2. amps-preamps
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Digital Amps - Your opinions and why so few?

Hi, I'm in the market for new amps for Maggie 3.6r's and just wondered what your experiences/opinions are on digital amps.
The technology seems well developed, and the advantages seem very tangible 'on paper'. I spoke with a tech guy at Tact Audio concerning their S2150 amp, and the 'specs' are very impressive. They amps also provide the facility to replace the speaker x-over. In a 2-way speaker, you can use two digital amps and program each amp with the associated crossover parameters.
I also spoke yesterday with a real gentleman, Henry, the designer/founder of H2O digital amps. I found him by following a buzz on the apogee audio website, where people using the difficult to drive apogees are dumping off their big Krells and Pass amps, and getting in the queue for the H2O. The few people already using the H20's are raving about them.
Then of course there are the Spectron amps, though I read somewhere recently that they may be going out of business?

The point is, if this technology has matured, and these amps can compete with convential amps, and they are cheaper, lighter, give off less heat, generate higher watts from a smaller/lighter chasis, and.....wait for it....may actually sound better dollar for dollar, why don't we see more of them around?

Rooze
PS - I'm considering dropping big $$$$$ on a pair of new S2150 Tact digitals, please, please talk me out of it, and tell me these amps are crap....
128x128rooze
gmood1
1,251 posts
 
Telescope_trade I haven't heard the Hyperions. I need to go up to PeteWhitleys and listen to them. I believe he bought a pair not long ago.You can use adapters. I picked up some from Radioshack for 8 bucks to use between the Carver and MiniMax tube preamp. This amplifier is just so easy to listen too. It seems to bring out the virtues of the MiniMax. I imagine it would work well with just about any decent preamp though. The amplifier doesn't suppress the music at all. If the preamp and source can keep up with the dynamic swings in the recordings. The Carver will let you hear it! The bite of the horns and the strums of string instruments are vivid and full of colour.It doesn't add artificiality. It just puts out front whatever the recording engineer wanted you to hear at that moment.Whether the singers voice or separate instruments jumping out when they are suppose to.

It is such a surprise and delite to hear something that doesn't cost an arm and a leg that performs this well.

ATB
panny
99 posts
 
I am using a Panasonic 45 till I decide on what I want to do with my frontend. It is a steal for the $$ with only changing the shaver PC on it.

I do feel there are drawbacks to the Hi-Freq's,but considering the price and not getting the sterile,hard presentation which is often associted with Japanwse based amps I can see how these things shall promote satisfactory sonics for an affordable price for those not having the $$ to buy anything more expensive. Speaker matching is a must as I feel they are more up to the task of driving my monitors than the 3-ways. Luckily I find the monitors just as good to listen to as the 3-ways.

Another thing to mention is that these Digital Amp modules are not expensive to manufacture which makes me wary of investing to much for them. Take away the faceplate and there is not much in the way of expense.

Just my opinion!
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Telescope_trade... I, also, haven't heard the Hyperions. As Gmood1 says, the ZR1600 input is balanced (remember this is a Prosound amp) but it works fine single ended using the Radio Shack phono/rca adapter. With regard to preamps, the ZR1600 input sensitivity is adjustable.
Choices range from 0.316 to 2.45 vrms for full output (600 watts into 4 ohms) so it would be easy to match up with source electronics if you want to use a passive preamp. The ZR1600 also has volume controls, separate for both channels, which can be bypassed if you think they degrade the sound.

The only drawback is that the amp does use a fan, which makes some noise. The best solution (the one I use) is to hide the amp away in the cellar or a closet. There is also a simple mod to change the fan to a very quiet model, and, for home audio use, it's been reported that the amp does not overheat with the fan disconnected.

It is solidly built (for rough Prosound use) and has a 5 year warranty.
telescope_trade
539 posts
 
Thanks guys for your input! I am thinking on using
a passive pre amp, but am a little worried about using
the rat shack adaptor, and I heard that the Carver also
cannot accept spades, which means I will have to change
my speaker cables also!?
Well I'm still giving it some thought.

Thanks again!
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Panny - your XR45 can sound as good as the Carver ZR1600 with the exception of bass control. This is the only edge that the ZR1600 has over it, once they are both modded anyway. This is the only way that I will listen to either one. Before mods, I feel that the XR45 really sucks, but the Carver isn't too bad stock.
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