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$500 amplifiers to test and review?

estuardo4

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Allo Volt+ D 60W x2 TPA3116D2 Dual Mono ($147 w/ PSU, $129 w/o PSU)

No specs but Allo usually makes good engineered stuffs so I'm confident this would do competently, at least within its price tag. Would love to see some more measurements by Amir for power amps in this price bracket.

This amp looks interesting indeed. But I'm anxiously waiting for the PW-amp and the Powergate reviews, as they are both $500 USD amps selling at less than $200 and have many more functions than this Allo amp. I really hope that Amir have the time soon.
 

BillG

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estuardo4

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Willem

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Try to get one of the discontinued Yamaha Pxx00 series. See here for a test with an AP analyzer of the 2x350 watt P3500s: https://www.homecinema-fr.com/forum...mpli-yamaha-p3500s-mise-a-jour-t30056383.html At some time, they sold within your budget, I bought the similar 2x250 watt P2500s for my son for only 300 euro, or about $350. It is very well built (at home the fan has never come on thus far), and shows what engineering and manufacturing quality big companies that sell huge volumes are capable of. It beats audiophile products that cost ten or twenty times more hands down.
 
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RayDunzl

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daftcombo

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JohnBooty

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Thanks. It is not that bad actually.
But as you say, the final product meets those specs at best.
I've got a few cheap-ish amps based on the TDA7498E (Topping PA3, an SMSL 98E) and they're a lot of fun considering the affordable-ish price and compact size. In typical Class D fashion, distortion skyrockets after a certain point but you're getting around 50W (or more, at 4ohm) of fairly clean power before that's a factor.

They are certainly not the answer to the quest for absolute excellence, but most of their flaws are going to fall below the noise floor in any typical real-world situation.

Their power output is overkill for a desktop, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them for a compact system or a secondary system.
 
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HuskerDu

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As many people here could tell you, the best way to check if a speaker is any good in your room, is to narrow your list to two or three models from different vendors to try them out on your room. My vote for speakers are the Tekton Perfect SET 12" ones. At $1,800 delivered. Everybody loves them and will provide you plenty of refinement and bass. And they are built for efficiency, at 96dB 2.83V@1m sensitivity and 8 ohms

They have a 60 day policy to try them out at your home.

As for amp options, I would try the Hypex NC400 that Amir tested and provided a recommendation. It's the only sub$1,000 USD that Amir recommends for now.

So, for about $3,200 you'll have a really nice set of well tested system.

System is up and running today...

I can hear the teeny little "r" pronunciation at the end of French lyrics sung by women. Full blast, the highs sound like there are too many notes trying to squeeze out of the doorway all at once. The mid- and low-range sounds begin and end very crisply at any volume. No ringing or overhang, if that makes sense. Some recordings (Qobuz lossless) seem to have been "loaded" with a bit of a bass droning (my term, if you'll forgive) that sounds like hum, but isn't there when I stop the playback. I can hear the theater accoustics in recordings made on a live stage. True to some writers on this forum, my brain can tell the difference between the music and the rattling dishes (someplace) in my room, no problem. And I can hear the opera guy singing right out the top (beyond the range, sounds like) of the microphone-- when I turn down the volume that specific distortion seems to still be there, just at a lower volume. (You know, the tin-can sound that's really bad in very early recordings of tenors...)

I've ordered an analog splitter to see if the Chromecast DAC is better than the one in the Emotiva...

What other tests should I run or listen for, given this is a whole system-and-room...?
 

JohnBooty

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What other tests should I run or listen for, given this is a whole system-and-room...?
Listen to a bunch of recordings you know well. Pay attention to percussion like cymbals as those are sometimes difficult for cheap tweeters and amps to get right. Classical recordings with massive dynamic range provide a good torture test -- can your system play the quiet parts at acceptable volume, and not detonate in a fireball when it attempts to handle the loud parts? Here's one I use, specifically Firebird: Finale. Find a lossless source if possible and make sure volume/loudness compensation is turned off in your audio player. https://www.amazon.com/Stravinsky-Nightingale-Firebird-Suite-Spring/dp/B0000015A6

A good recording of Ravel's Bolero is a lot of fun too. Most of the major instrument groups in the orchestra taking turns playing the same simple melody.

These demo discs from Chesky are also sort of fun/instructive/useful if you really want to geek out on this stuff and hear examples that connect vague audiophile terms to actual sound samples. http://www.chesky.com/album/ultimate-demonstration-disc-ud95

Most importantly listen to music you actually like. Husker Du albums should rock out and have you bouncing off the furniture. Otherwise what good is any of this crap? Crank up New Day Rising and see if it peels the paint off of your walls!
 

daftcombo

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I've got a few cheap-ish amps based on the TDA7498E (Topping PA3, an SMSL 98E) and they're a lot of fun considering the affordable-ish price and compact size. In typical Class D fashion, distortion skyrockets after a certain point but you're getting around 50W (or more, at 4ohm) of fairly clean power before that's a factor.

They are certainly not the answer to the quest for absolute excellence, but most of their flaws are going to fall below the noise floor in any typical real-world situation.

Their power output is overkill for a desktop, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them for a compact system or a secondary system.

I'm actually hesitating between that cheapo and a Powergate.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...asurements-of-klipsch-powergate-dac-amp.7376/
It's like 85$ (with power supply) vs 200$ where I live, shipping included.
 

Xulonn

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I hope that you could make a test of Audiophonics Ncore Classe D amplifiers SA-S125NC.

The Audiophonics Hypex amps look interesting, and are cheaper than the Apollon or Nord amps with the same Hypex module. If the input stage is important, how would it compare with the Nord and Apollon? The case is a tight fit for the Hypex board, but the vertical convective ventilation design looks adequate.

This amp is now available in a balanced/XLR version for the same price. I've added it to my short list of potential amps to go with my soon-to-arrive Topping DX7s DAC with volume control from MassDrop.

Audiophonics - Hypex Amp - XLR.JPG
 

JohnBooty

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sergeauckland

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been interested in these brands forever, they're pretty much unknown in the west (and don't seem to gain traction in China either?) but dang if those don't look convincing.
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=22705352409
View attachment 25350
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=19298969816
View attachment 25351

Whenever I see a tube in an otherwise SS product, I always wonder why bother? It either doesn't distort audibly any worse than a SS product, in which case what's the point, or it does distort audibly more, in which case it's an effects box. To me, a single tube in a headphone amplifier is just marketing, not engineering.

That power amp looks neat and tidy.

S.
 

GGroch

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I'm irrationally attracted to slick looking Chi-Fi, so thanks for the sweet photos. If you Google Ipar 1023a you can see Senzhen Audio and AliExpress out of stock listings with specs & more photos in English. One of the most complete user reviews I have ever seen on Amazon for the 1023a is here.

segeauckland is right about the tube buffer conundrum, if it does not distort, what is the point? The distortion specs:
Pre-distortion: 0.143% (tube even-order distortion), Amp distortion: 0.154% (tube even-order distortion) - which is close to audibility if accurate. The S/N specs of 113 dB are quite good. I notice on one of the photos that the underside of the chassis has dip switches to adjust (I think) headphone impedance/sensitivity. I have owned a couple of amps with this feature and find it quite useful.

They do not seem to be available any longer. I have a similar in concept (but not quite as impressively built) DAC/Amp, the Xiangsheng DAC-01a that is discussed in this thread. The DAC-01a has the benefit of offering both even-order distorted tube pre-outs, and less distorted "Direct" outs.
 

DosThou

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Well I wouldn't mind a clean sounding effect box myself if that isn't a conundrum. :p

Seems like the only way to purchase them is through the original taobao pages, I usually use buying agents myself for cases like this. Sometimes it's even cheaper than through third party resellers. Problem is I'm not sure if it's even worth the rather cheap asking price considering I already got a 789. Throwing these out there if someone willing to take the plunge.
 

estuardo4

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Audiophilestyle recently published a review of three Class D amps from PS Audio, Wyred4Sound and a Swedish company named XTZ (that I haven't heard from them before). The PS Audio and the W4S amps are out of the $500 USD mark, but the XTZ Edge A2-300 costs $495 USD and it is 300W per channel at 4 Ohms.

https://www.xtzsound.com/product/edge-a2-300

  • Dimensions: 7.9 x 2.3 (2.8) x 11.2" (cm: 20 x 5,8 (7) x 28,5),
  • Weight: 5 lbs / 2,3 kg
  • Price: 495 € + shipping direct from XTZ webpages. According to XTZ available worldwide on request, incl. US & Canada
  • Design: ICEpower discret build 300AS1 Class D amplifier with integrated power supply, ICEpower 300A1 Class D board attached, Input stage with adjustable impedance
  • Input: RCA unbalanced inputs
  • Output: 1 pair of Music Conductor copper binding posts per channel
I don't know if anyone have heard this amp? It looks tempting a one of the less expensive amps using the 300AS1 module.
 
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