D-SONIC SOA Class-D Core Amps. The best Class-D ?


Owner/Designer Dean Deacon of D-Sonic in Houston in recent months dropped using the B&O ICE amps which he now only uses in the surround channels of his multi-channel home theater amps. He now uses a new Class-D amp in all of his Magnum2 mono and two channel amps which he states is the most technically advanced Class-D amp on the market, called the SOA Class-D core amps. The recent review in 6Moons of his new M2-1500M amp concludes its the closest that Class-D has ever come to tube amps in the upper mid-range and high frequencies.
Anyone bought or heard recently the D-Sonic M2-1500M or the M2-600M? What are your opinions?
audiozen
It's the way tubes distort not their lack of distortion. Regardless of how unmeasurable a solid state devise is, generally its characteristic is still odd order.

It's the same with switching or processing amps. Were class D is about to become superior is in the realm of digital playback. A digital source and something like the Devialet were there is much less conversion taking place and the absence of cabling lowering the chances of jitter.

Most linear solid state amplification has a tendency to get congested and more fatiguing as demand increases which is why they build massively powerful amps. The very first thing I noticed with my first switching amp was it seemed to maintain stability right up to its threshold which was way more power than I would ever use.

Since I use tube amplification in my predominately analog system the last thing I want is the switching amps powering my studio monitors to sound like tubes.
Oh..so you want your tube amps to sound like tubes..but you
don't want an analog Class D solid state amp to sound like
tubes..Hmmmm..my..just about any tube fanatic on the planet
would put their tube amp in storage or sell it if a solid state Class D amp
reached a level of full tube quality.
There would be no turning back.
In conversation, Theta Digital told me they're close to releasing a Class D Mono Amp housed in the Expression chasis.
"there are inherent proplems wirh pulse modulation type Class D amps regarding linearity and feed back in the upper bands that compromise music quality"

Maybe. I am not expert enough to say. I believe Class D amps can get even better than current certainly in that the technology is not fully mature. Then there is always theory versus realization which are not equivalent. Not everything newer is necessarily better. DD would seem to be the only source of info so far. Truths become apparent over time with greater exposure. We'll see. I would like to learn more though and find the d-sonics an even more interesting product now than before. Many already consider even current generation Class D amps to be reference quality and competitive there (I would agree based on experience to date) though I am of the opinion that no technology is perfect or certainly equivalent. The subjective descriptions of teh sound of these amps versus current better Icepower designs so far indicate differences in sound for sure, which is not surprising. Lots that goes into what is "better" and what individuals prefer. Too early in the game to know for sure with D-sonic I would say though again a most interesting and competitive product at this early stage.
THis would be an interesting trial application for Steve at Empirical Audio's affordable reclocker gadget. That should help assure being in a good place from a jitter perspective I would expect. HE offers a free trial period. I would be interested to know if it helps.

Synchro Mesh