2. amps-preamps
  3. 129708-90127

Thinking of replacing my Bat spaceheater with class D, real world thoughts please

Ok so I know there are already lots of threads on class D both negative and positive

As I have had a very positive result with replacing the ss amps in my ht rig with a single tiny Nuforce class D amp I was tempted to look into the same for my stereo rig.

This is a little more difficult as my present amp is a BAT VK600SE, 120LB of muscle and heat.

Now I am in love with my present sound but still am very curious if class D could do anything for me as it certainly did in the ht rig although those ss amps were not in the BAT league to start with.

So I would like to hear from people who have actually gone this route, replaced their expensive, heavy, power consuming amps with tiny little cold running boxes and what their results were.

Was it uplifting, about the same or make you wish you had never heard of class D!

128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xuberwaltz
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
4,966 posts
 
Yeah, properly designed class d doesn't have the distortion spectrum of tube amps.
Correct, but class-d's can have other problems that are not so easy on the ear, at least the distortions from tube amps are nice sounding ones "2hd", and easily liveable. 

Cheers George
uberwaltz's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
uberwaltz OP
4,946 posts
 
For now there will not be any class d being tried in my system , not made of money and the Wilsons took all my spare "hifi play money"...lol
The brief trial of my nuforce in my stereo rig did not go well although I am sure there are really good class d amps out there at a price.

I have never tried tube power amps so have no basis for comparison there, did have a couple of tube pre amps but always been ss power amps

And right now the marriage of mcintosh pre, bat power and wilson speakers gives me goose bumps with the right source material!
kuribo
80 posts
 
"class-d's can have other problems that are not so easy on the ear"

Do tell.....
uberwaltz's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
uberwaltz OP
4,946 posts
 
I have just purchased a pair of Nuforce Reference 9 v2 mono amps for very very little dollars so going to give these a whirl in my main system.
If I do not like I am not bothered as they will go to make my third system in the bedroom that at present is relying on a sound bar for amp/speaker.
Yes it means buying speakers and speaker cable but that is half the fun of it all right?
SQ impressions later......
mitch2
1,911 posts
 
Since you asked, and you are apparently still interested in the topic, I suggest you read the following review of the Mola Mola Kaluga by Mono and Stereo.
Their conclusion describes pretty much what I heard from the similar Ncore NC1200 amps by Acoustic Imagery, which I sold in favor of conventional, SS, Class A power.
http://www.monoandstereo.com/2015/08/mola-mola-makua-and-kaluga-review.html

More to discover