Class D is just Dandy!

Happy to see a thread "celebrating" this technology.  I have a Taranis Class D power amp from Merrill Audio.   Apart from the sheer power this thing supplies, I'm very impressed with the quality of bass from Totem Forests when driven by it. I think outstanding bass quality might well be a hallmark of Class D design.  The Totems' bass is impressive to begin with - especially considering their driver size, but the Taranis takes them to another level.  Bass is deeper and fuller than with either the solid state integrated I was using (Hegel H-200) or my EL-34/78WPC tube mono blocks.  The Taranis makes using a subwoofer with the Forests truly unnecessary for most (most) recorded material.  I also like the fact Merrill has produced a balanced design.  Having recently brought a Schiit Freya pre-amp into the system, I can now run balanced outputs from CDP & DAC into the Freya and from Freya into the Taranis.  Balanced, to my ear, is associated with a less fatiguing and cleaner sound.  The Taranis certainly allows long listening sessions; I don't experience listener fatigue using it.  Add to that cool running and no reliability issues, so far.  I did attempt a review of it here on A'gon. shortly after buying it.  Thanks very much to Audiogon member D. Patterson for getting me started thinking about Class D (he's been something of an audio mentor - intentionally or not!).  Thanks also to Guidocorona for pointing me towards the Taranis and Merrill Audio.  

I always liked your handle, islandmandan.  Maybe the noise you are hearing is the tropical breeze blowing though the palm trees.  Please don't spoil it for me if you are on Long or Staten Island.
George

I use Class D Audio amps I built from kits. My old Adcom 5 channel bit the dust, and I needed a low cost replacement. I made a three channel amp using two modules, sharing a common power supply. One module is in stereo mode for the surround speakers. The other is bridged to mono, for 500 Watts to the center.

I like this arrangement so much, I built another amp, using two modules bridged to mono, for 500 Wpc for my main speakers. Sounds ridiculously good, especially for the cost. I use this amp for 90% of my listening, an SET 300B for the remainder. They both sound good in my situation, though the modules that are bridged tend to be a bit noisy. They sound so good, I really don't mind.

Regards,
Dan

Purchased a Rogue Sphinx from Audio Connection a few monthes back to use with my Green Mountain Europa's. Very happy with the sound

Greg,

Good to hear. TBH I've only heard B&W speakers with Krell amps, and that combination never made me reach for my wallet.

Interesting you find the ICEPower modules working so well for you. :)

Best,


E

I'm running one of the original IcePower-based seven channel amps from D-Sonic.  They run two Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 800s each driven with two 1000ASP modules (biamped) and a pair of Nautilus 803's plus a center.

The amp absolutely dominates the 800s in this configuration and sound better than with any other amplification that I've heard them through.  Of course I've not heard them through $45,000 monos :)

Greg

  I am on my second amp from the digital amp company.  They don't get much fanfare here on audiogon but the cherry plus amp is awesome.  Very clear and just a tad bit warm and laid back, plus it is very powerful.  Very happy with mine

I should say that in the mid-80’s I did get to listen to early Class D amplifier from one of our vendors. It was not then up to snuff, especially not with metal dome compression drivers. :)

Best,

E

Hy Roxy,

I never did. My experience in the pro world was in motion picture auditoriums. At the time my employer bought Hafler amplifier modules, attached their own supplies, and their own surround processing. We probably kept Hafler in business a lot longer than they would have been otherwise. I understand they have come back though.

My day job is esoteric related to IT.

My current set-up uses custom loudspeakers driven by ICEPower 250ASP modules. I did a lot of listening and comparing them to Parasound Halo A23 amplifiers, which while small, are fabulous performers. I rate the two as equivalent in sound quality.

Best,

E