Hi Cory,
I use to frequent the Lounge but don't believe in Big Dan's idea of an entry level table. It just doesn't make sense to cut so many corners on a turntable….. It won't be designed by me :lol:
Over the years i have had pretty much all class d modules in hand for testing. Some sound horrible, most sound good and only a few sound truly spectacular.
Ice Power is so wide spread with many companies selling class d amps using Ice. All the boards are essentially the same, with different wattage ratings, some with SMPS and some without, some are stereo but most Ice boards are mono. All of them have a very low input impedance of 8-12kohms. Which is fine for 90% of pre amps out there but some like tube pre amps, have a very high output impedance, which is around 2.5kohms. This can present a tough load on the amp, the down fall is rolled off bass and less bass definition.
The input buffer these companies are using, are very simple, they use JFET's or OpAmp's to raise the input impedance to a much safer level, around 40-50kohms. But the higher you go up, the more noise you'll get. Some companies have there inputs at 300kohms lol
Here at Aluminati we have used various class d boards, most recently made an amp using the Ice Power 500asp board. Fantastic amp and we have one remaining!!
Also make case solutions for nCore NC400 board. This board is for DIY only and just a few tools and a case can get you a true hi end amp.
Class D is the only way i go. The highs have such shimmer and accuracy.
Best,
Matt
