$500 amplifiers to test and review?

[JJB70]

Over here the Marantz PM6006 has been an almost default recommendation since it was released and can be found new for less than £300, it'd be interesting to see a set of measurements for that one.

 

[Sal1950]

He only did that for me to measure and then ship it to him. I don't own the thing.

Awe, even still a very cool thing to do, let you be the first to pop it's cherry.
Don't forget to give it 100 hours of gentle break in first.

 

[bravomail]

Sony STR-DN1080 receiver is on sale for 398 on amazon today. 100 off that is. Highly praised but never measured

 

[prighello]

He only did that for me to measure and then ship it to him. I don't own the thing.

Also looking forward to the Class D Audio amp measurements. I've had an SDS amp of theirs for a while but am curious how they actually measure since the site doesn't really share much info on the amp specs.

OT, but what about measuring a power dac al Nuforce DDA-120? You measure dacs and now amps so it might be interesting. There are a few others like the NAD D7050 and I think Wadia used to make one as well. For some reason the tech doesn't appear to have caught on. I have a DDA-120 and it sounds really clean but the bass is weak for some reason. Just a thought.

 

[JJB70]

Sony STR-DN1080 receiver is on sale for 398 on amazon today. 100 off that is. Highly praised but never measured

Indeed, another very commonly recommended item which sells at a reasonable cost in terms of AV receivers, offers the comfort of a recognised name with good warranty support if needed and offers plenty of functionality. I'd also be interested to see measurements for that item.

 

[amirm]

What am I going to do with it after I measure it??? It is not like it is a little dac I can put in a corner or ship to someone cheap.

 

[Sal1950]

What am I going to do with it after I measure it??? It is not like it is a little dac I can put in a corner or ship to someone cheap.

X-Mas presents to the sites best members?

 

[amirm]

X-Mas presents to the sites best members?

You are confusing me with someone much more benevolent.

 

[Matey]

Hi. Try this one only 145$ https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-apa150-150w-power-amplifier--300-812

 

[amirm]

Hi. Try this one only 145$ https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-apa150-150w-power-amplifier--300-812

That is already here waiting for review.

 

[Keltere]

Denon pma-60 has a declared SINAD of 110db
Output power 8 Ohm (20 Hz - 20 kHz, T.H.D. 0.07%)25W (1kHz)
Output power 4 Ohm (1 kHz, T.H.D. 0.7%)50 W
Total Harmonic Distortion 0.004%

https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hifi/amplifiers/pma60

Maybe a good alternative to sprout 100?

 

[andreasmaaan]

Denon pma-60 has a declared SINAD of 110db
Output power 8 Ohm (20 Hz - 20 kHz, T.H.D. 0.07%)25W (1kHz)
Output power 4 Ohm (1 kHz, T.H.D. 0.7%)50 W
Total Harmonic Distortion 0.004%

https://usa.denon.com/us/product/hifi/amplifiers/pma60

Maybe a good alternative to sprout 100?

It's the SNR that's listed as 110dB.

SINAD is not stated, but if the 0.004% THD and the 110dB SNR figures are correct, it's probably around 85dB (or less in reality).

 

[Keltere]

It's the SNR that's listed as 110dB.

SINAD is not stated, but if the 0.004% THD and the 110dB SNR figures are correct, it's probably around 85dB.

Ops sry, too bad, i was expecting something more for the price.
Sorry if i bother you but do you know how much SINAD (at least theoretically) smsl ad18 could have?

this should be the amp chip inside, if i'm not wrong.
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tas5342a.pdf

 

[andreasmaaan]

Ops sry, too bad, i was expecting something more for the price.
Sorry if i bother you but do you know how much SINAD (at least theoretically) smsl ad18 could have?

this should be the amp chip inside, if i'm not wrong.
http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/tas5342a.pdf

No bother at all

That chip claims 0.1% THD @1W/1KHz, giving a best case scenario of 60dB (but probably less) for SINAD.

 

[Keltere]

No bother at all

That chip claims 0.1% THD @1W/1KHz, giving a best case scenario of 60dB (but probably less) for SINAD.

Thanks, last thing
Teac al101 could be worst compared to ad18, right? Based on specs alone.
https://www.teac-audio.eu/downloads/2/7/5/6/8/TEAC_AI-101DA_product_information_EN.pdf

I have all of three (pma60, ad18 and al101) the best with my tests is denon, second smsl and last teac.
It has a ****** warm sound and an unusual overpowered sub-out compared to the other two.

 

[andreasmaaan]

Thanks, last thing
Teac al101 could be worst compared to ad18, right? Based on specs alone.
https://www.teac-audio.eu/downloads/2/7/5/6/8/TEAC_AI-101DA_product_information_EN.pdf

I have all of three (pma60, ad18 and al101) the best with my tests is denon, second smsl and last teac.
It has a ****** warm sound and an unusual overpowered sub-out compared to the other two.

In theory (i.e. based on specs alone), the Denon should actually have the a SINAD of up to 80dB, which would place it in the middle of the other two.

But really, it's impossible to know whether all these published specs are accurate or, even if they are accurate, under which conditions they are measured.

 

[Keltere]

In theory (i.e. based on specs alone), the Denon should actually have the a SINAD of up to 80dB, which would place it in the middle of the other two.

But really, it's impossible to know whether all these published specs are accurate or, even if they are accurate, under which conditions they are measured.

So teac is in theory better, even with high sound alteration (maybe caused by high internal resistance)?

 

[andreasmaaan]

But based on the fact the jack of ad18 is really really noisy that could mean a bad quality construction and so it could have worst performance compared to the chip declared and that will confirm my listening impressions.

It's really too little information to say.

If SINAD is sufficiently high, it can be said with confidence that a device is transparent (i.e. just sounds like the recording and adds nothing audible of its own).

When SINAD is lower, as arguably in these cases, it's hard to know what kind of subjective effect the audible noise/distortion might have on the sound.

To put it another way, two amps with the same SINAD figure may not sound the same, and an amp with a higher SINAD figure may not sound better than an amp with a lower one (it depends very much on exactly what type of distortion it produces and at what levels etc.).

 

[Keltere]

It's really too little information to say.

If SINAD is sufficiently high, it can be said with confidence that a device is transparent (i.e. just sounds like the recording and adds nothing audible of its own).

When SINAD is lower, as arguably in these cases, it's hard to know what kind of subjective effect the audible noise/distortion might have on the sound.

To put it another way, two amps with the same SINAD figure may not sound the same, and an amp with a higher SINAD figure may not sound better than an amp with a lower one (it depends very much on exactly what type of distortion it produces and at what levels etc.).

Even if the specs will reveal to be true that could explain why my impressions are denon>smsl>teac
Hope that someone will start making some good small cheap class D speaker amp, there are too much dac and headphone amps in comparison.

Thanks, for taking time to respond to me, i really appreciate.

EDIT: if i'm not mistaken the best cheap option right now are icepower modules, right?

 

[andreasmaaan]

if i'm not mistaken the best cheap option right now are icepower modules, right?

I think they make very good stuff, but not sure there aren’t other good options out there too (eg Hypex). Haven’t researched it in enough depth though...