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Time to buy a class D amp?


Will some new class D amplifiers outperforming the current ones appear soon

(the newest ones i know were released a  few years ago)?

Class D amps attract me as I consider them the most ecological ones with obvious non-auditionable benefits.

I have no doubts that they posses the maximum ratio performance/sound quality among the amplifiers of all classes.

At the same time, the sound quality the class D amplifiers that I have auditioned produce, although is quite good,

but not yet ideal (for my taste).


I use PS Audio Stellar S300 amp with PS audio Gain Cell pre/DAC with Thiel CS 3.6 speakers in one of my systems.

The sound is ok (deep bass, clear soundstage) but not perfect (a bit bright and somehow dry, lacking warmness which might be more or less ok for rock but not for jazz music).

I wonder if there are softer sounding class D amps with the same or better details and resolution. Considering two reasonable (as to the budget) choices for test, Red Dragon S500 and Digital Audio Company's

Cherry  2 (or Maraschino monoblocks), did anybody compare these two?



128x128niodari

Showing 3 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,909 posts
 
LOL....not hifi..... 

Tell all the reviewers including Stereophile that have done positive reviews of various Class D amps that.  Not to mention the users like me.

I get it.  We're all obsessed with something.  Some are obsessed with Class D not being perfect like pretty much everything else (yet).  To each their own.
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,909 posts
 
FWIW I’ve run a bunch of Class D amps over the last several years all the time and no tweeter meltdowns. In fact 0 issues and they even tend to be the quietest amps ever. Never a sound other than what’s playing. I even leave them on most of the time as recommended.
 
mapman's avatar
mapman
21,909 posts
 
I run a BEl Canto C5i true-digital Class D integrated amp in a smaller system that would seem to fit your bill. Detail and resolution is top notch and never fatiguing. "Smoothest" sounding amp I have ever owned by far. Only 60 w/ch 8 ohm, enough to deliver the goods, but probably not concert level SPLs.

I would expect other newer higher power Bel Canto class D amps would work similarly.

I also have older Bel Canto ref1000m amps (500w/ch 8 ohm) that could fit the bill in my main system. Not quite as smooth as the C5i perhaps with some speakers, but similar and still a major improvement over any other amp I had used prior.

If ever in Baltimore /DC metro area, would be happy to provide a listen if desired.
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