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Anybody using D class amplifier for Magico speaker?
- Thread starter Canyonhk
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Ask a Magico or Wilson retailer if they would recommend Hypex or Purifi , and write their replies here.
Keith
Keith
How would the amp know that the speaker it's connected to is expensive? Would it be expected that it would handle the expensive speaker differently?
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Well... if it had a high-ish output impedance, it would feel the loudspeaker's wacky, if not downright perverse, impedance and phase curves.
You might find the speakers sounding too lean and bright with low distortion electronics because how the speakers are tuned and because they suffer from floor bounce along with some other weakness in the design. If so, get a DSP like miniDSP Flex and tune them darker with shelving filters.
P. S. Low distortion is low distortion whether it's class A, AB or D.
P. S. Low distortion is low distortion whether it's class A, AB or D.
The amps would be fine I just don’t see a dealer ( high end) recommending them.
Keith
Keith
- Thread Starter
- #8
Hi, Keith, without asking them i believed they would recommend what they are selling now. Magico retailer is selling Dan D'agostino and pretty sure they will suggest what they are selling. I don't think i can get objective opinion from retailer. So, i asked here.
- Thread Starter
- #9
Got it thanks, Keith. Looking for my journey with purifi.
PristineSound
Major Contributor
You should be asking how good the Magico and Wilson are before asking how good these class D are. Speakers makes the most difference in sound quality, a long with speaker placement and room.
Keith_W
Master Contributor
No, but the brain knows that the speaker and amp are expensive. So the brain perceives the sound differently
For the OP: Toole wrote about this in Chapter 16 of his book, "Loudspeakers and Power Amplifiers":
"Sadly there have been some notable examples of high-end loudspeakers having impedances that dipped very low: to an ohm or less. This is a problem of incompetent loudspeaker design. However, sensing a market, amplifier designers responded with monster "arc-welder" devices that can drive these problem loudspeakers, but it is overkill for most circumstances. It was amusing at the time to read that these incompletely (sic?) designed loudspeakers "revealed" differences between power amplifiers, as if it were a virtue. They were the cause of the differences".
One can sense a certain exasperation in Toole's writings. I don't know if he intends the humour, but I find it entertaining
Anyway, this is the impedance curve of a Wilson Alexx V from Stereophile. It only marginally dips below 2 Ohm, but it would still require a lot of current to drive. A Class D amp would drive that quite easily, but there is a certain snobbery against Class D amplifiers. In fact the entire market of traditional audiophiles are conservative and wedded to ancient technology as somehow being superior - LP playback, tube amps, R2R, and monster Class A amps. And even then they talk about "transistor sound". Class D is viewed with less suspicion, and digital and DSP viewed with the most suspicion of all. Digital has been on the market for more than 40 years and they still think it is inferior to LP. And I have been banging my head against a wall on another forum talking to those guys about streaming.
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- Thread Starter
- #12
That is the reason ask the question here - I saw all people from youtube or retailer are using giant A class or A/B class amps. First of all, I can't afford those, secondly my wife will never allow me to put huge set up in the living room. I may have chance to get the used Magico S3 or A5 but i don't have extra room (money) for those giant amps. And I search in internet and seems nobody using class D (i like it much smaller with power and good price) for Magico.No, but the brain knows that the speaker and amp are expensive. So the brain perceives the sound differently
For the OP: Toole wrote about this in Chapter 16 of his book, "Loudspeakers and Power Amplifiers":
"Sadly there have been some notable examples of high-end loudspeakers having impedances that dipped very low: to an ohm or less. This is a problem of incompetent loudspeaker design. However, sensing a market, amplifier designers responded with monster "arc-welder" devices that can drive these problem loudspeakers, but it is overkill for most circumstances. It was amusing at the time to read that these incompletely (sic?) designed loudspeakers "revealed" differences between power amplifiers, as if it were a virtue. They were the cause of the differences".
One can sense a certain exasperation in Toole's writings. I don't know if he intends the humour, but I find it entertaining
View attachment 471424
Anyway, this is the impedance curve of a Wilson Alexx V from Stereophile. It only marginally dips below 2 Ohm, but it would still require a lot of current to drive. A Class D amp would drive that quite easily, but there is a certain snobbery against Class D amplifiers. In fact the entire market of traditional audiophiles are conservative and wedded to ancient technology as somehow being superior - LP playback, tube amps, R2R, and monster Class A amps. And even then they talk about "transistor sound". Class D is viewed with less suspicion, and digital and DSP viewed with the most suspicion of all. Digital has been on the market for more than 40 years and they still think it is inferior to LP. And I have been banging my head against a wall on another forum talking to those guys about streaming.
There will be zero issues powering these speakers with most class Class D amps, especially Hypex or Purifi based ones. Both models dip down to about 3 Ohm. That’s perfectly fine.
I guess you don’t see the pairing much because it doesn’t really fit the narrative that you can power such an expensive speaker with a cheaper, smaller amp. And it seems it worked perfectly well, because you fell for it.
An amp is just an amp. Within their operating parameters, most amps will sound the same, regardless of price or technology, unless it’s deliberately (and sometimes unintentionally) non-linear in some way. And those amps are way less common than the industry wants to you believe. So just make sure it can handle the load and have enough power, is within your budget, has the features you need, and your good to go.
For the most part the ‘high end’ has nothing whatsoever to do with actual improving sound quality and everything to do with extracting cash from the customer.
Keith
Keith
analogonly
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Magico A5 is much more difficult to drive than an impedance of 3 ohms suggests.
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I've been using Hypex NC400 for 8 or so years, driving speakers that are worth 40 times more than the amps. No issues, no complaints. No audible difference with the more expensive amplifiers that I also own (predating Hypex). I was a bit worried when I went Hypex - the Internet hate was off the charts in audiophile forums. No regrets whatsoever.
Of course, but those amp's specs are not that good. Boulder's such as the 3050 mono are much better.
After home-auditioning 12 solid state amps in the £3-8K price range (Classe A, AB and D), I chose a Class D amp. Not any Class D, or even any Purifi Eigentakt Eval-board based one, but a built-under-licence Eigentakt one matched with suitable power supply and other important componants. It drives a £35K speaker system very well.
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