The CLASS D stereo amp discussion

lowtech · « **Reply #20 on:** 23 Jul 2010, 11:59 pm »

Quote from: lowtech on 23 Jul 2010, 11:56 pm

We have similar philosophy when it comes to audio...

Just when it doesn't pertain to load independence and the design of output filters in amplifiers, I guess.

Quote from: lowtech on 23 Jul 2010, 11:56 pm

Anyone worthy of such a title wouldn't be arrogant enough to claim that they are "THE undisputed expert in the field of class-D amplifier design".

It's not his claim. Not sure how I could have been more clear...

dflee · « **Reply #21 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 02:15 am »

How in the heck did this post get hijacked????????????????????????????????????
I have been enjoying myself here and BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can any one explain to me how this thread got a name change by someone other than the OP and direction gone to hell in a hand basket. I do hope you people take your egos and your who can piss the farthest somewhere else.

Don

dvenardos · « **Reply #22 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 02:22 am »

Check out Virtue Audio, excellent tripath based amps.
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=152.0

Quote from: Construct on 22 Jul 2010, 08:07 pm

This is about NON diy class D... that is what I am after.

srb · « **Reply #23 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 02:25 am »

Quote from: dflee on 24 Jul 2010, 02:15 am

Can any one explain to me how this thread got a name change by someone other than the OP and direction gone to hell in a hand basket.

Any poster can modify the subject title associated with their post to whatever they want, but the original post's title is the one that shows in the Recent Updates and Circle Subject lists.

Don't know about the direction gone to hell in a hand basket.

Steve

timind · « **Reply #24 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 02:27 am »

My first class D amp was the Bel Canto eVo2. It was avery solid performer especially in balanced mode. After that I have owned several amps employing ICE modules including the ASC series, ASX series and currently using the ASP series modules from various makers.
I have yet to note any drawbacks to these amps. Leave them on all the time as they draw little power, produce no heat and are dead silent. In my experience they just let the music through.

Barry_NJ · « **Reply #25 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 02:56 am »

Quote from: dflee on 24 Jul 2010, 02:15 am

How in the heck did this post get hijacked????????????????????????????????????
I have been enjoying myself here and BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can any one explain to me how this thread got a name change by someone other than the OP and direction gone to hell in a hand basket. I do hope you people take your egos and your who can piss the farthest somewhere else.

Don

It's quite simple, lowtech showed up. Just check his post history and statistics...

lowtech · « **Reply #26 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 03:08 am »

Quote from: Barry_NJ on 24 Jul 2010, 02:56 am

It's quite simple, lowtech showed up.

Are you a GR fanboy or just ignorant? Nothing I have said in this thread requires any derogatory commentary from you... or anyone else.

Quote from: srb on 24 Jul 2010, 02:25 am

Don't know about the direction gone to hell in a hand basket.

Barry_NJ · « **Reply #27 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 03:21 am »

No, I'd never even visited the GR board before, and I'd never even noticed your posts before. But I'm a frequenter of many forums, and when I come across posts of the type you've made here, I check things like profiles and post histories. Your profile is basically empty, so you could be some great Electronics or Acoustical Engineer, but I can't tell from your profile. Then I just checked your statistics, and well... "Quarantine" is where you seem to be most active. Then I skimmed through your history and most of your posts seem to be somewhat antagonistic. Did I miss something?

lowtech · « **Reply #28 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 03:33 am »

Quote from: Barry_NJ on 24 Jul 2010, 03:21 am

Did I miss something?

Yes.

muralman1 · « **Reply #29 on:** 24 Jul 2010, 05:38 am »

This is what I have found working with class D for 8 years.

The H2O was designed around the ICE 500A. It was designed by a fellow who cut his teeth on designing class A amps, the best I ever heard.

The class A preamp H2O Fire is simply ceiling breaking, and is designed by the same genius.

Put the 2 together and find out how bad CD players are, save a very few. Choosing the right CD player is the trick to success with these amps. But you are not done yet.

Also, forget all you think you know about wires. There are but a very few cables applicable.

These amps will surpass any class A or AB if you chance upon the right class D component combination.

Good luck.

Barry_NJ · « **Reply #30 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 02:23 am »

The below thread is also worth a read...

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=79486.0

mfsoa · « **Reply #31 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 02:39 am »

For me, the cool running nature of Class D vs. tubes was a significant reason in my current switch to D.

This may not matter much to some but I think it has to be factored in to the whole experience.
-Mike

jazzcourier · « **Reply #32 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 02:39 am »

I had to go back and make sure someone mentioned the Spectron Musician 111. With the Bybee filters and V cap upgrades this may be the Greatest of the class D amps,after owning one of these i wonder where these amps can go,is this it for the best of the class D? Based on the positive Spectron experience i also moved over to Wyred 4 Sound amps for another system and they are,in my estimation,a huge success and a great bargain.Testimonial by a tube lover.It is still,in the end,how the music sounds,is it not?

Construct · « **Reply #33 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 02:46 am »

I have heard spectron amps and enjoyed them greatly.
I am reading a book called "Loudspeakers for music reproduction and recording". There is a chapter on amps--and an interesting section on class D.
The dichotomy here is that the book describes how good class d has progressed, and the promise of low cost, high powered amps has been realized. Ok... I accept that class D amp are no longer just the hard, opaque or shrill devices of a few years ago. However, the promise of "cheaper" compared to class a and a/b seems to have been broken.

jazzcourier · « **Reply #34 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 05:42 am »

I second that comment on the heat issue.When you can replace a power amp with 14 tubes and enough heat to cook a Cornish game hen with a cool running,great sounding class D it is very seducing if you are willing to live with a tightly controlled bass and less of that lower register bloom.Of course,when the recordings were made that bass was taut and the challenge of reproducing that accurately has turned into one of the great quests for all systems and the rooms they live in.The "shrill" factor is somewhat of a misconception as these amps,especially the Spectron, are very revealing and much can go wrong in the recording process above the midrange.When it is right it is Spring rain.The Wyred amps don't seem to be so sensitive and you can put it to bed for a reasonable price,they will run with the big boys providing you give them a great cd player and speakers.Both these products are also made in America,recalling the good old days of buy it,use it,forget it,enjoy it of the golden days of washing machines that lasted 20 years.
Both of these companies have a great need of a cosmetic makeover for the chassis of their units,both recall the good old days of the soviet block.Bleak and utilitarian,come on guys -give us a little sex here will ya!

silver_strings · « **Reply #35 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 08:52 am »

I tried a few t-amp's the sonic impact and the trends audio 10.1 which I ran on battery power and for what they are they sound great, some people said they sound even better than higher end tube amps but I found this to be very untrue my 250$ tube amp I use to have still sounded better than them

shep · « **Reply #36 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 09:37 am »

I totally agree with an above post; ICE amps are extreemly sensitive to source (cdp) and cables. When you get it right, it's magic. When not, it's very uninvolving and frustrating. I've owned various tweeked Tripath-based ones and while I respect them, they never did what my Wyred modded ICE does. Mind you the difference in power is also a big factor. I would love to hear H20 and Spectrum but they are out of reach. I am in the lenghty process of modding an OLD Marantz cdp to dizzying hights. With ever step, the ICE reveals excatly what the changes are. The next step is some further modding of this amp by Wyred. If you haven't taken the time and effort to find the right source and cables, there's no way to know how these can sound.

roymail · « **Reply #37 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 12:39 pm »

Quote from: mfsoa on 25 Jul 2010, 02:39 am

For me, the cool running nature of Class D vs. tubes was a significant reason in my current switch to D.
-Mike

I'm with Mike on this one. The efficiency of these cool running amps is a major step in the right direction AFAIC.

dflee · « **Reply #38 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 12:41 pm »

So if I spent $1,200 on an A, A/B and would like to find an equivalent or better, Should there not be a class D that would fit the bill for less. I am going to look up the Wyred amp but can anyone make any other suggestions? Present amp is delivering 140X4 into 8 and 225x4 into 4.

Thanks
Don

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #39 on:** 25 Jul 2010, 01:06 pm »

Quote from: muralman1 on 24 Jul 2010, 05:38 am

This is what I have found working with class D for 8 years.

The H2O was designed around the ICE 500A. It was designed by a fellow who cut his teeth on designing class A amps, the best I ever heard.

The class A preamp H2O Fire is simply ceiling breaking, and is designed by the same genius.

These amps will surpass any class A or AB if you chance upon the right class D component combination.

Good luck.

I fetched an used S250 to power my mother's Amp chewing, Amp destroying Kappa 9s. They barely produce any heat and drives the Infinity to high levels without much strain at all.

I once remember talking to EVS' Rick Shultz about his switching amps, perhaps it was about 3 years ago and he said that once the speaker frequencies drop below 2 ohm, one needs to wonder whether it is appropriate to run speakers with such difficult curve...I think his amp were Hypex modules? Definitely turned me off to amps with switching power supplies. So, I went and fetched the H2O amplifier and so far, it has not failed and has been unwavering in quality.

ICE block modules+standard/traditionally overbuilt PS is the way to go. The H2O amp is a chunk of metal...low key, yet with a menacing presence and it drives things like there is no tomorrow. Mine is the non signature version...with a single transformer...but Henry Ho told me that the signature has TWO stacked transformer with better parts, a taller and more elongated case. Maybe I will upgrade some years later.