[Czilla9000]

With all of this talk about passive vs. active amplification/attenuation devices, I think we are forgetting another viable technology - digital amplification.


Sharp has had digital amps and products that upsample and amplify at rates as high as 1/2.8 Mhz (and now 1/5.6 MHz) for years using 7th order Delta-Sigma processing. The reviewers who have reviewed such systems have given them excellent reviews.


One of Sharps products, the SD-SH111, plays DVDs and CDs, does 5.1 surround, has an AM/FM tuner, and upsamples and amplifies at 5.6 Mhz, and has Sharps special "1-bit digital input" for there SACD player (which costs I think around 3K) for around 400 dollars. Sounds (pun not intended) like a good deal to me.


What I am wondering is if the headphone jack uses digital
amplification?

EDIT - I am not sure if it has the digital 1-bit input after all.

Also, I wonder if the ANALOG TO DIGITAL converter is 1bit/5.6 MHZ or if it is lower and then upsamples the signal.

I think it would be interesting to plug a turntable into one of these things.

http://www.sharpusa.com/products/Mod...58,777,00.html

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Not until they figure out how to do it with tubes. (For me, anyway.)

 

[Czilla9000]

Stereophile has written some stuff about it.


http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?1428

http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?1438



Michael Framers review of the 15000 dollar top of the line Sharp intregrated amp:


http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?253

 

[Gergor]

Speaking of switching amps, Bel Canto amps are quite good IMO.

 

[sacd lover]

The PS AUDIO HCA-2 is another example of a switching amp, and very reasonably priced.

 

[markl]

IMO, digital amps are inevitable over time, but it's going to be years and years before they make up the majority of the amp market. Digital amps may make even more sense in a world where you can link your SACDP/DVD-A players Firewire digital out directly to the amp for processing and amplification. I remember several years ago all the audio mags raved about the $10K TACT Audio digital amp. Apparently, when properly implemented, even with 1999 technology, it can sound amazing. Ultimately, digital amps will be much cheaper (not so many big beefy parts needed) and sound better than their solid state counterparts, but that's still a ways away.

Mark

 

[Tuberoller]

Quote:

Originally posted by sacd lover The PS AUDIO HCA-2 is another example of a switching amp, and very reasonably priced.

The PS Audio is one of the most finnicky amps I have ever used.It is easily driven to clipping and hates anything that even looks like a difficult load.I love the way it sounds,when it works and if the technology is perfected I think I'm a sold customer.This from a tube lover.

 

[JaZZ]

I also think that digital amps are the way to go. I heard one as a sound sample on a CD (!) - the Audio Physic Strada - compared to Pass X 600 and KR Enterprise Double Kronzilla Mk 2. I was impressed by the Audio Physic. It seems like switching amps could combine the qualities of tube and solid-state amps without their shortcomings.

As a fan of Bel Canto's DAC2 I'm also interested in the eVo2.

 

[lini]

I'd assume, that conventional amps will stay for a long time - but probably only as an alternative in upper-level equipment. For budget and mid-fi components, digital amps will be the way to go, as their better efficiency results in less cost (no large heatsinks needed, smaller power supply) and more flexibility in the design, because even a small case can hold a fairly powerful digital amp. That's why a lot of the dvd-receivers in those "home theater in a box"-packages already use digital amps.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[tom hankins]

I don't no about the PS audio amps but the Bel canto I heard had lots of power and sound good too. I think it was the older 200.4, it was a 4 channel amp bridged to 2 channels driving B&W 804 floorstandng speakers. Only got to listen less than an hour but the sound was nice, which suprised me because I'm not a big fan of most B&W speakers.(except the 805 signatures)

 

[nately]

So a digital amp works on the digital signal, and then the signal gets converted to analog on the way out? I'm confused how this works... I never thought of a digital signal as "loud" but more as "on" or "off."

Could someone please explain?

Intuitively it seems like the way to go with digital sources. I know Sony has a line of ES all-in-one SACD-receivers that use some sort of digital amplification, and heard they're good for the price (they weren't that expensive for ES components, however). Not as intuitively a good idea for analog sources, but hey, I haven't heard it yet so who knows.

 

[aos]

Quote:

and sound better than their solid state counterparts,

"Switching" amps are still solid state. This refers to the physics of the active components in the device, i.e. transistors (BJT, MOSFET, FET etc.). IC's are also solid state. Switching amps are still made of those same parts but work using different principle.

I agree with what lini said, digital amps have already made their way into low-fi. Hopefully they will make transition into mid-fi once technology improves.

 

[pigmode]

Probably yes. The predictable result will be that more and more will continue to turn to vinyl and tubes.

 

[markl]

Quote:

Probably yes. The predictable result will be that more and more will continue to turn to vinyl and tubes.

Have you heard a good digital amp, this sounds like speculation. I suspect it's more like one can't make generalizations about the sound of digital amps any more than we allow the generalizations about tubes vs. solid state amps here. Which is "better" will often depend on how the circuit is executed and implemented rather than on what kind of amp it is. In any case, the digital amps promise products with much better specs than current technology allows, and at a much lower price point ultimately. A little too soon to condemn them just yet, IMO.

Mark

 

[sacd lover]

Tuberoller, out of curiosity, what does the ps audio amp clip on, bass transients? If you believe the ps audio hype, they can drive anything. I can see why they would be finnicky if they dont work well with difficult loads. They do seem to be very well recieved sonically though.