My experience is just the opposite. I don't particularly like the Mark Audio Alpair 11ms and other full range drivers with class AB amplifiers in general because of the dry sound produced. Miles Davis playing a muted trumpet can sound so dry to be particularly annoying. I had been using an SMSL DA-8s class D amplifier which I think worked pretty well for the money. I like it better than the SMSL SA36 (TPA3118) I use to own. I just recently completed the assembly of a Hypex UCD400 stereo amplifier kit I purchased from Madisound. This amplifier really doesn't have any particular sound. The experience is music from a black canvas. I have only heard the 11ms speakers so far and this amplifier loves them. This is an extremely well thought out kit and very easy to build. All one has to do is bolt it and plug it together. No soldering required. The site also provides a very nice and easy to follow video. I am so impressed with this amplifier, I don't know why anyone would choose a different one. If an average idiot like myself can assemble this kit, anyone can.
I know that Ncore kit, and it's probally the best iteration of class D i heared and sounds great on many speakers, but it lacks something on the Mark Audio when it tried the same module but the NAD M22 version (amp modules is exact the same, psu and case different). It sounded lifeless like most class D do with this kind of fullrange while class AB transistor amps (at least the Marantz and Luxman i have) sound great, and tubes even better. And the much cheaper TPA based SMSL SA36 sounds quiet decent with these drivers (to my surprise), but it's one of the few chipamps that i like with it.
Maybe we are searching different things in sound, could be... And it does not matter that much in general, as long as you like it. I can only tell what i like and what i hear.
Maybe we are searching different things in sound, could be... And it does not matter that much in general, as long as you like it. I can only tell what i like and what i hear.
I don’t have a lot of experience with class d amplifiers except for a pair of musical fidelity amps. These are long gone. Briefly, I would put a record on, listen to half of the song then find something else to do. It didn’t pull me into the music. This could be for a variety of reasons; my approach is to replace the speakers, the common denominator, then proceed from there.
Class D amps have been radiply improving of late with more suitable semiconductors, much better computer simulations, and a whole lot of R&D.
So if the Class D amp is of any age, it could easily be bettered by something newer & cheaper.
The TI chips for instance are some 2 decades of research on top of the original TACT. The first Class D amp i heard, the Infinity of the late ‘70s was really bad, my more modern 3118 amp smokes it. For less than the sales tax on the Infinity.
Here is an archive from when ICEPower was 1st introduced. [digital_amp] Links
The ones you buy today are something like version 10.
ucD>N-Core>Purifi is another example.
There is probably a greater spread in Class D quality that other classes.
dave
So if the Class D amp is of any age, it could easily be bettered by something newer & cheaper.
The TI chips for instance are some 2 decades of research on top of the original TACT. The first Class D amp i heard, the Infinity of the late ‘70s was really bad, my more modern 3118 amp smokes it. For less than the sales tax on the Infinity.
Here is an archive from when ICEPower was 1st introduced. [digital_amp] Links
The ones you buy today are something like version 10.
ucD>N-Core>Purifi is another example.
There is probably a greater spread in Class D quality that other classes.
dave
I know and i like that. For longtime class D was a no go for hifi for me, but that changed with NCore, and even the cheaper ones like that SMSL 3118 based SA36 (i paid 50€ or so for it) does it right now. It does not has the character of a tube or class A amp, but it sounds good on it's own in hifi situations. And i heared some recent Behringer class D amps that also sounded quiet decent on low volume.
But the weak point of many (also less than before) class D amps is the PSU that is not up to the task and the damping factor that is sometimes to high for fullrange drivers without crossover. They tend to like lower damping factor (like tube amps or transistor amps have) more.
In multiway speakers that seems to be less an issue, even with active crossovers and amps direct to speaker drivers.
So they are up and playing; first impression is “okay”. Thin as hell in one speaker, and deep and warm in the other. I replaced the thin one with another new driver and get the same result. I will switch the warm drive with the original driver I pulled earlier. Test the driver first.
What is an adequate amount of filling and how critical is placement? I have The wool from madisound, ~1.8lbs per speaker. What’s most important, top of the cabinets or the “columns” below the driver? I have a lot of open air.
What is an adequate amount of filling and how critical is placement? I have The wool from madisound, ~1.8lbs per speaker. What’s most important, top of the cabinets or the “columns” below the driver? I have a lot of open air.
After a game of move the drivers, I have the two best matched units installed. The third driver is a problem, regardless of cabinet it was terribly thin, as if the the surround was too stiff. Disappointing.
The remaining setup is nice, definitely needs to break-in.
One speaker sounds better than the other, lacks depth. A little thin but nowhere near the other driver. Could this be the filling? If so, wholly cow, this is sensitive. Did I use the wrong battening? Thinking out loud, a solution is to measure each chamber in the better speaker, then mirror that in the other speaker.
The remaining setup is nice, definitely needs to break-in.
One speaker sounds better than the other, lacks depth. A little thin but nowhere near the other driver. Could this be the filling? If so, wholly cow, this is sensitive. Did I use the wrong battening? Thinking out loud, a solution is to measure each chamber in the better speaker, then mirror that in the other speaker.
340grams is half of my current stuffing weight. That combined by the incorrect stuffing will surely have a impact.
2 of 3 drivers sound very thin; no depth to voices, sounds like it’s shouting/beaming, and it lacks the subtle nuances of the musicians, just flat. My apologies for the lack of descriptors.
If I use wool in these quantities it will fall to the bottom. Can I use hoppy shop poly-fill, or do I need acoustastuff specifically?
2 of 3 drivers sound very thin; no depth to voices, sounds like it’s shouting/beaming, and it lacks the subtle nuances of the musicians, just flat. My apologies for the lack of descriptors.
If I use wool in these quantities it will fall to the bottom. Can I use hoppy shop poly-fill, or do I need acoustastuff specifically?
Excellent, it’s $5 vs $15, and my immediate gratification is satisfied. Where do you have them set-up. Large or small room, close to the wall or out in the room?
The drivers are straight out of the box. I expect an extensive break-in period, I didn’t expect that the drivers would sound that different out of the box. Maybe so.
The drivers are straight out of the box. I expect an extensive break-in period, I didn’t expect that the drivers would sound that different out of the box. Maybe so.
Room isn't very big, 1960's L-shaped living room/dining room. Main part is ~18 x 13', with the L part being 10 x 12 approx. Speakers are 13" out from the front wall, which is mostly windows. They are sitting on little 4" stands that Chrisb built for me.
Give them an easy 100 hours before starting to turn up the volume.
jeff
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