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Class D monoblocks, which one?

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birkbott

birkbott

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I can’t hear it from the couch. Only if my ear is right up on the speaker. I think I only noticed it because the house was quiet which it never is (kids). I want to compare to the Vidar though just to see the difference. I’ll also see if it changes when I unplug the xlr.
 

wje

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I got the Emotivas last night. Really nice packaging and a 6’ power cord which is great.

I did notice some hum if i put my ear right up to the speaker, about the same level as the crown. I keep forgetting to check the Vidar but I remember it being almost dead quiet. I am using monoprice rca to xlr cables so maybe that’s part of it.

However the sound when playing is much better than the Crown. Seems to be on par with the Vidar but I need to do more listening to know for sure. I’m impressed with the look and build quality and the sound so far.

Thanks for the impressions so far. I'm also using the Monoprice RCA -> XLR connectors and they appear to be of quite good quality. In my use of the cables, I didn't notice any unusual hum being produced by the cables. Though, it could always be a possibility.

Also, I remember reading a review of the Emotiva class D amps on Secrets of Home Theater Hifi (I believe) and they gave the amp a relatively good review, but did indicate the bass was a bit less than other amplifiers they've tested. Though, looking through the process, it appears the only difference the Emotive amps have that the others (e.g. D.I.Y. versions) have is that they feature the auto-sensing feature where they'll turn on when a signal is received. I'm not sure if the D.I.Y. versions of the amps that use this ICE module feature that option too?

Though, you have me curious. I keep seeing a pair being sold locally that are new for $475. I was considering offering a $400 amount. But, I have to keep telling myself - nope, not this time as I have too much gear as it is. Decisions. Decisions. Hmm....
 

Panelhead

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The Crown XLS are not as clean as the Hypex amps. But to get the most from the Crown amps use the XLR or TRS inputs. Then the gain (attenuator) can then be cranked wide open with no hum. I liked using the Speakon connectors too.
 
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birkbott

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Having listened to them a bit last night I will say that they are quite different from the Vidar. The treble has much more resolution, the midrange is not as smooth, in fact they sound a bit thin. Vocals are more lost in the music and not as out front. Midrange in general is lacking and sometimes muddled. However the soundstage is much wider I suppose due to the channel separation and there is something intriguing about the increased clarity in the treble. I’ll be able to take some measurements this weekend and hopefully will be able to dial in a sound that I like. There’s a lot to like about these amps but I think they will take some getting used to and/or tweaking so sound right. Maybe a tube pre is needed to flesh out the midrange.
 
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SIY

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What do you mean?

If two amps sound different, assuming they're not being clipped and they have reasonably low distortion and flat frequency response, at least one of them is broken. Or you haven't set up the listening comparison properly (double blind and level matched).
 
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birkbott

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If two amps sound different, assuming they're not being clipped and they have reasonably low distortion and flat frequency response, at least one of them is broken. Or you haven't set up the listening comparison properly (double blind and level matched).

These are subjective impressions.
 

SIY

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These are subjective impressions.

If by "subjective" you mean "uncontrolled," then unfortunately they are... questionable. I think a bit of time spent trying some basic controls might save you a lot more time and expense running down imaginary rabbit holes.
 
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birkbott

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If by "subjective" you mean "uncontrolled," then unfortunately they are... questionable. I think a bit of time spent trying some basic controls might save you a lot more time and expense running down imaginary rabbit holes.

I guess. I mean nothing changed other than the power amps and the cables between them and the preamp. They sound different. Like I said I’m going to take some measurements over the weekend to see if anything has changed in terms of frequency response.
 
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Panelhead

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The high frequencies on my first digital amps sounded so different than prior amps I initially thought every amp before was broken. A “clean” clarity that made the highs more pronounced. Almost silvery tone.
Longer exposure was needed. I decided it was the Tripath amplifier that was unnatural.
Class D has come a long way since. But I am keeping my class AB bipolar amplification hooked up. Might be the coloration I prefer.
 
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HamNRye

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I am currently running two Emotiva PA-1s in my stereo setup and in my opinion they are extremely neutral with ample clean power that will reveal what you feed them. Unfortunately I haven't used a Class AB amp in a while but coming from a Paradigm PW Amp, which was reviewed here, it's like night and day as the PW Amp, likely because of its noisy DSP, had lots of distortion.

I also run Dirac Live on my stereo setup which gives my small speakers a much fuller sound, with more clarity and a wider sound stage, likely because it is making up for the poor acoustics of my room and EQs the sound. So my takeaway from this is that the PA-1 is simply a clean and capable amp that will reveal what is fed into it.

I have ordered the Audiophonic PA-S125NC to drive my high frequency drivers in my active setup so I'll be getting my first taste of NCore, although the PA-S125NC provides much less power than the PA-1 but it will be interesting to see if I can notice a difference.
 
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birkbott

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I am currently running two Emotiva PA-1s in my stereo setup and in my opinion they are extremely neutral with ample clean power that will reveal what you feed them. Unfortunately I haven't used a Class AB amp in a while but coming from a Paradigm PW Amp, which was reviewed here, it's like night and day as the PW Amp, likely because of its noisy DSP, had lots of distortion.

I also run Dirac Live on my stereo setup which gives my small speakers a much fuller sound, with more clarity and a wider sound stage, likely because it is making up for the poor acoustics of my room and EQs the sound. So my takeaway from this is that the PA-1 is simply a clean and capable amp that will reveal what is fed into it.

I have ordered the Audiophonic PA-S125NC to drive my high frequency drivers in my active setup so I'll be getting my first taste of NCore, although the PA-S125NC provides much less power than the PA-1 but it will be interesting to see if I can notice a difference.

Yeah that PW amp measured very poorly. The Crown that I just tried previously was only slightly better. Compared to that the PA-1 is excellent.

Even though it hasn’t been measured here, I expect the Vidar would be on par with the Aegir in terms of performance, which would beat the PA-1 but not by much. I was just surprised to find such a different sound signature.
 

SIY

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Yeah that PW amp measured very poorly. The Crown that I just tried previously was only slightly better. Compared to that the PA-1 is excellent.

Even though it hasn’t been measured here, I expect the Vidar would be on par with the Aegir in terms of performance, which would beat the PA-1 but not by much. I was just surprised to find such a different sound signature.

At this point, you have no idea if there’s a different sound signature. I would pin that down first.
 

HamNRye

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Yeah that PW amp measured very poorly. The Crown that I just tried previously was only slightly better. Compared to that the PA-1 is excellent.

Even though it hasn’t been measured here, I expect the Vidar would be on par with the Aegir in terms of performance, which would beat the PA-1 but not by much. I was just surprised to find such a different sound signature.

From what I remember about the Vidar and the Aegir, I think they are both very different amps. The Vidar is a class AB designed for power putting out 200 watts RMS at 4 ohms while the Aegir is class A putting out only 40 watts RMS at 4 ohms. I'm not saying you're wrong but given the very different power ratings I have my doubts.
 
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birkbott

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From what I remember about the Vidar and the Aegir, I think they are both very different amps. The Vidar is a class AB designed for power putting out 200 watts RMS at 4 ohms while the Aegir is class A putting out only 40 watts RMS at 4 ohms. I'm not saying you're wrong but given the very different power ratings I have my doubts.

I mean in terms of distortion levels and resolution not just power. I’ve owned both and they had similar characteristics.
 

UCrazyKid

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These "Alchemy" series amps from ELAC sound really nice. They are designed by Peter Madnick of the original Audio Alchemy. They use a Class A first stage and then a Class D second stage providing the power. This allows the amp to retain the sweetness of a class A design without the expense, heat, weight, etc. https://www.elac.com/series/alchemy-power/dpa-2/?r=us
 
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