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In Reply to: RE: "giant killing" class D amps? posted by KanedaK on January 17, 2018 at 02:43:21
they've been getting most of the current hype for their DACs & amps, but like other chinese "brands", seem to sell the same gear under different names.
i was beginning to think no-one here would "lower their standards" to even thinking about ANY class D, especially cheaper gear. my own experience, starting with my great sounding, but low powered sonic impact T amp is that class D offers the most hi fi bang for the buck by a magnitude... it just sounds so open, detailed and dynamic in transients without any grain, though it can sound a little thin on speakers that lean towards detailed and clinical.
all 4 of the last amps i've bought have been class D, but even back when i bought my panasonic SA-XR, i noticed some foaming at the mouth hate towards class D i don't think it deserves.
no... it doesn't sound thick, lush or appeal to one's emotions, but to me... THAT's the very strength of class D... getting out of the way and telling you almost exactly what your source sounds like which used to be considered a good thing... aka "straight wire with gain".
if you want more warmth & emotion... get it from your source, or use a tube preamp.
to my ears, class D sounds "the most natural" by not smearing ANY frequencies or having any kind of "tone". it sounds flat, fast & detailed to me... the same things that drew me to acoustic suspension minimonitors
Follow Ups:
I never used my Trends without a good preamp. I dont know how it sounds like as a standalone unit ; i would suspect it would sound thinner - but probably even more lucid and transparent. A good preamp goes a long way to correct the "faults" of those little T-amps; a little bit of tweaking (coupling caps etc) does wonders as well, and let's not forget: a good linear regulated PSU to replace the 3$ smps wall wart, and you get a sound that's both more clean and more relaxed (see my other post).
The SMSL I use it as a standalone unit - in a less demanding application - and it's fantastic, I love it. About to buy a second one, for a mini home-studio, powering some vintage Beovox C40. Cute as hell.
absolutely! i've seen a few 1 star amazon reviews for little chinese amps lamenting the lack of output, but i bet a nickel those that are complaining are clueless and are trying to get 80+ watts out of tiny wall warts.
in the long thread i read years ago about the TBI millenia, power supplies made a noticeable difference with batteries coming out as sounding best.
when i'm ready to upgrade my starter system and replace the technics i don't particularly like, i'm planning on getting a meanwell regulated power supply (along with a power conditioner) which will hopefully offer decent enough power that noise etc. isn't an issue.
class D seems sensitive to line noise. i heard some people complaining about low level high frequency squealing out of panasonic receivers, but never noticed it myself... maybe because of my NHT soft domes and getting a power conditioner before my more resolving energy RC10s.
class D needs both quality and quantity in power supplies, but if i recall, a lot of people were using lower voltages with TBIs to get a softer warmer sound out of them, but the tech generally craves higher voltages, up to at least 48v for some high powered modules.
i'm thinking of getting a 20v 5a power supply as i've seen at least one person preferring a 15v or 18v supply over a 24v they tried on their 3116, but will run it by the community to see what everyone thinks. lower voltage will mean lower power, but power is no good if sound quality suffers.
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