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Could Class D really be that good?

I've heard statements praising modern class D amplifiers all the time but was sort of hesitant to try. Lately, one particular model caught my eye, the Fosi V3, which costs sub $100 but is praised for having refined sound like class A/B. To fulfill my curiosity, I quickly ordered one and tried it with my Burchardt S400II and Wharfedale Linton speakers. Basically, this is a neutral sounding amp but, to my surprise, the sound is clean, open, airy, with full mids, wide soundstage, good imaging/separation, with nearly null traces of the edginess, dryness, or lean sound that traditional class D amplifiers have. The background is just as quiet as my current systems. The core is the TPA 3255 chip from TI and comes with a 32v, 5A power block, which is supposed to deliver approximately 65 watts per channel (into 8 ohms). It drives the S400II/Linton without any hesitation, as well as my 130-watt-per-channel high-current Parasound A23. Very impressive.

Measurement is not everything. However, according to the lab test results, when operated under 10-60 watts, the distortion level (THD) is below 0.003%, better than a lot of high-end (price) gears. I am going to build around it for my fourth system with upgraded op-amp and LPS. I believe it will outperform my current mid-end (price) amplifiers.

I know, I know, quite a few Audiogoners' systems are above $100k, and mentioning this kind of little giant that costs a fraction could be rather embarrassing. But I thought this is just like gold digging with a lot of surprises and fun. Don't you think?

lanx0003
jl35
3,980 posts
 

Very happy with Fosi TDA7498E 160w/ch and now $59.95 including shipping/free returns...currently driving Avalon Ascendants in medium sized room...source is WiiM pro Plus...

oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,825 posts
 

If companies like ATI ,  Atma-Sphere, Jeff Rowland , and even McIntosh are building them I would say they are...

eryoung2k
89 posts
 

Nope Class A/B are best because that's what i have (LOL)

pindac's avatar
pindac
2,864 posts
 

Try a Douk E6 in front of it with the upgrade that is referred to in certain posts.

I do think the Budget Class D and Budget DHT Pre will find a very pleasing synergy.

I put a few friends onto the E6, and one is after a period of trial, now seriously considering it for being a replacement for their Django TVC. This was unexpected, as I thought of the E6 as a very affordable dipping of ones toes into a DHT type Pre Amp.

The E6 was only presented to the group of friends, as another friend in the group, who is a very competent EE, has investigated quite a few £000's in another UK based EE's DHT Pre Amp Design, that was getting good appraisals during the  Honeymoon Period of its use. 

Not heard the DHT yet in any of the types now available, but do know the report on the UK based EE's design has claimed it has transformed SS Power Amp's relegated from the Top of the Listing for their favour to a whole new level of presentation that are very attractive when experienced.  

lanx0003 OP
821 posts
 

@erik_squires 

The basic principle of classification still defines the efficiency, cost, and form factor of a power amplifier essentially. How the audio industry implements technology on top of and around this principle to make them perform well sonically in measurements and actual listening experience is still a ongoing progress, not a cliche understatement you were making at all. See below how the forthcoming Fosi V3 Mono (priced at $280/pair) bridges the gap nicely with the noise/distortion level of the state-of-the-art Benchmark AHB2 that costs $3,500.  

(from Amirm @ASR, April 2024)

 

@jasonbourne71 

Thank you for pointing me to ASR, where I found these charts that Amirm nicely made. I see that at the maximum power rating of 32 volts SMPS, the 48 volts SMPS does not have a few dB noise advantage. And the 48 volts block gives more headroom/current to serve the peak loads as well when called for. However, at my usual listening level, I don't crank the volume knob to acquire that much power, and I am craving for more clean power from LPS. Also, the op-amp rolling will potentially render sonic improvement just like tube rolling on the tube amp. We will see.

 

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