Solid-State Power Amp Adventures

Discussion in 'Power Amps' started by purr1n, Jan 24, 2017.

  1. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    I'm really surprised to hear this. What specifically didn't you like? The overall sound, price/performance ratio?
     
  2. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    I've heard the Devialet 400 paired to some Tannoy Canterbury GR speakers and the sound unforgiving but absolutely unreal with well mastered material. That's my only experience but if I could afford it, I'd have it already.
     
  3. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    Unforgiving and unreal could be just the words I would use, but not in a complimentary way.
    The Devialet 120 had this layer of fake airy sounds hovering on top of soundstage limits that was annoying and absolutely did not belong to the recording.
    Giving sound a billow hugging, itchy feeling. Like diving into haystack, naked.
    It also washed away any microdynamics (flow, continuity). Also no tonal graduations, but that looks to be a theme with all the PWM amps.
    On plus side macro dynamics (this too was exaggerated by the haystack) and bass grip were above average that I have heard and soundstage width excluding the hovering haystack was good.
    When a 500 € Sony receiver does better overall (despite some serious veil), what excellency are we talking about?
     
  4. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    That's not even remotely close to my experience I had with the Devialet I heard on both the Tannoys and PMC flagships. To each their own but if I had the money, I'd still buy it.
     
  5. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    No. I tried it in a vendors showroom. I went there to listen to B&W 802D3-s.
    The owner is familiar with me and my hi-fi friends, lets fellow enthusiasts touch his stuff.
    First I thought the speakers themselves sucked (not all B&W sound good), even got me wondering if that is what diamond tweeter sounds like.
    Fortunately there were punch of other amplifiers in the shop's showroom. Source was Yggdrasil.
    The 802D3 were great with a Rotel Class A-B amp that cost 1/3 the Devialet's pricetag.
    Perhaps the Devialet was defective, although it sounded quite similar (slightly better) to another class D in the same rack.
    Anyways I thought it was POS and not worth owning not even considering the idiotic price point.
    Maybe the looks and UFO remote are it's attracting features to some other class of audiophiles than me.
     
  6. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Perhaps we just have very different styles here and that's totally ok. What equipment do you have or have you really enjoyed listening to? Helps build a picture of "your side of the fence" and perspective for readers.
     
  7. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    That's fine, taste can't be argued. Universal statement that some gear is excellent that sound like shit to me is a bit difficult to ignore.
    I'm practically a dinosaur from CS times, my gear evaluations are scattered around the place if you are bothered to look around.
    Since it might not be easy to navigate around here I will say that my tastes are not that different from those of Marvey, ZD, Sorrodje, Hitmanfluffy and especially OJ (practically spot on).
    I think I can understand the fascination of the Devialet. The class-D amps that I have tried are free of typical class A-B veil.
    They all sound to me like black and white photography looks like (relative to SET and better class A-B).
    Only thing is the Ncore amp pulled that off properly and did a great job of not introducing it's own crap into music.
    It's based on memory and some rudimentary notes, but I think even the lowly UCD from Hypex is much better amp
    and for proper price (few hundred bucks) if diy-d, and it's simple diy, practically casework only.
    I see no good reason why class-D amp should cost much more than 2k €. The ones using Hypex modules and costing tens of grands are hilarious rip off.
     
  8. murphythecat

    murphythecat GRU-powered uniformed trumpkin

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    devialet is not class d, it uses class ab and Iirc only the dumping is in class d.
    very clever technology and ive never heard anyone with actual experience in their system that devialet is nothing short of at least very good.

    ive never heard anyone prefer hypex ncore over devialet. would be interesting to read a comparison...

    class d in bass department however is pretty incredible but overall sound is lack of nuance and finesse, it seems to homogenize the sound. compared to Tube, its pretty bad ime
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2017
  9. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    From Devialet's site:
    ''Invented by Devialet, ADH Intelligence is the first hybrid amplification technology that combines the refinement of analog amplification (Class A) with the power and compactness of digital amplification (Class D).
    Both types of amplification operate in parallel, for radically increased performance.''


    If by dumping you mean linearly assisted class-D then the workhorses are still the class-D operated output devices (the actual power your speakers receive comes from that).
    Whatever, it sounded much like class-D to me.
     
  10. JeffYoung

    JeffYoung Friend

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    Priidik, have you ever heard any of the Rogue stuff? It's similarly hybrid, but in series rather than parallel: a tube gain stage followed by Hypex output stages. I haven't heard them myself, so I've got no opinion, but I was curious....
     
  11. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

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    No.
    It would surely be interesting project. A NC500 (w/o front end) oem module costs very little.
    Like some 80..100 bucks a piece. Not easy to acquire these.
     
  12. SineDave

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    @Marvey I've got D-Sonic's owner on board for when this meet/eval occurs. They'll send an amp to loan for the meet, which can also go to a few Friends on here in turn for a few weeks if they'd like to try it with their speakers. We could also start with the loaner and finish with the meet.

    It will have their just released v3 input module, and will be a M3a-1200S, 2 x 600w into 8 ohms configuration.

    PM me if you want me to work out details.
     
  13. uncola

    uncola Friend

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    definitely interested in a d-sonic loaner.. they seem to use a variety of pascal/abletec amp modules
     
  14. SineDave

    SineDave Friend

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    Exclusively pascal these days, with proprietary input circuitry.
     
  15. SineDave

    SineDave Friend

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    @sphinxvc @ultrabike @zerodeefex - anyone know who I should coordinate this with so we can get the loaner started?
     
  16. msommers

    msommers High on Epipens

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    Well my Hegel H360 is no longer with me. It was being relegated to power amp duty and for all it's features, it just didn't make sense to keep.

    I found a Pass Labs XA30.5 from Reno Hifi with some warranty left on it and decided to see what all the smouldering hot Class A from Mr. Pass was like. Very excited!
     
  17. sphinxvc

    sphinxvc Gear Master (retired)

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    ^ what kind of speakers you running?
     
  18. uncola

    uncola Friend

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    Heh I think everyone goes through a Nelson pass phase. He's like that girl with the purple streak in her hair who smokes and has lots of piercings who dumps you for a bass player. Everyone has to go through one
     
  19. Thenewerguy009

    Thenewerguy009 Friend

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    Got any HE-6's or any other hard to drive headphone you might test with that power amp?
     
  20. Senorx12562

    Senorx12562 Case of the mondays

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    Actually, to impart the full flavor, it was a talent-free girl bass player. Well, at least she had no talent for the bass.:drunk:
     

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