A lot of information is there on the web on the sound quality of class D amps, but I have not found a good comparison which would suit my needs.
Be it Hypex (UcD or NCD400), Anaview ALC0300-1300, ICE power or classdaudio there are rave reviews out there, but without the practical information about the ability to drive the DAC directly (with passive attenuation), or any other significant issue determining the overall sound quality.
Once listened to some D amps, I decided to build a really good audiophile Class D amp which could outperform or match my 6C33C OTL amp.
Since I assume it's possible, let me try to make it a first step success.
ALC0300-1300 is having rave reviews (mostly on German forums) , does not cost a fortune, but has some limitations regarding the input impedance (especially) when driven single ended - which is mostly a problem with class D. NCD400 kits are quite expensive related to the others, but - are they really better? And what about US made Classdaudio products?
Despite this, has anyone an idea which modules has most neutral and detailed sound of the relatively affordable DIY kits which could have been adapted to drive the DAC directly without the need to attenuate too much in the digital domain?
Be it Hypex (UcD or NCD400), Anaview ALC0300-1300, ICE power or classdaudio there are rave reviews out there, but without the practical information about the ability to drive the DAC directly (with passive attenuation), or any other significant issue determining the overall sound quality.
Once listened to some D amps, I decided to build a really good audiophile Class D amp which could outperform or match my 6C33C OTL amp.
Since I assume it's possible, let me try to make it a first step success.
ALC0300-1300 is having rave reviews (mostly on German forums) , does not cost a fortune, but has some limitations regarding the input impedance (especially) when driven single ended - which is mostly a problem with class D. NCD400 kits are quite expensive related to the others, but - are they really better? And what about US made Classdaudio products?
Despite this, has anyone an idea which modules has most neutral and detailed sound of the relatively affordable DIY kits which could have been adapted to drive the DAC directly without the need to attenuate too much in the digital domain?
Yes, but I am not sure what you are asking. Do you want measurement results, or subjective opinions? The only one who can determine if *you* will like the sound of a particular amp is you yourself.
I'll give you my perspective based on 3 modules I own. All three experiences are based on using Behringer 2030P speakers, which in my opinion sounds pretty awesome.
1) Tripath TA2020 module. This is based on the Lepai 2020A+ with a quality power supply. Problem with this review is I did not mod the board, but I do have the parts to do so. Overall unmodded, it sounded hollow, and not full. It was fairly articulate and frankly, for the price I was blown away by what it was.
2) Icepower module. This is based on the 50ASX2 non-BTL board. I got this after being impressed with the tripath amp. I have to say, compared to the unmodded tripath - this amp is in a different league. There is in my opinion a real difference in sound quality. Instruments stood out more on their own; as though each was being reproduced independently. This module was pretty awesome, but when pushed beyond moderate SPL broke up pretty quickly. Totally understandable given the power rating at 4 ohms, where I was driving 8 ohm speakers. Overall impressive, great sound stage.
3) IRS2092 Module. This is based on the ClassDAudio.com CDA-254. I have two of these modules. I started with one in stereo, and was convinced to buy another of the same module based on what I heard. Every bit as articulate as the icepower module, probably even more so - but with a major difference being that this thing has serious dynamics. What impresses me, is that the reproduction is beautiful at low, medium, and high listening levels. For example, at low levels bass guitars sound like bass guitars and cymbals sound like cymbals, and they continue to sound like unique instruments all the way up to high listening levels. The amp is silent at idle, so much so that I realized that the device I was driving it with (Tascam US-122MKII) is actually quite noisy. It's very sensitive to input. Overall I think this is an amazing sound module, and clearly the winner of the three.
Now, granted I have three different modules at three different price points. $40 for the tripath module with power supply (which is absolutely necessary - the included PS sucks), $115 for the 50ASX2 and $225 for the CDA-254L (which includes the 400va transformer and power supply). Is the CDA-254L worth twice as much as the 50ASX2? Yet bet. I suspect that a 250AX2 would be in the same ballpark as the CDA-254L kit, as I don't think that the 125ASX2 would produce the same output as the CDA-254. The only thing negative I'll say about the CDA-254 is that the amp when sold in kit form is probably able to produce more power than the transformer. That is the CDA-254L is said to be able to support two CDA-254 modules, but I think that the transformer is the weak link. I've purchased a SMPS800RE and will be curious to see how the SQ using SMPS via Linear PS.
Finally, one thing that is up in the air for me is the difference between IRS2092 amps. I'm certainly eventually going to get one of Cristi's 2092 boards to compare against the CDA ones I have.
1) Tripath TA2020 module. This is based on the Lepai 2020A+ with a quality power supply. Problem with this review is I did not mod the board, but I do have the parts to do so. Overall unmodded, it sounded hollow, and not full. It was fairly articulate and frankly, for the price I was blown away by what it was.
2) Icepower module. This is based on the 50ASX2 non-BTL board. I got this after being impressed with the tripath amp. I have to say, compared to the unmodded tripath - this amp is in a different league. There is in my opinion a real difference in sound quality. Instruments stood out more on their own; as though each was being reproduced independently. This module was pretty awesome, but when pushed beyond moderate SPL broke up pretty quickly. Totally understandable given the power rating at 4 ohms, where I was driving 8 ohm speakers. Overall impressive, great sound stage.
3) IRS2092 Module. This is based on the ClassDAudio.com CDA-254. I have two of these modules. I started with one in stereo, and was convinced to buy another of the same module based on what I heard. Every bit as articulate as the icepower module, probably even more so - but with a major difference being that this thing has serious dynamics. What impresses me, is that the reproduction is beautiful at low, medium, and high listening levels. For example, at low levels bass guitars sound like bass guitars and cymbals sound like cymbals, and they continue to sound like unique instruments all the way up to high listening levels. The amp is silent at idle, so much so that I realized that the device I was driving it with (Tascam US-122MKII) is actually quite noisy. It's very sensitive to input. Overall I think this is an amazing sound module, and clearly the winner of the three.
Now, granted I have three different modules at three different price points. $40 for the tripath module with power supply (which is absolutely necessary - the included PS sucks), $115 for the 50ASX2 and $225 for the CDA-254L (which includes the 400va transformer and power supply). Is the CDA-254L worth twice as much as the 50ASX2? Yet bet. I suspect that a 250AX2 would be in the same ballpark as the CDA-254L kit, as I don't think that the 125ASX2 would produce the same output as the CDA-254. The only thing negative I'll say about the CDA-254 is that the amp when sold in kit form is probably able to produce more power than the transformer. That is the CDA-254L is said to be able to support two CDA-254 modules, but I think that the transformer is the weak link. I've purchased a SMPS800RE and will be curious to see how the SQ using SMPS via Linear PS.
Finally, one thing that is up in the air for me is the difference between IRS2092 amps. I'm certainly eventually going to get one of Cristi's 2092 boards to compare against the CDA ones I have.
Watching this thread with interest. How much power are you after, and at what price point? It seems there are some really nice ~20W parts out there, but I'm looking for more like 100W/chan at <$100 per stereo module.
Right now, TAS5630b is at the top of my list in this power range. From what I can tell, the closed-loop design really does help a lot.
Right now, TAS5630b is at the top of my list in this power range. From what I can tell, the closed-loop design really does help a lot.
While power should not be an issue to average listeners (having neighbors
) , it seems that class D amps of various power ratings differ in sound quality even at lower output.That could be a weak point of the architecture. So while 20W in class A/AB or tube can drive most loudspeakers with plenty of dynamics, this is not the same as with class D.
But as a lot of modules are made with sufficient power, this should not be an issue.
There is a new amp on the market which is now on my shortlist, Anawiev AMS1000. Much stronger than needed, but it seems to being able to deliver
link: AMS series | Anaview
But it's not cheap. And has low input impedance, which could drive the total cost of system up in case the passive pot in front of it could kill dynamics.
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