This amplifier driving the new Full dipole system with Mundorf AMT, Purifi NAA and10" Wavecor subwoofer in H-frame
Here the first photo of this amplifier in a 5 unit HiFi2000 chassie during assembly, 2 x 500VA + custom toroidal for the driver sectionl.
Nice!
As it is a 5 unit chassis with quite some cooling capacity I'd like to know the dissipation of the power amp; is it 'rich" class A/B or?
As it is a 5 unit chassis with quite some cooling capacity I'd like to know the dissipation of the power amp; is it 'rich" class A/B or?
the final transistor are in class A/B and driver transistor in class A but the power to dissipate is not very low
I have modified my version of the hybrid amplifier with the new voltage stage (old version had anode choke). The wiring completed....not my finest work but it will have to do...
I have a bit of love and hate relationship with this amplifier....it is hot, heavy, my transformers hum a little and there is a faint 50hz noise on the speakers...so all that has not changed from my old version.
Under these aspects the 2023 SS is a lot easier to live with!
Now sound....well still in the breaking-in period....but waooooo...can it get any better than the SS2022? Yes, the sound is a bit different, a tiny softer perhaps bit it "hugs" you a little more but without losing details. The staging abilities are even better (is this possible?) Really precise but musical. Bigger sound stage and 3D abilities, feels like I am having a private concert. Very musical, nice!
Andrea, the challenge would be to build something that sounds this good but it is easier to leave it like the SS2022. I wonder if it would be possible to have the SS2022 running on a tube voltage stage as that would be perfect for me 😉
Great designs Andrea!
I have a bit of love and hate relationship with this amplifier....it is hot, heavy, my transformers hum a little and there is a faint 50hz noise on the speakers...so all that has not changed from my old version.
Under these aspects the 2023 SS is a lot easier to live with!
Now sound....well still in the breaking-in period....but waooooo...can it get any better than the SS2022? Yes, the sound is a bit different, a tiny softer perhaps bit it "hugs" you a little more but without losing details. The staging abilities are even better (is this possible?) Really precise but musical. Bigger sound stage and 3D abilities, feels like I am having a private concert. Very musical, nice!
Andrea, the challenge would be to build something that sounds this good but it is easier to leave it like the SS2022. I wonder if it would be possible to have the SS2022 running on a tube voltage stage as that would be perfect for me 😉
Great designs Andrea!
Attachments
Hi,
I have made the same journey as Ivan; -modifying my 2015 Hybrid to the 2023 version by updating the input (voltage gain) stage. I finished the build yesterday so I have only listened to it for a few hours.
The result is very promising! Will come back later with more details of the perceived performance.
/Dominic
I have made the same journey as Ivan; -modifying my 2015 Hybrid to the 2023 version by updating the input (voltage gain) stage. I finished the build yesterday so I have only listened to it for a few hours.
The result is very promising! Will come back later with more details of the perceived performance.
/Dominic
Thanks Andrea! The Audyn Reference Cap's are very good.
About sound quality of the 2023 Hybrid; -I must say that the midrange and high frequencies of this amp is amazingly good. It has all the resolution, depth and width of the soundstage you can ask for and on top of that a musical flow that make you close your eyes and just experience the music as it was played just in front of you. Magical!
The bass is good, but not as firm and precise as on the Solid State 2022 amp but with better extension.
All in all an amazing amp that should challenge the very best of 300B tube amps but with a lot more power to drive difficult loads.
As Ivan implies; - a voltage amplification stage with the same qualities as of the 2023 Hybrid combined with a circlotron output stage (without the use of interstage transformers) would be a very interesting concept. 😊
About sound quality of the 2023 Hybrid; -I must say that the midrange and high frequencies of this amp is amazingly good. It has all the resolution, depth and width of the soundstage you can ask for and on top of that a musical flow that make you close your eyes and just experience the music as it was played just in front of you. Magical!
The bass is good, but not as firm and precise as on the Solid State 2022 amp but with better extension.
All in all an amazing amp that should challenge the very best of 300B tube amps but with a lot more power to drive difficult loads.
As Ivan implies; - a voltage amplification stage with the same qualities as of the 2023 Hybrid combined with a circlotron output stage (without the use of interstage transformers) would be a very interesting concept. 😊
After the big result obtain with this amplifier I am thinking about the future.
This amplifier like the old Audio Research solid state use a diamond buffer output stage with static generators.
The diamond buffer have a limit on output power because the max current on load is limited by the driver current.
In a normal amplifier with double or triple darlington if the load ask many current any transistor can get this without limit from the previous stage.
In double darlington this process often creates problems at the voltage stage but the triple darlington is a perfect output stage.
The triple darlington does not sound like the diamond buffer and this is not my opinion.
The diamond buffer used in all triple Audio Research solid state and in many Hi-End Pioneer like the A-09 and M7.
So the solution is dynamic current generators like those used in the Pioneer A-09 and in the last big Audio Research.
A few years ago I started testing this configuration but then abandoned it because there were oscillation problems that can only be resolved by significantly lowering the input resistance from 27K to 2k7.
Now I have solved the problem using a driver stage with another diamond buffer just like Pioneer does.
Here a first test result with driver and final very cold and the comparison between the two output stages.
This amplifier like the old Audio Research solid state use a diamond buffer output stage with static generators.
The diamond buffer have a limit on output power because the max current on load is limited by the driver current.
In a normal amplifier with double or triple darlington if the load ask many current any transistor can get this without limit from the previous stage.
In double darlington this process often creates problems at the voltage stage but the triple darlington is a perfect output stage.
The triple darlington does not sound like the diamond buffer and this is not my opinion.
The diamond buffer used in all triple Audio Research solid state and in many Hi-End Pioneer like the A-09 and M7.
So the solution is dynamic current generators like those used in the Pioneer A-09 and in the last big Audio Research.
A few years ago I started testing this configuration but then abandoned it because there were oscillation problems that can only be resolved by significantly lowering the input resistance from 27K to 2k7.
Now I have solved the problem using a driver stage with another diamond buffer just like Pioneer does.
Here a first test result with driver and final very cold and the comparison between the two output stages.
Attachments
Looking forward to more developments on this. A sonic comparison with the old stage would also be appreciated if possible.
That are the main characteristics of this revised design?
More power, less heat? ability to adjust the bias/idle current to increase/reduce the overall amplifier power and heat dissipation?
Thanks Ivan
That are the main characteristics of this revised design?
More power, less heat? ability to adjust the bias/idle current to increase/reduce the overall amplifier power and heat dissipation?
Thanks Ivan
Last edited:
Ivan,
the idea is to create a diamond buffer with dynamic generators to eliminate the limits of this hybrid while maintaining the same sound.
I'm still far from the goal, just now I noticed a big problem in the frequency response with low bias and this phenomenon was not present in the various simulations.
There are also certain conditions that still generate oscillations.
the idea is to create a diamond buffer with dynamic generators to eliminate the limits of this hybrid while maintaining the same sound.
I'm still far from the goal, just now I noticed a big problem in the frequency response with low bias and this phenomenon was not present in the various simulations.
There are also certain conditions that still generate oscillations.
