Class D amps that are superior to all or most?


Recently, I have heard about some Class D amps that may be close to the best there is regardless of class. Certainly, this technology has been in development for decades. The main issue has always been the switching power supply. In this regard, I have taken notice of AGD. They have created a whole new power supply that “switches” at a frequency 100 times the normal silicon based MOSFET. The designer uses a gallium nitride based PS. Interesting, it is enclosed in the KT88 glass envelope that sits on top of his amps. I am aware of two more pricey amps that seem to be also at the top- the Solution and the Merrill. There must be others that compete for the title. After my thread, “Is there a SS amp that can satisfy a SET guy?”, I am still on the quest.
Don’t want to spend $50K!
mglik

Showing 6 responses by twoleftears

In the under 10K category, clearly the current winners are the AGD Audion monoblocks.

What's coming this year in GaN engineering?  Looking forward to the eventual release of the LSA Voyager (aka "Godot") amp, and to atmasphere's class D circlotron monoblocks.

The other GaN amps currently out that nobody's mentioned are the Orchard Starkrimsons.
It strikes me that the one other contender not yet mentioned in this thread is the LKV Veros PWR+.
https://www.lkvresearch.com/lkv-veros-power-plus.html
It's been very well reviewed, but I don't know how many units are out there in the field.
Oh SO "blah".

"Sound quality and music enjoyment–wise, the LKV Research Veros PWR+ amplifier sits on a higher mountain than any other class-D amp I've encountered. It seems like Bill Hutchins made a slew of listening-inspired design decisions which, in concert, led to this extraordinarily natural-sounding power amp. I will be surprised if it measures super-low THD-wise, but, rest assured, I smiled contentedly every minute it was playing music in my room."

"Today, most commercial loudspeakers feature reactive, low-impedance loads. Why? Because watts are cheap? Unfortunately, cheap watts often sound like crap watts. Fortunately, Bill's watts sound like limitless, sensual, tactile, luxury class-A watts. On the speakers I used, the Veros PWR+ put minnows, crappies, and my favorites, bass and catfish, into the once-empty class-D pond. Gleefully recommended."
I'm still confused.  Legacy makes a whole family of these amps, from the Legacy i-V1 through to the i-V8, offering one through eight channels of amplification.  Can the i-V4 be bridged to 2-channel output?  Or?