Lot's of good info on the "Class d is dandy thread"
and others.
Kenny. |
Thanks Kenny. I've been participating in that great thread, but I felt bad about going off on tangents so I thought I'd ask it separately. I still may pose the question there though! |
This is a question I would like to know the answer also. Hopefully, someone had a chance to compare. |
Hello all,
I have over 500 hrs on my S-500 and thought I might comment a little about it.I think it's a step up in Sound vs nc400 and ref600m,these are the 3 class d amps that I own and I have access to more through a local audio club where we lend and or borrow equipment or occasionally listen to each other's systems.
I have been using a bel canto pre3 with all the diff. amps just to make a even playing field,the pre 3 is a pure water no coloration preamp.
The S-500 is the best class d amp I have had in my system and it has the warmest most engaging midrange with very sweet nicely extended top end that has more air and separation with the individual instruments making the entire frequency range very coherent.The bass is equally as good maybe better than my other class d amps listed.
I borrowed a Nuprime st10 to try out and found it too be a very close match to the S-500,with the nod to the S-500 for the best overall sound especially the midrange.
Offcourse this is in my system with my ears and judging the musical presentation that I prefer.
The next test will be comparison with a modwright kwa100se that I have owned for a few years but I haven't used it in about 3 years,I have loaned it out to club members though.I know it's a very good amp but can it equal or beat the S-500,only time will tell.
So many very good choices out there nowadays,
Kenny.
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Thanks Kenny, nice to hear that someone has done some comparisons firsthand. Even though its through your ears, its very helpful information. If you ever hear of someone wanting to let go of their Red Dragon Stereo amp, please let me know! Have you listened to any of the other Nuprime amps? Theres quite a bi price jump from their other models to the ST10, so I;m wondering if the sound is that much of a jump too. |
Had the IDA-16 in for a trial and found it to be unlistenable during break in period and still harsh and dry treble after break in.
Also got a chance to go head to head with some class AB amps vs. my NAD M12/M22 combo that I thought sounded pretty good and the class AB amps all sounded better. They made M12 sound dry and analytical by comparison. This was in a well damped dealer showroom that really lets you hear minute differences in gear.
I'm done with Class D.
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Pick one with a 30 day return policy and don't buy in to the break in talk. If they needed to be broken in the amp maker would do this in advance.
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My Primare I32 integrated won out over an older Creek Classic 5350SE that was very well reviewed, a Belles Aria, and a Belles Soloist.
I realize that my humble integrated is not in the same echelon as high-end separates; however I believe that Primare is a company whose products employ some unique engineering and perform very well with about 24 hours of breakin. Notes just seem to appear out of nowhere and music is so enjoyable. On some of my better recordings it's like hearing a different, better version. (I won't say 'hearing them for the for the time.' That's bullshit.)
So you might want to add something like the Primare A60 to your list. I know how a list can grow and become paralysing; but I'm glad I took the time to listen to this product from a manufacturer I had never even heard of before. |
Just want to give a nod to Wyred 4 Sound (W4S). I run a W4S DAC-2 straight into a ST-500 Mk II. Got a "combo" deal from The Music Room through AGon. I did a lot of reading (probably what you're doing) then became exhausted with all the research and opinions (there are lot, as i'm sure you've discovered). So, I just took a dive in and am more than pleased. Lots of oomph in my system but not bright. Has been great for all kinds of music.
The other reason I "invested" in W4S is that they are constantly offering upgrades to their existing products. The upgrades are waaaaay more cost effective than purchasing a whole new X (fill in the blank). When the upgrade bug bites or technology changes I can change with it.
In the end, I think you can't lose out with what you're looking at.
I like some of the ideas above where you can purchase something and send it back. W4S does this too. They are having what they call a "B-stock sale" and are offering pretty hefty discounts right now.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Josh |
@autre
I can’t give you opinions about how NuPrime compares to other class-D manufactures. But I can tell you that my NuPrime IDA-16 is one of the finest amps I have listened to.
As has been mentioned class-D has a lengthy burn-in process. My IDA-16 sounded powerful right out of the box but a bit rough. At about the 300 hour mark it started to open up and also started to refine and smooth out. Things progressed and improved steadily and then at about the 500 hour mark there was another big improvement; it opened up big time with the mids on up getting fuller and fuller and the treble smoothing out. From the lower mids down it’s one of the best amps I’ve heard.
Anyways, that’s a bit of my experience with NuPrime. Great sound, great build quality and excellent customer service.
Cheers,
Scott |
I had Red Dragon amps in my system for while, some moons ago.
They were dimensional and a joy to listen to. Not analytical, but still detailed. I liked them a lot, but wasn't in the market for amps at the time. |
Thanks guys I really appreciate the opinions. Glad to hear that it seems the ones Ive narrowed it down to all seem to great performers. Now I have to wait for the right price to pop up! |
The only Class D amps I ever tried in my own system are the Arion Audio RS-500s. I thought they were really good, powerful and non-digital sounding. I think they come with a home trial, and owner/designer Mike Kallelis is a great guy. |
I bought the D-Sonic M3a-800S (2 x 400w) last year and haven’t looked back.
I went through two class A/B SS set-ups over the past 10 years--a NAD M3 (good built quality, sound was too muddled for my tastes) and a Bryston set-up (BP26, Byston DAC, 4BSST2 power amp--wonderful, solid, totally neutral and dead silent). Have also cycled through various speaker set-ups, Dynaudio, Paradigm Studio and Signature series, Magnepan 1.7 and 3.7s.
The Bryston set-up with the Magnepan 3.7s was supposed to be my retirement system, but when we reduced our living footprint, my listening space dropped from a 30 x 50 living room to a 10 x 12 a pocket office.
Long story short--sold off my Bryston gear and replaced it with the D-Sonic amp coupled with a passive pre-amp from Luminous Audio driving Legacy Studio HD monitors. Near-field listening only given the space constraints...
I’ve been totally impressed with the D-Sonic--dead quiet, dynamic range, fast, neutral (maybe to a fault), and of course no problem driving my Legacy HD Studios (I love the AMT folded ribbon tweeters more than even the sound of the Maggie 3.7 ribbon tweeter). Build quality is first rate and the gentlemen who runs the business is very responsive both by phone and email.
Now to be fair, I’m 60 years old with hearing loss above 7K in both ears. I think this is fairly typical for my age group. And of course I’m comparing apples to pomegranates--my Bryston kit was connected to the Maggies and Paradigms in a large room--my D-Sonic/Legacy set-up is barely 7 feet away from me.
Still, for the kind of music i love, jazz and classical piano, string quartets, female jazz vocals, etc, and given the cost to find out, couldn’t be more pleased.
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I just ordered a Class D Audio SDS470C (complete kit).
Looking forward to getting it put together and powered-up!
I'll post more once I've used it for a week or so.
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I've had a red dragon S500 in my system for about a year. The amp continues to amaze me. It plays with such authority and control while able to produce a nuanced and balanced sound. I've found the amp to pair well with my LS50's and my roommate's tannoy XT-8f's, fairly different speakers but similar performance. Most recently I've been using a passive TVC volume control with the S500 which really shows off the amp's ability to produce a very holographic sound. The music just hangs in the air. I found an aftermarket power cable to really improve the sound as well.
I previously had a yamaha A-S501 and a peachtree nova 150 which was a great amp, but I just prefer the S500 and the passive combo. I really think your amp choice depends on the rest of your system, especially your front end for a class D amp. My roomate has a nuprime oversampling USB DAC that just doesn't play well with the S500, whereas my NOS R2R DAC really makes the amp sing and is far more laid back.
What are your speakers and your front end and why class D?
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I received my Class D Audio SDS470C;
Started to assemble it this morning; I hope to finish it soon.
Can hardly wait to power it up. |
