What are the best GaN Amplifiers available today?

Thank you for all of the responses so far. 

@verdantaudio I agree there is no objective best amp. I’m asking about peoples’ preferences and the reasons they landed there. I am not hoping to get a unified alignment on this thread, but get broad knowledge about what’s available and how they differ. Which AGD amps did you compare to the Atma - were they the Audion? Would you characterize them as rolled off on top, or just sweet? My brother has the Audion, though he lives too far for me to be able to try them in my system to compare. 

@jeffseight To my knowledge, Aavik uses Purifi, not GaN. I agree they are some of the best Class D, and I have a high affinity for them. I own Borresen 02 as we speak. 

@markmuse Interesting to hear that you find the Tempo to be less dark than the Atma as others comment that the Audion are darker than the Atma. This is helpful to understand what might be gained by moving up to the Tempo. I’d be curious to hear of anyone who has compared the AGD Audion to their higher offerings and share their impressions. I personally have heard the Atma monos at shows and have found them to be brighter / more detailed than many non-GaN solid state amps. I’m guessing that Ralph voices the monos to be more like his OTLs, of which I have owned two (MA-1 and S-30). 

@yyzsantabarbara Thanks for the impressions between the GAN1 and GAN400. I wasn’t aware Ric Schultz was offering mods. I’ll look into that as well  

Keep the comments rolling, it’s all helpful!

@markmuse Thanks for the details. 

@greg_f Thanks for the correction on Aavik. Are Pascal modules a GaN design or no? I didn’t think they were. They sound great regardless. 

I should also say that I am looking for very high performing GaN amplifiers to perform against some of the best / most high-end units out there, like the T+A A 3000 HV amplifier (which I own along with the T+A PS 3000 HV power supply), Audionet amps as @pennfootball71 mentions, or other Class D leaders like Aavik or Bel Canto Black. High bandwidth, control, transparency, and resolution are all important, but just as important is a completely organic, natural presentation with the proper use of harmonics and lifelike presence/immediacy and dynamics.

@greg_f I unfortunately haven't AB/ed Aavik against other amplifiers with the same speakers in the same room to be able to comment. I would say that Aavik 580 series is a cleaner sound, but still incredibly musical, than my reference T+A HV stack. The T+A has richer harmonics and a tad less control in the lows (Aavik is known for its insane damping factor and that is a large contributor to making Borresen speakers sing the way they do). My T+A is more natural, a bit less clinical, but at the expense of not being as lightning fast as the Aavik. Keep in mind that this was the same set of speakers, but in different rooms (I brought mine back to Next Level Hifi to compare) and different cables (Synergistic Research Galileo SX in my room vs their Ansuz DTC-2 loom). Gryphon has richer harmonics still over T+A, and I prefer T+A, which is why I became a dealer for them. Pass generally has less rich harmonics than Gryphon or T+A but has a warmer character to them. Vitus, I've only heard once, with Estelon Extreme at AXPONA this year, and though I've heard a few Estelon, I'm not familiar enough with what the amp was doing vs what the speakers were doing. In that room, it was a very burly, natural sound, but not as immediate and transparent as Aavik / Borresen combos I've heard time and time again.

@atmasphere I noticed that, and FWIW, hearing your amps between AXPONA ’22 and FLAX ’23, I thought they were anything but rolled off. Maybe since you’re now on this thread, could I ask you to share how you voiced your GaN monos, especially in comparison to your OTLs? Did you attempt to preserve the same level of openness and bandwidth to your other amps (albeit making it easier to drive speakers with)? How would you compare the sonics of your GaN amps to your OTLs? As you know, I was very fond of the MA-1, and later on the S-30 that I had you fully upgrade.

From what I understand, both Ric and Ralph make significant contributions for audiophiles and music lovers all around. As both engineers and designers, it is healthy to have different viewpoints and approaches. In this case, it seems this disagreement is making the thread go off the rails a bit.

Generalized statements are painful. While Ralph may prioritize noise elimination, is it true that he believes it is the only thing that matters? While Ric focuses on improvements to existing architectures, does it mean he doesn't understand distortion or how to do his job without keeping noise away? As system thinkers, you probably share more than you think, but it's obvious you've lost track of common ground with each other. I hope you regain it, at least to agree to disagree in ways that enable each of you to push each other to make even higher performing components. And hopefully, so you don't spite each other on a public forum.

I vote for both of you to have a 5-day hackathon locked in a room somewhere to land on a design together. I bet great things would happen, that is, unless only one of you would come out of the room alive at the end of it!

Ok, just for tracking purposes, these are all the amps I’ve seen people list out:

• Orchard Audio Starkrimson Stereo Ultra (as well as their others)
• Peachtree GAN400 (as well as GAN1 and Carina)
• Atma-Sphere Class D
• LSA Voyager 350
• AGD Productions amps (Audion, Tempo, Solo, Duet, Gran Vivace)
• Technics SU-R1000 integrated

Are these pretty much all the highest regarded GaN amps out there or are we missing any from this list?

Since this thread has started, I’ve looked into a few amps. The fully-upgraded Starkrimson Ultra 2.0 seems appealing, as well as Atma-Sphere Class D monos and the AGD Solo monoblocks. I would love to be able to demo one or more of these against my reference electronics, which would be the $40K T+A A 3000 power amp with the T+A PS 3000 HV power supply. This combo has been very difficult for me to best with anything else, though I have found a few more affordable amps that simply have a completely different but almost equally as enjoyable presentation. The T+A stack is one of the most natural sounding amps I’ve ever heard with some wonderful bloom considering it is solid state. It has similar richness to a high powered, big tube SET amp I owned years back, but it outperformed in many other ways in that it isn’t rounded at the frequency extremes and can control just about any speaker out there regardless of load. I love this amp so much that T+A became the first brand I sought when I decided to start my dealership business.

More recently, I have been incredibly surprised with the Cambridge EDGE A integrated amplifier that I got for my floor in June. Its performance is incisive, yet still musical, and it does a wonderful job of presenting a deep, holographic stage. Over prolonged listening, it becomes more obvious that it doesn’t control speakers as well as the T+A stack. There is less bloom, and music at times can sound just a tad more clinical - but to many, it may still may be on the warm side of neutral. For $6500 including a built-in DAC, this unit is a sleeper that I could probably live with.

I’ve compared both these units to numerous other amps, though I haven’t had a ton of Class D amps in possession. The two I’ve played with are a Mivera PurePower SE which uses the ICEpower 1200AS2 board with quality parts and chassis, and the T+A A 200 amplifier, which is the perfect mate for the renowned T+A DAC 200. The ICEpower amp is as expected - incredible control at the frequency extremes with a slightly thin midrange and clinical to borderline fatiguing top end. And despite its power, the output gain doesn’t match some of my other amps. The T+A A 200 is a different beast for being Class D. Built around Purifi modules, the customizations result in the amp having a very organic, but somewhat forward presentation. This amp has more warmth and density to it than a Primaluna EVO 400 amplifier, but I wouldn’t go the distance of calling it colored. It is an incredibly linear amp, and my only wish is that it took better control of hard to drive speakers (T+A does make the M 200 monoblocks now) and that the amp does a better job with depth.

Oh, I did also own a custom Class D amplifier that ran on a very robust linear power supply made with Russian PIO caps, and it was good in my second system when I had it, but it wasn’t a match for other amps I owned at the time. I found out later that Class D amps and linear power supplies don’t really go hand in hand, for reasons I forget why.

I suppose the only way I will know whether one of the GaN amps out there can sway me from what I’ve heard already is to try a few. I’ll admit that the efficiency and control that Class D offers is quite appealing, but I haven’t found any other amps that combine the control and natural presentation of that of the T+A HV series electronics.

Thanks guys. I’d love to be able to demo the Atma-Sphere monos before. Not sure if I mentioned on this thread, but I’ve owned Ralph’s MA-1 and S-30 OTLs in the past and both were quite good. He’s only about 30-35 min from me, so I’ll try to ping him and see what might be possible.

@ricevs In your experience, given your mods, have you found GaN amps to be more accessible to mod vs other ICEpower, Hypex or Purifi modules? In listing the mods you apply, the one that seems to be done on the power supplies or boards themselves are the cap replacements, and everything else seems to be wiring and chassis mount parts, is that correct?

@orchardaudio Thanks for the info on demoing your unit. That said, it’s the Rev 1.0 unit. I almost bought a similar one from Mark, who contacted you with details earlier this week. I may sign up to evaluate it, but I’d be more interested in trying out your maxxed out Rev 2.0 given the stated benefits you’ve documented on it. I’ll contact you direct to learn more about the differences and see if it’s still worth evaluating the demo unit. Much appreciated!

Actually, @atmasphere I was just reading the other A’Gon thread on your amps and came across a post on why certain upgrades aren’t made largely because they won’t be audible due to the high amount of feedback you run through the amps. If that’s the primary reason, no further need to elaborate, but if you do have suggestions on upgrades you do offer or consider offering, let us know.

@atmasphere Do you think you’ll offer optional upgrades to your Class D amps in the same way that you do for your OTLs? If not, I’d be curious to hear your reasons (e.g. you feel they are performing optimally regardless of cost).

@ricevs Thanks for providing context on your mods. I myself have performed a number of mods, mostly across tube-based equipment with great success. I’ve done similar things as you list - replacing caps or adding bypass caps, upgrading wiring and chassis connector parts / IECs. The reason I ask on the ease of the GaN modules over others was that I saw you mostly modded GaN amps and wondered if ease was a reason, but it seems you prefer to start with quality, and that makes sense. 

I would think low-volume performance in Class D amps is not solely reliant on low noise (albeit that being a huge factor), but also the amount of attention in delivering the appropriate quality and control in those first few watts?

@nickintroy Which one did you try, Rev 1.0 or Rev 2.0? Did you have one with an upgraded power supply? In what ways is the Hegel better?

Earlier in this thread I mentioned I was impressed with the Cambridge EDGE A. There has been more than one review where it compares that amp to a Hegel H590 which is $12K or so, and it seems the Cambridge outperforms the Hegel. If you’re saying an even lower tiered Hegel beats the Starkrimson, that’s eye-opening and makes me want to drop it from my consideration set. 

Thanks @orchardaudio. I submitted an inquiry through your contact form yesterday, FYI. 

@j-wall I did mention the M 200 monos earlier in this thread. I am a T+A dealer and also have the A 200 amplifier on the floor. I may add the M 200 for my floor in the near future. The A 200 does not sound like a typical Class D amp. It is quite musical, very big sounding, with a wide stage despite it being incredibly linear. Like much T+A equipment, it does a good job of refining the top end and having a very involving midrange. My only qualms with the A 200 is that 1) the presentation is slightly more forward than other amps, and I’ve found it harder to get truly great depth way past the speakers with them (perhaps additional positioning could solve for this), and 125wpc into 8 Ohm isn’t enough to drive some of the more demanding speakers on my floor. The M 200 might be a good solve for this as the extra power may improve the control at the frequency response, which tends to result in a better capability of depicting the sense of space.

For me, I just want to have hands-on experience with some of the later developments in GaNFET amp design. I’m not expecting to be mind blown, but I am prepared to be surprised, especially for the cost-to-performance ratio.

@j-wall The M-200 is largely similar in design to the A 200 but from what I understand. it is not simply a bridged version of the A 200, but optimized to deliver even against more difficult impedance loads. I have heard the M 200 with the DAC 200 with the T+A Talis S 300 speakers in someone’s home. I have similar equipment and speakers here on my floor except for having the A 200 and not the M 200. Unfortunately room and setup plays a major factor. His room was “alive”, completely untreated, with speakers only less than two feet from the wall, whereas my room is treated and speakers have much more room to breathe. I don’t feel like I got an understanding of the true performance of the M 200 in his room, but I would say the sonic signature is more similar than it is alike.

I’ll note that I was being critical on my previous post on the A 200 and that I sometimes lack awareness of how critical I am being. My comments on qualms are merely based against very much more expensive amplifiers. For its price range, it gets really close to being endgame as long as you like the sonic presentation of T+A gear. I should also note that I want to be able to compare any GaN amps I can get my hands on against the T+A A 200 so I understand the performance differences in each.

I agree with @yyzsantabarbara that the Mola Mola monos are old news and there are better amps for cheaper. It’s not Class D, but as I have encouraged higher in the thread, the Cambridge EDGE series right now has my favorite cost-to-performance components. The amplifiers do not replace my $40K T+A HV series components, but I could very well live with them and they are a fraction of the price. Their Class XA topology is interesting and they deliver an incredible blend of musicality (albeit slightly less soulful as T+A), and more incision / detail in a way that is very holographic, all while having the qualities of a Class A amplifier.

@j-wall I agree with you on your perception of Cambridge Audio and have shared it myself. I was honestly floored by their EDGE line’s performance, which is why I dedlcided to deal for them. The only items I carry on my floor are their EDGE electronics and one EVO 150, which is more attractive for the lifestyle audience. The EDGE significantly outperforms the EVO on many levels. But yes, while it’s not as hot as Class A or tubes, it’s still about as hot as an A/B amplifier and will use more electricity in idle mode. The qualities you mention, along with smaller form factors and less weight are all great reasons to go Class D. 

Sadly I don’t have the EDGE M - only the EDGE A integrated and EDGE NQ Streaming DAC Preamp. The integrated and the EDGE W power amp are identical in design aside from the identical volume stage found in the EDGE NQ also being present in the EDGE A. I am hoping to order the EDGE M in the next month or two, but they are in a queue behind some other gear my business needs to fund.

I would say that the performance of the EDGE A is very linear, even more than the T+A A 200, whose measurements show its frequency response to be truly linear. I wouldn’t characterize it as warm at all, though one review mentioned that. I would say there is a musicality / soulfulness to it that may be characterized as smooth in delivery, but it is not warm or rich compared to T+A electronics. This is not to say that T+A is warm (I actually disagree with the poster who said T+A is warm - I find the HV Series DAC to be very rich with harmonics and tonally dense in the best way possible, but the HV amp and power supply is incredibly neutral, but refined and will reveal whatever sonic signature is otherwise in the chain).

The EDGE is incredibly revealing, less effortless/refined than the T+A electronics as well. I typically prefer highly refined electronics, but in this case, the way the EDGE images and engages is I believe close to being unparalleled in its class.

With a few speakers, I didn’t feel like the EDGE A’s amplification was lacking at all. This includes the Vivid Kaya 90, Legacy Audio Signature SE, and Scansonic MB-5B. The amp paired especially well with the Legacy and Vivid speakers. With Borresen 02 and T+A Solitaire S 530, I started to lose a little bit of control when over 95db peaks in a medium to large sized room (19x23 with ceiling slant up to 18ft). I rarely ever listen that loud, but it is part of my normal evaluation procedure. This is likely due to the impedance dips these speakers may have in certain frequency ranges. Regardless, of the hundreds of amps I’ve ever owned, if someone was looking for a great all-arounder integrated, the EDGE A gets my highest recommendation, even above some of the higher integrated amps I’ve heard and can offer. It performs at the level of quality separates.

The EDGE M is double the power and capacitance and is said to add effortlessness and improved control and depth to the sound. I am already very impressed with the way the EDGE A portrays depth, I can only imagine how much better the EDGE M are. I’ll inquire with Cambridge on preparing to acquire an EDGE M this coming week.

@yyzsantabarbara Ha! All good on the T+A comment. I used to think T+A was on the warm side but I realize it’s more prominent in their HV series DACs (also controllable through the DAC filters) vs their amplification and preamplification. 

Bear in mind the EDGE M are not Class D, heavier at 50+ lbs each and will heat as much as a Class AB amp. If that is suitable, then yes, definitely try!

@pennfootball71 All good stuff there.

I can see where Andy Miles may get good synergy using Lampizator Horizon and the Kalugas. I prefer not to introduce tubes to a source any longer and will either only have them in a preamp or power amp, for consistency’s sake across sources. The Kalugas, in my opinion, need tubes somewhere in their chain to sound their best. I think an all Aavik top level system sounds better, but it just gets subjective at that level.

I’ve had a few Audionet pieces in house, though none of the reference gear they make. In my experience, from hearing reference Audionet gear in other people’s homes and at shows, while the higher end models like Humboldt, Stern, and Heisenberg may have more control, they are also more refined / have a softer delivery. The price differences are significant, as well. The Humboldt monoblocks are $120K. The T+A A 3000 HV in stereo is $22,500. What many people don’t realize is the modularity of the T+A HV amplification stack. First, the $15K PS 3000 HV can be added to the power amp to enable a dedicated power supply for the output stage with 120,000uF capacitance, leaving the power supply in the A 3000 HV amplifier with its 120,000uF to handle the input stage. You could also set the amplifier to mono and as a result have two amplifiers each with the optional PS 3000 HV power supply. This then allows for 380wpc into 8 Ohm and 650wpc into 4 Ohm with 1/4 Farad of capacitance per channel. This configuration delivers significantly better control and soundstaging than a single stereo stack can, and its combined retail is still 60% of the cost of the Audionet Humboldt mono blocks. I’m not certain that your Audionet dealer has heard the T+A electronics in this configuration. At this level, again, I think it falls into subjective preference. I LOVE Audionet equipment with a passion, but I also know through experience that they are more tonally rich, a bit more colored than T+A.

You are right that the Gryphon Apex and Commander “crush” the T+A stack, but at truly diminishing returns. That combo is one I have heard that bests the T+A fairly well in just about everything in my opinion, but again, some people may not prefer the tonal richness of the Gryphon stack - it all comes down to pairing to get system synergy. That said, I am a Vivid Audio dealer and have a close friend just a few towns over who has the Gryphon Apex and Commander stack hooked up to a pair of Vivid Giya G1 Spirit, and it is honestly in the top three systems I’ve ever heard in my life - the combination of live presence, tonal richness, control and holographic richness is intoxicating - but also consider the Apex amp on its own is $100K, and the preamp is $63K, DAC is extra… the pricing is also significantly higher than T+A.

I’ve been less impressed with Pilium electronics but it could have just been the rooms and pairings I’ve heard from them in shows.