Douk G7 Amplifier Review

[Audionaut]

I am pretty sure it is running 2x TPA3255 in PBTL and paralleling the speakers in A/B via relays.

No, it's BTL.
It's not that, for example, two Fosi V3 mono with one TPA3255 in PBTL are housed in one enclosure, but rather that two stereo TPA3255 amplifiers in BTL are housed in one enclosure. You can feed in 2 x stereo, i.e., 2 x 2.0, or four individual mono channels via the RCA inputs.

Douk Audio G7 is Coming! TPA3255 Amplifier with a Built-in Power Supply!

This thing is awesome (unlike my cable management) Not able to take any measurements of the amp itself, but it sounds pretty indistinguishable from my other amps: 3e A7, Fosi V3 Mono, Douk A5, and Buckeye NC502mp. Which is to say that it does the intended job! Currently powering some Elac...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Audionaut]

An Amp with TPA3255 that worse?
No, I can’t recommend it.
In this case i will stay with my WiiM Vibelink. This uses the same TI-Chip and delivers much better measurements and also sounds beautiful to the ears.

Yes, I had expected more from it too.
For example, it's cheaper to buy two A5s with an additional VU meter if you need four channels and want to see a VU meter.

If you only need good measurements from the TI Chips at a good pricepoint, then go for the Topping Mini 300, if you want good measurements and Performance, go for the A7 from 3e Audio.

 

[CD2]

Except the measurement issues I personally am disappointed that these Asian devices are almost always smaller than the classic 43cm/17" Hifi components width which makes them look more toyish to me and matching less existing components.

Counterpoint: The smaller the better! Audio gear is either ugly, ostentatious, or both. You want nice things to look at, buy art.

 

[Endibol]

Except the measurement issues I personally am disappointed that these Asian devices are almost always smaller than the classic 43cm/17" Hifi components width which makes them look more toyish to me and matching less existing components.

Perhaps because typical homes in China are smaller than the ones in the USA or Europe?

 

[CD2]

Perhaps because typical homes in China are smaller than the ones in the USA or Europe?

My experience is that even in the US, normies would rather not clutter their living rooms. A large subset of the audiophile community, however, gets pleasure from contemplating big warm metal boxes. Nothing wrong with that. It has however been interesting to see the tension on ASR. The charm of ASR is its focus on measurable results, and openness to the possibility that good results might come from really cheap gear. We might not need so many, or such large, boxes! But you see a constant undercurrent of resistance to giving up the big warm boxes, e.g. on threads re the new generation of active speakers.

 

[VientoB]

I'm not sure who would want those big blue lit meters.

 

[beagleman]

I'm not sure who would want those big blue lit meters.

Honestly I think it would be a great/fun amp for in my basement room just to look at it while listening.

Would not however care for it in living room or TV room

 

[amirm]

My experience is that even in the US, normies would rather not clutter their living rooms.

And that market is far larger than enthusiast audiophile one. Look at success of SONOS.

 

[amirm]

On the meter color, the face of the meter is the blue color. It is not a light that makes it so. So they would have to make all new ones instead of just changing an LED.

 

[Bleib]

The hardest thing to understand is why the multi-tone test is so much worse than their own A5

 

[Sokel]

Counterpoint: The smaller the better! Audio gear is either ugly, ostentatious, or both. You want nice things to look at, buy art.

There's the functional side of size at passive cooled amps.
Their thermals are directly proportional to the real estate cooling area (as everywhere, I have posted the math multiple times) .

If an amp wants to show even a remote ability for continuous serious power across the spectrum, thermals must follow.
There's no other way around that other than active cooling.


To the amp now, I have the feeling they tried too much ,too cheap and too sloppy.
No point to specifics.

Nope.

Thanks Amir!

Edit: No that it would change much, but no 40Hz test???

 

[testp]

Really ugly VU meter colour choice

yes, let's hope that was defective too, and real one is ambient yellow

 

[amirm]

Edit: No that it would change much, but no 40Hz test???

As I said, I abbreviated testing due to channel mismatch for power.

 

[Ralph_Cramden]

Really ugly VU meter colour choice

Yep. Hey @Douk Audio , here's a visual reference for a decent looking modern amp with VU meters

 

[PristineSound]

Yup, it's really hard to do UV meters correctly. I reckon that very few can do UV meters better than the Japanese.

 

[testp]

Yup, it's really hard to do UV meters correctly. I think reckon that very few can do UV meters better than the Japanese.

yes, but how hard can it be...? -> just don't mess up...!

 

[PristineSound]

yes, but how hard can it be...? -> just don't mess up...!

But it's very easy to mess up though.

For example, the Eversolo AMP-F10 is a great product, the UV meters are excellent looking but alas the needle movement isn't damped, so when the needles are moving, it moves like a mad man. Just hideous.

 

[testp]

But it's very easy to mess up though.

For example, the Eversolo AMP-F10 is a great product, the UV meters are excellent looking but alas the needle movement isn't damped, so when the needles are moving, it moves like a mad man. Just hideous.

no no, i meant that as a joke, cause apparently it is so easy to mess up

 

[EJ3]

Great concept of a product, poor execution!
If we could get topping level performance with the VUs in light yellow it would sell like crazy methinks....

Thanks for testing Amir!

I did not like the light yellow when I was 14 (in 1971) or now. Am happy to see some other color for the meters.

 

[Theodoros]

I bought a Douk G7amplifier from Amazon.de on the 10th of December and to date I have not noticed any malfunction. It has a very good sound, and in a direct AB comparison between G7 and a Rotel A8 and two Fosi V3 Monos, using a Fosi LC30 amplifier/speaker selector, I did not notice any qualitative sound difference between them. I am very happy with my purchase and now I have it as my reference TPA3255 amplifier, replacing my Fosi V3 Monos which now amplify the center channels in two home cinema setups.