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Anyone compared high end Class D power amps?

Thetiminator

Painfully virile
As above, I’m looking for really good Class D power amps. I have a pair of Temple Audio monos at the mo which are so much better than they should be.

Has anyone any experience comparing the likes of ‘high end’ Class D amps? Bel Canto, Jeff Rowland, NuPrime etc. Etc.
Thanks.
 
I think I have tried nearly everything Class-D / Class- D hybrids at some time or another, what would you like to know?
Keith
 
As above, I’m looking for really good Class D power amps. I have a pair of Temple Audio monos at the mo which are so much better than they should be.

Has anyone any experience comparing the likes of ‘high end’ Class D amps? Bel Canto, Jeff Rowland, NuPrime etc. Etc.
Thanks.
I have the Temple Bantam Gold, the mono blocks (with DC2 & 3 Sean Jacobs PSUs) doing useful things in second and third systems. My main system has the Bantam One (built as a power amp only because that’s what I wanted) and it’s better than the mono blocks whilst looking a lot nicer. So I’d start there.
 
yes had bel canto some ref 1000 standard which were ok , then had some coherant modded ref 1000 and these were so much better . a good many years ago now so i can only think they have massively improved . interested in the current generation of mola mola , nord , march audio etc . currently using some modest class d icepower monoblocks with a bel canto pre amp . sounds a lot better than i thought , lovely realism and incredible vfm . not as good as the thrax or the msb but then it cost a fraction of the price . strangely enough these amps are on the warm side , i did think they would be completely neutral and even a bit sterile but been surprised
 
I think I have tried nearly everything Class-D / Class- D hybrids at some time or another, what would you like to know?
Keith

Well I’m looking for something that’s a touch on the warm and fuller sounding rather than that slight thinness you can get with Class D. I’d heard that these NuPrime amps were excellent for the money, I’m done spending big money on power amps after hearing what these little Temple Audios can do for £500....although I am using their upgraded power supplies too...

Going from £20-£30k power amps to these and having to concentrate to hear the differences just isn’t funny....
 
£2-3k at the very most ballpark....I know that doesn’t seem much but prefer 2nd hand/ex dem, so that should open the door to some decent stuff...
 
Oh and something without silly high damping factor ideally...I find those with really high DF’s can over damp the bass...
 
Well I’m looking for something that’s a touch on the warm and fuller sounding rather than that slight thinness you can get with Class D. I’d heard that these NuPrime amps were excellent for the money, I’m done spending big money on power amps after hearing what these little Temple Audios can do for £500....although I am using their upgraded power supplies too...

Going from £20-£30k power amps to these and having to concentrate to hear the differences just isn’t funny....
I don’t find them thin, just transparent if you glance at for example any of the NCore based designs over at ASR.
Which speakers are you going to use them with?
Keith
 
Big Living Voice horns, they just worked better than all the valve amps I tried...can’t be doing with valves...
The 15” bass drivers have a lot of damping already so don’t need too much more...
 
Presumably they are a pretty benign load and relatively easy to drive, compression drivers for mid and treble?
Which 15” drivers are in them?
Keith
 
I've tried loads of Class D a,ps. Hypex and ICE of different types are ubiquitous. The newest ICE module is pretty good. Many small outfits out there selling modules in a box at reasonable prices

Jeff Rowland uses Pascal modules I think. I really liked the ones I tried, but they are very pricey for what they are.

I'd take a look at Primare. The A60 is superb, but the A34.2 is certainly no slouch and much less costly.

You could also look at Gato, which uses International Rectifiers. I'm currently selling my DIA250s, which is an integrated but is easily used as a power amp only.

IME, the Primare and Gato win on SQ over the same price point Hypex and ICE based amps.
 
Yeh
Presumably they are a pretty benign load and relatively easy to drive, compression drivers for mid and treble?
Which 15” drivers are in them?
Keith

Yeh 7.5-15ohms iirc. Bass drivers are Vitavox as are the compression driver mids....105db sensitivity...
 
Lol yeh. Apparently they only need one watt but needing and sounding best with are two different things. Personally I’ve always loved high power amps driving high sensitivity speakers...
 
Had a Nord NC252 (basic N-Core one). Incredible top-to-bottom transparency, and no harshness, but just wanted a bit more warmth in the end.

Driving Audio Note speakers.
 


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