hello dear, good morning to all. I would like to do a little survey, for my curiosity.
I would like to ask you: which audio IC did you like most, and which one did you like least?
what differences did you find between class a-ab and class d.
it is simply my curiosity but I would like to have your opinion.
thanks bye.
I would like to ask you: which audio IC did you like most, and which one did you like least?
what differences did you find between class a-ab and class d.
it is simply my curiosity but I would like to have your opinion.
thanks bye.
It's not that people do not have an interest in the topic, but there are a lot of threads like this if you look around.
Not a huge amount of class A chip amps though.
You can read about amplifier classifications here:
Power amplifier classes - Wikipedia
Not a huge amount of class A chip amps though.
You can read about amplifier classifications here:
Power amplifier classes - Wikipedia
It is a very broad question so expect an ambiguous answer:
I like TDA8932, LM1876, TA2022 and TPA3255 in particular. LM3886 should also be really good but I have not had time to try it.
I dislike in particular the TDA1514 I bought on AliExpress because those specimens I got were fake and did not work at all. Good TDA1514 should sound really fine but are difficult to find.
I like TDA8932, LM1876, TA2022 and TPA3255 in particular. LM3886 should also be really good but I have not had time to try it.
I dislike in particular the TDA1514 I bought on AliExpress because those specimens I got were fake and did not work at all. Good TDA1514 should sound really fine but are difficult to find.
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That is indeed partly true, yes.
Except for the "cheap to build" part.
For instance, take a look at a Pioneer SX-1250 receiver, or a Lafeyette LR-9090 receiver.
Nothing cheap going on there, surely.
I'll echo @FauxFrench and submit TDA8932 again. Its nearest competitor is TPA3220. Both are classD. Many classAB chipamps are fine (TDA8566, TDA1514 for example) but usually don't have the bass of the top-end classD devices. ClassA is well suited to headphones, a bit impractical for speakers.
I have not seen any for higher power (and for lower power you hardly need a lot of transistors, look at MOFO or ACA), but perhaps some of the lower power buffer or headphone opamps could run class A, do a massive parallel design with lots of low power stuff...
High power class A these days is for the most part pointless IMO (unless it's for educational purposes or low-power-low-part-count approaches), there is still a good use for class AB in signal processing/buffers and such, the various high efficiency solutions like class D is starting to get really good.
I have to say that I think there can be very little, if any audiable difference between the different classes. I tested an EAR 861, against FirstOne Class A/B and Ncore, and they where sufficiently close enough that I would be unable to tell the difference in a blind test. Changing things like interconnects can change each of the amps character, as can the preceeding chain.
Thats not to say that all amps sound the same, I'm just saying that once you're in the high end where the performance of each amplifier is sufficiently good then the differences (to me anyway) seem to dissappear. For example, I have also heard Douglas Selfs Class B amplifier and these sound equally as good.
It's also important to get a good match to your speakers impendance and sensitivity.
Thats not to say that all amps sound the same, I'm just saying that once you're in the high end where the performance of each amplifier is sufficiently good then the differences (to me anyway) seem to dissappear. For example, I have also heard Douglas Selfs Class B amplifier and these sound equally as good.
It's also important to get a good match to your speakers impendance and sensitivity.
I have about 50+ amplifiers, and they all sound different. Even the same chip in various configurations can have significantly different sound. Application circuit from chip manufacturer is just starting point, non-inverting and inverting configuration have totaly different sound character. Transconductance configuration is completely different animal with very unique tube like sound qualities. Inverting needs good jfet or tube buffer, but it will yield better sound than standard application sheet.
Built a dozen of Nelson Pass class a amps, and each one is unique with its characteristic sound signature. Heck even built the same f5 but three versions with different output mosfets, and i can hear the difference.
If you don't hear the difference, you don't for whatever reasons, but there are significant sound differences.
Class ab can sound great, built various goldmund clones and dartzeel, heck i even have some modified sure class d amps.
Just like each beer or vine has its own taste, each amp has certain sound signature. Pairing with proper speakers is important.
I despise double blind listening tests, because you focus all your attention in trying to spot the difference, instead of paying attention to emotional content of music.
When i compare amps, i am not chaotically swapping every minute, switchind like mad. I listen to one amp for few days to various music, attentively and as background. Then replace with different amp, without hurry, and live with it and feel the difference.
Cheers!
Built a dozen of Nelson Pass class a amps, and each one is unique with its characteristic sound signature. Heck even built the same f5 but three versions with different output mosfets, and i can hear the difference.
If you don't hear the difference, you don't for whatever reasons, but there are significant sound differences.
Class ab can sound great, built various goldmund clones and dartzeel, heck i even have some modified sure class d amps.
Just like each beer or vine has its own taste, each amp has certain sound signature. Pairing with proper speakers is important.
I despise double blind listening tests, because you focus all your attention in trying to spot the difference, instead of paying attention to emotional content of music.
When i compare amps, i am not chaotically swapping every minute, switchind like mad. I listen to one amp for few days to various music, attentively and as background. Then replace with different amp, without hurry, and live with it and feel the difference.
Cheers!
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I actually find that source, DAC and everything preceeding the amplifier has much higher impact IMO. So long as the amplifier is sufficiently transparent and of similar specification, for me at least, the differences are minor.
I presently run LX521, custom PC running Gentoo Player, JCAT XE, HQPlayer to T+A DAC 8 DSD. Sablon 2020 usb and reserva interconnects. Everything that I change perceeding the amplifier can be heard. In fact I think sometimes I've overdone the source because it's so transparent that some poor records can sound dreadful. Can a system be too transparent... probably yes.
Anyway, after this experimenting I feel that so long as the amp is of sufficient quality then I'd spend my money on source first.
I also find it interesting that a good source can also do amazing things for very cheap amplfiers and speakers. More than what I though, having always been told that you should put your money into a great set of speakers first.
I presently run LX521, custom PC running Gentoo Player, JCAT XE, HQPlayer to T+A DAC 8 DSD. Sablon 2020 usb and reserva interconnects. Everything that I change perceeding the amplifier can be heard. In fact I think sometimes I've overdone the source because it's so transparent that some poor records can sound dreadful. Can a system be too transparent... probably yes.
Anyway, after this experimenting I feel that so long as the amp is of sufficient quality then I'd spend my money on source first.
I also find it interesting that a good source can also do amazing things for very cheap amplfiers and speakers. More than what I though, having always been told that you should put your money into a great set of speakers first.
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