New Class D amplifiers

As @jeffseight mentioned earlier in this thread, there is an excellent recent YouTube video called "The perfect power amplifier?" by Harley Lovegrove of Pearl Acoustics. Harley praises the accomplishments of Bruno Putzeys and his colleagues on building the Purifi amp modules, which are outstanding for their clarity, detail, tight bass, and dynamics. However, at the same time Harley says that the Purifi module is not all that pleasant to listen to without an excellent buffer to increase the gain of the module.

Harley mentions that Warren at VTV generously sent him a Purifi module along with a couple of op amps to use with it, one from Weiss and another from Sparkos. (He preferred the one from Sparkos.) So Harley’s view (and VTV’s too) is that the Purify module is a great starting point, but it only becomes a great amp with the right implementation. As Harley suggests, it’s technically brilliant now but it isn’t amazing yet.

In my opinion, we should applaud the efforts of talented designers at Atma-Sphere, AGD, Orchard, VTV, and elsewhere who appear to be using Class D models (whether using MOSFETs or GaNFETs) to try to make the best sounding amps possible. This may often involve more costly R&D, parts, power supplies, and custom components or modules to be successful in the marketplace.

Harley Lovegrove mentioned that he recently had the pleasure of having Bruno Putzeys come over for an afternoon of talking and listening to gear. Harley will be publishing his full interview with Bruno on March 14. It should be interesting!

I simply seeking to clarify the record by asking for any evidence of issues with Hypex or Purifi, which are much cheaper alternative.

This bit isn’t accurate. Have you priced them recently? We have. Using those modules would cause our amp to be more expensive than it is now.

But if we had it all made overseas it would be cheaper. If we didn’t have a dealer network to support the customer the same. If we didn’t care about the product being rugged enough to survive shipping abuse things would be different.

I’ve bought cheaper stuff that was supposed to be better. I hate to do it, because so often it simply doesn’t work out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVDEE30XB5A

We care about these things- so the amps are made here in Minnesota, they have dealer support, they hold together and have a lasting finish- and they meet emissions directives for real.

FWIW in the last 40 years we’ve been less expensive than our competition operating in the same performance bracket, often by several times. In the case of our class D, its less expensive than the amps it competes against, in some cases by mulitiple times.

FWIW if you bought an amplifier and put it in storage for 10 years, it would likely need to be refurbished at the end of that time since the filter caps would be shot at the very least.

Fortunately our class D isn’t one of the ’heavy amps and flashy cases’ you are talking about...

Its very obvious you have a personal agenda that has nothing to do with amplifiers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVDEE30XB5A

F'n fabulous...

Thanks Ralph.

This bit isn’t accurate. Have you priced them recently? We have. Using those modules would cause our amp to be more expensive than it is now.

Of course it is accurate. There are Hypex nc500 and Purifi amps, complete, from several sources, that are around $1000. No, they don't have a linear supply (they don't need one), no, they don't have a flashy case, nor do they have something you have to hide. They have decent warranties and companies that stand behind them. They are easy to repair and update. And most have a 2 to 5 year warranty, compared to your 3. And let's not forget, these are 400W, 500W into 8 Ohms, in other words, double the power or more than your 200W into 8 Ohm amps.

It's hardly a close comparison value-wise.

I fail to see why you keep repeating the bit about how it would make your amp "more expensive" to use 3rd party modules. So what? All that tells me is your modules must cost you very little, making your amp even more over priced. There must be at least a dozen or more companies out there who have figured out how to make a 3rd party module class d amp for less than half the price of yours or less. Maybe you need to up your game.

Less expensive than the other class d amps it competes against? So it's the least bad value of the bunch in the over priced status amp luxury market? Congrats.

I have no personal agenda, other than to call out over priced, under performing products when I see them. Audio is full of over priced products that don't measure up to far cheaper alternatives. I have no doubt your amp is well engineered, well built, and performs well. It's just not a good value, in comparison to other class d amps which have flooded the market, in my considered opinion. I am sure it will sell well, though I would not necessarily consider that a reflection on the amp itself, more further proof that audio is full of insecure, status seekers who like to spend extravagant amounts of money on products to assuage their frail egos.

@ddafoe ,

I noticed that you have the new AtmaSphere amps. Congratulations on the new acquisition. Would be eager to know how they compared to the Pass you had perviously. I have read nothing but great reviews about Ralph’s Class D amps.