Having had the Class D amps in my system for a couple months now it's my opinion a hybrid version isn't necessary. As I hear it, the design exhibits the best of what tubes, OTLs, and Class D has to offer. I've mentioned this to others including Ralph, it makes my M-60 monoblocks obsolete.
Congratulations Atmasphere!
I noticed today that Ralph Karsten (whom regular and even occasional participants in this forum will of course recognize as the designer and proprietor of Atma-Sphere Music Systems, as well as a uniquely valuable contributor to the forum) was granted United States patent number 10,469,042 on November 5, 2019. It covers an audio amplification technique he had indicated here that he has been developing, which in simple terms appears to me to basically be a clever combination of an analog-to-pulse train converter (as used in traditional class D amplifiers for example, among other audio-related applications), with an output stage employing circlotron topology (analogous to the topology used in his OTL power amplifiers, but utilizing solid state devices).
Congratulations Ralph!!
Best regards,
--Al
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Al was both a gentleman and a scholar. Also a good engineer, in case scholarly pursuits and engineering aren't the same. I miss him as well. |
@grannyring, I use the Atma-Sphere MP-3. |