Class D

[Puffin]

Class D for me has been a bit of a mixed bag. I have tried several TA2024 amps that had a certain magic, but only up to a point. Also TPA3116 and TA2020 and others the names of the chips now escape me. I have had a Sure TK2050 board (don't know why they are specified TK when the chip is TP2050) amp for years and just thought of it as a bit of clever confectionery for £30. I have only ever used it with a 12v SMPS for tweeter duties. The board can take a 10 - 36vdc PS. I had a dual linear supply for my bridged Gainclones that gives out 38vdc with a nice stiff 50,000uf of capacitance.

The TP2050 can take a max of 40v, so taking into account variations in the supply (my Belkin regularly reads 250v) I was probably taking a risk, but having rigged it all up and and lit the touch paper it blew me away (well not literally) I tried it with some test speakers. I was given a pair of TEAC small standmounters earlier in the year which came with an all in one unit that had expired. I had tried them when I got them and thought they were ok, but thin and weedy.

I use an MP3 player as a source with a lead from the headphone out. The player goes up to 20 (clearly very LOUD:lol:) and I know that when I have used it for testing with other kit that around 10 - 12 is where it starts to get a bit rough. Well, as I went from 12 to 13, 14 and on it had these little TEAC's going way beyond what I would have thought possible. Stonking would be a good adjective.

With a 36v PS into 8 Ohms the board should deliver around 60w. Next is to try it in the main system.

[wee tee cee]

Rob,
Class D amps can be very very good. Most folk dismiss them but are really misssing out. The mini t at about 100 quid gives a good flavour but is just a tad bright.

Temple audio do some lovely amps, the original bantum and theyre mono blocks are terrific sounding amps.

I have undertaken quite a bit of experimentation with power supplies and found a 12v big car battery gives a really clean low noise floor.

[Puffin]

Hi Tony, in the past I have not spent much at all on power supplies for these things as I suppose you think about the cost of the boards (£10 - £30) and I have used redundant SMPS's, 12v,15v the max voltage being 19v and the ampage 1 - 3 A. The PS I am using is a 250va tranny and RCRC rectifier board, good for prob 5A.

[Idlewithnodrive]

I'm using one of Duncan's 2 X 200w per channel IRS2092 CLASS D Stereo Power Amps.
500 VA Transformer
35amp 400v Bridge rectifiers
4 X 10,000uf 63V Capacitance fitted in the power supply

It totally trounced my 405-2, which I really rated.

Very very happy with it.

[Puffin]

Yes, i think that probably a lot of the good sound in an amplifier is due to the quality of the PS.

[Pharos]

B&O as a company has always produced good stuff both functionally and cosmetically, and it is unlikely that they would release ICEpower if they thought their reputation was under threat.

It can be done, and done well, but the tendency for the association with SMPS which were produced for cheapness, remains, and despite that they can also be done very well.

[Puffin]

ICE power and the boards you can buy from ebay etc are a completely different kettle of fish. If you are spending pennies on a Class D board you are most likely to spend pennies on a power supply. I had one of the Sonic Impact amps that started the TA2024 craze and all the modding that entailed and spawned many amps using the same chip. I powered mine with a £1 cigarette lighter.....well.....something under powered and it sounded fantastic. I am sure there are extremely good SMPS's out there, a lot of people hold the Soundwell PS's in good regard. However, I would favour a linear PS over an SMPS.

[Alp]

Rob,
Class D amps can be very very good. Most folk dismiss them but are really misssing out. The mini t at about 100 quid gives a good flavour but is just a tad bright.

Temple audio do some lovely amps, the original bantum and theyre mono blocks are terrific sounding amps.

I have undertaken quite a bit of experimentation with power supplies and found a 12v big car battery gives a really clean low noise floor.

I power my Temple Audio mono blocks (4 of them) with a couple of Tracer LiPO4 16 Ah batteries, which sound great. One also worked well, but two batteries are better.

[Idlewithnodrive]

Still using this and still VERY happy with it.

Reproduces all music with equal aplomb and just doesn't put a foot wrong 👍

Silly, really, for the money.

[Puffin]

Yes, my next project will be an IRS2092 based Class D.

[walpurgis]

Yes, my next project will be an IRS2092 based Class D.

Funny you should say that. I've just been looking at exactly the same thing on ebay.

[Idlewithnodrive]

Have I mentioned how good I think think they are ?

And this from a former Class D nay sayer !

[Lawrence001]

Listening to my ice power amp right now, using a TVC as a pre and it sounds bloody good.

Sent from my BLN-L21 using Tapatalk

[struth]

I like class d if done well. It's the future imo

[Pharos]

It is the future, but the specs are not quite as good ATM.

[walpurgis]

It is the future, but the specs are not quite as good ATM.

But the perceived sound quality can be very good.

[r100]

Funny you should say that. I've just been looking at exactly the same thing on ebay.

LJM makes some very good sounding boards (based on IRS2092). You can find them on Aliexpress or Ebay. But it is advised to get them from a reputable seller (along, douke, sep). You can even get fully assembled amps like this one (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Finished-LJM-L25D-HiFi-Audio-Stereo-Power-Amplifier-With-Speaker-Protection-AMP/32819699094.html?ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb 201602_4_10152_10151_10065_10344_10068_10342_10343 _10340_10341_10084_10083_10618_10307_10134_5722316 _5711212_10313_10059_10534_100031_10629_10103_1062 6_10625_10624_10623_10622_10621_10620_10142,search web201603_25,ppcSwitch_3&algo_expid=79f901e7-87d2-433c-99c4-85d60ce76c51-2&algo_pvid=79f901e7-87d2-433c-99c4-85d60ce76c51&priceBeautifyAB=0) with 2 boards, psu and the works for around 200$. Would probably cost more to build one with casing, transformer, etc... though one could possibly save shipping costs if bought disassembled. This guy (http://connexelectronic.com) has nice boards and power supplies (which imho are at least as important as the amp boards themselves.. I would spend more on a good psu than on the amp boards themselves).

[Puffin]

Spooky, just yesterday I ordered an IRS2092 board (250w per ch 4ohms @60 - 80w vdc) I will use the linear PS I used with the TK2050 which is 40vdc which should make it go loud enough, if not I have a mahoosive tranny that will give me 80vdc:D

[Svend N]

If you don't mind a slight change of subject, I have a question about the reliability/durability of Class D amps. I've heard from a couple of repair techs that they have a high failure rate, much higher than traditional SS amps. And if they fail, say a few years in, replacement parts are usually not obtainable due to redundancy (as with everything digital these days). That means the whole amp is basically fubar. Has this been your experience with these? Or is this technology basically so new that we don't have any long term reliability info as yet? No track record, in other words?

I'm interested in this technology from a sound quality vs. cost perspective - very appealing. But I'm a bit stodgy in that when I buy stuff I do it for the long haul -- buy quality and expect it to last years and years, and make sure it's fixable if something goes wrong.

Curious to know your take on this.

Thanks all!
Svend

[Puffin]

If you see a Class D amp described as BTL design (Bridge Tied Load) (maybe they all are - my knowledge is not that extensive) it normally means that if you accidentally touch the L&R speaker connections together when the amp is on it will blow. Some have protection for shorts and voltage overload so in theory they should survive a loudspeaker short.

I suspect that the more you pay the better the design and reliability.

[Ninanina]

I've owned 3 Class D type amps..

The first was a Topping (can't remember the model) purchased on eBay from China and I think it was only about £25.. for the money it was very good indeed, I ran it with LS3/5a's which was not a perfect match to be honest. The second was a Temple Bantam Gold (ok Class T) which was also very good but I think the best I owned was the Trends TA 10.1 (might have been the 10.2, I can't remember)

If I only had £200 to spend on an amp then I would happily live with the Trends amp

The only thing that I found lacking on all 3 amps was a lack of emotion somehow, can't quite put my finger on it ;)

[Sherwood]

I've owned 3 Class D type amps..

The first was a Topping (can't remember the model) purchased on eBay from China and I think it was only about £25.. for the money it was very good indeed, I ran it with LS3/5a's which was not a perfect match to be honest. The second was a Temple Bantam Gold (ok Class T) which was also very good but I think the best I owned was the Trends TA 10.1 (might have been the 10.2, I can't remember)

If I only had £200 to spend on an amp then I would happily live with the Trends amp

The only thing that I found lacking on all 3 amps was a lack of emotion somehow, can't quite put my finger on it ;)

I really can't believe how many people are judging class d on the basis of low cost products. I have several class d and class t amps including the infamous original Sonic Impact device which I bought as part of a travelling kit with Soundpax speakers. It was good at its price level but in no way comparable to my current Nuforce and Nuprime amps. If judging these devices make sure you are comparing devices at the same prices level.

Geoff

[Ninanina]

Sorry about that Geoff... :doh:

No I have never heard a more costly Class D amp so cannot judge

[Puffin]

The original 5w Tripath 2024 chip (@10% distortion), as found in the original Sonic Impact amp which I had are a world away from what is available now. The TK2050 and linear power supply is a great amp. I am hoping the IRS2092 is as good or better.

[Sherwood]

Sorry about that Geoff... :doh:

No I have never heard a more costly Class D amp so cannot judge

A lot is down to the power supply, as with other amplifier types. A good power supply is expensive no matter what technology is used.

Check out devices by Nuforce and Nuprime. In my opinion it is difficult to better them at their respective price points.

Geoff

[Sherwood]

The original 5w Tripath 2024 chip (@10% distortion), as found in the original Sonic Impact amp which I had are a world away from what is available now. The TK2050 and linear power supply is a great amp. I am hoping the IRS2092 is as good or better.

I can strongly recommend the Nuforce DDA-100. Mine is currently doing service in a secondary system having upgraded to a more powerful class A/class D device.

Geoff

[r100]

I recently bought this tiny amp from aliexpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Breeze-audio-Weiliang-audio-HiFi-Class-D-Audio-Digital-Power-Amplifier-TPA3116-2-0-min-amplifier/32822181101.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.VzBLxf) for 20 odd dollars (shipping included). As has been said before, depending on the psu used, it can sound much, much better than the price tag would suggest ! It is also available with a bluetooth module which is quite convenient if used as a desktop system. The nice thing about this particular amp is that it uses two amp chips, one for each channel.


https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1xCYpSpXXXXajXpXXq6xXFXXXE.jpg?size=276710&height=800&width=800&hash=610413abe78b7878b99bc1c2b605051d

[Puffin]

The TPA3116 chips don't sound too bad. although I found them a little lacking, not full bodied enough for me.

[Pharos]

This thread has made me look paranoically at reviews of B& O's ICEpower amps, does anyone have opinions of their quality both in build and SQ?

[Shovel_Knight]

At one point I auditioned the Teac AI-301DA (which, as far as I understand, is based on ICEPower 50ASX2) extensively and it was not bad at all. However, the NuPrime IDA-8 was much better (but much more expensive as well).

Edit: as far as I recall, I listened to both amplifiers via their digital inputs, but the NuPrime’s DAC theoretically was much better than the Teac’s and probably accounted for a good portion of the difference.

[Idlewithnodrive]

I've got one of Duncan's IR2092 implementations, with a whacking great 500VA tranny and decent BIG PSU caps.

Extremely pleased with it.

[Puffin]

I have just put together another Class D amp based on the IRS2092 chip. Good reviews of this chip on Diyaudio, so ordered some really expensive boards to make sure that I was going to get the best bang for my buck.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/IRS2092-CLASS-D-Audio-Power-Amplifier-AMP-Kit-200W-MONO-Assembled-Board-UK/192473628164?epid=2133066319&hash=item2cd0527e04:g:JgsAAOSwCUtanOjj

I have tons of bits. The transformer is from a subwoofer that I blagged from a pile of crap outside a house that was being dumped, PS is stuff I already had. The SQ?......Astonishing......seriously one of the best ClassD's I have heard.....and I have built a lot. Not bad at all for basically the cost of the boards....Oh....and mine were only £10 each:D

[Idlewithnodrive]

Still loving mine.

[montesquieu]

I've got one of Duncan's IR2092 implementations, with a whacking great 500VA tranny and decent BIG PSU caps.

Extremely pleased with it.

I have one too and it's very good in lots of ways. I also briefly owned a NuPrime STA9 (2 x200w though it can be monoblocked) which I thought was excellent for the money (about £900 IIRC) and I really would love to try out a monoblocked pair of them sometime with the Tannoys - my suspicion is this would be very impressive indeed, although a single amp fell short of really providing the deep emotional connection I provided by a good push-pull valve amp like a Radford STA25 or 100, EAR 816, or Leben CS-1000P, all of which I've had driving my Tannoys at some stage.

I heard several other class D amps of various stripes at the Munich high-end show. As above, I've got to be honest and say I my view is a really good valve amp does music better, as perhaps do some of the higher-powered Class A solid state offerings from Nelson Pass and those working in a similar vein.

But I do think Class D's time is imminent and for some applications (such as power hungry speakers) it may even be here already. The Nuprime stuff in particular seems to have something going for it, the ST-10 stereo amp - a generation ahead of the STA9 - recently had a monolock version released, while the company also has a Reference series that from everything I read is close to state of the art by any standard, regardless of amplifier class. I'm in Taiwan again at the end of the year (where they are manufactured) and will definitely make time to go and hear them. I have to be honest and say I'm worried that I may end up thinking of splashing out.

Would I dare to replace, say, my Radford STA100 with a Class D amp? Possibly not, and certainly not exclusively, as I'm a sentimental old git, but I suspect at some point in the future (not sure when exactly) I will only be able to justify it on the grounds of nostalgia ... perhaps it will be a bit like driving a vintage sports car that was in its day on the top of the world, but in purely objective terms now wheezes a bit against a modern hot hatch. But we aren't **quite** there yet I suspect. Still need to keep some spare valves on the shelf.

[Sherwood]

I have a pair of Nuprime STA-9 power amps and they are remarkable. As good as the STA-9 is as a stereo amp, it is transformed when used in mono mode where it delivers close to 300w. In monoblock mode, bass is more extended and dynamics much improved. However, it also sounds much more valve like in mono mode with better detail resolution. I have just noticed that Nuprime have introduced a new STA-6 model which shares the same design but is rated at 90w in stereo mode. The new amp comes in at 450 Euro, so that a pair would be under £800. If the STA-6 is anything like it bigger brother I would think it difficult to beat in price/performance terms. The grip that these amps have over speakers is impressive.

Geoff

[montesquieu]

I have a pair of Nuprime STA-9 power amps and they are remarkable. As good as the STA-9 is as a stereo amp, it is transformed when used in mono mode where it delivers close to 300w. In monoblock mode, bass is more extended and dynamics much improved. However, it also sounds much more valve like in mono mode with better detail resolution. I have just noticed that Nuprime have introduced a new STA-6 model which shares the same design but is rated at 90w in stereo mode. The new amp comes in at 450 Euro, so that a pair would be under £800. If the STA-6 is anything like it bigger brother I would think it difficult to beat in price/performance terms. The grip that these amps have over speakers is impressive.

Geoff

That's interesting Geoff. I think I'll explore that further - do you know if these can be monoblocked like the STA-9?

[Sherwood]

That's interesting Geoff. I think I'll explore that further - do you know if these can be monoblocked like the STA-9?

Yes. In monoblock they deliver 160w. http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/product/sta-6/?v=79cba1185463

Geoff

[montesquieu]

Yes. In monoblock they deliver 160w. http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/product/sta-6/?v=79cba1185463

Geoff

Interesting. Thanks.

[Sherwood]

Interesting. Thanks.

BTW The STA-9 is under £700 which gets you 120w in stereo and 290w in mono mode.

Geoff

[montesquieu]

BTW The STA-9 is under £700 which gets you 120w in stereo and 290w in mono mode.

Geoff

Yes as I mentioned I had one briefly but good as it was, as a single stereo amp it wasn’t quite there in my setup though the potential was clear.

I was unable to get a second one to monoblock on demo so I took the loss on the single one rather than buy another. A mistake perhaps but £1400 is a bit pricey for an experiment to satisfy curiosity.

[Puffin]

Googling the Nuprime STA-09 does not seem to reveal which ClassD chipset it uses. I found an internal pic and the board looks like it could be an IRS2092 board. Anyone know?

My next amp is a Sure version of the IRS2092 (250w into 4 Ohms) and has a switch on the board to bridge it. I now have the transformer for this and I will report back. The board is not dissimilar to the Nuprime board, although the inductors on the Nuprime board are different.

[Idlewithnodrive]

a really good valve amp does music better, as perhaps do some of the higher-powered Class A solid state offerings from Nelson Pass and those working in a similar vein.


Funnily enough, I have a Nirrvana Electronic Works (N.E.W.) A60.1 winging its way to me. It's a 60W dual mono Nelson Pass design. Looking forward to it.

[gwernaffield]

hi i have just bought a class D amp off here , which has turned out to far better than the MF M6500 i owned before , it is a lot more clear and tight bass, it is worm sounding , can be very fast to listern to with rock , the module being a Mpro2, which i believe you cannot buy unless you are a OEM ,the only problem is the out put of 800watt pc , into 4ohms so i have to watch how loud it is played,
the Module is the same as in the Gato 400s,(nearly 4K ) but set up just as a power amp ,the sound is not like any other class D amp i have listerned too, it is not bright at all, it is great at vocals ,sound stage is fantastic , with a distortion of .003 and the pre amp having a distortion of .005 the michell orca pre has turned out to be a good match for the power amp ,

[Puffin]

It's a shame that Pascal do not reveal the make of the chips used in these amps. I have had great results lately with IRS2092 based Class D amps....however it is anyone's guess as to what powers the Mpro2.

[gwernaffield]

Hi gato alter the Module , but as far as i can see on the gato site not much is done to Mpro-2 just add the pre amp and the usb , wireless stuff , which i did not need , the Michell Pre amp is perfect for the power , the gain on the power being slightly lower then the pre , i am about 40 lps into listerning to this amp , i am well impressed, less distortion than the class A amp , with less electric used to listern to the hifi , which will never need the 800watt pc , into the quad z4 , Pascal were very helpful , to a point but no real advice as there is a point on the board that a fan can be fitted to keep any heat away ,
they refused to help in any way with this, just saying the do not supply to the DIY market , and were /who did i buy the module off , and that is were it was ended, i did get another diagram which i did not under stand , so i just put that to one side, the module is $350 if you are a oem, so why does it cost £4k for a class d amp ?

[julesd68]

I have one too and it's very good in lots of ways. I also briefly owned a NuPrime STA9 (2 x200w though it can be monoblocked) which I thought was excellent for the money (about £900 IIRC) and I really would love to try out a monoblocked pair of them sometime with the Tannoys - my suspicion is this would be very impressive indeed, although a single amp fell short of really providing the deep emotional connection I provided by a good push-pull valve amp like a Radford STA25 or 100, EAR 816, or Leben CS-1000P, all of which I've had driving my Tannoys at some stage.

Hi Tom, just catching up with this thread ... I'm interested in trying Class D with my Tannoy HPD's but am wondering what you thought of the NuPrime in terms of bass grip?

[Idlewithnodrive]

It's a shame that Pascal do not reveal the make of the chips used in these amps. I have had great results lately with IRS2092 based Class D amps....however it is anyone's guess as to what powers the Mpro2.

I'm still absolutely loving my IRS2092 based Class D Amp, 6 months later, which is unheard of for me, being a bit of a box swapper :D

[montesquieu]

Hi Tom, just catching up with this thread ... I'm interested in trying Class D with my Tannoy HPD's but am wondering what you thought of the NuPrime in terms of bass grip?

Plenty of bass grip - no issue there. Just a bit of a lack of emotional connection. I'm told the ST10 is an improvement, I've twice tried to buy one of these second hand from Norway (there's a dealer up there) but for whatever reason they have been reluctant to ship. I'd stop short of recommending a single STA9 vs a valve amp of comparable price, though I have heard reports it all kicks up a notch if you monoblock them (that comes to about the same price as a single ST10 though so it getting away from being a 'cheap' option, you'd get a fully serviced Radford STA25 for that).

[AD Audio]

I tried my Nord Class D One Up amp with Westlower's 12ins Tannoys and we all thought it was rather good. IMO it sounded 'better' at the top and bottom of the frequency range than a Radford STA25. However, the same amp sounds much less impressive with my Tannoy Canterburys......so even Class D with its promise of extreme flexibility is system /speaker dependent. Interestingly, the Nord is rated at 700watts into 4ohms but in practice sounds no louder than my 50 watt 845 mono blocks........
David

[Clive]

I tried my Nord Class D One Up amp with Westlower's 12ins Tannoys and we all thought it was rather good. IMO it sounded 'better' at the top and bottom of the frequency range than a Radford STA25. However, the same amp sounds much less impressive with my Tannoy Canterburys......so even Class D with its promise of extreme flexibility is system /speaker dependent. Interestingly, the Nord is rated at 700watts into 4ohms but in practice sounds no louder than my 50 watt 845 mono blocks........
David

Class D has no headroom vs a Class A or A/B. Your 50W 845 will sound louder than a typical 50W solidstate amp. 700 Class D watts sound like a lot (it is) but they are probably more equivalent to nearer 300W vs a typical solidstate amp. That's my take on FWIW.

[Mr. C]

The main drawback with most PWM switching amps (Which you guys are calling class 'd') is bandwidth and poor bass performance, What you can't be serious?

Pretty much all the switching amps (Ncore, Nord, most Icepower (not all), Nuforce etc are limited to around 50Khz +/-3db which just equates to the slightly more than the second harmonic. Over the years I have come to realise that to have true three dimensional sound with textural layering one of the pre requisites is a decent fifth harmonic bandwidth 100Khz minimum, (though 2.4Ghz maybe a little extreme Mr D'agostino!)

It is not that the switchers are not solid sounding or powerful in any way, they are also clean, dynamic and very quiet, but on the whole they just lack real soul and the ability to really move you imho

They are a couple of examples which are staggering good, however they are cost prohibitive. That said some of the older smaller Tripath modules PROPERLY implemented sounded wonderful other not so.

Again with all circuitry it is a simple exercise in understanding exactly what you are trying to achieve and examining just what influences outside emi/rfi, internal power supply structures, circuit pathways etc are all doing in the final analysis imho.

Well yes much in the same way a bass head is all about lower bass say 90-40Hz that chest thumping club like thwack, not real low end performance that moves you and integrates with the rest of the frequencies in a leaner manner.

Recently we had a well known musician drop off his pair of mighty .5Kw monoblock American pwm amps for repair (power supply board failure due to wrong voltage rated caps (there is a clue) He traded his Linn Klimax twins for them

When he collected I hooked them up to a respectable system and he was smiling from ear to ear, totally convinced that its was top of the pile amplification wise.

I asked if he was up for a Pepsi Challenge, I suggest that a 100Wrms dual mono class a/b amp would make his pair of beasts sound rather thin, nasely and limp wristed in the bass department, plus a much better sense of rhythmic fluidity, he scoffed and easily accepted the challenge.

Mind you after 30 seconds he was somewhat dumbfounded as to why what he had just heard from his pair of prized lean mean switching machines was made to sound very average.

Cost wise they were very comparable, not trying to push an agenda here, merely to agree with a lot of what has been said, a decent a/b with best most PWM switching amps currently.

However depends on what you are looking for, a PWN is at least 85% efficient, much smaller foot print, easier to place at home with the Bula Ballbreaker threatening to place you nad's in a rusty rotavator at 500 rpm.

That said my personal amplifier is a PWM switching amp which I wouldn't trade for a pair of Dartzeel Mono's (they are exceptional with the right speakers) though its bandwidth is the sixth harmonic, switching time is 24ns and I can select a specific algorithm for the switching frequency up to 1.8Ghz (virtually all of the switching amps are around 500Mhz which is about the same switching point of the SMPS they thought is this will cancel out any of the switching noise this is so far outside the pass-band it is inconsequential

It uses two custom built TX's 1.5Kva in a dual rail configuration.

It has wonderfully sweet and lucid mid band, quality tight, articulate accurate bass to whatever the speaker is connected to can muster, including Apogee's (20hm lowest load). A a big open transparent window at the top, it is neither cold nor warm, but just right for what I like.

Clive comments on headroom or power are close to the mark imho

[George47]

Of course not all agree and the nCore amps have made a major impact in the amplifier market with many major companies like Bel Canto, Jeff Rowland and Theta using them. They have a really flat response to the frequencies and do no 'juice up' the sound. Some like that some do not.

[Ammonite Audio]

I can't speak for other implementations of switching amplifier designs, but anyone coming to the North West Audio Show on 23/24 June (see www.audioshow.co.uk ) will be able to hear Lyngdorf's TDAI2170 digital amplifier, which I am demonstrating in my room. I reckon anyone harbouring preconceptions about what switching amplifiers can and cannot do, and how they sound, will be pleasantly surprised.

[YNWaN]

Does it also do room correction Hugo - I know some Lyngdorf amps do?

[Ammonite Audio]

Yes, it does.

[YNWaN]

Well I look forward to hearing that very much :).
——-
Tony, would that be one of the TAD amps you are referring to in post #51 as your personal amp?

[Mr. C]

Well I look forward to hearing that very much :).
——-
Tony, would that be one of the TAD amps you are referring to in post #51 as your personal amp?

Hello Ynwan

The TAD M2500 MKII is a decent implementation of the form without question and it puts to shame many significantly high priced traditional alternatives. however my personal amplifier is something I have been working on for around 12 years (I must really finish it one day lol)

The layout structure is similar, however the key for sound imho is the ability to control the switching frequencies and the have the correct analogue reconstruction filters in place to really make a PWM amplifier work. Along with all the usual amplifier requirements.

In the same way a really good class a/b doesn't sound like a solid state amplifier (And it doesn't sound like valves only valves do that!) but it sound effortless fluid and natural. A correctly implemented switching amp doesn't sound like a PWM amplifier again it sound natural, fluid and articulate. Again a long way from the Devialet sound thankfully.

Does not stop me appreciating other amplifier designs in any way either, I do like valves, again done well they can sound wonderful personal favorites are 2A3's a superbly musical valve and 211's for the grunt and allowing you to power more appealing loudspeakers.

[montesquieu]

I can't speak for other implementations of switching amplifier designs, but anyone coming to the North West Audio Show on 23/24 June (see www.audioshow.co.uk ) will be able to hear Lyngdorf's TDAI2170 digital amplifier, which I am demonstrating in my room. I reckon anyone harbouring preconceptions about what switching amplifiers can and cannot do, and how they sound, will be pleasantly surprised.

I was pretty impressed into Tannoys with a Lyngdorf SDA2175, an earlier generation of Lyngdorf techology. Better than just about any other so-called class D amp I've heard, characteristic of the best of them is its mix of abilities strong in the bass and clean in the treble, but unfortunately even that Lyngdorf was some extent extent the emotional component that a good valve amp has in the midrange that enables you to forgive their other foibles. I am keen to hear the next generation Lyngdorf though.

[eisenach]

Has anyone tried the Primare digital amps? I'm quite interested in the A34.2, which got good reviews in HiFi News. My current amp is the conventional A30.2 fed by a Pre32R.

[spendorman]

Just in case anyone is thinking that solid state Class D audio amplifiers are a relatively new idea:

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1742/41619390485_dd35e0ab6e_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/26pLfN2)Sinclair X-20 (https://flic.kr/p/26pLfN2) by A60man (https://www.flickr.com/photos/41679262@N02/), on Flickr

[walpurgis]

Don't remember that and I should.

[spendorman]

From about 1964 to 1969 I got Practical Wireless delivered. I was recently reading though the above issue, and saw the X-20. I do remember it coming out at the time and thinking it must be magic. I would have been 14 years old at the time.