Which DIY Class D amp module would give the best sound for a 15-16 channel home theater power amp build. Under $200/channel?

[syvmn]

I've been poking around for a month or two looking at various options for a complete DIY home theater setup from the screen, to speakers, to subwoofers and now on to an amp. I love building things, so the more I can do myself the better. It gives me a ton of entertainment and pride.

If I were to buy a processor like the Anthem AVM 70 I would need an amplifier to power the 15 speaker channels. Looking around I have found the ICEpower 125ASX2 or the ICEpower 250ASX2 for a little more power. At $230 and $335, they offer what seems like decent quality for around $100-$150/channel. From the reviews I have read here, they seem OK, but not GREAT.

When I try to find other similar modules to build something from that are reviewed much better, they seem to jump up to $500/channel and are a lot harder to source. Are there other options out there for me to look at that offer more than the ICEpower modules for around $200/channel?

This would be dedicated to home theater if that makes any difference. Thanks for any help with this!

 

[3eaudio]

how much power you need per channel?
we will make 2/4/6/8 channel amp based on TPA3255

 

[syvmn]

100-200w/channel into 8ohm. That seems to be where most AV receivers are for output.

how much power you need per channel?
we will make 2/4/6/8 channel amp based on TPA3255

 

[uriy-ch]

Are there other options out there for me to look at that offer more than the ICEpower modules for around $200/channel?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1572678173...TX0BEP&hash=item249de473a7:g:4P8AAeSwGdloqwIU

 

[Matias]

The icepower 125ASX2 for 242 USD per module, use it in stereo for all satellite speakers and 3 in mono for the front trio.

ICEpower 125ASX2 - ICEpower Shop

Combining a highly efficient resonant gearbox power supply with an audiophile class D amplifier of 2?125 W at 4 ?, bridgeable to 1?450 W at 4 ?. Very popular for bass amplifiers, subwoofers, stereo home automation and hifi amplifiers as well as industrial applications.

shop.icepoweraudio.com

It has been updated to Conductor tech and more or less on par with NCore in noise and distortion figures.

ICEPower 125ASX2 Class D Amplifier Review

This 125ASX2 was hugely popular, can't wait for ICEpower to refresh it with their latest and greatest tech to reduce noise and distortion even further, hopefully keeping the same board size and connections so that it becomes a plug n' play swap upgrade.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Oddball]

I've been poking around for a month or two looking at various options for a complete DIY home theater setup from the screen, to speakers, to subwoofers and now on to an amp. I love building things, so the more I can do myself the better. It gives me a ton of entertainment and pride.

If I were to buy a processor like the Anthem AVM 70 I would need an amplifier to power the 15 speaker channels. Looking around I have found the ICEpower 125ASX2 or the ICEpower 250ASX2 for a little more power. At $230 and $335, they offer what seems like decent quality for around $100-$150/channel. From the reviews I have read here, they seem OK, but not GREAT.

When I try to find other similar modules to build something from that are reviewed much better, they seem to jump up to $500/channel and are a lot harder to source. Are there other options out there for me to look at that offer more than the ICEpower modules for around $200/channel?

This would be dedicated to home theater if that makes any difference. Thanks for any help with this!

You would not want to buy processor like AVM 70. Marantz processors now have Dirac ART which is a game changer. So AV20 or the upcoming AV30 depending on the needs is what I would recommend. Also, there is nothing wrong with the AVRs in the high end range. Marantz C30 is a powerhouse or you can go to A1H Denon for the top.

Amps are amps and they don't really need to be great. I have 80dB SINAD 125Wpc@8ohm amps powering my surrounds for years. Nothing wrong with them, but at this day and age you can definitively do better.

Don't take my advice for granted - but search around for ART to see what that brings to the table.

 

[Roland68]

I've been poking around for a month or two looking at various options for a complete DIY home theater setup from the screen, to speakers, to subwoofers and now on to an amp. I love building things, so the more I can do myself the better. It gives me a ton of entertainment and pride.

Anthem AVM 70 I would need an amplifier to power the 15 speaker channels. Looking around I have found the ICEpower 125ASX2 or the ICEpower 250ASX2 for a little more power. At $230 and $335, they offer what seems like decent quality for around $100-$150/channel. From the reviews I have read here, they seem OK, but not GREAT.

When I try to find other similar modules to build something from that are reviewed much better, they seem to jump up to $500/channel and are a lot harder to source. Are there other options out there for me to look at that offer more than the ICEpower modules for around $200/channel?

This would be dedicated to home theater if that makes any difference. Thanks for any help with this!

100-200w/channel into 8ohm. That seems to be where most AV receivers are for output.

This is the output power for 2 channels on an AVR.
With more channels, this power drops significantly.

It also doesn't necessarily make sense to use the same modules/power for all channels.
For example, if you have large front speakers but only small effect speakers, you only need 40 watts for the small ones and 200 watts for the large ones.
With the same amplifiers, the power supplies would run very inefficiently, and you would never get any use out of the money you invested in the amplifiers.

A home theater is usually a very static affair.
It's actually pointless to look for amplifiers until you've chosen the speakers.
What good are 4/8 ohm amplifiers if you buy 4 ohm speakers whose minimum impedance is 2 ohms and your amplifiers constantly shut down?

You can also save a lot of money by using high-efficiency 4 ohm speakers.
A friend has five Heco Aurora 1000s as main speakers (front/rear/center), plus effect speakers and two large subwoofers. All TPA3251/55-based amplifiers cost around €1,000. Home cinema owners with systems ten times more expensive have already gone pale.

 

[masterhw]

This is the output power for 2 channels on an AVR.
With more channels, this power drops significantly.

And there is little content which stresses all channels equally. If you’re shopping for processing + amplification, a high end AVR would take 2x the money to match and probably 3-4x to beat with separates.

Not sure i’ve heard from OP what the actual problem he’s trying to solve is. Are AVRs not enough channels?

 

[charlielaub]

we will make 2/4/6/8 channel amp based on TPA3255

THAT IS SUPER GOOD NEWS! Thank you 3e-audio

 

[charlielaub]

I've been poking around for a month or two looking at various options for a complete DIY home theater setup from the screen, to speakers, to subwoofers and now on to an amp. I love building things, so the more I can do myself the better. It gives me a ton of entertainment and pride.

If I were to buy a processor like the Anthem AVM 70 I would need an amplifier to power the 15 speaker channels. Looking around I have found the ICEpower 125ASX2 or the ICEpower 250ASX2 for a little more power. At $230 and $335, they offer what seems like decent quality for around $100-$150/channel. From the reviews I have read here, they seem OK, but not GREAT.

When I try to find other similar modules to build something from that are reviewed much better, they seem to jump up to $500/channel and are a lot harder to source. Are there other options out there for me to look at that offer more than the ICEpower modules for around $200/channel?

This would be dedicated to home theater if that makes any difference. Thanks for any help with this!

100-200w/channel into 8ohm. That seems to be where most AV receivers are for output.

While we wait for 3e-audio to make these new multichannel amps available, you might check out Emotiva. They have some relatively inexpensive multi-channel amps that will work great into 8 Ohm nominal speaker loads. Check out the BasX series here:
https://emotiva.com/collections/basx-series
They are all around 100W plus or minus, per channel into 8R

 

[Roland68]

And there is little content which stresses all channels equally. If you’re shopping for processing + amplification, a high end AVR would take 2x the money to match and probably 3-4x to beat compared to separates.

Not sure i’ve heard from OP what the actual problem he’s trying to solve is. Are AVRs not enough channels?

It's not about the content, but rather the size of the speakers and crossover frequencies.
A small effect speaker, regardless of the content, requires only a fraction of the power of large main speakers. But of course, that always depends on the configuration.

 

[dansan69]

Marantz and trinnov both use icepower 400a2 modules in their newer multichannel amps, they are significantly cheaper than the asx2 series mentioned above.
The 300a2 and 400a2 modules do require an additional power supply board, this can also be had from icepower. For a multichannel amp like you are building, a single or dual psu, would be a more rational architecture than using multiple boards each with an onboard psu.

 

[35662412]

how much power you need per channel?
we will make 2/4/6/8 channel amp based on TPA3255

When will it be released? I'm eager to know