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What About These Class D Amps?

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Posted on September 22, 2020 at 04:22:00
thetubeguy1954
Audiophile

Posts: 6112
Location: Orlando, Fla
Joined: January 7, 2001
 What do you guys think about these Class D amps?

1) Seymour AV http://www.seymourav.com/amps.php
2) Cherry Amp https://www.cherryamp.com/dac-home

And I'd like to let all those who contributed to my previous thread below know that from all their wonderful input I'm leaning towards either this Nuprime STA-9 https://nuprimeaudio.com/product/sta-9/?v=b0c4bc877c29 because I figured with it's Class A+D to help mimic the sound of tubes I've loved so much these past 20+ years it would be a great fit for my new 92dB sensitive Reference 3A Taksim speakers! If not the Nuprime then perhaps the NAD M22 seen here: https://nadelectronics.com/product/m22-stereo-power-amplifier/

So with my Don Sachs preamp coming from Canada soon, my Reference 3A Taksim speakers already here, do you guys think either the Nuprime STA-9 or NAD M22 will be a good fit?



Thetubeguy1954 (Tom)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society
Full-range/Wide-range Drivers --- Front & Back-Loaded Horns --- High Sensitivity Speakers


 

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RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 22, 2020 at 05:46:13
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 23900
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 If you can't audition them, then I would pick one that Stereophile rated Class "A" in their "Recommended Components."

Good luck,
John Elison

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 22, 2020 at 07:09:34
thetubeguy1954
Audiophile

Posts: 6112
Location: Orlando, Fla
Joined: January 7, 2001
 Hi John, I wish Stereophile would add a Class D to their Tubes and Solid-state categories of amps. It sure would make checking them out a whole lot easier...



Thetubeguy1954 (Tom)

Central Florida Audio Society -- SETriodes Group -- Space Coast Audio Society
Full-range/Wide-range Drivers --- Front & Back-Loaded Horns --- High Sensitivity Speakers


 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 22, 2020 at 09:56:39
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 23900
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 Well, I found a bunch of them in the October issue of Stereophile that just came out. Check out my previous post at the link below.

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 22, 2020 at 16:51:27
fstein
Audiophile

Posts: 2996
Location: fstein
Joined: May 18, 2006
 Go Purifi. NAD has one in the works, as well as a "swiss army knife " model.

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 22, 2020 at 16:52:16
fstein
Audiophile

Posts: 2996
Location: fstein
Joined: May 18, 2006
 My VTV arrives tomorrow

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 23, 2020 at 06:41:13
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46302
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 NuPrime (once known as NuForce) uses their own proprietary "from the ground up" Class D design, unlike most other Class D amp makers that use off-the-shelf ready-built modules, many of which are available to the DIY hobbyist.

I'm sure Class D has improved over the years. New modules promise better sound with each new generation. However, one thing hasn't changed. They're all switching amps and as such they CAN and DO produce a lot of high frequency switching noise..... outside the audio band but noise none the less. How well that noise is mitigated and contained is a challenge.

In a purely audio only setup this RF switching noise shouldn't be a problem. But, if the Class D amp is used around a TV, FM tuner, CableTV box, etc. beware of the potential for interference.

I once owned a pair of NuForce Class D monoblocks that were pretty nice sounding and very compact for my AV setup. Unfortunately, they interfered with my TV and FM tuner reception. The interference, according to NuForce, was likely coming from the speaker cables acting as radiating elements (antenna). I tried rerouting the speaker cables and that helped but didn't eliminate the problem. Sold the Class D NuForce and moved on.

I've had a couple other Class D amps since then and some are pretty good but I still favor traditional tube amps or AB solid-state.


 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 23, 2020 at 09:26:30
musetap
Audiophile

Posts: 31879
Location: San Francisco
Joined: July 8, 2003
Contributor
  Since: January 28, 2004
 Sounds like they would be fine in a dedicated audio system.

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 23, 2020 at 09:31:21
cawson@onetel.com
Audiophile

Posts: 2382
Joined: September 27, 2004
 My router and TV are close to my NAD M32 Class D amp, but I have no problems of RF noise. Perhaps this is partly because my speaker cables (Cabledyne Reference Silver) are screened. I don't think so because I have no problems if I switch to Chord Odyssey or other non-screened speaker cables.

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 23, 2020 at 10:22:55
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 46302
Location: USA
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 Yup, I'm not saying that you WILL have interference problems with all Class D amps, just that the potential is there. More so than with a traditional amp design. Just something to be aware of.



 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 23, 2020 at 17:26:38
rodge827
Audiophile

Posts: 354
Location: South Jersey
Joined: October 1, 2004
 I can highly recommend the Digital Amplifier Company (DAC) 2 Cherry amplifier. I use it with the DAC DAC 2 HSV with awesome results on my Charney Audio Companion horns with Qmega RS7 drivers. Very smooth clean engaging sound. DAC offers a no questions asked 30 day return policy. You would only be out shipping both ways.

Chris

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on September 29, 2020 at 02:25:41
mikem
Audiophile

Posts: 170
Joined: September 23, 1999
 They keep moving those switching frequencies higher and higher to where they are not capable of being heard.. I've owned a couple of bel Canto Class D amps and they were totally silent.. Based on the ICE, HypeX modules.. Very clean and quiet background.. No mechanical noise either... but... I still prefer the Class A amp sound.. Class D is quite good these days... But it's not as good sounding as the hot running, heavy, massive power supplies , inefficient energy consuming Class A amps..

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on October 11, 2020 at 17:17:50
Ric Schultz
Manufacturer

Posts: 844
Joined: August 7, 2000
 IcePower and Hypex have not raised the switching frequency in the last 15 years......still 500K....same with Purifi....500K. There are amps out there that switch at 700-800k and the Technics switches at 1.5 meg. There is no proof that higher switching frequencies equal better sound. However, if done right, I believe it can. Everything makes a difference. The lastest Ice, Hypex and Purifi sound better because of other things they did. If you tweak the lastest modules to the enth degree, then you get seriously great sound. We have only just begun.

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on October 18, 2020 at 08:13:42
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 23900
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 I just bought the new PS Audio Stellar M1200 class-D monoblocks and they sound spectacular in my audio/video system. I was using a Parasound Halo A21 and these new M1200 monoblocks sound significantly better. They're really marvelous. I just can't stop listening to them. I've been playing them with both audio and video and there's no interference whatsoever with my TV. Here's a picture of my system.


 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on October 20, 2020 at 18:03:46
pictureguy
Audiophile

Posts: 22597
Location: SoCal
Joined: October 19, 2008
 Would a 'D' amp, maybe an nCore 400 be better in YOUR case with a good Linear PS?

The hypex store once sold transformers and other PS parts for just that purpose, until going 'all SMPS'

I realize this idea is a non-starter for a LOT of 'D' amps which have on-board PS.
My International Rectifier development board is NOT among them....needs a good PS....
Too much is never enough

 

RE: What About These Class D Amps?, posted on March 7, 2021 at 10:28:50
RDSChicago
Audiophile

Posts: 3
Location: Chicago
Joined: January 19, 2015
 Just bought a Nad 298 which uses the Purifi module. Trying it with 92db Reynaud's and although I thought it would be too powerful and sound clinical or sterile, it so far is surprising warm and engaging. Great bass control and also smooth and engaging mids and highs. Worth a demo. Dipping my toes into Class D has been an enriching experience!
RDSChicago

 

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