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

@eddnog Yep, thank you for the reminder​​ Ed​​​​. 11 AM EDT. I had the site open. I was told biggest discount will be limited to the first 200 participants.

(disclaimer: I am not affiliated with FOSI)

@lanx0003 Yes, I am hoping to make that cut as well. I have a feeling first 200 will go FAST. I plan to get a pair without power supplies as I already have a pair of 48V/10A units that I currently use with my ZA3s. Once the V3 Monos arrive, I’ll roll over the op-amps to the new V3 Monos, put the stock op-amps back into the ZA3s and then sell them with the 48V/5A power supplies I have sitting around.

-Ed

@eddnog I am a bit lenient. Could always wait until June from Amazon. I plan to use a 48v/10a psu to power them with a splitter cable, primarily to save space. Do you think will that compromise SQ in any way?

I have also made known on this forum in another thread about a Import Chinese Origin, Four Box Modular Class D Power Amp compared to a £50K Soulution Power Amp on a £200K system, or £150 400 system with the Import Amp.

@pindac ,

What is the name of the amp you're referring to?