Amps? (Off Topic)

by PeterSt. , Netherlands, Saturday, February 10, 2007, 10:40 (6283 days ago) @ GC

Hi GC,

I found this guy praising the Kharmas:
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue25/kharma_mp150.htm

Since your ever so trustworthy advises on amps :bey:, last monday (when you posted this) I read the article, and immediately started looking for a bunch of these in my neighbourhood. I even found a pair for sale, mailed the seller, and within the hour he called me that he had already sold them.
However, I was on the phone with him for nearly an hour, and we a.o. we talked about the class D stuff;

The guy lives by buying amps and everything, and after judging for a couple of months he sells it again.
Since he already sold the Kharma's I could bring him to speak freely. He directly or implicitly made clear :

Although the Kharma's surely are not bad, for him there is not any indication that they, or any other class D hype amp for that matter, is better than the "old" stuff. Note that amongst his current selling items there's also thingy's like the Kronzilla which btw really might be something for you (the tubes are milk bottle size).

Also, my "research" on the class D subject, seems to show that these amps live in their own world of "cheap" and DIY areas with a high value for money reatio, but which clearly to me does *not* mean it might (!) be good for me and you in absolute sense.
For example, any itself respecting Audio store does not sell class D stuff, or it must be hard soldered in the insides of a subwoofer. Worse, nobody sells these things overhere (though I must be careful, because "everybody" might buy from the internet and sell these days, but that's different from stores doing it).

For me the theoretical advantages of the Kharma would be that this does *not* have a switching PSU, and I think that is about all (it doesn't feedback I think). Yeah, its power consumption, which BTW would really something to get me going for such an amp. But hey, what about the sound.

It is really a pitty I couldn't get the Kharma's, because now, so far, the status remains that the class D (or "T") come to me as a failure. Just by the two experiences to far (which would be the NuForce and the Sonic T-amp).

I keep on thinking that the Red Wine matchbox can do jobs which other of that class amps don't, just because its battery design, which for me somehow feels as the only solution to the 1mm2 capacitors needed for those designs. In the end I think it's a (working) placebo because of the weight the batteries add. Anyway, this one too can't be gotten here that I know of.

Maybe this forum is not the "right" one for discussing those matters about
SM D-class amps?
Seems none of the members/readers actually are using such an amp.

... most probably because of forementioned reasons. However, I think Klaus has something like a T-class.

What, actually, is our problem ?

It looks like several of us are looking for better amps;
For me, the following reasons account :

1. Less power comsumption at 24/7
2. Better theory of operation.

Ad 2.
I do *not* feel any lack of quality. Just NOT. It took me over a full year to select my current dual stereo A10 Dusons former AudioAnalyse) some 15 years ago, them being the most neutral and capable of driving my 87dB almost former Infinity's. Note : might someone want to buy them, they will be for sale whenever I've found what I want.
What I want is full class A, and no feedback (the Dusons are A/B, btw theoretically operating at A with 112dB speakers behind them.

Again, I do not feel any lack of quality.

If I may speak for Bert, also looking for something else, he is looking for more power. Or better, more headroom. I have this headroom (4 x 140W RMS into 8 Ohm), and it brings something that's lacking a 7W 300B.
Note that, having everything rather right around the amps, further differences between my SS and Bert's LaydyDays are hard to determine at comparing them side by side (which we did the other day).

Why do I say the above ? well, because something has creeped into my mind that the differences between amps are minor, once you have the other stuff right. The stage doesn't differ, the (micro) information does not, the character of the sound does hardly (the highs are slightly different, and what's noticed further is, in our opninion, caused by more headroom in my amps), differences in timbre and the like just are a hoax (and merely caused by the source and the speakers), etc. etc.
Or ... my SS and Bert's tubes must sound coincidentally the same, in which coincidence I don't believe.

Similar to my reasons of power consumption, are Bert's reasons for tubes getting end of life, that being the most sneaky phenomenon I personally wouldn't be able to live with ("could it be caused by too old tubes ?").

Preliminary conclusion of the above is, that *if* "we" would be able to find a class D amp outperforming (or equalling) what we have now, it would suit you all. Just for the sole reason amps don't matter much as long as the theory of operation is correct, *and* you don't overdrive them.
But sadly the point is so far : the class D amps differ so much in theory of operation, that they DO differ from my amp the least ...

If only there would be a huge source of those things around here ...

Peter

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