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Model: | Raptor 500D |
Category: | Amplifier (SS) |
Suggested Retail Price: | $2500 |
Description: | Class D Monoblocks 250w 8ohms, 500w 4ohms |
Manufacturer URL: | Gilmore Audio |
Review by ahendler on August 08, 2012 at 22:24:03 IP Address: 99.33.41.219 | Add Your Review for the Raptor 500D |
I have been a tube owner all my life (60 years). I had read reviews of the Raptor monoblocks from the late Al Sekela who preferred them full range vs tri amped with OTL amps on mids and tweeter and a big solid state amp on bottom. When Gilmore dropped the price from $5000 to $2500 I decided to give them an audition. The last two tube amps I have been using on my 3.6r's have been ASL Hurricanes and a VTL ST-85. Both of these amps sounded quite wonderful on my maggies. The Raptor is better in all ways. The raptor has incredible resolution from top to bottom. The recreating of hall sound in symphony recordings feels very real. Micro and macro dynamics are handled with a very live feeling to the presentation. I had heard that class D amps do not do high frequencies very well but that is not the case here. Highs are very extended and really clear sounding. Massed strings are recreated with a great sense of power and physical beauty. Female vocals like Eva Cassidy or Jacintha will make you weep. This amp is a keeper and I will be keeping it. On the technical side it is a highly modified B&O Ice powered with modified input, increased pulse frequency and modified output filter. It has a linear power supply with a 65va toroidal transformer and 67000 microfareds of filter capacitance. Each monoblock is housed in 1/2" aircraft aluminum case and weighs 37lbs per monoblock
Product Weakness: | None that I can determine |
Product Strengths: | Sounds like real music |
Amplifier: | Gilmore Raptor 500D monoblocks |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Shindo Auriges |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Sony 5400 and Basis 1400 TT |
Speakers: | Maggie 3.6r |
Cables/Interconnects: | Telurium Q Blue/Silnote Morpeous reference |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Classical/Film scores/ Female vocals |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 15 x 12 x 8 |
Room Comments/Treatments: | Fica trees |
Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Nice review. I have been enjoying the sound of my Red Dragon M-500 mono amps which are ICE Class D as well. They are driving a pair of Vandersteen 3A Sigs. Really wonderful combo with ARC SP 16 preamp. Also using an ARC 150.2 on a Maggie 1.6 system that's wonderful as well. One ICE Module based and one Tripath based. Both very nice, cool running, transparent and no problems handling the frequency ranges. I also have a tube amp that I love (Quicksilver V4) in a different set up. It's different and I love it as well.
I heard the Raptors a few years back at Audio Logic in NJ. Really great sounding amps and very well built. Thanks for the review.
My bad: That should be Hi Fi Logic in NJ. hifilogic.com
Like tubes and solid state there are many different implementations that make some better than others with regard to system synergy.
Correction,
The toroidal transformer is 1200va
Alan
.
as the one in your review wouldn't for some reason.
Interesting amp/company.
I am a fan of Class D amps, at least the Red Dragon (ICEpower technology core) that I have.
Someday would like to try the Gilmore Audio amp(s).
Good review - ENJOY the music!
"One this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" - Michael McClure
nT
considering that 85 watts of VTL power was sufficient, did you consider the 250 watt Raven?
They have a very similar sound. The Raptors have a little more slam in the bass and are perhaps a tiny bit clearer sounding, probably due to having two completely separate power supplies.
If you want to hear even more slam and clarity try running them off a PS Audio P5 Power Plant. I know Mark Gilmore recommends running them straight from the wall, but the P5 adds a major Wow IMO.
N/T
"One this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" - Michael McClure
Powering Infinity RSIIb speakers.
N/T
"One this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" - Michael McClure
I did consider the Raven but the price for the monoblocks was so appealing I had to go for it
Alan
... because they don't sound like tube amps or solid state that don't use enough feedback to minimize overall distortion.
I've owned a couple of class D amps and both had outstanding resolution and transparency: you don't get that amps that "do not do high frequencies very well".
I've tried Bel Canto and Wyred 4 Sound, both based on ICEpower modules. The W4S was better but not quite there. I'm sure I could get used to it's sound but I will always know what I was missing...........
As I have said before, ICEpower cannot seem to get the bass right. Yes, it's deep and impactful but the definition is not there compared to the Class AB SS amps and a few tube amps that I have owned. By definition I mean being able to easily separate and distinctly hear the differences in the lowest bass notes, from the upright bass as an example. My traditional amps do this just fine, including the modest 90wpc Rogue tube amp.
The Nuforce amp (non ICEpower) was more to my liking overall, and the bass was much better defined, but it had it's own limitations.
I haven't heard the Raptor, but the ICEpower based amps I have had in my system never lasted more than a few month before I went back to 'traditional' designs.
I am looking forward to trying the Hypex module based Rogue Medusa amp next month.
I much preferred the Gilmore. The Nuforce Ref9 SE V2 sounded harsh by comparison. Not really close.
It's been forever since I've owned the basic Nuforce Ref9 amps but back in it's day, it was far superior to anything ICEpower that I had heard, and even to this day, ICEpower has not impressed me in the bass. It gets a lot of things right but the bass is comparatively ill defined, almost muddy.
I haven't heard the Gilmore amps. If ICEpower modules have improved significantly in the last year, I might change my mind. My last ICEpower product was the W4S SX-500 monos. Prior to that, the Bel Canto M300 monos. Both had that characteristic ill-defined bass.
Abe, your experience matches my own. With all the accolades and high praises heaped on ICE based amps a while back, I could not resist. So I've had both the Bel Canto M300's and W4S ST-1000 in my system. Neither lived up to the hype. The romance went out of my system while these ICE amps were in place. I liked Nuforce, but couldn't justify the price. To me, Channel Islands' hypex-based design gets it right. Music is more natural and real. Just my 2 cents.
I'll look forward to that.
Personally all I've heard has been Tripath or International Rectifier (IRS2092) based; I'd like to hear more but don't get much opportunity.
... Keynes, Galbraith, Samuelson, Shiller, Reich, Stiglitz, Krugman, Singh
The only tripath amp that I've heard is the Sonic Impact unit in the metal enclosure. I think it puts out something near 10wpc. It's a nice sounding amp especially when you consider it's very low price.
Class A, or high-bias AB.
I suspect that some revelations you hear should be rather attributed to limitations of tube amps you were using (power, resolution etc.).
I also have an Odessey Khartego and the Raptor is also much better in all ways that I have said above
Alan
Yep, that is how I heard it at Als place on his maggies.
Awesome amp. If it was the price it is now back when I was shopping I would have bought one or 2 without hesitation.
Those ice modules can sound great, and given your tube leanings that says alot. Al made the same move too, and I do recall that when he got the Raptors he heard the limitations in his Wadia.
For 2500 that is a steal not to mention how compact, cool running and efficient they are.
And this is pretty much right out of the box right??
...they sounded terrific on Al's Maggies.
Correct,
This is only after about 8 hours listening. Mark Gilmore burnt them in for 24 hours and he says after about 1 hour they will not burn in any more. That first hour charges up the Capacitors and then you leave the amp on all the time
Alan
Note:
I wanted this review in the Planer forum
Moderator please move if you can
Sorry. We appreciate your (likely) reasoning, but it's an amp.
Fax mentis incendium gloria cultum, et cetera, et cetera...
Memo bis punitor delicatum! It's all there, black and white,
clear as crystal! Blah, blah, and so on and so forth ...
Does this amp only work with planar speakers?
And they sound excellent on both of those VERY different speakers. Currently rocking the Infinities (with major upgrades to crossovers, mid diaphragms, etc.) and I haven't heard anything I prefer yet!
It should work with any speaker. It has a 50 mil-ohm output impedance which means a very high damping factor so it should work with most any speaker
Alan
A high damping factor will not guarantee that an amp will work with any speaker. It is possible to overdamp a speaker, which was my experience with an Aleph 30 amp that was wonderful in all other respects but in the overdamped bass. I have seen it suggested that this is particularly an issue with very efficient speakers and single driver designs.
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