New Class D amplifiers


Hello. I'm very interested in getting your opinion on the newer Class D amplifiers.  There has been a couple of very positive reviews (by Guttenberg) of the Bel Canto C6i and NAD M23.  These, and perhaps some others are offering new technology that significantly lower the class D noise level and other drawbacks.    

I currently use a Class A amp, Pass Labs INT-25 (with Dynaudio Heritage Special speakers) which has a wonderful sound. But I am transitioning to another location, and due to using Roon primarily I find that this system stays on most of the day.  Due to heat and power usage of Class A amplifiers, I'm interested in translating to Class D if I find something comparable.

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@niodari

 

 


In fact, i own LSA GaN Voyager for already some months and keep it on a shelf unplugged. I am disappointed not only with its sonic properties but also with a terrible service i experienced.

 

It has a load variant frequency response as I have said due to its lack of post filter feedback. This problem was solved in class d 20 some years ago. It may be your speakers present a load variance that is causing an issue with the frequency response that you find unpleasant. This is an example of an amp that jumped on the GaN bandwagon and suffers from an issue modern class d designs do not suffer from.

 

@ddafoe 

 

Nice; from my perspective, all the more reason to skip over your posts...

Oh yea, what system do you listen to again?  Just a hint, if you have mandated yourself to save us 'status seekers' from spending too much on Class D amplification, you might want to tell the rest of us what your system consists of and describe to us how it sounds and performs.




 

 

Feel free to read or not read, no one is making you read anything. I can't help it if my posts strike a nerve.

I wouldn't ever even begin to believe that what I prefer in audio components would have any relevance for others. Do your homework and find what works for you- it will prevent you from overpaying for products that under perform for their cost. Unless of course you find some psychic value in paying for certain things that are perhaps not directly related to performance. Best of luck.

kuribo

I have no personal agenda, other than to call out over priced, under performing products when I see them. Audio is full of over priced products that don't measure up to far cheaper alternatives.

So you see yourself as a savior, eh? And you assume the roles of judge, prosecutor, jury, and executioner because you have "considered opinion?"

I have no doubt your amp is well engineered, well built, and performs well. It's just not a good value ... I am sure it will sell well, though I would not necessarily consider that a reflection on the amp itself ...

Have you heard the amplifier? For that matter, have you even seen it?

... more further proof that audio is full of insecure, status seekers who like to spend extravagant amounts of money on products to assuage their frail egos.

Yes, you have certainly provided proof that audio has its share of "insecure, status seekers." Well done!

@tweak1 , thanks for your remark. My LSA GaN 350 Voyager was sent back for the repair, but it came back with the same performance and a worse physical shape (they have broken the plastic frame of the case without even letting me know about it). Do you use the back RCA/Balanced selection switches? Independently of which of the inputs I use, my Voyager sounds more or less acceptable only if one of the channels (the left one) is in RCA and the other one is in XLR positions. Otherwise, the amp sounds like a $100 Sony amplifier from BestBuy. They were not able to or did not wish to spend enough attention to arrange this issue, literally returning the amp as it was (and not precisely, because of the broken case). If you like how it sounds, there could be possible to do something. I contacted Ric Schultz earlier regarding the problem with my Chery Megaschino, he said he cannot help.  (but Ralph has agreed very kindly to try to arrange it, but finally, to my surprise, it was repaired for $80 by a technician who is within 10 minutes of driving distance from my house, hope this will last). I will try to contact him though am not too optimistic that this amp may sound good. 

@kuribo , honestly, I did not notice any dependence of the frequency response on speaker loads. I tried the Voyager with three different pairs of Thiel speakers in three different systems. The problem is not literally in frequency response (in both high and low frequencies). It rather gives a "dead" sound for my taste. I cannot explain it logically, though soundstage and separation could have been better. Curiously, I enjoy even more Nuprime   ST10 class D amp. And there is just no comparison with Cherry Megaschino amp, which I indeed enjoy.