Well, dull and gray would be the words I would unkindly use, too, but I don't want to tar the whole flock on the basis of a few heard samples.
The Audion Mono Amps from AGD Production
- Thread starter Hear Here
- Start date
True Carl. If those Trons 211s were my first exposure to tubes, I'd stick SS.
But the Tron failure was manageable. The Mola Class D wasn't.
But the Tron failure was manageable. The Mola Class D wasn't.
Did Keith try and convince you the Molas were the real, neutral sound?
The Spec digital amp doesn't sound grey at all. That's the best class D i've heard. Phil's m2tech monos are pretty good, too although I still hear some digital glare on them. They cost very little however.
Keith, I literally had the mother of rows w the dealer who said the data proved I wasn't hearing right.
I kid you not.
He is (another) Keith indeed. How would you know him, 3k miles across The Pond?
I kid you not.
He is (another) Keith indeed. How would you know him, 3k miles across The Pond?
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One of the issues with class d implementation is that they mostly are only good for a certain impedance , so they have issues with varying impedance in a speaker
another issue is they are not necessarily linear as frequency increases , this means they will sound odd and not of a piece between mids and highs
another issue is they are not necessarily linear as frequency increases , this means they will sound odd and not of a piece between mids and highs
Wow, nice stuff you make up......he he. Class D amps are fine with all impedances except some amps cannot do 2 ohms or less very well....some can. Most all amps measure worse as the frequency increases....class d is the same.
EPC GaN fets cost just about the same as Mosfets....this is a fact. This means there should really be no increase of price for a GaN based class D amp. The only reason these new GaN amps cost so much is that they are first and they can charge whatever they like. If the Audion amps (without the silly fake tube) were made in China and sold direct they would be $1500-$2000 the pair delivered to your door. . The Audion amps use $1 each lm4562 op amps on the input and the GaNs are driven by a $2 controller.....the only thing that cost any real money is the chassis, the packing case, the fake tube, the particular GaNs they use and the WBT jacks......everything else is inexpensive. If you used a simple chassis, no fake tube, used the EPC GaNs, and a normal shipping box the price would be nada.....really way less.
The LSA Voyager amp (mit GaNs) will be out soon at $2500. This is just the beginning. In a few years you will have GaN amps from China for $300. The reason they are not happening quickly is that there are very little plans on how to make them.....you have to design your own circuit and circuit boards. And you cannot substitute GaNs for Mosfets on a circuit board.....as GaNs have no leads (must design a circuit board for them).....very small mothers. This is not like buying Ice, Hypex, Pascal, Ti or other modules. GaNs have great potential, I believe GaNs will bring us better sound than Mosfets. Of course, every single GaN amp will still sound different....this is just one part.
EPC GaN fets cost just about the same as Mosfets....this is a fact. This means there should really be no increase of price for a GaN based class D amp. The only reason these new GaN amps cost so much is that they are first and they can charge whatever they like. If the Audion amps (without the silly fake tube) were made in China and sold direct they would be $1500-$2000 the pair delivered to your door. . The Audion amps use $1 each lm4562 op amps on the input and the GaNs are driven by a $2 controller.....the only thing that cost any real money is the chassis, the packing case, the fake tube, the particular GaNs they use and the WBT jacks......everything else is inexpensive. If you used a simple chassis, no fake tube, used the EPC GaNs, and a normal shipping box the price would be nada.....really way less.
The LSA Voyager amp (mit GaNs) will be out soon at $2500. This is just the beginning. In a few years you will have GaN amps from China for $300. The reason they are not happening quickly is that there are very little plans on how to make them.....you have to design your own circuit and circuit boards. And you cannot substitute GaNs for Mosfets on a circuit board.....as GaNs have no leads (must design a circuit board for them).....very small mothers. This is not like buying Ice, Hypex, Pascal, Ti or other modules. GaNs have great potential, I believe GaNs will bring us better sound than Mosfets. Of course, every single GaN amp will still sound different....this is just one part.
Thanks Ric for the info about the LSA Voyager amp. I'm not sure I totally agree with you about prices for AGD alternatives. Yes, they come in 2 fancy mono cases and yes, they've mimicked a valve to encase the guts of the amp, but this is no different from numerous manufacturers that offer super-looking products at premium prices.
The AGD Audion is 3 times the price of the LSA. Is it 3 times better? Almost certainly no. Is it 3 times better looking? Well maybe to some people's eyes. Is it worth considering at 3 times the price? Certainly for some buyers who relish the look of their kit as much as how it sounds. Will it hold its value? Well I doubt any of these first generation GaN amps will, but perhaps more so than ones in bland boxes! The AGD is still on my list of amps to listen to, together with Bakoon and boring old NAD. I'm inclined to choose the one that actually sounds best.
The AGD Audion is 3 times the price of the LSA. Is it 3 times better? Almost certainly no. Is it 3 times better looking? Well maybe to some people's eyes. Is it worth considering at 3 times the price? Certainly for some buyers who relish the look of their kit as much as how it sounds. Will it hold its value? Well I doubt any of these first generation GaN amps will, but perhaps more so than ones in bland boxes! The AGD is still on my list of amps to listen to, together with Bakoon and boring old NAD. I'm inclined to choose the one that actually sounds best.
Yes, indeed the AGD Audion amps could be the best bang for the buck right at this very instant.....but the next instant.....well.....that remains to be seen. The LSA might? sonically compete with it and then there are the tweakers, like me, who can take a modestly priced piece of gear and totally hot rod it. What is for sure is that class D is evolving and whatever you think is SOTA right now will be bettered very soon. I am experimenting over the next couple of weeks with a tweak to a particular class D module that could be a breakthrough for class D......kinda fun! There is always more.
What about the much more expensive Merrill GaN amps? Sexy, as well......suppose to sound great. But what the heck is in the box?.....there are no pictures......they don't want to show you nuttin. I have no problem with people buying whatever pleases them. However, I personally have only $6K in my whole system. If I had a lot of money, I would still mostly build my own gear and mod what I cannot build.....much more fun.
What about the much more expensive Merrill GaN amps? Sexy, as well......suppose to sound great. But what the heck is in the box?.....there are no pictures......they don't want to show you nuttin. I have no problem with people buying whatever pleases them. However, I personally have only $6K in my whole system. If I had a lot of money, I would still mostly build my own gear and mod what I cannot build.....much more fun.
Great question. I just ordered a Lampizator Baltic 3 with volume control, and was strongly considering pairing that with the AGD monoblocks, not sure which model yet. Not sure that I’ll have a chance to demo without purchasing, so I was hoping to hear AGD owners’ impressions, too.
Enjoy the Lampizator. I have a big 7 and really like it.
I just picked up the AGD’s (the small mono amps) from a friend. I’ll hook them up tomorrow and try to provide some feedback this week.
I just picked up the AGD’s (the small mono amps) from a friend. I’ll hook them up tomorrow and try to provide some feedback this week.
Don;t own them, but as I've posted now more than once on this forum I sat with the designer at Capital Audiofest and listened to the full line of AGD amps. There are also multiple reviews - see for example 6Moons.com. They were the best Class 'D' amps I've heard and scored high marks on every audio parameter. They do all of the audiophile things superbly however like every Class 'D' amp I've heard their sonic signature is too solid state (i.e., analytical, clinical, etc.) for my tastes and I would only consider owning them paired with a tube preamp.
I find Srajan's reviews completely clear and appreciate that his superior command of the language allows him to communicate nuances metaphorically that simple measurements and commentary don't allow for. But I understand that his creative use of language passes over some people's heads.
