break a long silence. I hope to share my impressions once I familiarize myself with the monos.

I meant every word. It’s easy when it’s the truth :)

They should be arriving this Friday, so I will hook it up to the Auralic and Bel canto front end. I am now strongly leaning towards the Bryston BR-20, so that will be my eventual pairing with the A-S monos.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted listening impressions, but I will do my best! As I get older, I focus less on deconstructing the sound and focus more on tonality,  emotional content and realism.

@docroasty - curious to know if you ever did connect your SLP-05 to the Class d monos, and if so, whether you could share your impressions? Are they the standard or the ultimate upgrade version?

Thanks!

@docroasty

Thank you, that's good to know. Weird, about the power meter led - it seems to be quite common, although I read somewhere that Carey did fix the issue back in 2018 or thereabouts.

The Class D monos arrived yesterday and are hooked up and have played for nearly 9 hours. System information:

Auralic Aries G1.1 streamer > Bela Canto Dac2.8 AES/EBU input > A-S Class Ds. via XLR input. Interconnects are DH labs (DH-110 and Air Matrix Cryo). Speaker cables Kimber 12TC. Speakers are Totem Forest Signature.

Simply put, this is the best amplifier I have ever had in my system - the only two that come even close are the Pass XA30.8 and the Benchmark AHB2. There is a wholeness that makes it seem trite to analyze the sound spectrally in terms of highs, mids and lows. To use an imperfect analogy, some writers’ prose is so "perfect", that you get a sense that their writing is inevitable and that any change to it can only be for the worse. I am no literary critic, but I recognize it when I see it (Ian McEwan comes to mind, sometimes Paul Auster, always P.G. Wodehouse). To my ears, these amps have a sense of rightness, a wholeness that transcends anything I have ever heard.

Truly, a more fitting name for a brand could not be devised - I’m sure many of you know that the name is a play on the Sanskrit word for soul - Atman or Atma. If these don’t get to the soul of music, I don’t know what else does.

@atmasphere, I only regret that it took me decades to finally stumble into your work - well, I am here and here I intend to stay. This is inspired work on the part of you and your team.