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Atma-Sphere Class D… Amazing

Today I picked up my Atma-Sphere Class D Amps. These aren’t broken in yet. And they are simply amazing. I’ve listen to a lot of High End Class D. Some that cost many times what Atma-Sphere Class D costs. I wasn’t a fan of any of them. But these amps are amazing. I really expected to hate them. So my expectations were low. The Details are of what I’ve never heard from any other amps. They are extremely neutral. To say the realism is is extremely good is a gross understatement. They are so transparent it’s scary. These amps just grab you and suck you into the music. After I live with them some and get them broken in. And do some comparisons to some other high end Amps Solid State, Tubes and Class D’s, also in other systems I’ll do a more comprehensive review. But for now, these are simply amazing amps.. Congrats to Ralph and his team. You guys nailed on these.

 

 

128x128pstores
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atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,615 posts
 

I agree with that whenever SQ can be affected, but making thick chasis just to  protect the amp during the shipping seems to me unreasonable - just pack it well! 

We've always packed our equipment well to survive FedEx/UPS treatment. But experience has shown that even though its packed well, the chassis can be deformed by the mounting bolt for the transformer if the transformer is heavy enough and the chassis thin enough.

These are the claims of customers- they prefer the "sound" of certain op amps over others, not mine!

If that is so either the opamps were really terrible or the designer didn't know what he was doing! With any module you really don't need a lot of gain, so why would decent opamps affect the sound?? Answer: if the buffer is properly designed and if decent opamps are used, they won't.

derekw_hawaii
95 posts
 

My conundrum. I'm warming up to Class D. Actually, more the opposite as heat avoidance is the main reason for seeking out a Class D amp.

My problem is that I'm a keeper. I'm not a component every year type of guy. More like every decade.

So there's an obvious tension between getting the value oriented "giant killer" and the point of diminishing return "SOTA".

Value picking seems to be easier when applied to established technology. Class D amp tech seems to in an evolutionary trajectory.

Ralph's and a few other's SOTA are so tempting.

But will the saying that today's SOTA is tomorrow's **** apply to my Class D purchase? On the other hand,  life is short.

 

 

big_greg
6,561 posts
 

What a sad train-wreck of a thread.  I feel bad for Ralph having to try to educate a bunch of keyboard warriors all because someone said something nice about his gear.

kuribo
524 posts
 

If that is so either the opamps were really terrible or the designer didn't know what he was doing! With any module you really don't need a lot of gain, so why would decent opamps affect the sound?? Answer: if the buffer is properly designed and if decent opamps are used, they won't.

Plenty of people have bought in to the "everything matters, everything has a sound" mantra. As I am sure you are well aware, audio people can be quite insecure and easily influenced by the siren song of other's wacky claims. Just look at all the audio voodoo on the market- if snake oil could only be refined into gasoline we would have $0.25/gal gas again.

 

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