Which class D amp sounds closest to a SET amp while driving full rangers?

[oon_the_kid]

Hi,

I just started getting interested in high efficiency full range speakers. I have a few tripath amps. After testing out with my valve amp, I think I still like my valve amp more. The tripath amps that I find closest sounding to my valve amp is based on same chipset as original sonic impact. I have tried the virtue one, but I find the voice too thin. I reckon it has to do with damping factor more than anything else. So I am wondering if anybody out there has gone through a whole bunch of amps compared against a good SET on a pair of lowthers or the like and see which one sounds the most similar...

Thanking all in advance...
Oon

 

[Trebla]

You could kick off a whole thread discussing what constitutes "a good SET".

The TA2024 and TA2020 sound similar to my EL84 PP amp. But also different.
Not sure either would compare to my previous SET, or any SET for that matter.

 

[Saturnus]

You can always plug in a 0.5 - 1 ohm power resistor on the speaker outputs so the Tripath amps have very low dampening factor (and your speaker gets it's Qtc boosted) just like on your SET.

 

[63781]

Yeah, but that will not make it sound like a 300B SET amp...

I have owned one - it didnt sound like anything else, and not at all like class D.

 

[oon_the_kid]

I have 2 tripath in my arsenal. I have to agree on your choice of chips. The 2024 sounds more valve like than the 2050. Wonder how it might sound with an additional 1 ohm resistor.

Oon

 

[julcat]

Hello, could you please explain how to connect the resistor and what are the specs of the resistor????

 

[Saturnus]

Hello, could you please explain how to connect the resistor and what are the specs of the resistor????

You just series connect it on the plus or minus terminal somewhere between the amp and the speaker. Only important spec is the power handling capacity of the resistor which should be:

Rp = P * (R / Z)

Where

Rp is power handling specification of the series resistor in watts
P is the Wrms output of the amp
R is resistance value
Z is nominal impedance of the speaker.

 

[albin]

oon

I've not compared them,but the fact that the low power tripaths switch at 900khz affects my perception.
Regards Max

 

[Saturnus]

I've not compared them,but the fact that the low power tripaths switch at 900khz affects my perception.
Regards Max

Whatever makes you think that? The specification sheet states it's a wide band spread spectrum typically between 100kHz and 1MHz.

 

[albin]

900Khz

Saturnus,
ripple on an oscope.
regards Max

 

[Saturnus]

ripple on an oscope.

Change test frequency and/or amplitude and the sampling frequency will change It's a sigma delta configuration.

 

[albin]

I only tried music

And I'm technically ignorant!
Regards Max

 

[Pano]

The specification sheet states it's a wide band spread spectrum typically between 100kHz and 1MHz.

Most that I've measured were in the neighborhood of 700-800KHz. FWIW.

 

[julcat]

You just series connect it on the plus or minus terminal somewhere between the amp and the speaker. Only important spec is the power handling capacity of the resistor which should be:

Rp = P * (R / Z)

Where

Rp is power handling specification of the series resistor in watts
P is the Wrms output of the amp
R is resistance value
Z is nominal impedance of the speaker.

Muchas Gracias