• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

D-Sonic M3a-600M Class-D Amplifier Review

Rate this amplifier:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 100 45.0%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 111 50.0%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther)

    Votes: 10 4.5%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 1 0.5%

  • Total voters
    222

amirm

Founder/Admin
Staff Member
CFO (Chief Fun Officer)
Joined
Feb 13, 2016
Messages
45,717
Likes
254,175
Location
Seattle Area
This is a review and detailed measurements of the D-Sonic M3a-600M Class-D monoblock amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and costs US $1,175.
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier pascal X-Pro class D review.jpg

Packaging is a step above "DIY"/budget class D amplifier with heavy gauge steel all around. It also weighs more than amplifiers in those classes. Back panel shows balanced input and trigger which is appreciated:

D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier pascal X-Pro class D back panel XLR trigger review.jpg


Company doesn't state the origin of its class D design but a review says it is based on Pascal X-Pro series. Many OEMs uses these modules for their reliability and high power capabilities. To wit, the spec for M3a-600M calls for 800 watts into 8 ohm despite the name indicating otherwise.

D-Sonic M3a-600M Measurements
Let's start with our dashboard of 5 watts into 4 ohm load using XLR input:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier balanced measurement.png

I was disappointed to see such high level of 3rd harmonic in this day and age. That dominates SINAD, delegating the amplifier into our "fair" category of all amplifiers tested to date:

Best monoblock amplifier hifi review.png

Zooming in:

Best monoblock amplifier hifi zoom review.png


Amplifier gain is quite high at 31 dB which is a likely contributing factor to even lower performance with RCA input:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier RCA measurement.png


Now noise dominates. I played with different grounding methods but that was the best I could get.

Naturally, that reflects into our SNR measurements:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier SNR at 5 watts measurement.png


Not a good showing but situation improves at full power:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier SNR at full power measurement.png


Frequency response is very good for a class D amplifier:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier balanced frequency response measurement.png


Multitone shows increase in distortion with frequency:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier Multitone measurement.png

Which naturally is also reflected in our 19+20 kHz intermodulation distortion test:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier 19 20 kHz intermodulation measurement.png


Product's claim to fame is power and on that front, it delivers:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier balanced Power 4 ohm measurement.png

But at noted, distortion sets in early. I checked Pascal spec (inset) and it is only a bit better than what I am measuring.

Protection circuit is robust and strong but at the same time, it didn't allow me to get reliable max power. But did work for peak power:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier balanced Peak Power 4 ohm measurement.png

That is hell of a lot of power!

We get good bit of power at 8 ohm as well:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier balanced Power 8 ohm measurement.png


I was impressed with amplifiers ability to produce lots of power into high frequencies -- many amps have trouble here:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier balanced Power 4 ohm vs frequency vs distortion measurement.png

The backward excursion of the graphs shows the amplifier protection circuit. We can see in excess of 600 watts before that happens above 500 Hz.

Warm up was uneventful:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier warm up measurement.png


There is likely power off pop however:
D-Sonic M3a-600M monoblock amplifier balanced power on pop measurement.png


The amplifier finished the measurements with its bottom plate pretty warm. Considering how much power it has though, that is to be expected. Be sure to not stack it on other amps.

Conclusions
Story here is pretty simple: noise and distortion is below par by some 10 dB. But you have tons and tons of power. You all need to do the math for me as far as value relative to the power it produces. A way to look at this amplifier is that it is like a "Pro" amplifier but with no fan with 3 to 4 times higher cost.

I personally can't recommend the D-Sonic M3a-600M due to high level of distortion and noise (in unbalanced). But you may decide otherwise if you want a branded amplifier with lots of power.
------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just buy a pro rack mounted amp for half the money? These modules are aimed at pro audio, so I'm sure you can find a rack mounted amp using them.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, @amirm ! :)

Very powerful, but clearly not that clean. In fact, very noisy.

Packaging is a step above "DIY"/budget class D amplifier
Doesn't seem like it, at least on pictures. :confused: For this price class, I would have expected something more... appealing.

Pic of the inside:
1000036362.jpg

Edit : shared by @daniboun above.
 
I would vote fine by power alone but that 20Hz behavior and performance is not convincing at all.

Thanks Amir!
Looks like it's limited by the protection circuit (possibly together with anti-DC) At least there's no fear of quality loss, up until 317W into 20Hz sine wave anyway. With real music it's doubtful the integral of the waveform would reach a value high enough to trigger.
 
Looks like it's limited by the protection circuit (possibly together with anti-DC) At least there's no fear of quality loss, up until 317W into 20Hz sine wave anyway. With real music it's doubtful the integral of the waveform would reach a value high enough to trigger.
Depends how you use it.
At this thread there's a good example of an LFE signal (from Interstellar) which can bring down an amp to it's knees if used for subs,etc.
 
For similar money one can get a Hypex NCore NC2k based amplifier from VTV that has much more power while also better noise and distortion levels.


Edit: measurements from the Apollon amp using the same module and power supply, so it should be identical to VTV.
 
Last edited:
A lot of powerrrrr but not so good power sadly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VQR
I can't help thinking it looks inadequately cooled for sustained output, given the steel case won't help much. The module datasheet doesn't say much about it beyond the fan and protection trigger temperatures. I assume there is no fan in there (no sign of one in the internlal pics, but could be bonded inside the lid I suppose.)
 
I can't help thinking it looks inadequately cooled for sustained output, given the steel case won't help much. The module datasheet doesn't say much about it beyond the fan and protection trigger temperatures. I assume there is no fan in there (no sign of one in the internlal pics, but could be bonded inside the lid I suppose.)
Can't tell by the height but fan could be underneath the module too.
And it should,even if the whole case acts like a heatskink it's a joke for this kind of power.

Edit:Also feet does not seem fit for the application.
I have seen melted ones in similar arrangement,rubber should not be used when case acts as a heatshink.
 
Last edited:
I voted not great...
However, I must say that I know someone who has had a pair of these Pascal modules purchased ready-assembled in the United States and delivered to France for many years now, 8 or 9, and who uses them to power a pair of Revel Salon 2... These are therefore already old modules and we can imagine that the manufacturer has improved certain points on the successor of this module (if there is one! = PS he just told me that there have been two or three generations since then.)
With him the listening is magnificent from all points of view in a treated acoustic which allows you to appreciate these magnificent speakers without hindrance. We had compared a DAC Topping DX3 Pro + and a Gustard at his place, the reference of which I have forgotten but sold about four times more expensive and which also had excellent measurements, levels carefully equalized and had not been able to establish the slightest hierarchy if indeed we were able to differentiate the two DACs...
 
Last edited:
It's a Headless Panther.

The market comparable for this amp is the latest generation of Purifi Eigentact monos from Buckeye amps


Which one would anyone here rather have?
 
Not competitive with offerings from Buckeye and Apollon. Probably below hearing threshold for distortion, yet still I don’t like the measurements. Thank you Amirm for returning in full swing with the flow of reviews!
 
Even the power output doesn't justify that price. You can get a Hypex UcD2k monoblock for $800 which does an honest 2000 watts, and Hypex specifically notes it is suitable for subwoofers so I assume low frequency performance is good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VQR
I was always curious how these tested... for some reason they are exactly what I predicted: powerful but not very clean. I think my next amp will be an Apollon NCx500ST. That seems like a sweet spot.
 
Back
Top Bottom