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SET the best?

Is SET amplification where we should all end up? I keep reading posts where people tell of their journeys from plenty power to micro power, and how amazing SET amplification is 45 set 211 set 845 set otl, and usually, ....with the right speaker. I have yet to read of anyone who has gone the other direction from SET, to High watt beast class A amps or others.
If your speakers can be driven by minimal wattage, is this the most realistic, natural sound we can achieve? versus say, 86db sensitive speakers and a 1000w amp?
Is the end result solely based on speaker pairing? circuit? tubes?

I am in the process of changing my direction in my search for realistic sound, just because, and wondering if this really is the best direction to be going.
From what I have been reading I think it may be.

What do we get with SET? What do we give up?

What's you favorite color?
hanaleimike

Showing 1 response by cindyment

cindyment's avatar
cindyment
351 posts
 

absolutely I need to confirm the GaN Fet AGD uses for the Audion, Vivace, and Tempo (either in the AGDGaNTubeKT88MKii or in the new GaN power module for the Tempo) were optimized specifically for Class-D application hence for Audio.

The article of Rick Backer is therefore perfectly correct.

I cannot disclose the name nor the products of the 2 very large customers these chips were originally intended for (customers of International Rectifier), but I can confirm these were 100% audio applications. The current GaN-Fets available today from many suppliers are indeed designed and specified for Adapters and Battery charger (pc/tablet/phone) applications, and they have therefore different characteristics (very different) than the one we are using. To use them in Class-D is possible of course, but several additional layers of circuit design optimization are necessary.

@agdproduction 

I wonder if his nose grew while making that statement?

Currently Audio is a minuscule portion of the GaN market, even at the voltages/currents of GaNFETs that would be used in audio.

Most of the ones in this range are used for high volume high performance POL DC-DC and sync-FETs in DC-DC and AC-DC. Total volume in audio for GaN is puny right now. It is primarily a marketing tool at this point.

Then again, there is the simple fact that a Class-D amp is effectively really quite the same as a DC-DC. What makes a GaN good for a DC-DC would make it good for audio and vice versa with rare exception, more so on the silicon side actually than GaN.

The quote above w.r.t. complexity just sounds like talking points from the GaN systems white paper on their ref design and using their parts in a Class-D amp versus their competitor. Their parts due have advantages against some other parts in Class-D, dependent on how used, but the claims made would be relevant to any half-bridge DC-DC as well, not just Class-D. I expect GaN is chasing this market as the GaN market is still immature and they need to drive sales to ensure continued investment. By far the most important market for them will be electric Vehicles and those devices are much higher voltage.

 

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