Class d amplification

You should put AGD on your list as well. One nice thing about them in addition to sound is that they are user upgradeable when new tech innovations and improvements come out. 

The Atma-Sphere Class D are the best I’ve encountered. I’m a dealer so happy to answer any questions.

I realize you did not ask for other suggestions but if you have not done so yet you should also consider in addition to AGD, Orchard Audio. https://orchardaudio.com/shop/starkrimson-mono-ultra-premium/

AGD, Gold Note, Orchard (meh for me), Jeff Roland, Naim. Mola Mola. 

Don’t let the price fool you but Class D Audio amps are in same category. 
 

I heard the Atmasphere amps at CAF a while back and they were wonderful. But must qualify that was with the usual Classic Audio high efficiency speakers. Kef Blades are much different.   So I would expect them to work well but not sure.   
 

I use the Class D Audio amp with kef ls50 metas and that combo is hard to beat within its limits imposed by the small KEFs.   Blades are a different beast.  The Class D audio amp is also the best I have ever paired with my big Ohm F5s, which are more in the class of KEF Blades.

I have the Atma-Sphere Class D driving Quad ESL 63s for four months.  These speakers are revealing and I can listen all day to decent source with no fatigue.

I think the Atma-Sphere and Orchard entries are very much worth auditioning. They are two excellent amps with different sound profiles.

https://futureaudiophile.com/atma-sphere-class-d-gamono-amplifiers-reviewed/

https://futureaudiophile.com/orchard-audio-starkrimson-mono-ultra-premium-amps-reviewed/

I am looking at Class D Audio GaNFet amps. 
Curious as to what pre-amps are pairing well in the class D world. 

@hbarrel I use a Schitt Freya with mine. 

Thank you @mapman 

@hbarrel - Currently, NAD M66. A flexible device whose US price has increased by about $1,500 since US tariffs on Chinese goods were announced.

I think you will find that with a good Class D amp, what you will hear is the quality of the source and preamp and there is little issue of matching. It is important to make sure that together, the pre and amp have enough gain to drive your speakers.

I have been using Atma-Sphere Class D to drive Wilson Tune Tots for the last year or so and will not be making any changes.

I have the AGD Duet mono blocks. Great sound and even better  when i made up my own cables with the Furutech TCS-31 cable.

A good Class D will never sound as good as a good class AB. 

I borrowed a pair of the Atma-Sphere class D amps and ended up purchasing them. My main amps are a pair of Cary Audio 211 Founders Addition amps. The AS amps give them a good run for the money until the Cary amps get nice and toasty. I am amazed how good the AS amps sound. I wished I had tried them and some other class D amps much sooner. 

@vinylshadow 

When was the last time you listened to a newer class D amp?  If you can, try listening to the Atma-Sphere amp the OP was mentioning or some the newer Gan amps in the 2K and up price range.  You’ll be surprised.  I know I was.

Atma-sphere makes a very good amp. The designer is very smart. But I would still get a Jeff Rowland Class AB or Donizetti before a class D. Class D cannot outperform a great AB amp. 

AS Class D </= CA211FA, that is saying something!  🤔

+1 on AGD (Duets) and they are upgradable as the tech improves! I use them on DeVore Super Nines.

Before the A-S came out, I bought AGD Audions. 
The AGDs are very beautifully tube sounding but the A-S surpass them in transparency and bass. If you want to bi amp, the A-S are a very affordable way to go. 

@mglik  Correct me if Im wrong but according to your prior posts you did not have the latest "3" version of the AGD.  You had the "2".  If thats true than your comparison doesnt hold up to the current AGD model and you should be mentioning that for "transparency". .

The KEF has a sensitivity rating per speaker of 86.8 dB@2.83V/1m

a minimum impedance modulus of 3.3 Ohms at 40Hz, 150Hz so they're gonna be current hungry speakers.

so you need a high current amp that can get to sustained 80dB average SPL from your seated position (assuming 10ft from the speakers) and instantaneous transient peaks of roughly 100dB.

Plugging that into this room calculator with an amp of power delivery of 700 Watts means we get to 105.6dB at your seated position.

This is the monoblock in question - Hypex NC1200 Premium Monoblock Amplifier Apollon PNC 1200

It does 1200W into 2 Ohm, 700W into 4 Ohm and 400W into 8 ohm.

get two @digitaljoseph 

Only a two year warranty is somewhat concerning , no?

@digitaljoseph   I'm very happy with the performance of a pair of Atma-Sphere GaNFET Class D monoblocks driving Aspen FR10 speakers. The sensitivity of the FR10 is 86.5 dB, which quite similar to the KEF and Joseph speakers you mentioned. The A-S monoblocks are incredibly transparent and power the FR10's planar tweeter and midrange driver with amazing realism and an absence of harshness. The low end is great, too, conveying impact and natural tone to drums and stand-up bass. 

I can't tell the difference between GaNfet class d and modern amps from Purifi and Hypex which cost half as much at twice the power. Even GanFet purveyors can't (won't) defend it. All they got is "efficiency" and "runs cool."  But that's common to all Class D amps so mn

Any Aavik amplifier will do, if you can afford the i-280 is the one to get.

Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000 R are 1000 watt Ice Modules with nice power supplies and proprietary input boards. 3200 USD. Head room for your Blades. Gear depreciates precipitously so buy low to insulate yourself.  

Class D cannot outperform a great AB amp. 

@vinylshadow That was probably true a few years back. But these days it isn't by any metric you might find important (imaging, depth, smoothness, musiocality, distortion, etc).

I heard a class D at AXPONA about 8 years ago that convinced me that if we didn't get a handle on class D we would be left behind. At this point class D is so good that I am convinced that tube power amps are on borrowed time as well as class A or AB solid state amps. There's still life left in them but ten years from now the market will look very different!

NAD M23  

I heard a class D at AXPONA about 8 years ago that convinced me that if we didn't get a handle on class D we would be left behind. At this point class D is so good that I am convinced that tube power amps are on borrowed time as well as class A or AB solid state amps. There's still life left in them but ten years from now the market will look very different!

Yup.  I heard Joseph Audio Pulsars years ago powered by Bel Canto Class D amps at a show and it was fantastic and changed my idea about how good these amps are, and that was like 10 years ago.  At this point I wouldn’t be so much concerned with what class an amp is but just how it sounds.  Frankly, mating a tube preamp with a good Class D amp makes a whole lotta sense to me. 

Gold Note PA 10 Evo. 

No need to pay any more than $3,000 for class D monoblocks.  Nord makes a great customizable Eigentakt. 

Excellent Class D amps I have preferred to Class AB amps at 3× the price:

• NAD M23
• Atma-Sphere Class D
• Orchard Audio Premium Ultra

I'm sure others are equally as good.

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