Switched to Class D or get left behind?

[Hear Here]

Have you tried the Purifi ?

If you are asking me, the answer is Yes.

I have a Purifi Eigentakt-based NAD M33. Excellent amp (all-in-one in fact) that impressed the guys at Stereophile enough to award it Best Amplifier of the Year, Best Component of the Year and Editors' Choice. It's a pretty impressive box of tricks with a Version 2 in the wings that will feature a second-gemeration Purifi module amp, an even better ESS Sabre ES 9039PRO DAC, and lots of Dirac nonsense if that's your thing.

Have you tried one?

 

[a.wayne]

No waiting for the green light for the gallery to avoid another disappointment ..!



Interested in hearing this one !

Buckeye Purifi Eigentakt 1ET9040BA monoblock power amplifier New Measurements | Stereophile.com

Follow-Up: New Measurements, from June 2025 When Kalman Rubinson reviewed this affordably priced amplifier in the January 2025 issue, he was impressed by what he heard. "Sonically, the Buckeye 1ET9040BA monoblocks are superb," he concluded, adding that "to their credit, they are transparent...

www.stereophile.com

 

[BakerV2]

I have the Class D Audio GanFET mono blocks. I really like them.
Would love to have a respectable amp brought in to make a comparison.

 

[Mechnutt]

I had 2 Class D amps recently. Both Marantz Integrated amps. The PM-KI Ruby which I loved and the PM-10 which costs double of what the Ruby does. The PM-10 did not move the needle for me. The Ruby had great tone, bass and a glorious midrange but it was lacking the detail that I was used to, so I sold it and bought the PM-10 which sounded very good at times and just meh other times. The center image was also very diffuse. I returned it and bought a Mark Levinson 5805 Integrated which is an AB amp. It is just fabulous and sounds better in most respects compared to my BAT-Pass combo. The DAC in the ML is spectacular. The Phono preamp is supposed to be awesome but I have not tried it as I am using a Gold Note PH-10 phono preamp.

 

[Hear Here]

I had 2 Class D amps recently. Both Marantz Integrated amps. The PM-KI Ruby which I loved and the PM-10 which costs double of what the Ruby does. The PM-10 did not move the needle for me. The Ruby had great tone, bass and a glorious midrange but it was lacking the detail that I was used to, so I sold it and bought the PM-10 which sounded very good at times and just meh other times. The center image was also very diffuse. I returned it and bought a Mark Levinson 5805 Integrated which is an AB amp. It is just fabulous and sounds better in most respects compared to my BAT-Pass combo. The DAC in the ML is spectacular. The Phono preamp is supposed to be awesome but I have not tried it as I am using a Gold Note PH-10 phono preamp.

Interesting. I needed a new ss amp when I decided to move away from SETs a few years ago. I bought or borrowed a dozen amps including the ML 5805 (although I'd have bought the 5802 if I'd taken the ML route). plus a number of A, AB and D contenders. Some were surprisingly and disappointingly bad, but the ML was not in that group. In the end I went for a Class D - the Purifi Eigentakt-based NAD M33 (M23 is the power amp only version). If offered all the quality of the other amps but with far more features. The best AB in my system was the GamuT D200 (now discontinued) but the ML was close on its heels!

 

[nc42acc]

The more technical minded of the forum isn't it true the varying loads (speaker) seen by a class D amp can make a difference in how they sound? From what I read they are more susceptible to load variances than other type amps? I have definitely experienced this with not just class D but other circuit types. In the big scheme of this hobby is the synergy of the complete equipment chain and what is reproduced gives you good vibrations.

 

[a.wayne]

Yes load , then amplifier for the load….!

 

[RPM-123]

Very happy owner of AGD Duets powering DeVore Super Nines! I looked at other options but what swayed me was the small size (don't have enough room for most mono blocks) and that they are upgradeable by the owner. GaN FET is relatively new, so the technology will evolve. I have owned them for over a year now and they are great sounding, plus more efficient than other classes of amps. Dare I say.. my "final amps"?

 

[BakerV2]

Very happy owner of AGD Duets powering DeVore Super Nines! I looked at other options but what swayed me was the small size (don't have enough room for most mono blocks) and that they are upgradeable by the owner. GaN FET is relatively new, so the technology will evolve. I have owned them for over a year now and they are great sounding, plus more efficient than other classes of amps. Dare I say.. my "final amps"?

On Tuesday (6JAN26) I take delivery of AGD Audion mono blocks. It is actually with a bit of trepidation. It will be interesting to hear if they blow the custom shop Class D Audio GanFET mono blocks out of the water. For the Class D’s are no slouches.

 

[Michaels HiFi]

On Tuesday (6JAN26) I take delivery of AGD Audion mono blocks. It is actually with a bit of trepidation. It will be interesting to hear if they blow the custom shop Class D Audio GanFET mono blocks out of the water. For the Class D’s are no slouches.

Hope they work out for you. Please keep up updated on your thoughts.

 

[BakerV2]

I just put a different set of tubes in the preamp. NOS 6922 JAN Phillips.
The AGD Audion will have a steep hill to climb.
I’m really naive about tubes the change for the better in terms of system resolution has left me with my mouth agape.
Time will tell.

 

[Michaels HiFi]

I just put a different set of tubes in the preamp. NOS 6922 JAN Phillips.
The AGD Audion will have a steep hill to climb.
I’m really naive about tubes the change for the better in terms of system resolution has left me with my mouth agape.
Time will tell.

6922's have good news and bad news.

Good news: there are a wide variety of vintage tubes to try.
Bad news - it's a very popular tube so prices for them have climbed dramatically lately for decent pairs.

My suggestion is if you find a pair you like - make sure you:

1) confirm they are manufactured by the company on the label. Many tubes are not made by the brand name on the box or tube label as brands often made tubes for each other and would simply put anothers label on it;

2) Confirm the YEAR of mfg as the same tube, same company, but different years can sound VERY different from each other.

So for instance it's not enough to simply say "I like the sound of the RCA 6922". It may not actually be an RCA and depending on when it was made will make a huge difference. I personally feel usually the older the tube the better.

The JAN Phillips is probably a legit Phillips and is a first step between current production and real vintage tubes.

My suggestion: vintage tubes require SERIOUS dedication. If you are happy with the JAN Phillips, sometimes ignorance is bliss and think twice before going down the rat hole any further.

 

[Bones13]

I have 6922s in my pre-amp, and my tubed phono amp (infrequent usage currently) I ended up getting several matched pair, in different varieties. There are some very expensive 6922 (and similar) NOS tubes, particularly if strong, well matched, and minimal microphonics.

 

[BakerV2]

6922's have good news and bad news.

Good news: there are a wide variety of vintage tubes to try.
Bad news - it's a very popular tube so prices for them have climbed dramatically lately for decent pairs.

My suggestion is if you find a pair you like - make sure you:

1) confirm they are manufactured by the company on the label. Many tubes are not made by the brand name on the box or tube label as brands often made tubes for each other and would simply put anothers label on it;

2) Confirm the YEAR of mfg as the same tube, same company, but different years can sound VERY different from each other.

So for instance it's not enough to simply say "I like the sound of the RCA 6922". It may not actually be an RCA and depending on when it was made will make a huge difference. I personally feel usually the older the tube the better.

The JAN Phillips is probably a legit Phillips and is a first step between current production and real vintage tubes.

My suggestion: vintage tubes require SERIOUS dedication. If you are happy with the JAN Phillips, sometimes ignorance is bliss and think twice before going down the rat hole any further.

In my case ignorance is bliss. Plus I’m a cheap bastard and simply will not fork over some of the $$$ being demanded by the various tube purveyors. Thus the JAN Phillips. I do have some Japanese Matsushita tubes coming from the fellow you recommended to also try.

 

[Michaels HiFi]

In my case ignorance is bliss. Plus I’m a cheap bastard and simply will not fork over some of the $$$ being demanded by the various tube purveyors. Thus the JAN Phillips. I do have some Japanese Matsushita tubes coming from the fellow you recommended to also try.

The Japanese are usually very high quality tubes and get you a much more expensive sound at a cheaper price. I think you'll like them. Just remember new tubes need about 25 hours of initial use to sound their best.