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Dayton Audio A400 new AB amplifier

It's an amp.

Seems ok if you want to make sound. $900 for two channels, $2.25 per watt. You could do worse, or you could also do better. Based on its price, it's probably okay for speakers retailing up to $1000 each.
 
AcousticTheory said:
It's an amp.

Seems ok if you want to make sound. $900 for two channels, $2.25 per watt. You could do worse, or you could also do better. Based on its price, it's probably okay for speakers retailing up to $1000 each.
Click to expand...
????????????
 
Bumping this thread because this amp is on sale for $499 and I gotta admit it's a bit tempting at that price. Since the last post in this thread does anybody have experience with this amp?

www.parts-express.com

Dayton Audio A400 2x200 Watts Class AB Stereo Power Amplifier

Dayton Audio A400 2x200 Watts Class AB Stereo Power Amplifier Dayton Audio A400 2x200 Watts Class AB Stereo Power Amplifier Experience true hi-end power in your entertainment system with our new A400 Amplifier. Seamlessly blending top-notch functionality and specs with great value, this piece is...
www.parts-express.com

Review:


Measurements:

SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - Dayton Audio A400 Stereo/Mono Amplifier Measurements

soundstagenetwork.com soundstagenetwork.com

1967_10_.jpg
 
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I just bought one for the 499 price. Figured it is worth a try given the 60 day return window.
I am puzzled by the almost total lack of any reviews or discussions of this amplifier anywhere other than the one quoted above.

Maybe at 900 they didn't sell many?

I am wondering if this could be an excellent budget power amp. What else might be better under 1000? 1500?
 
rjp said:
I just bought one for the 499 price. Figured it is worth a try given the 60 day return window.
I am puzzled by the almost total lack of any reviews or discussions of this amplifier anywhere other than the one quoted above.

Maybe at 900 they didn't sell many?

I am wondering if this could be an excellent budget power amp. What else might be better under 1000? 1500?
Click to expand...

I'm interested in your thoughts after you receive it.
 
Sure. No problem. Have you found any other reviews or discussions other than the SoundStageAccess?
 
I chickened out and cancelled my order. I still may get one, but want to look at some other amps first.
 
Hi all. I picked up the Dayton Audio A400 a little over a month ago from PartsExpress and so far it seems to be a great amp. It's my first external amp so take it for what it's worth. I don't think you can beat it for $500. I'm mostly streaming from the Wiim Ultra into the Onkyo RZ50 with pre-outs to the A400 powering Polk XT70s. I purchased the A400 with the intent of driving the Polk R700s. I should be picking up a set in the coming week. I'll leave an update when I finally get them up and going. So far though it's been a great amp and runs very cool.
 
ss1976 said:
Hi all. I picked up the Dayton Audio A400 a little over a month ago from PartsExpress and so far it seems to be a great amp. It's my first external amp so take it for what it's worth. I don't think you can beat it for $500. I'm mostly streaming from the Wiim Ultra into the Onkyo RZ50 with pre-outs to the A400 powering Polk XT70s. I purchased the A400 with the intent of driving the Polk R700s. I should be picking up a set in the coming week. I'll leave an update when I finally get them up and going. So far though it's been a great amp and runs very cool.
Click to expand...
NCx252MP based amp beg to differ

SoundStageNetwork.com | SoundStage.com - Dayton Audio A400 Stereo/Mono Amplifier Measurements

www.soundstagenetwork.com www.soundstagenetwork.com

decent measurement but nothing to write home about. A400 is $899 (currently on sale for $499). NCx252MP could give it a few runs for the money
 
rjp said:
I am wondering if this could be an excellent budget power amp. What else might be better under 1000? 1500?
Click to expand...
I strongly suggest looking around on the market a lot more.

For around 1000 you can already get some Hypex NCx500 stereo power amp. For example https://www.buckeyeamp.com/shop/amplifiers/hypex/ncx500/2_channel

That's a whole different league than the Dayton, both in power capability and technical quality. There and especially towards 1500 moneys we're already in absolute endgame territory when it comes to simple stereo poweramps. Hypex Nilai, Purifi Eigentakt, that ballpark.

As always it's questionable how much all that is actually audible - mostly it isn't - but I see no reason to buy something mediocre when for the same money you can have absolute monsters that are technically hard to beat at any price. Or something still better or comparable for much less.
 
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ss1976 said:
Hi all. I picked up the Dayton Audio A400 a little over a month ago from PartsExpress and so far it seems to be a great amp. It's my first external amp so take it for what it's worth. I don't think you can beat it for $500. I'm mostly streaming from the Wiim Ultra into the Onkyo RZ50 with pre-outs to the A400 powering Polk XT70s. I purchased the A400 with the intent of driving the Polk R700s. I should be picking up a set in the coming week. I'll leave an update when I finally get them up and going. So far though it's been a great amp and runs very cool.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your update. It seems to be an amazing value for a massive pile of AB muscle. Almost at bit too good to be true at 499. I really wish there were more official tests and reviews out there. You are helping a lot of people with your report!

Please keep us posted with any updates.
 
rjp said:
Thanks, but not interested in class D at this point.
Any AB amps that might be better than this one under 1000-1200?
Click to expand...
Why is it important what class it is? You usually get more watt per dollar with class D

www.audiosciencereview.com

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 www.audiosciencereview.com
 
rjp said:
Thanks, but not interested in class D at this point.
Any AB amps that might be better than this one under 1000-1200?
Click to expand...
Huh?
There are measurements in the link I provided clearly shows that this amp is inferior to a good class D amp. There is no reason to spend more for less performance.

If you insist, Yamaha S701 - S801 are good amps under $1200. They are proven amps with transparent enough power, good looking ones. $ for $ can't beat ncx252.
 
rjp said:
Thanks, but not interested in class D at this point.
Any AB amps that might be better than this one under 1000-1200?
Click to expand...
A good question I honestly don't find easy to answer.

There's a sort of hard limit to how cheap beefy, traditional class A/AB can get, mainly dictated by the amount of material needed. You inevitably need large transformers, big caps, beefy transistors, and considerable lumps of metal to cool it. In that respect the discounted Dayton price is very good.

However if I wanted a chunky AB amp, I'd probably look on the used market and get something like this for a few hundred:

17444.jpg


Vincent SV-226MK hybrid amplifier, got a demo model for 750 mid 2000s; back then it was considered good value for the regular price of 1000

...that I sold two years ago, for 350 with new tubes. Had been a joy to use for 20 years. Properly designed tube preamp stage too, inaudible but nice from a nerdy tech point of view. AB power stage 2x200W. Amps like these aren't cutting edge and never were but they just work. Available for little money if you enjoy that kind of oldschool chonkiness.
 
delta76 said:
Huh?
There are measurements in the link I provided clearly shows that this amp is inferior to a good class D amp. There is no reason to spend more for less performance.
Click to expand...
As a scientist myself I have a great deal of respect for the measurements and that's the main reason I visit this forum, but I'm not convinced that everything that matters is currently being measured.

Clearly in terms of THD and SINAD the highest quality class D is now superior to AB. If all that matters is maximizing these numbers, then there is no thinking or listening needed. Just pick the best score and be done. The designs by Hypex and Purifi in particular have made remarkable strides. I expect this technology will continue to improve over the next several years. I would rather wait a while more. For now, I feel more comfortable with class AB.
 
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