Which Class D Amplifier? PS Audio, Ghent, Nord, Merrill or other???

George,

You should read the entire post he put up. He clearly says he is not telling anything until all the testing is done. Right now there are only three manufacturers of GAN amps....so we know two of them are probably in the mix. We will all have to wait till he posts more info.

What will be really interesting is how a few of the latest mosfet amps compare with the brand new GAN amps. There are very few who have even listened to the latest class D amps.....let alone 4 different brands together and even more coming in to test. The findings should help everyone in different price ranges. I said earlier.....class D is all over the place....just like all classes. Whether using mosfets or GANs......all amps will sound different....for everything you do makes for different sound.

There are mosfet based class D amps that are marvelous.......even though George says they are all crap. He has not heard the latest mosfet amps. Those of use that have heard the best of the latest mosfet amps know that Class D has already arrived. If GANs can take it higher....then that is good. But right now you need at least $15,000 to get a basic GAN amp (except for the 50 watt a channel Technics integrated).

In a few years when GAN amps are available real cheap then these $15,000 plus amps will be boat anchors.  There is no reason that a GAN amp has to be much more expensive than a mosfet amp.  The difference in price between the devices is actually very small.  The only reason Merrill and AGD are charging what they do......is because they can.  You could take the circuitry in the AGD amps and put it in a basic black box (no tube nonsense and plexiglass with glowing LEDs inside) and sell it direct for maybe $5-6K for the pair.  Once IcePower or Pascal or UCD or ? make modules with them then the prices of stereo amps will start at $1000.  But right now we have 600 watt a channel mosfet class D dual mono amps that sound great for a mere $2000 (yours truly coming very soon).

George cannot handle the truth.  It does not matter what I sell or who says what....what matters is the truth.  I tell the truth.....you make up stuff about the latest class D (saying it is all crap) which you have not heard.  That is the truth.  I don't care if someone buys a $15000 amp.  My amps are in a completely different price point.  Someone who can afford a $15000 sexy amp would not even look at my amps.  I am semi retired.  I don't need any advertising.  My amps will speak for themselves.  However, I know what I hear and what I hear is that the best of todays class D mosfet 500K switching amps are dang good.  This is from listening.  What do you know about the latest mosfet class D amps?  Nothing..

Bye the way, manufacturers and dealers are all over these threads.  Totally allowed as long as they don't get out of hand.  Notice the info from the Nord guy here....nothing wrong with it.  Your problem with me is not that I am a manufacturer......but that I believe and say something different from you and since you like to be right you use any defense you can to make my statements look biased.  The only truth in audio is what you hear.  And you have not listened to any of the latest mosfet amps.....so you speak no truth about them.  You are just making stuff up!  There are reviews and posts all over the net by people having their mind blown with these latest mosfet class D amps.  But if you refuse to believe others who listen, I feel sorry for you.

I am not saying the latest 500K mosfet class D amps are state of the art and will never get better or that GaNs or whatever in the future might not better the sound.  What I am saying is that we have great sound now.....but you must find it.  Every single amp sounds different.  Every single manufacturer has different capabilities.  Seek out the best in your price point.  You will be happy, when you do.

My business model is one of self service.  The "self" is everyone.  For there is only love, God and self.  So, if someone makes an amp for the same money or less than me and most people feel it is a better amp then I will stop selling my amp.  Because I treat everyone as myself (because they are....we are one).  I want to have the best thing for the money and I want the same for everyone else.  What I sell is service.  The more you bless, love and serve everyone then the most happiness is created.  Let there be light!  Please, tell the truth.  The truth in audio is what you hear.  If you have beliefs based on non experience then they may or may not be true.  What you hear is always true. 

George,

We are all here to grow in Love......to stop judging.  I cannot make you be less harsh and judgemental.  Only you can decide to do this for yourself. I will pray for you.

George,

You need to take a break! You are passing judgement on Guido....that is for sure. Then, you could say, I am passing judgement on you for judging Guido for.......ha, ha, ha. Really, I love you....I don’t judge you....but I call you out on your judgements.

Can we just let go and stop calling names! Lighten up George! Stop fighting! Go watch a hallmark movie.....cry a little...laugh a lot. Life is a miracle! Every breath is a divine glorious moment.

Tim,

The input stage on an amp is not an output stage.  Output stages have to drive a speaker, so you would not want current limiting.  The input stage is just an op amp.  Most integrated circuit op amps cannot drive over 100ma.  They are using a discrete op amp that can drive 250ma.  In fact, the circuit will never need much current at all.  As all that will come out of it is a few volts and driving maybe 5K load.  They are basically bragging about their discrete op amp.  The spec has very little to do with sound.  You could have a circuit that could only drive 50ma that could sound better.

You cannot buy the IceEdge modules from anyone.  They are only sold to OEMs.  Not for DIY use.  Only the older outdated modules are sold on Parts Express.

No one gets a commission by being excited about my products.  There is no money for advertising or commissions or whatever.  My amps are hand made labors of Love.  This is how I have always done business.  Even my friends/customers for years and years pay my full "direct wholesale" pricing.  They love what I do and naturally come back for more.

My amps are sold with 30 day unconditional money back guarantee.  Their sound quality speaks for itself.  I don't need to "oversell" them (they are not state of the art....just great amps for the money).......my customers will naturally want to turn others on to the super sound quality/bargain they got.  They naturally want to help people.....which is my motto.  Make others happy.  Offer a product that is fantastic for the money.  This is probably hard to believe with all the cynicism abounding in our world.  There is beauty, there is truth, there is love, there are people who care. there are those who do not take advantage of others....really, it is true.  The essence of all of us is truly amazing.  Live it now!  Share your beauty, truth, love and joy......Everyone wins when you do this.

It's amazing how ignorant and nasty some people act.  The mono IceEdge modules cost almost $500 a pair with shipping and duty.  My chassis and copper and aluminum plates and drilling and front plate engraving cost way over $300.  Then there are expensive Furutech connectors, damping material, copper binding posts, exotic wire, etc. etc.  I have close to $1200 in parts in this amp.  The standard parts cost to retail is 5 times at least....so this would make a $6000 power amp that wholesale would be 60% or $3600.  Then there is the fact that the amp is hand made.  Totally tweaked modules, hand made wires, damping material measured and put on, etc. etc.  No one in the world would do such things (except me).  It is way over 10 hours labor to make one.

What would you charge for $1200 in parts, one year of development and 10 hours of tweaky labor?  Certainly not $2200 ($2134 after paypal fees) and offer a 30 day unconditional money back guarantee including paying for the shipping to the customer.  I certainly am not a good business man.  But I get by.

The best Mivera Purepower amp sold for $1900 with a single stereo stock module.  None of the tweaking and hand made stuff I do. 

Why can't people be nice?  We are better than this.  We can be really beautiful.  Life is a continuous blessing.  I hope you all tune into that channel.  Love and Joy is continuously present.  Please.....take it, feel it and live it.....it is who you are!

Two IceEdge modules definitely sounded better than one (Sorry, but true). Faster, cleaner and better imaging. My system is extremely revealing and I use naturally recorded music to evaluate.

Eliminating the input connector is only one tiny mod I do to the modules. Every single other one I do makes mucho more difference. I even remove the AC connector and the speaker connector. Yes, everything makes a difference

What do you mean by "all these tweaks"? You have no idea what most of them are. So, therefore you have no knowledge or truth about them. Most of my mods are not discussed or shown and that is exactly the way I want it. However, the results are known by the resultant sound....which is all that matters.

I warrantee the amp for 3 years....parts and labor (transferable). Only those that don’t mod the board have a manufacturers warrantee. The customer gets a warrantee....that is all that matters. The mods I do to the boards do nothing to effect the reliability of the modules. The modules were under development for years and one of the reasons why is to make them the most reliable modules ever. I have not heard of a single person having a problem with an IceEdge module. Simply bulletproof. My mods don’t change that.....the amp is still fully protected. This is why the manual states that if the fuse blows it is a "catastrophic failure"....and therefore you must replace the module. The module is so self protecting that the fuse should never, ever, ever blow. If it does it is either lightning destroying the whole thing or the main diode bridge shorts and takes the fuse out (about as likely as you winning the big lotto).

I choose this module because stock it sounds good and I knew I could take it to another level sonically and people who buy with 30 day trial can listen and see for themselves if it is worth the money or not. So far, all the feedback from those that have bought them is really positive.....they are not sending it back. You will see more feedback here and on other forums as customers comment on their new fantastic sounding amps. BTW, two of those that bought my amps previously used the best Mivera amps with the stock stereo IceEdge modules.....so they know first hand how much better my amp is.  And one of those two had two Miveras so he was listening in mono.

The human choice is simple. Every second you either choose love/joy or judgement. The ego gets locked into the judgement game. When you choose love then all benefit and are happy. When you choose judgement we are all separated and unhappy. Which do you want? Do you want to be happy? If so, stop the constant judging. I try to make each moment a reflection of the divine. I know the blessings and beauty of the world and of life. I still have my judgment moments but they are getting less and less. And as they go away, I and everyone I know is happier. May all be happy.