Used to be Diy for a large part was because building something good was cheaper than buying it. Now, with the price of the good mass produced gear you can find these days, thats mostly gone.
Now Diyaudio is mostly about tweaks. Which make no audible difference 80% of the time.
Now Diyaudio is mostly about tweaks. Which make no audible difference 80% of the time.
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That, too. And the Class D is winning everywhere, hands down. Already it's almost impossible to distinguish a good Class D from a Class A heater or a Class AB monster, not to mention the top class Class D (like Purify), at par with anything linear audio ever did.
Actually Class D audio could still offer some room for quality improvements and minimizing the price/performance ratio. GaN devices look promising...
>not to mention the top class Class D (like Purify), at par with anything linear audio ever did.
If this is true, perhaps someone soon will figure out how to "integrate the DAC" into such a top of the line, high end class D amp, that it's essentially a power DAC that drives the speakers directly.
Why bother with any back 'n forth? Modulate the amplifier PWM with the digital music stream words directly; no silver, cables, tubes, ALPS pots, special resistors, capacitors, discrete OP-Amps with 140db noise floors, ultra mega stiff signal level power supplies - just junk the whole analog domain, upstream of the speaker cables...
Wait a minute!?
If this is true, perhaps someone soon will figure out how to "integrate the DAC" into such a top of the line, high end class D amp, that it's essentially a power DAC that drives the speakers directly.
Why bother with any back 'n forth? Modulate the amplifier PWM with the digital music stream words directly; no silver, cables, tubes, ALPS pots, special resistors, capacitors, discrete OP-Amps with 140db noise floors, ultra mega stiff signal level power supplies - just junk the whole analog domain, upstream of the speaker cables...
Wait a minute!?
We are living in a technology driven world where everything is changing at a rate as never before.
Look at cars, becoming i-Phones on wheels, photo cameras getting replaced by mobile phones, whatsapp replacing man to man communication and listening to streamed audio via i-phone controlled wifi or bluetooth speakers to name a few of the things that turned our world upside down.
When growing up as a youngster, what areas are still left to invest in as a hobby, where’s the challenge to create someting and feel the satisfaction when achieved ?
Hans
Look at cars, becoming i-Phones on wheels, photo cameras getting replaced by mobile phones, whatsapp replacing man to man communication and listening to streamed audio via i-phone controlled wifi or bluetooth speakers to name a few of the things that turned our world upside down.
When growing up as a youngster, what areas are still left to invest in as a hobby, where’s the challenge to create someting and feel the satisfaction when achieved ?
Hans
As a matter of fact, I received a request to become friends with CTSVRacer a few weeks ago. Not having any idea who this person was I thought why not and agreed.
But now I’m getting the feeling this could be Richard Marsh also because his account is disabled at members request.
I’ve no idea what gave me the honour, but if so, I will reconsider.
Hans
But now I’m getting the feeling this could be Richard Marsh also because his account is disabled at members request.
I’ve no idea what gave me the honour, but if so, I will reconsider.
Hans
The problem then could be that unless you have multiple sets of speakers with different voicing one is stuck with the recorded material as presented which may not be optimum.
As much as it pains me I agree, and add to this statement the largest variables in reproduction are the room acoustics and speakers, Period. As much as I love and want John's amps, if I had the disposable income I'd put it into room remodel and speakers and stick with my B&K and Luxman setup.
As a long time confirmed analogphile, I have been working in the studio realm which offers the best opportunity to hear music as it is being made and played back in fantastic sounding rooms and systems I could never afford myself. Modern studios integrate gear of all sorts, from actual old tube gear, to retro new tube gear, all sorts of discrete and IC gear and of course the ubiquitous digital gear. The last bastion of high-end analog in studios used to be the power amps.
Over the last five years I have been testing and listening to a number of Class D amps from companies like Purify, Pascal and Apex. Five years ago I wouldn't buy one, but over the last two years the best of these are nigh indistinguishable from big expensive high-end analog amps from Bryston, Pass Labs, Benchmark or the proprietary ones integrated by ATI, TPI or Neumann. I expect someone will say "of course, those brands suck!" but I would have to disagree.
Currently the best sounding dynamic speaker systems I have heard are made by Guzauski-Swist (GS) driven by Pascal Class D amplifiers. I am excited every time we finalize a studio build and I get to listen to these systems. I won't claim they image better than full-height segmented electrostatics, but they are so close I don't miss the difference and they play loud and extremely clean...goosebump clean imaging!
Now that I have totally ruined any credibility I have with analog amp fans, discuss....
Cheers!
Howie
Any hysteresis distortion in those class-D amps?
This Thing We Have About Hysteresis Distortion - PURIFI.
Which Class D amps have hysteresis distortion? | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
This Thing We Have About Hysteresis Distortion - PURIFI.
Which Class D amps have hysteresis distortion? | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum
@Howie: Interesting packaging on those G-S monitors. I wonder how they have persuaded ATC to still supply them with that wonderful 3" midrange.
Bill,
According to Bruno they did receive some complaints about the sound from a small number of customers. IIRC in one recorded interview they said that Lars Risbo, Bruno's partner (who works at a separate location on Purifi loudspeaker product development) heard the the effect from a Purifi class-D amp and became one of the few people reporting it to Bruno. Again IIRC, Lars thought it sounded to him like magnetic hysteresis distortion he encountered in his work with speakers. Eventually, Bruno figured out the source was the output inductor.
According to Bruno they did receive some complaints about the sound from a small number of customers. IIRC in one recorded interview they said that Lars Risbo, Bruno's partner (who works at a separate location on Purifi loudspeaker product development) heard the the effect from a Purifi class-D amp and became one of the few people reporting it to Bruno. Again IIRC, Lars thought it sounded to him like magnetic hysteresis distortion he encountered in his work with speakers. Eventually, Bruno figured out the source was the output inductor.
Only anecdotal: Bruno told me he started to search for 'something' because he could hear the grainy background. I couldn't.
Edit: just saw Markw4's response, basically similar.
Jan
Really the future is DSP to class D amps to individual drivers. Really exotic stuff, used in almost all Bluetooth speakers for maybe 10 years? The tech is far less important than knowing how to use it well. Some of those amps really do work well and sound good.
There is an inductorless technology as well if you want to beat the hysteresis dragon. Or just use enough core that you aren't getting to saturation. My CLT-1 uses transformers and inductors and has a distortion floor of -170 dB. Inductors are not intrinsically bad. They just need to be used intelligently.
There is an inductorless technology as well if you want to beat the hysteresis dragon. Or just use enough core that you aren't getting to saturation. My CLT-1 uses transformers and inductors and has a distortion floor of -170 dB. Inductors are not intrinsically bad. They just need to be used intelligently.