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RE: You could be right

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cawson@onetel.com

In Reply to: RE: You could be right posted by AbeCollins on February 03, 2025 at 07:50:21

Your first sentence sums it up - it matter not what Class an amp uses, but the end result.

In my multi-amp home listening phase about 4 years ago (after deciding to move away from tube amps) I bought or borrowed Class A, AB and D amps in the 3-8K GBP price range. One of the Class A sounded great (Accuphase) but another (Sugden) sounded about as dull as any other amp apart from a Quad and (to my surprise and disappointment) the Benchmark that was so raved about by a fellow Avantgarde speaker user.

In the end, the choice was between the Class A Accuphase (a little too "polite"), the Class AB GamuT (great sound, but a bit naughty when powered up or down), or the Class D NAD M33. I chose this last amp (no regrets after 4 years), but have recently also bought Atma-Sphere Class D monos.

It's what they sound like that matters, not how they do their job.

Follow Ups:

I can feel your pain - Leo loves music 04:05:07 02/04/25 (3)
tube -> class D
That was a big jump.
- Same here but no pain - AbeCollins 19:52:22 02/04/25 (2)
  I went from a pair of lovely sounding Manley Neo-Classic 250 tube amps, 10 EL34 tubes per monoblock. Wanting to no longer deal with the heat, weight, and tube replacement costs I investigated various Class D amps. I went through a few Class AB solid-state amps too but over time I noticed that Class D amps were improving. The other more 'traditional' amps had already plateaued. There was nothing new there except even more creative hyperbole in the marketing literature. Anyway, fast forward a handful of years and I too went
  tube -> class D, and with no regrets.
  Repairing and retubing the Manley Neo-Classic 250 monoblocks
  
  Tried a couple big boy Bryston amps. Big boy mistake.
  
  Manley tube monoblock & Wyred4Sound SX-500 Class D monoblock.
  
  The Wyred4Sound Class D was very good but not quite there. However, I'd take these Class D monoblocks any day over the
  Brystons. This was 14 years ago! Class D has improved noticeably since then. I'm sold.
  P.S. I was running Thiel speakers back then and they required big power to sound their best.
  
  Edits: 02/04/25 02/04/25
  - Just perhaps, past pain in the wallet nt - cawson@onetel.com 03:23:09 02/05/25 (1)
    .
    - We've all been there! - nt - AbeCollins 16:03:16 02/05/25 (0)
      .

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