[Freo-1]

After listening to a whole lot of Class D amps over the years, had all but given up that there would be one that would provide that reference performance one rarely gets from audio.  To be sure, have listened to some excellent offerings, but they always fell short in one or more critical area that would distract from otherwise enjoying the music.  This is obviously a personal observation, but it's one shared by many other audiophiles. 

Well, I am currently auditioning a Class D amp that really does provide that reference performance that is so elusive.  The Yamaha MX-D1 is just such an amp.  It does all the things Class D does well (outstanding SNR, great detail and clarity, and at 500 watts a channel, will drive pretty much any speaker out there to clean ear splitting levels).  It also provides excellent depth of sound stage (something very few Class D amps seem to provide), a pristine midrange/presence that stands apart from most amps regardless of topology, and hooray, a treble that is both pleasing and subjectively accurate (smooth and non-grating). 

The amp is a few years old, but the topology is still state of the art, as professed by an audiophile who has a MEE.  The build quality of the boards and chassis are as good as it gets, and the parts are custom made.  It has a unique topology that converts the incoming source waveform, and no doubt it works outstanding. 

These were 5K new, but can be had for a very reasonable price (if you can find one).  Another thing that is good about them is that they have a high gain (33db), so a passive attenuator works well with the amp.  This is the closest I've heard any Class D amp come to "sounding analog".  If you just sat down and listened to it without knowing what the amp was, you would never guess it was a Class D unit. 

In summary, pretty darn impressive.  Will be posting observations after a week or so, to see if the initial positive impressions are maintained.  Here's hoping Yamaha follows up with this effort, as it should only improve.   


 
 

[firedog]

Had never heard of this one, but looked up the Michael Fremer review, which was very positive. His only real criticism was that the amp didn't have "spot on" imaging.  Would be a cool amp to buy, but probably next to impossible to find one.

[Freo-1]

I think imaging has more to do with the speaker than the amp.   

There have been  several of these pop up on Audiogon/AudioMart the past few months.  They are worth seeking out for an audition.  The sonic signature provided is unique among the Class D offerings.  A superb performer. 

[jackman]

Hi Frio,

Thanks for the information.  It's cool that you found an amp you really like.  I hope to audition that amp someday and remember seeing it years back when Yamaha closed them out at very low prices (I think they sold for $1K).  They were gone quickly and I've not heard anything about them in recent years.  They sure pack a lot of stuff in that little case.  The size is perfect!

Do you think digital amp technology has changed since the Yammy amp was introduced almost ten years ago?  Also, I wonder why Yamaha did not introduce a replacement Class D amp.  I've tried a couple Class D amps over the years with mixed results but have never tried the Yamaha.  The Ncore amp is still in my system and, so far, it's the best amp I have owned.  Let me know if you ever have a chance to compare them side by side.  It looks like the Yamaha has more tube warmth. 

[lowtech]

The Flying Mole Class-D amps are based on the Yamaha circuit topology and IMO also sound very good.

[jackman]

The Flying Mole Class-D amps are based on the Yamaha circuit topology and IMO also sound very good.

It's been a while but I recall reading comments about the Flying Mole amps being very veiled and sweet sounding.  Good for HT but not audiophile grade.  Some people associate this with tube sound but I have heard tubes that are very vibrant and detailed without harshness (the SAS Tube mono-blocks are among the best I have ever heard).  Here is a quote from Soundstage on the Flying Mole amp:

But even at higher volumes, the DAD-M100pro HT amps exhibit some obvious sonic traits. Their grainless, always-pleasant sound makes for fatigue-free listening. Bass impact certainly belies the physical stature of the amps and is very good overall. However, compared to essentially every amp I've heard (including the very fine but much more expensive Bel Canto digital amps), the DAD-M100pro HTs display a lessening of high-frequency vitality and especially the air around performers that we audiophiles crave. Cymbals and brass are missing some of their steely sheen when reproduced over the DAD-M100pro HT amps, and while this helps bad recordings sound listenable, it also causes really good recordings to lose some of their distinctiveness.

Perhaps the sound of these amps is more suited to a home-theater system -- a Flying Mole Cascade multichannel amp that uses the same 1-bit technology is currently under review at our sister publication, Home Theater & Sound. But for high-end two-channel audio, the ample power, small footprint and low price of Flying Mole's DAD-M100pro HT mono amps don't make up for sound that's friendly but uninviting.

...Marc Mickelson
marc@soundstage.com

[Freo-1]

Hi Frio,

Thanks for the information.  It's cool that you found an amp you really like.  I hope to audition that amp someday and remember seeing it years back when Yamaha closed them out at very low prices (I think they sold for $1K).  They were gone quickly and I've not heard anything about them in recent years.  They sure pack a lot of stuff in that little case.  The size is perfect!

Do you think digital amp technology has changed since the Yammy amp was introduced almost ten years ago?  Also, I wonder why Yamaha did not introduce a replacement Class D amp.  I've tried a couple Class D amps over the years with mixed results but have never tried the Yamaha.  The Ncore amp is still in my system and, so far, it's the best amp I have owned.  Let me know if you ever have a chance to compare them side by side.  It looks like the Yamaha has more tube warmth.

They went for about 1500.00 or so at the end.  They have not gone down from that in the used market.  Regarding the Yamaha MX-D1, as stated earlier, I know of an audiophile with a MEE who reviewed the topology says the Yamaha is still state of the art from a technology standpoint (who am I to argue)?      I do know the parts and chassis costs quite a bit, and are custom made, along with a proprietary input setup that is quite unique. 

Regarding the sonic signature, it does seem warmer sounding than the other Class D amps I've listened to (including NCore).  I don't have much extended listening experience with the NCore, so it would be good to compare them side by side.  The one difference that does jump out is the fact that the MX-D1 is 500 watts vs. 200 watts for the NCore.  That extra power is just what the doctor ordered for the ATC speakers, to be sure. 

So far, very impressed with this Yamaha.  They certainly should re-enter the high end market with an updated entry, as I think Class D amps are now much more accepted in the high end crowd over the last few years. 

[jackman]

Thanks Freo. I hope to hear that amp someday.  For the record, I have several MEE friends and they laugh at audiophiles  like us.  I no longer discuss things like fancy caps, cables and break in with them because it always ends badly.

Cheers

Jack

[Freo-1]

After listening to this for a few days, my initial impression is that the MX-D1 is one of the finest sounding solid state amps I've ever had the pleasure to audition.  You would never peg the sound coming from it as anything but incredibly musical, and certainly not typical Class D.   

The sound from the amp exhibits a natural presence that very few amps can match, with a warmth that I've never heard from any Class D amp to date.    It is a real pleasure to hear the positive effects 500 watts can have on the music reproduction.  There is also real depth to the sound stage (at least with my speakers). I also find the imaging to be quite good.  Instruments seem to be presented with fairly precise location, and a symphony sounds very much like one hears at a symphony hall.  The bass does not have the last bit of slam, but, I think it is ACCURATE.  It sounds very much like what one hears live, where bass is felt as much as heard (no mid bass hump). 

In summary, I can't understand how this amp didn't see more success.  Yamaha got this one right, to be sure.  I wonder if Yamaha were to introduce an updated audiophile Class D amp in today's market, would it see better success?  I would think the market has changed since it was first released, and perhaps it would be better received in today's environment. 

I'm very happy to get this amp, which will not be going anywhere anytime soon.

[Russell Dawkins]

That's quite the beast.

Yamaha impresses me. They have made some surprisingly no-holds-barred devices over the years, many of them class leading or nearly so, at least. This includes not only amps and speakers but pianos, synths, acoustic and electric guitars of note and absolutely all orchestral instruments, most professional recording equipment from mixers to recorders and reverb units, not to speak of motorcycles and outboard motors. Curiously not microphones, though.

I wonder if that MX-D1 would drive the power-hungry but reference quality Yamaha NS1000 speaker. Very few amps can.

[Goosepond]

Yes, Yamaha is a very diverse corporation. I'll add that my favorite tennis racket, hands down, was a Yamaha product. Not only very light but head-light to boot. I strung it very tight and the control versus power was what did it for me and my limited ability. 

Gene

[RDavidson]

In my opinion, Yamaha may not be true leaders in innovation (they didn't invent or even help pioneer class D technology from what I can tell), but their attention to quality details that matter is pretty unparalleled especially considering how diverse their product range is. I'm a fan.

[macrojack]

I wonder if any of you Yamaha fans would like to own a like new silver A-S2000. I know where one is available.

[RDavidson]

I wonder if any of you Yamaha fans would like to own a like new silver A-S2000. I know where one is available.

......me too. There's this place called Amazon.com 
But in all seriousness, let's not derail this thread.
I suggest posting this info in the trading post, even if you're just providing a lead. I think that'd be much more appropriate.

[macrojack]

My apologies. I don't appreciate all the derailments I see and should know better than to cause one.

As for my amp, I'm selling a lot of stuff in the trading post right now. I just haven't gotten around to listing it yet.

[Freo-1]

That's quite the beast.

Yamaha impresses me. They have made some surprisingly no-holds-barred devices over the years, many of them class leading or nearly so, at least. This includes not only amps and speakers but pianos, synths, acoustic and electric guitars of note and absolutely all orchestral instruments, most professional recording equipment from mixers to recorders and reverb units, not to speak of motorcycles and outboard motors. Curiously not microphones, though.

I wonder if that MX-D1 would drive the power-hungry but reference quality Yamaha NS1000 speaker. Very few amps can.

I would think the MX-D1 would drive the Yamaha NS1000 quite nicely.  It puts out 500 watts at 8, 4, or 2 ohms. 

I have always had an issue with the overall presentation of Class D amps.  This one is different, and truly unique sounding among this topology type.  When a company like Yamaha put's its engineering might into a reference product such as this, it makes it very hard for smaller companies to compete.

[lowtech]

Regarding the Mole.  I don't know anything about DA-100, but the PM-162D is one of the nicer sounding amps I've had in my system.  It has been said that Yamaha was the OEM.

[Freo-1]

Wanted to update this topic since I've had a chance to listen to the MX-D1 for awhile now.  I have to say that it is among the very finest solid state amps I've heard to date.  It's sounds unlike any Class D amp I've ever listened to up to this this point.  This amp seems to get the entire audio spectrum reproduction correct.  The pace, timing, and rhythm from this amp is excellent.  The midrange is as clear as any amp I've ever listened to, and the treble is clean, detailed, and neither rolled off or accentuated.   The amp has a proprietary input setup that is unique (no other Class D amp I'm aware of employs this topology).  That, along with the fact that many of the parts are custom made for this unit, (I think) contribute to it's outstanding performance. 

One other item of note with this amp:  Unlike most other Class D amps, this ones runs pretty warm once it's been on for awhile. It also acts like a tube amp in one respect: the maximum output of 500 watts is regardless of the speaker impedance. 

Sadly, as is often the case with companies like Yamaha and Sony, when they get a product like this that is an outstanding performer, it does not stay on the market for very long. 

[thinker10]

One of them would be welcome in my home 

Yamaha also did some wonderful  moving coil cartridge and moving magnet


No Microphone  weird