What are the best GaN Amplifiers available today?

As stated by Greg_f above......it is implentation that determines the final sound.  All Ganfet amps sound different and not necesarilly better than Mosfet based amps (Purifi and Hypex).  Modded high power Purifi amps (VTV even has a tubed buffer version for more 3d liquid sound) sound outrageous.  All class D amps will sound much better with mods.  Recently I have done more mods to the LSA Voyager that are also applicable to the Peachtree GAN 400 (they use the same amplifier module).  Modded Purifi, Peachtree, LSA and Orchard all sound really really good.  Just tonight I finished my first modded Hypex Nilai stereo amp......pics are now online......Yes, I am still doing mods....and mod all the above.  More info and pics will be added in the next couple of days.  I have done a couple more mods to the Peachtree Gan 1/VTV amps since yyzsantabarbara got his and will be trying another mod to the unit I have here now. 

The Peachtree GaN400 is $2000.....another $500 gets you a mod that transforms it into an even better power amp.....same with all of the amps mentioned below.

I have modded the LSA Voyager amp (same amp module as in the Peachtree Gan400), different versions of the Purifi amp sold by VTV, the Orchard Starkrimson amp, the Peachtree GaN 1, the VTV D300 and just now finished my first Hypex Nilai stereo amp. These amps are all fantastic with mods. I did not A/B them directly as I had them at different times and with different setups.....but all sound amazing. I personally am into the digital input amps and have a modded VTV D300 here as my reference.....at it is seriously special. I am going to be sending my own modded amp off for review.....stay tuned.

Now for the elephant in the room. Every time Ralph claims that the only thing that matters is a particular distortion type then I have to come in and tell the truth. Send me 4 pairs of Atmasphere class D amps. I will leave one pair stock. The second one I will do my usual mod to. The third one I will add silver WBT jacks, silver plated OFC wire, zippy sounding caps for the output filter, etc. The fourth amp I will use rolled off jacks, wires, caps, etc. The stock amp will sound really good. My modified amp will sound much, much better. The silvered amp will sound forward and zippy and the other amp will sound rolled off and dull. Anyone can hear this without using blind tests.....but even double blind tests will show the same results. The four amps will measure exactly the same!!!!!.....but sound way, way different from each other!!!!! This is the truth.....everything matters. I am not saying the stock amp is not a great amp.....nor am I saying that distortion artifacts don’t alter sound. But this one size fits everyone thing is the same as what ASR does. They say that as long as the amp has low enough distortion then it is inaudible. Ralph says that as long as an amp has a "certain type" of distortion then it is inaudible. Total popycock...total malarkey....he he....I like these silly words. I have been doing listening tests and A/Bs for over 45 years. This (everything makes a difference) has ALL WAYS been there. Please do not listen to anyone (including me).....listen to the gear and decide what is real with your own ears on your own system......THIS IS TRUTH!

Ralph,  

I have been modding class d amps since 2005.  No one has ever heard birdies or AM signals or whatever.  I can clearly see the harmonics on my scope riding on the 400-500K waveform.....What I do does not increase the noise and as I just said, NO one has ever had a problem...........The modified Wima caps I use have super low inductance (5mm long).   The real issue here is that the mods I do work (make the amp sound better and that my customers all agree on this) and it goes against your "philosophy".   You don't believe that fuses, wires, jacks, etc. into infinity make any sonic difference.  Fine, go to ASR and join the bunch there.  But for those of us that listen....we know different.  WE EXPERIENCE TRUTH with our ears. 

I think you should get a 90 year old amp and be done with it....since they knew everything about how something sounds 90 years ago.   Living in the past is not living in the now.  You have to come out of your comfort zone to experience anything new.  What is real can be experienced in the NOW.....it is not a philosophy.   

God forbid we should void our warranty!!!!!  Do you know how many people void the warrantee on their brand new Corvette (etc.) and take it to a speed shop to have 2-300 horsepower added, etc?  Tons of people do this because they want better performance.  These guys will spend $20-30K doing these mods....even more.  My mods do the same for $500!

Back when SACDs first came out I made a comment online that my highly modded $200 Sony CD player made the CD layer sound better than playing the SACD layer on the Sony SCD-1 that I had at the time.  This did not sit well with the editor of Positive Feedback....as he had just said SACD was the next coming.  He was also using a stock SCD-1.  Wellllllllll.....he then discovers a local modder (Richard Kern) and realizes that the modded player sounded way better......then he takes it back to be modded two more times and it keeps getting better.. He actually wrote an article in Positive Feedback called "I don't drive stock"....about his experences with modding.  HE WAS OPEN ENOUGH to listen.......Now he knew I was right about the SCD-1 not being very good stock.

Really snarky to add the usual....."Well, if you are so smart then why don't you build your own thing, from the ground up".  Being a skilled designer and being a skilled tweaker are two different things.  Those few that do both bring some seriously great products to the market.  I have been bugging Clayton at Spatial for years to use better parts, wiring and construction.......Finally.....he is doing what I suggested.......many, many years later......he did learn.....some never learn.....some will take their limited knowledge and experience to the grave.   

May you all learn the magnificence of your own being......You are all amazingly beautiful.....Open your hearts and minds and experience the joy and Love that you are........it has always been here....it will always be here.....this very NOW.  LOVE....yourself and everything......EVERY SECOND.

"Many audiophiles still live their lives according to the myth that we can hear things we can’t measure (which was true in the 1980s) as if somehow measurement technology had not marched into the present the same way that every other tech has improved over the last 35 years!"

The above statement is the real MYTH....it cannot be proven. The TRUTH is that you cannot measure wire, jacks, resistors, solder, removing unneeded parts, upgrading most parts, etc.......but these things all make a sonic differentce that you can hear. In audio...it is the sound that is real.....not some pretend myth measurement dance.

If Ralph wants to believe that everything you hear can be measured....well let him live in that realiy....nothing wroing with that. But, for those with ears.....we know....we know all cables sound different.....and we know there is no measurement tool that can tell us how they measure (because wires do not measure.....other than capacitance, resistance and inductance......which by themselves do little to tell us how something sounds).

The "more feedback equals less differences in parts" thang that Ralph stated is totally untrue (poppycock!). I mod the Purifi amps that have tons of feedback....way more than Ralphs amps.....and everything I do makes the same sonic difference when done on the ZERO feedack digital amps I mod.  I havae worked on several high feedback solid state class A/B amps over the years.......everything I do can be heard just like any other less feedback amp.

Those with Ralph's amp can do a quick test.....just remove the covers and remove all the hardware on the toroidal transformer.....lift it off the chassis and place a quarter inch thick piece of wood underneath.....put the transformer back down and listen.  This CANNOT be measured.....but it can be heard....by YOU!

The Iconoclast wires by Belden were designed by a very scientific guy. However, they make them in three grades.....regular copper, OFC copper and PCOCC copper........do they sound the same?....(same exact construction, just different pruity of wire)....NO, the more pure wire ones sounds better......Can they measure the difference?.....NADA.

Have a great every moment!

The only picture that I see of the inside of your amp is when you did the inteview for the SF Audio Society.  You show the proto amp and it shows a steel plate on top of the transformer (or is that non magnetic stainless steel?) and a bolt through the transformer.  Are you still doing the same now?  Turns out that even a NON  MAGNETIC BRASS BOLT will also completely mess up the sound (I discovered this just about 5 years ago....I thought, like you its because its magnetic....turns out any CONDUCTIVE material does the same sonic degradation.....plastic bolts are fine).....and of course, a steel plate on top of the transformer. also completely messes with the sound....and it also sounds best to get the field away from your chassis.(whether aluminum or steel)....this is why you glue the transformer on top of wood.  You can hear all this.  So, if you can? measure extremely small voltage output difference or extermely small differences in heat.....please explain why you would hear this as a SIGNIFICANT difference in sound.   You cannot....if you lowered the voltage of your power supply by one volt it would not change the sound of the amp (I am sure you will argue about this).  The sonic difference in removing all the hardware and floating the transformer above the chassis is that the sound is more open, more airy....more dimensional...more pure.  So, do you float your transformer in the air with no conductive material around it?  Please, do some serious listening tests.....you will see this is way more complicated than "a magnetic bolt versus a non magnetic bolt".

Your rant about the power cord is complete poppycock.  You have posted about this before in your defense of measurments.  Of course, larger power cords have lower resistance....everyone knows that.  However, ALL power cords using the same gauge sound different from each other and one brand of 14 guage cord might sound better than someone elses 12 gauge cord.....this is common knowledge......Is it your knowledge?  Or do you think you just need a large power cord and be done with it.  If all we needed is low impedance we would all have 4 gauge power cords.  There are cable manufacturers that claim that the connector makes more sonic difference than the wire they use (very expensive wire).  Can you measure the resistance difference between a home depot connector and a Furutech?.......maybe......and if you did measure a milliohm difference....is the one with lower resistance the best one sonically? 

A few years ago I manufactured a dozen amps using highly modified IceEdge modules.  One of the first AC mods I tried was to listen to various AC inlets.  First I tried the $1 Shurter inlet that many serious companies use.  Then I tried the same inlet but Cryoed by Take five audio in Canada....$2.49 each......it was noticeably better......then I tried the Furutech $28 inlet that was pure copper, gold plated, cryoed and demagnatized......sounded much better again.  Then I tried the more expensive version of that connector that has the specail plastic and Rhodium plating......this thing was forward and zippy.....not musical to me.  However, some say you have to burn them in for 400 hours to really hear them.  I don't have that much patience.....he he.  So, I sold the amps with the cheaper Furutech and everyone was happy.  So, how do you measure the differnces in AC connectors that can give us a reliable way to buy connectors?  You cannot.  This game is so much more complicated than distortion measurements, heat measurements, voltage measurements, resistance, capacitance and inductance.  This game is infinite.....and the only way you know anything about sound is to LISTEN.

Ralph would have us all buy 4 guage power cords and use whatever for line level (Mogami is fine, with him....a friend of mine started with Mogami and thought is was good...then he tried two others that BLEW away the Mogami).  He has said over and over that balanced cables make no difference in sound.  Even his customers hear otherwise.  You have to listen to know....you have to listen to know.....and listen with an open mind.....an open mind.

Do not follow/believe someone.  Think for yourself.  Try out various things and find out what is true.....FOR YOU.....on your system  What is stated on this or any forum are just words......you will know with your own ears....what is real.

I don't know about feedback but I have seen a couple of posts by your customers saying they hear great differences in balanced cables using your balanced gear.

There is no made up story....you have claimed over and over again that balanced cables make no difference (using true balanced source and load)......you just implied it again....case in point.  All cables sound different no matter where and how you use them.....this is fact....dicernable by your ear.....by anyones ear.

I never said you told people to buy 4 gauge power cords.......it is just what you imply.

There are tons and tons of factors in a power cord that effect sound quality.  Resistance is one of hundreds....Bandwidth?  You need wide bandwidth to carry 60 cycles?    Actually, you do....and you don't......long story.  What about all the other factors?  You don't go there, eh?

Mapman,

Using a lot of feedback to create super low distortion numbers does not make a product superior sonically to an amp that has less feedback.  Ralph uses way less feedback in his amp than Purifi and it probably does not measure as well as Hypex and Purifi.  Does not mean it is less REALIZED...or less good sonically.  The GaNfet analog class d modules used by Peachtree and LSA were designed by listening and they preferred less feedback.....therefore less good static measurements. 

There are no fully realized products....absolutely none.....at any price range.  As soon as you buy the latest $100K amp another one comes along that is said to be better or the original amp manufacturer brings out an "updated or new" version. 

If you go to 10 audio you will see a review of the Purifi based NAD amp ($2K) and my modded VTV Purifi amp ($1600).  He gave the NAD a 7 and mine a 9.5 bordering on 10.  The execution has a tremendous effect on the sound.....sometimes more than the amount of feedback or the modules being used.  Truth is what you hear.....it is what you feel.....it is what you are..

If someone posts here on or some other thread I read and I feel that information is not "experienced truth" then I will make sure I post my experienced truth so people can decide for themselves (with listening tests).what is actually true.  The more something gets posted the more people will think it is true.  Because someone has a good rep or says something a thousand times does not make it true.  I hope you ALL will stand up and be counted.  Every TRUTH needs to be heard.  Every one of you is valuable....is beautiful.  Do not let me or anyone dominate a discussion....without telling your truth......And, hopefully, your truth is not a philosophy or opinion based on non experience.......but a TRUTH based on critical open minded listening tests......the only real TRUTH in audio.

In life, the big truth is that we are all magnificent.....beyond our imagination.....we are infinite beauty, love and joy.....it has always been so and always will be so.  Is that my philosophy or my experience?  Both.  Blessings to all!

I am very sensitive to hardness.....me no likey.  I bet my mods to the Peachtree amp would not only address that issue but make it sound better in many ways.  Since I modded its cousin, the LSA Voyager couple of years ago, I have come up with a couple more mods to do to the output board (changing the output filter caps to my modded Wima caps and also removing some parts it does not need).  Would love to see how far this $2000 amp could sound with a $500 mod.......Who will be the first?

mbmi,

tweakaudio.com

The first person in the world to hear a modded Nilai amp gave me a little feedback today.

" I know I have a lot of break in to go on this one but so far am liking what I'm hearing (replacing a very nice tube amp; too hot in PHX for that right now)".

The Nilai amp is the latest and best amplifier tech from Hypex.....measures very similar to Purifi (both mosfet amps....no Ganfets).  It is available as a kit or assembled.  Lots of great class D right now.  The stock Nilai has terrible wires, output connectors and AC inlet, extra wires and switches and stuff it does not need.....I do other stuff too.  You can see the pic of his modded Nilai amp on my site.  I will be adding more pages this week for the different amps I mod.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1exMwmlvRg

Technics SE R1 plus its SU-R1 digital front end.....someone A/Bed it with the Su R1000 and said it was noticeably better.  It has giant linear power supply.  The first GaN amp available and maybe still the best?  This baby uses GaNs and switches at 1.5 meg.

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/technics-r1-reference-system/

You have the Merrill GaN amps.....not much noise from them lately.

Java hifi in New Zealand

https://www.javahifi.com/home

Linear power supplies are fine with class D amps......Atmasphere uses linear power supplies.

Modified Purifi and Hypex amps are great too....and they use mosfets on the output.

All power supplies have a sound. "Properly designed" is not a static thing. The more you know (by listening tests) the more you know that changing one cap or diode or whatever on a power supply makes a serious difference in sound.....as I stated before, how you mount a linear power transformer makes a sonic difference. One advantage of linear power supplies is that they are simple (especially, if unregulated). So there is less listening tests to do. Switching supplies are lighter and take less space....they also run at higher frequencies so there is no 60 hz ripple to filter but they need high frequency filtering....hence, usually an inductor is series with the output.

I learned a lot about how parts effect sound in the early 80s when designing a power supply for the Sota turntable.....this was a 30 volt pre-regualtor. There was already a 12 volt regulator inside the turntable and all it was doing was spinning a belt with a motor. But every single thing I did to this 30V pre-regualor changed the sound.....even the power cord.......what was really interesting was all 4 power transformers I tried had completely different sounds. What a crazy game this is. So, what is properly designed? Is it something you do with theory or do you have to listen like crazy?.......only to find out later in time there is even a better way to get better sound......it never ends.

The best amps to mod are the ones that sound the best stock. I modded the latest IcePower IceEdge ones.....but would not recommend it or any other IcePower modules......they are not bad....just not as good as: the VTV amps using the Purifi modules or latest Hypex NCX500 modules, the VTV D300 GaN amp, the new Nilai amps, the Orchard amps, the LSA Voyager and all the Peachtree GaN amps. All these sound great stock......and much better modified. Of course, the Atmasphere amps would sound much better modded but usually if someone spends that kind of money they are afraid of mods.....plus they would not be manufacturer approved.

The two main types of mods I do are parts replacement and also parts removal (most gear has parts that are not needed that mess up the sound....for instance, all the hardware on a toroidal transformer........or extra switches, connectors, and wire, etc. not needed). I also damp things, add mass and also can add modified Wima bypass caps on the power supply....etc.

Using a Gan 1 or VTV 300 in your system is a lot simpler and cheaper than using other GaN or mosfet class d systems.  When yyz is comparing his less than $2K (WITH MODS) GaN 1 with his $12K amp he is also using a $3K preamp and a $2K DAC with analog interconnects into the $12K amp.  You also need 2 more power cords using an analog class d amp.....unless you are using the volume control in your DAC.  The GaN 1 is being driven directly from a streamer or other digital source using a digital volume control.......seriously way less money.   When he complains about the GaN 1 being a pain in the arse its because he wants to use tuners and subs that might not be compatible with the GaN 1 outputs.  I have a streamer going directly to my VTV D300 digital amp and then directly to my speakers.....most of you reading this do not have vinyl or tuners or whatever.  Of course, with intelligence you can interface many things to a digital amp (including phono stages and subs).

Besides modding your class d amp (analog or digital).....you can do some things that will bring parts of your system and even your entire system to another level:  These things are for class a, class ab and tubed gear as well:

1. Damping chassis and heatsinks.  The cover on the VTV amps and the Orchard amps are really thin and ringy.  Add some damped weight on top for much better sound.  My friend is using the Parasound JC 1+ amps and I told him to damp the heatsinks and top cover.....way better sound.  He used a small 1 inch wide strip of EAR SD40AL constrained layer damping material (sold by Micheal Percy Audio) down the middle of the tips of the fins on both sides of the amp.  He then put some damped weight on the amp.......loves it.  He also damped the heatsinks on his Rythmic Audio servo sub amps........tighter bass.  DO NOT OVERDAMP!....listen for best sound.   

2.  Serious feet underneath a component are necessary.  I use the best Mad Scientist feet and underneath that are two different types of hardwood shelves (Maple on top of bamboo) sitting on an inner tube with barely any air in it so it resonates under 5 cycles.

3.  Here is a seriously great upgrade for you all.............GET OFF THE GRID!!!!!  Run you entire system on an inverter.  The Giandel PS2000SAR...2000 watt pure sine wave inverter is on sale right now for $289 delivered.  Buy a $300 100 amp hour LifePo 4 battery and a 20 amp charger and for around $700 total....you will be mind blown.  The same great sound day and night.  Always sounds the same.  The inverter will sound better by itself than most expensive line conditioners and you can use it in front of a great line conditioner (like the Puritan) for even better sound.  All inverters put out some noise.....but it is way better than the wall.  You have NO IDEA how transformative this is.  I just turned on someone to this system and he was already using the Core Audio isolation transformer on his system (low powered tube amp driving modified Klipsch speakers).  He just called me today and said the inverter made it sound way better.  He is still using the core audio thang but will plug the stuff directly into the inverter and see what the difference is when adding the isolation transformer.  The fan in any Giandel inverter does not come on till you are running at least 40 % of its rated power.  So, a 2000 watt inverter will only run its fan when it is pulling 800 or more continuous watts.......we don't want no stinkin fans going when listening to music.  Please see way more info on inverters on my website.  My friend with the JC 1+ amps uses the Giandel 5000 watter and two 200 amp hour batteries.....but he is drawing 700 watts continuous.......Us class D users need way, way less juice......smaller, lighter, less expensive and great sound.  Please read the review in Stereophile by Jason Serinus about his use of the Stromtank inverter ($16K!!!!!!).  This $700 Giandel system is probably as good or better and it can do more power....and you can hook up as much battery as you want.

Ralph,

So, you are an expert on damping? You spent hundreds of hours with various damping materials and used them everywhere and you know which damping materials are linear and which are not and where to use it and where not to use it? I doubt it. I am not an expert....but I have spend countless hours damping things with various materials.....and all class D amps are sensitive to damping......and yes, you can overdamp. This is not a theory of mine. This is based on truth.....truth equals direct experience. I try lots of things and I listen. What did you try? Do you have great feet underneath your amps? Do you have them sitting on tricked out shelving and isolation platforms? I doubt it.

When my friend damped the heatsinks on his Parasound amps he first put too much on and it made the amps sound dead......but one....one inch wide strip down the middle of each heatsink improved the sound over not damping.....very serioulsy.  Yes, you can overdamp.  And this EAR material is the most linear I have found.....but you still have to be careful what you damp and how much you damp.....all determined by the EAR.....our best tool.

Some say "nothing makes a difference"......others say..."only what I say (usually by theory) makes a difference".......and others KNOW that "everything makes a difference".......and those are the people who open mindedly listen to lots and lots of things.....and the more they listen the more they know they know NOTHING.....because it is impossible to try everything. The game is infinite.

Here is another tidbit of info. The Pascal class D modules are very good by themselves. D-Sonic makes nice ones. However, Aavik uses these modules in their expnsive class D integrated amps but they add their "tesla coils". These are a filter that works better than normal inductors and caps (like what Ralph has on the input of his amps). The more expensive Aavik amps use the same Pascal modules and produces sound better......mainly because they have more of these "tesla coils". Please go to their site and read the info about these coils (passive and active versions). This is why an inverter is so important. You get rid of tons of noise and distortion right at the source.....the terrible AC line......you eliminate a lot of noise right there.....you cannot have enough noise reduction (determined by listening). Noise and distortion are the same thing.....noise is distortion......distortion is noise. When you have better footers and stands you have less noise.....when you raise your speaker cables off the floor you have less noise......it is infinite. It is not a theory......it is hearable.....it is truth.....truth is what you EXPERIENCE.

May you experience the Truth of your being......your beauty....your love.....your joy. It is always present.....with every breath. Breath it in....feel it...breath it out and bless others. Have a great every moment!

I recommend that particular 2000 watt Giandel inverter because it is FCC approved so may have lower noise.

I use an all in one Goal Zero 400 watt inverter (do not recommend).  I modified it so its fan will not come on.  I cannot afford even the $300 Giandel right now (soon, I hope....please send money....he he).  I have turned on several people to the Giandel thing and they all think it is the cats meow.  Please read my website for more info.  And read the review by Jason Serinus in Stereophile (review posted online) about his experience with the Stromtank inverter.  He loves the $16000 Stomtank.....which is basically, maybe as good as the $700 Giandel system.  Please research and read up.....this is not that new.  Yes, a great line filter (expecially the Puritain filter) after the Inverter will clean up more noise and give you even more transparency.  This game is complicated.  There is no "silver bullet"......you know.....that ONE thing you do that will make it all perfect.  It is a constant upleveling of every single part of your stereo.  But if you do not have the AC done well.....then everything just magnifies the distortion from the wall.  Get off the frickin grid!  Its cheap.....and mind blowing.

Yes, its cheaper if you buy it directly from Giandel (for now).  If you cannot figure out this inverter thing with research then just call me......I can walk you through it.  I will put more info on my site in a few days that will give more detail about the inverter and battery requirements. 

We have taken this thread way away from amps......but with good intention......so, any more amp info?

For $4000 or less you can have a whole DAC/volume control/amp/speaker/wires system that will be in a whole nuther level way above a stock inexpensive magneplanar driven by very good DAC and Preamp and amp.

Minidsp Flex $500, Fossi amp for bass $100, Aegir for highs $800, 4 12 inch Beyma 12BR70 woofs $700, 8 Parts Express Planar 8 inch drivers $500, wood $300, cables $1000. You could just use 2 planars and spend less.

Open baffle about 5 feet high and 16 inches wide (way less high if only using one planar).....at least doubled up three quarter inch birch ply.

The Minidsp does the xover, the DACing, the volume control (remote control with presets) and even has an analog input to add tuner, phono stage or whatever.

With fully equalized and time aligned open baffle woofers and planars (crossed over around 400hz). the sound would blow your mind. The two woofers run in parallel would be around 95db sensitive and the four planars in series parallel would be the same.....easy to drive.....will play 110db......ROCK OUT!

Why would anyone want a veiled Magnepan that needs a $4000 amp to drive it properly? Yes, it is smaller......but if you really wanted small you could mount two Purifi woofs in a slim box and put the planar on an open baffle above....still worlds better than a magnepan.

Of course, you could do the above with a Minidsp Flex (digital version).....and use two modified GaN based digital amps (GaN 1 or VTV D300). This would be more costly.

I totally get that most do not want to build anything......just want plug and play. But this is sooooooooooo simple. You could have a local woodworker make the baffles and stands really quickly.......finish them anyway you like. If you went blind into a room at a show and someone played this system.....you would guess it would be $100K or more........Of course, you could take an ET 8b speaker and tweak it to the hilt and get rid of its woofer and add an open baffle next to it with two 12s that was separately amped and eqed and probably get even better sound (better planars). But this is cheaper and easier to do and the planars are much more efficient.

The latest Minidsp units are really great......for those measurement people, here is a review on ASR

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/minidsp-flex-review-audio-dsp.30804/