ClassDAudio.com product...any owners can input?


OK, so my old McIntosh MC250 is showing its age and making all kinds of noise thru my speakers when it is on but the rest of the system is not. This is one of those units that does not have an on/off switch. Ive run it that way for probably 15 years with no issues. Anyway, I am taking it off line and thinking I will buy a new power amp and get off the "vintage repair circus ride". While I love the amps warmish sound especially after it was updated by Terry DeWick about 15 year ago, it is as old as me (SS age) and it costs me $350-400 round trip to the US Mainland for repairs. So, I am looking for a replacement power amp. Runs alternatively update Ohm Walsh 2s or Kef R300s in a 15 x18 room with arched ceilings. (May be updating the Kefs to R3Metas in the next year but that is secondary now.) The 50+ watts on the amp has been fine for the volume I listen at. It is preceded by an upgraded Acurus R11 preamp and Sony ES SACD and Wiim Ultra. I am inclined to stay with separates for this system and am curious about whether or no anyone has tried out the CLASSDAUDIO.com power amps. I have seen some discussion of these here but it mostly seems to be older. I am looking at one of the GAN amps with 150-200 watts. It is not pretty but I dont care. I am just curious as to what people feel about its sound signature. The last D amp I heard was a Rogue Sphinx v3 I setup for an older friend on Kauai. I was surprised at how good that sounded. One longer term direction could be to get a D power amp and then join it with a Rogue rp3 or one of their other tube preamps. That seems to be a thing these days. Appreciate any input. Mahalo.

joekapahulu

I have Class D Audio custom shop mono blocks (GaN FET @250 wpc) sitting on my stand. I bought the red face plate version. They look sharp. Listened to some CD’s for a short period of time. Like three CD’s worth of time.
Then I packed up the speakers and shipped them off sold. And now waiting on the replacement speakers. Anyhow I thought the amps were pretty darn good. Had more defined bass. The treble was a bit brighter? but I’ve been reassured that will abate as they break in. Plus the speakers were noted for treble sharpness. The companies updated speakers addressed the issue. Albeit the treble was never sharp with Musical Fidelity Ñu-Vista 600 the amps are replacing.  
 

I have current line Class D Audio GanFET amp running Ohm Walsh F5 series 3 and KEF ls50 meta since early this year.   Highly recommended!  Nice build quality and exceptional sound.  Not warm sounding though more like perfectly neutral.  Looks nice too and most compact!   
 

Here is a review of similar model that covers it well. 
 

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0724/ClassD_Audio_Mini_GaN3_Amplifier_Review.htm

 

These have been around for so long but not many reviews.  As an owner of what used to be a pair of ET-LFT8B panel speakers, these were sleepers of the century with almost no reviews but if one had the room and the right equipment, they were bargains to be had!  Anyway other than the one review of these Class D monos, it becomes a leap of faith since they come factory direct.  Anyone else have any experience with these?  

@mapman +1 
First I’ve read that review. 
spot on

@daytrader with a 15 day trial period... Not a leap of faith. 

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I think GanFets's are the way to go. Some good ones are from Orchard Audio and AGD. I also think that having a tube in the preamp circuit smooths things out a bit. Give them a listen if you can?

@joekapahulu What a small world! I also had a Rogue Sphinx before moving on to a Firstwatt F6, then a Decware UFO84, then a Dynaco ST-35, then a Elekit TU-8900. Along the way I also bought a ClassD audio MiniGan 5. Happy to report it fits right in. Nice 2nd order harmonic vibe for a total Class D. I am also happy to tell you the manufacturer is an ace when it comes to standing behind his product. My initial purchase had to be sent back two times due to problems but I found the company great to deal with! Very reputable. Five Stars.

I've had a Mini Gan 5 for a few years but only put on about 200 hours or so.

I found it to be very neutral sounding, but in my application lacking in a cohesive stage depth. It very well could be a mismatch with my other gear.

At its relatively inexpensive cost it is well worth considering.