Switching from A/B to D - Looking for Insights

[fpitas]

DF is Damping Factor, right, but what's DCR?

Alex

DC resistance. The resistance you measure with an ohmmeter.

 

[Marc v E]

Hi Everyone,

For amplification, I am currently running two Cyrus Power in mono, both augmented with separate Cyrus PSX-R Power Supply units. This combination is rated 110 W per channel into 8 Ohms. Below I explain my set-up in more detail. I currently plan to switch to class D, eg, boxem. Reasons: smaller footprint (check), higher energy efficiency (check) - better sound (now that's the big question).

I fully understand that no one has made this exact switch, in this exact set-up, and that is not what I am looking for. I am interested if people have made similar switches from a somewhat solid A/B design to a more recent D design, and if they were all happy campers, or is it all with a grain of salt. As you will see from my set-up below, I am using the Topping D70S DAC also as a pre-amp. In my opinion, I have to crank up the volume quite a bit (eg, to -30 dB), to reach a substantial playback level.

I am mostly listening to classical music, in concert in different venues, and on my stereo - for me that means that I should know, to some extent, how instruments and ensembles sound. And when a stereo is capable to deliver Mahler's 3rd, then there should be no issues with reproducing Metallica to reasonable satisfaction. And I need to say that the Cyrus have my speakers quite well under control to deliver on that.

This is my current set-up:

For physical SACD/Blu-Ray/DVD-A playback:
[Universal Player] Sony UBP-X800M2 (HDMI Audio Out) ► [HDMI Audio De-Embedder/Extractor] Noname (I2S Out) ► [DAC + Pre-Amp] Topping D70S (I2S In - XLR Out)

For CD playback:
[CD Transport] Audiolab 6000CDT (Coax Out) ► [DAC + Pre-Amp] Topping D70S (Coax In - XLR Out)

For Streaming:
Tidal (Hifi/Master) ► [Streamer] Logitech Squeezebox Touch (USB Out) ► [DAC + Pre-Amp] Topping D70S (USB In - XLR Out)

The rest of the chain is
[Amp] Cyrus Power Monoblocs w/ external power supplies (XLR In) ► [Speaker] Audio Physic Yara (1st Edition - nominally rated as 4 Ohm speakers)

Any insight is much appreciated - thank you very much!
Dominik

Thinking completely out of the box, I would suggest a minidsp flex in stead of your topping dac. This will probably give you much better results (with room and speaker eq) for far fewer cash than changing your amps.

 

[oceansize]

Wait a minute, are you currently using vintage English Cyrus "audiophile" amps, bridged and with upgraded power supplies? If so, by all means replace that with something that's been designed and verified to work over a wide range of difficult loads and sufficient power for your needs. The reason: it removes all doubt about the amps messing around with the music. This is the value of transparency: when you know you have it you can stop fussing over gear and spend that attention on music instead.

I came to ASR because I was very intrigued by the very strongly recommended Topping PA5. It was time for me to replace my ageing Technics SU-A900 Mk2. I was looking to build/update to a new smaller system that fits my living room. I finally settled on a Cyrus i7-XR as the amp to build my new system around. The reason: with its 3 year full parts and labour warranty, I could be confident that the amp was designed and well engineered to keep working and remove all doubts about the amp messing around with the music so I could stop fussing over the gear and spend that attention on music instead.

 

[Multicore]

I came to ASR because I was very intrigued by the very strongly recommended Topping PA5. It was time for me to replace my ageing Technics SU-A900 Mk2. I was looking to build/update to a new smaller system that fits my living room. I finally settled on a Cyrus i7-XR as the amp to build my new system around. The reason: with its 3 year full parts and labour warranty, I could be confident that the amp was designed and well engineered to keep working and remove all doubts about the amp messing around with the music so I could stop fussing over the gear and spend that attention on music instead.

How does the warranty afford confidence that its performance is transparent?

And if its performance is transparent, what can be gained from upgrading it?

 

[oceansize]

How does the warranty afford confidence that its performance is transparent?

And if its performance is transparent, what can be gained from upgrading it?

The warranty affords confidence that it will continue to perform.

 

[fpitas]

The warranty affords confidence that it will continue to perform.

Which is all to the good, if the performance is adequate. Which I believe was part of the question...

 

[oceansize]

Which is all to the good, if the performance is adequate. Which I believe was part of the question...

I certainly have no complaints about its performance and fully expect that it will be good enough for me for 15-20 years, but am not in a position to provide objective measurements.

 

[Multicore]

I certainly have no complaints about its performance and fully expect that it will be good enough for me for 15-20 years, but am not in a position to provide objective measurements.

In a post on the previous page measurements for i9-XR were linked

Switching from A/B to D - Looking for Insights

Hi Everyone, For amplification, I am currently running two Cyrus Power in mono, both augmented with separate Cyrus PSX-R Power Supply units. This combination is rated 110 W per channel into 8 Ohms. Below I explain my set-up in more detail. I currently plan to switch to class D, eg, boxem...

www.audiosciencereview.com

As Alex showed by including measurements of a Purifi amp, the Cyrus has higher distortion and lower power output but to me it looks like its performance might be unimpeachable in many practical applications. The degree of hygiene that the Purifi amp achieves is an impressive engineering accomplishment but I kinda feel that for my music listening it would be a bit like building a clean room to cook my lunch in and to wash the dishes.

 

[fpitas]

In a post on the previous page measurements for i9-XR were linked

Switching from A/B to D - Looking for Insights

Hi Everyone, For amplification, I am currently running two Cyrus Power in mono, both augmented with separate Cyrus PSX-R Power Supply units. This combination is rated 110 W per channel into 8 Ohms. Below I explain my set-up in more detail. I currently plan to switch to class D, eg, boxem...

www.audiosciencereview.com

As Alex showed by including measurements of a Purifi amp, the Cyrus has higher distortion and lower power output but to me it looks like its performance might be unimpeachable in many practical applications. The degree of hygiene that the Purifi amp achieves is an impressive engineering accomplishment but I kinda feel that for my music listening it would be a bit like building a clean room to cook my lunch in and to wash the dishes.

Lol! I think for any use it's beyond what is strictly necessary. But you have to admire getting so close to perfection.

 

[oceansize]

In a post on the previous page measurements for i9-XR were linked

Switching from A/B to D - Looking for Insights

Hi Everyone, For amplification, I am currently running two Cyrus Power in mono, both augmented with separate Cyrus PSX-R Power Supply units. This combination is rated 110 W per channel into 8 Ohms. Below I explain my set-up in more detail. I currently plan to switch to class D, eg, boxem...

www.audiosciencereview.com

As Alex showed by including measurements of a Purifi amp, the Cyrus has higher distortion and lower power output but to me it looks like its performance might be unimpeachable in many practical applications. The degree of hygiene that the Purifi amp achieves is an impressive engineering accomplishment but I kinda feel that for my music listening it would be a bit like building a clean room to cook my lunch in and to wash the dishes.

The i7 is (basically) the lower powered version of the i9 but practically, I was consciously moving away from the much beefier Technics (which is still in perfect working order) to something more appropriate for my small-medium living room.

 

[Multicore]

Lol! I think for any use it's beyond what is strictly necessary. But you have to admire getting so close to perfection.

This measurement-based review culture might be producing something like the market dynamic presented in that hilarious film Mondovino. Wine journalists give numerical scores (equivalent to opinion scores used in psychoacoustics) and enough consumers choose wine based on them for wine producers re-engineer their products to achieve the highest journalist scores. While I'm sympathetic to the critique in Mondovino—traditional, location-specific types changed—I don't see any such loss in audio gear. If your reading glasses can resolve to 10Å, it doesn't spoil the reading. What's amusing is how measurements themselves can excite people about products. I've been muttering for years about what I call "the comfort of numbers". I should try to write it up one day.

 

[mhardy6647]

Speaking of terroir...
Well -- I mean back in my day, we had East-Coast Sound and West-Coast Sound.

AR-3a
random internet image

Acoustic Research AR-3a Speaker Review, Specs and Price - the Vintage Speaker Review

The AR-3a was Acoustic Research´s High-end speaker and customers had to pay around 500$ to buy a pair, a fortune

vintage-speaker-review.com

JBL L-100 (kith and kin)

L100/4310

... and of course the British [monitor] sound.

KEF Model 104aB

KEF Reference Series, stand-mount loudspeker systems, with passive radiator

stereonomono.blogspot.com