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Dedicated Class D amplifier suggestion

lico said:
Have always thought the Class D Audio amps looked very nice, but never pulled the trigger. They get some good reviews. They are IRS 2092 based which I think would sound very good properly packaged up with good power supply.

The Emotiva amps also look interesting but they are monoblocks so that factors in to the cost.

I use a TPA 3255 Eval board with Meanwell SMPS, would cost under $200 today (less when I bought it), has plenty of power and well worth the cost of an experiment.

I also agree about not needing a preamp with a Class D amp, passive gain control and a switcher will do it. For some reason the consensus with class D amps is you should pair with a tube preamp to make them sound best, to me tubes defeat the whole purpose of what class D is all about, it's a mix of new technology and 50 year old crap. They sound great as is, why muck it up with tubes.
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I just wired up the same set up - about $100 for the 3e amp and meanwell in a cigar box. sounds real good running it with a kenwood basic c2 pre , nikko gamma I tuner and chromecast/fiio e30k dac, just sounds great
 
beansprout said:
I have a desire to experiment with class D, however it seems hard to find mainstream brands that carry it. My idea is to have a class d non-integrated amp so I can experiment with different preamps to see how it affects sound. NAD has a number of class D options, but they are all integrated. Can anyone suggest some brands/models for me to look at? I don't want super high-end equipment...like under the $1,200 or so price range.
Thanks!
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AlphaEcho35 said:
ClassDAudio has some nice options that are well rated.
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I am running PS Audio Stellar M700's Mono amps with a Cary SLP-98 Pre. Sounds pretty good to me.
 
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45rpmspinner said:
The Emotiva monoblocks are not that much more expensive than what it would cost to box up the modules yourself.
Check the prices at Ghent.
In fact, I doubt this model will be around long, as Emotiva can't possibly be making any real money off it.
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I respectfully think you may be wrong here. "Volume" pricing is far different than an "individual" retail price. Emotiva is buying thousands of parts, has already tooled up and stamped out a couple thousand chassis, and is set up to assemble them "en mass". For example--just look at component pricing (and this is still "retail") at Mouser or Digikey (or any other parts supplier, for that matter). One piece cost $XX + shipping. One thousand pieces cost only $X each, and the shipping cost is the same.

Ask anyone who has built/restored a DIY tube amp or console pull with a really nice cabinet/chassis, and they will likely tell you that they have more time/money invested in that chassis/cabinet, than in the contents.

I own a construction company. I can buy 100 gal of paint for the same price (or less) than what you can buy 5 gal of the same paint from Homey Depot or Lowe's. I can buy enough shingles, etc. to do your entire house for a lot less than you can buy enough just to do your garage or shed.

There is "economy in scale".
 
I've owned a Class D Audio amp and a couple of Crown XLS

They do exceptionally well driving Lows and very well with Mids -- weakest point , Highs. Although the Highs depend on speaker design and configuration - IMO

The TPAxxxx boards have better SQ across the bandwidth - YMMV
 
I've owned Bel Canto mono blocks for a number of years and I still like them.

My suggestion is this. Buy a TPA 3116 amp for $40. I've been messing around with one for a couple of weeks in my main system. It sounds unbelievably good. Actually I only paid $28 for this one. Admittedly I've been a Class D/chip amp fan for a long time but I also use solid state and tubes regularly. Anyway, if you like what you hear for $40 you can decide where to move from there. If your into DIY buy a board and power supply and be prepared for a surprise. Or spend however much you like for the myriad choices now available. Have fun!
 
GChief said:
Have you tried it?
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Yes I have. Built my own 6N3 tube pre and also tried the little FX audio J amp that people rave about. Not seeing or hearing why tube pres are so good (the little FX is junk IMO).

The thing with tubes (for me having grown up on solid state with a EE degree) - tubes are "magic", would be first to admit I don't understand tube electronics, never will. Nobody else does either.

Those who own tube amps love them, couldn't tell you why or how they work, just say they sound great, swap a few tubes out, wait... it now sound even better with more magic tubes.
 
Tubes, aka vacuum electron valves, are simply electrostatic electron gates. Simple physics, no magic, tho the results may seem magical.
 
Pio1980 said:
Tubes, aka vacuum electron valves, are simply electrostatic electron gates. Simple physics, no magic, tho the results may seem magical.
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Simple in theory maybe, with wide variations in performance. Add in the complications of new unused stock, half used old stock, EBay sellers who run tube testers, and country of origin, etc. It's a crapshoot.
 
Frank Sol said:
I've owned a Class D Audio amp and a couple of Crown XLS

They do exceptionally well driving Lows and very well with Mids -- weakest point , Highs. Although the Highs depend on speaker design and configuration - IMO

The TPAxxxx boards have better SQ across the bandwidth - YMMV
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Getting back on topic - agree TPA class D amps are excellent overall, and interesting to hear about your Class D Audio experience. IRS 2092 based class D amps do have more oopmh at the low end than TPA.
 
lico said:
The thing with tubes (for me having grown up on solid state with a EE degree) - tubes are "magic", would be first to admit I don't understand tube electronics, never will. Nobody else does either.
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Ummm...

I have vintage electronic test equipment that uses tubes. No magic there; the better-engineered test gear is designed to not be affected by variations in tube performance, internal capacitance, temperature, or drifts in emission over time; or it permits calibration to tune out tube differences.

I have a tube guitar amp. It sounds great; never been inclined to "tube roll", but a tube guitar amp is part of the sound filter-and-effects chain that starts with the guitar.

My music playback gear is all solid-state.
 
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I've listened to many class D amps driving highly resolving speakers and the inexpensive Volt+D paired with a tube preamp is the best I've heard. My name is on the list for the higher powered Volt based on the 3255 which should be a better choice for less efficient speakers.

If we polled those who preferred class D amps with tube preamps vs those who didn't it wouldn't be close.

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Poultrygeist said:
If we polled those who preferred class D amps with tube preamps vs those who didn't it wouldn't be close.
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I 100% agree. Even in my main systems, I run Audio Research tube preamps to to drive pure Class A Krell SS amps. The only SS preamp that stays in one of my "better" systems is an Aragon 24K paired with two Aragon 4004 amps.
 
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