Amp for tweeters only on dsp/active 3 way

[NJ coffee roaster]

Need balanced inputs, low SINAD and dont enjoy class D for anything but bass (yes even the new ones) but since its only for tweeters I really dont need much power.

I like the topping LA90 but it's a bit pricey and I think overkill for tweeters, any recommendations? For reference, I already have 4 mono amps im using for the woofers and mids.

 

[levimax]

Need balanced inputs, low SINAD and dont enjoy class D for anything but bass (yes even the new ones) but since its only for tweeters I really dont need much power.

I like the topping LA90 but it's a bit pricey and I think overkill for tweeters, any recommendations? For reference, I already have 4 mono amps im using for the woofers and mids.

If you don't mind DIY these fit your requirements perfectly. https://neurochrome.com/products/modulus-86 The specs speak for themselves. I built 4 almost 10 years ago and they work perfectly.

 

[Fledermaus]

It is discontinued but if you happen to get your hands on one of those, it might get the job done nicely : https://bryston.com/discontinued/2b-lp-pro/

 

[DatSpeakerTho]

dont enjoy class D for anything but bass

Huh?


A topping mini 300 is 8db sinad away from a benchmark ahb2, has no load dependency. I can't really see why one would object to that amp just based on it's class. It's better than most A/B.

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

Huh?


A topping mini 300 is 8db sinad away from a benchmark ahb2, has no load dependency. I can't really see why one would object to that amp just based on it's class. It's better than most A/B.

While fully expecting the opposite, even low SINAD class D gives me listening fatigue after 20 minutes whereas good AB I can do for hours. I have a treated room.

I do use class D for my woofers though, and it's fine there.

 

[LTig]

While fully expecting the opposite, even low SINAD class D gives me listening fatigue after 20 minutes [..]

Which ones did you try?

 

[Redacted]

Which ones did you try?

Probably not Purifi or Hypex!
And probably not a blind test.

 

[DatSpeakerTho]

While fully expecting the opposite, even low SINAD class D gives me listening fatigue after 20 minutes whereas good AB I can do for hours. I have a treated room.

I do use class D for my woofers though, and it's fine there.

So just a bunch of made up stuff to appease placebo? Got it.

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

So just a bunch of made up stuff to appease placebo? Got it.

Definitely not a placebo. In fact, said listening fatigue is what pushed me to fully treat my room, I assumed it must be from reflections, and I was wrong. I spent ages in REW and even made posts here about it, nothing worked until I switched to AB. In fact, even my older crappy AB receiver that I had before I got the D amps did not cause this issue, despite sounding much worse.

Since switching to the B200s with everything else exactly the same, no issue. I bought them from amazon specifically so that I could return them as I assumed slim chance it will fix the problem, and it did.

My hypothesis is that it's similar to older LED lighting where the color temperature and lumens would measure just fine, but people would get inexplicable headaches due to the speed of the flashes of the diodes. This has been resolved with modern LEDs of course, but those people were not imagining that despite it not being immediately obvious what was going on.

I can listen to a good quality class D and in the first few minutes think it's awesome, hence why I bought them as when I listened to others I thought they were great. But I didn't sit and listen for a long time, so I had no idea that this was even a thing.

 

[Svend P]

People can't tell amplifiers apart in general. The class doesn't matter.

Amplifier power: Class A, AB vs D

I have owned a lot of powerful amps: Krell, McCormack, Aragon, Bryston, etc. Some weighed close to 100 lbs. Can a lightweight Class D amplifier with the same wattage rating drive a speaker just as well as a behemoth Class A or AB amp? Or is there something about current, capacitor reserve, etc...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

People can't tell amplifiers apart in general. The class doesn't matter.

Amplifier power: Class A, AB vs D

I have owned a lot of powerful amps: Krell, McCormack, Aragon, Bryston, etc. Some weighed close to 100 lbs. Can a lightweight Class D amplifier with the same wattage rating drive a speaker just as well as a behemoth Class A or AB amp? Or is there something about current, capacitor reserve, etc...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This is not true for me, sorry. Granted, it takes a bit for the fatigue to start, but this is not a placebo for me. I believed the ASR crowd when they told me it can't be my amps (there are posts here about it) I was totally convinced that my room treatment would fix the issue, when it didn't I even tried steeper downward sloping curves for EQ and even that didn't work. Switched to topping B200s and despite my skepticism, it worked night and day. Granted, the improvement in actual sound quality when I got the toppings was very small compared to treating the room, and I'm very glad I treated the room as it sounds amazing now, but lack of room treatment was not what was causing my listening fatigue.

 

[Svend P]

This is not true for me, sorry. Granted, it takes a bit for the fatigue to start, but this is not a placebo for me. I believed the ASR crowd when they told me it can't be my amps (there are posts here about it) I was totally convinced that my room treatment would fix the issue, when it didn't I even tried steeper downward sloping curves for EQ and even that didn't work. Switched to topping B200s and despite my skepticism, it worked night and day. Granted, the improvement in actual sound quality when I got the toppings was very small compared to treating the room, and I'm very glad I treated the room as it sounds amazing now, but lack of room treatment was not what was causing my listening fatigue.

How can there be a difference in the sound when they meassure the same?

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

How can there be a difference in the sound when they meassure the same?

Obviously I am hypothesizing here but it's possible that there are more measurements we have not figured out yet. For example: when I referenced the phenomena of older LEDs giving people headaches despite measuring the same color temperature and lumens, we eventually figured out that it was the flashing, and we had equipment sophisticated enough to measure said flashing. Did that equipment always exist? No, and it is entirely possible that in the future we will have more sophisticated measuring equipment that will allow us to understand more about sound equipment than we do now.

 

[levimax]

How can there be a difference in the sound when they meassure the same?

I am very skeptical of claims of being able to hear a difference, even a "fatigue" difference, between a Mini 300 and B 200 and would like to see the OP do a blind ABX test, but the 2 amps do not measure the same. The B 200 is quite a bit better in every way and especially with HF distortion and to a lesser extent load dependency. Both amps don't seem to have any issues above the threshold of hearing but they are not the same.

 

[Svend P]

No, and it is entirely possible that in the future we will have more sophisticated measuring equipment that will allow us to understand more about sound equipment than we do now.

Not really. Audio signals are really simple. You need to do a blind test.

Master Thread: Are Measurements Everything or Nothing?

Seems like so many review threads get challenged with: 1. Measurements are not everything. 2. You all never listen. 3. I trust my ears, not graphs. 4. I don't listen to graphs. I listen to music. 5. You all must not listen to music at all. 6. Why don't you all buy the best SINAD gear? 7...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Redacted]

Flashing LEDs? Does they require blind testing?

 

[JohnnyNG]

More importantly, why is it so difficult to find a true light roast? Is it more exacting/difficult to nail?

 

[NJ coffee roaster]

More importantly, why is it so difficult to find a true light roast? Is it more exacting/difficult to nail?

Good one, I only sell light roast actually.

 

[Koifarm]

I have 8 watt ultra low noise and distortion amp build with 4 x lme49600 and opa1611. It is DIY. About 0.000088% distorsion.

 

[terryforsythe]

Need balanced inputs, low SINAD and dont enjoy class D for anything but bass (yes even the new ones) but since its only for tweeters I really dont need much power.

I like the topping LA90 but it's a bit pricey and I think overkill for tweeters, any recommendations? For reference, I already have 4 mono amps im using for the woofers and mids.

I am using a pair of Topping B100s for my tweeters in an all active setup.